Question 1) Putting spices into a pot that's on the flame? Ok?

Question 2) Putting milk and sugar into a hot coffee? Ok?

Question 3) Making a cup of tea on shabbos how to do?

There are a number of different categories of how heat can be used to heat uncooked liquids and foods.

1) 1st vessel
2) 2nd vessel 
3) 3rd vessel

For our purposes please note that we are going to use halachik rather than scientific principles.
Ultimately we are saying that the first vessel can cause cooking when its really hot, whereas the second vessel can't, even when it's hotter..

So, it must be dependent on more than simply how hot a vessel is but other factors too, including how the "walls" of the vessels are regarded in terms of "cooling" things off.

1) First vessel - the container into which a food or liquid was cooked or heated.

This can be on the flame itself, eg a pot of soup boiling on the fire where its absolutely forbidden to put any uncooked food or liquids into it, eg one can't put salt into a pot that's on the flame on shabbos.

Or it could even be a hot pot that's been removed from the flame.

You also can't put a baked item into a first vessel, eg croutons into a hot pot of soup. 

So, what can be put into a first vessel? Any solid food that is completely cooked may be placed into it once its been removed from the fire, eg a piece of cold cooked chicken could be put into a pot of hot soup.

2) second vessel - it has a lower heat than a first vessel. Its any container into which hot food or liquid from a first vessel is directly poured, eg a cup of hot water filled directly from the hot water urn.

The rule is, anything that's deemed "sensitive" to heat can cook even in a second vessel. 
As its uncertain exactly what this includes the only items to put into a second vessel are things already cooked like warming a bottle of milk as the milk is pasteurised or to add cold milk or sugar to a coffee.
Additionally water, oil, ginger, cinnamon, salt, pepper.

3) Third vessel - it's a different level of heat than a second vessel. We can rely on saying that a third vessel does not cause any cooking, no matter how hot it is.

So, use a 3rd vessel anytime you prepare hot drinks or food. So, make your tea or coffee this way.

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