Boiling water is a very common job and will always come in handy for you. Want to cook dinner? Try to find a way to include a hard-boiled egg in your dish, or salt it to add flavor. When hiking or camping, you can find out why food takes too long to cook, or make river water safe to drink. This article will help you learn these and other intricacies.
Step
Method 1 of 4: Boiling Water for Cooking
Step 1. Use a saucepan with a lid
The lid will keep the heat in the pot so the water boils faster. Large pots take a long time to boil, but shape has almost no effect.
Step 2. Add cold tap water
Hot tap water can carry lead from water pipes, and is not recommended for drinking or cooking. So, it's best to use cold tap water. Don't fill the pot to the brim as it will overflow when it boils, and you will need to make room for the food to be cooked.
Don't believe the myths; Cold water does not boil faster than hot water. This option is safe, but takes longer
Step 3. Sprinkle salt for taste (optional)
Salt has almost no impact on boiling temperature, even if you add enough to make seawater! The taste only adds to the food, especially pasta which will absorb the salt along with the water.
- You will notice bubbles rising as soon as you add the salt. Don't worry, this effect will not change the water temperature.
- Add salt when boiling eggs. If the shell is cracked, the salt will help the whites to solidify and fill the holes.
Step 4. Put the pan on high heat
Place the pot on the stove and turn the heat to a high setting. Cover the pot with a lid to help the water boil faster.
Step 5. Learn how to boil water
Most recipes will require you to simmer or roll boil. Learn how to recognize this stage, plus some other less-used options to help you find the perfect temperature:
- Quiver (vibrate): Small water bubbles appear at the bottom of the pan, but do not rise. The surface of the water shook slightly. This stage takes place at 60–75ºC, and this temperature is ideal for hard-boiling eggs, fruit, or fish.
- Sub-simmer: Some small bubbles rise to the surface, but most of the water is still. This stage takes place at a temperature of 75–90ºC, and is suitable for braising or braising meat.
- Simmer: Small to medium bubbles begin to break frequently on the surface of the water in the pan. This stage takes place at 90–100ºC, which is good for steaming vegetables or melting chocolate, depending on your level of health.
- Full rolling boil: The steam and water surface continue to move even when you stir the water. This is the highest level of water temperature you will need, which is 100ºC. Pasta is best cooked at this temperature.
Step 6. Add food
If you're going to boil something, put it in now. Cold food will lower the temperature of the water and reduce it in the early stages. This doesn't matter, just keep the heat on a high or medium heat setting until the water returns to the correct level.
Do not put food in water that is not yet hot, unless the recipe says otherwise. This will make it difficult to estimate cooking times, and can have unforeseen consequences. For example, meat becomes tougher and tasteless when exposed to cold water while cooking
Step 7. Reduce the heat
High heat is useful if you want the water to reach a boiling temperature quickly. Once done, reduce the heat to medium (to simmer) or medium-low (to simmer). Once the water has reached the rolling boil, adding heat will only make the water evaporate faster.
- Check the pan occasionally for the first few minutes, to make sure the water is still steady at the desired level.
- When you are making soup or other dishes that require a long simmer, leave the lid slightly ajar. Covering the pan completely will raise the temperature too high for these recipes.
Method 2 of 4: Purifying Drinking Water
Step 1. Boil water to kill bacteria and other pathogens
Almost all harmful microorganisms in water will die at the temperature of boiling water. Boil no will get rid of chemical contamination in the water.
If the water looks cloudy, strain it first to get rid of any dirt
Step 2. Bring the water to a boil
It is the heat at the boiling temperature that kills microorganisms, not boiling the water itself. However, without a thermometer, a rolling boil is the only way to accurately determine the temperature of the water. Wait for the water to evaporate and churn for at least 1-3 minutes. At this point, all harmful organisms should be dead.
Step 3. Continue to boil for 1-3 minutes
Just as an extra precaution, let the water boil for 1 minute (count slowly to 60.) If you are higher than 2,000 m above sea level, boil it for more than 3 minutes. (count slowly to 180.)
Boil water at low temperature at high elevation. This slightly cooler water takes longer to kill organisms
Step 4. Allow the container to cool and store in a closed container
Even after cooling, boiled water is safe to drink. Store boiled water in a clean, closed container.
