How to Boil Water
We boil water for numerous reasons, but most of the time we do it for cooking. Although this is a pretty easy and straightforward task, a lot of people, especially first timers in the kitchen, don’t know how to do it properly. If you’re one of those that find this an irksome task, here’s how to do it properly.
What You’ll Need:
Water
Pot with lid or Teapot
Pot holder
Stove (any other source of heat will also do, such as a campfire or a hot plate)
Measuring cup
Procedure:
Get your pot ready. It should be big enough to hold the amount of water you need for your cooking. Remember to make room for your food to be boiled as well. If there’s not enough room, whatever you’re cooking will definitely boil over and make a big mess.
boiling water
If you’re boiling water for a certain beverage, it’s better if you use a teapot instead of a cooking pot. Just make sure you don’t add too much water so that it won’t boil over. If you do, hot water will spill out of the spout.
Measure cold water into the pot. If the recipe calls for a strict amount (such as when cooking rice or soup), use a measuring cup, so you won’t put in too much or too little. If you’re just boiling something, though, such as pasta or potatoes, you don’t need to measure out anything. Just make sure there’s enough water to cover whatever it is you’re cooking.
Transfer the pot or teapot to your stove or hot plate. Turn it to high. If cooking on a campfire, make sure there’s already flames. Put the lid on the pot, covering it properly.