The water will taste bland compared to regular water because some of the air in it has evaporated. To enhance flavor, pour water back and forth between two clean containers. Water will catch air when changing containers
Step 5. Take a portable water boiler with you when you travel
If access to electricity is easy enough, you can use an electric kettle. Otherwise, bring a camping stove plus a fuel source or battery.
Step 6. Dry the plastic container in the sun as a last resort
If you don't have a way to boil water, put it in a clear plastic container. Let it dry for 6 hours in direct sunlight. This will kill some bacteria, but it's not as safe as boiling water.
Method 3 of 4: Boiling Water in the Microwave
Step 1. Put the water in a microwave-safe bowl
If you can't find a "microwave safe" label on the container, choose a glass or ceramic container that no have metal parts. To test the safety of the container, place it empty in the microwave next to a cup of water. Microwave for a minute. If the container feels hot after a minute, it means it's not microwave safe.
For increased safety, use containers that have been scratched or pryed (in scientific terms, nucleation points) on interior surfaces. This helps the water to bubble, which reduces the risk of a "superheated" explosion (which is already very small from the start)
Step 2. Put a microwave-safe item in the water
This step also helps to bubble up the water, even a spoonful of salt or sugar should suffice.
Avoid using plastic objects as they may be too soft and bubbles may form around them
Step 3. Put the water in the microwave
For most microwaves, the edges of the “turn plate” will heat up faster than the center.
Step 4. Heat in short intervals, and stir regularly
For maximum safety, find the recommended water cooking time in the user manual. If you don't have the user manual, try heating at 1 minute intervals. After each interval, stir the water carefully, then remove it from the microwave to test the temperature. The water is ready when it gives off steam and is too hot to touch.
- If the water is still too cold after a few minutes, increase the length of each session to 1.5-2 minutes. The total amount of time depends on the power of the microwave and the volume of boiled water.
- Don't expect a rolling boil when boiling in the microwave. The temperature of the water will still reach its boiling point, but the surface of the water will not churn.
Method 4 of 4: Boiling Water on High
Step 1. Understand the impact
The air becomes thinner the higher it is above sea level. With fewer air molecules to push the water down, each water molecule breaks apart more easily and enters the air. In other words, the heat required to boil water is lower. The water will boil faster, but the lower the temperature will make it more difficult to cook the food.
You don't have to worry about this unless you are at an altitude of 610 m or more above sea level
Step 2. Start with more water
Because the liquid evaporates more quickly at high altitudes, it is advisable to add a small amount of water to compensate. If you plan to cook food in water, it's best to add more water. The food will take longer to cook so the water used will evaporate.
Step 3. Boil the food a little longer
To compensate for the low temperature, you can cook the food a little longer. Here's a simple rule regarding the length of time added:
- If the recipe takes time not enough of 20 minutes for boiling at sea level, add 1 minute for every 305 m above sea level.
- If the recipe takes time more of 20 minutes for boiling at sea level, add 2 minutes for every 305 m above sea level.
Step 4. Consider using a pressure cooker
Especially at high altitudes, boiling food can take a very long time. So, it's best to boil water in a pressure cooker. This device confines water in an airtight container, and increases the pressure so that the water reaches a higher temperature. Using a pressure cooker, you can follow recipes as if you were cooking at sea level.
Tips
- If you're boiling something other than water, like sauce, lower the heat when it reaches a boiling point so the sauce doesn't burn at the bottom of the pot.
- Typically, pasta is put in a large pot of boiling water, about 8-12.5 liters of water per kilogram of pasta. Recently, chefs have started using small pots and even starting to cook pasta in cold water. The second way is much faster.
- When boiling the water, try to balance a wooden spoon on top of the pot to prevent bubbles from spilling out of the pot.
Warning
- Steam is easier to scald than boiling water because of the extra heat energy it contains.
- Distilled water tends to be superheated more easily in the microwave because it doesn't contain impurities that help the water bubble. This type of water is still rare, but you should be careful and use plain water.
- The boiling water and steam are hot enough to burn you. Put on oven mitts if necessary, and handle them with care.
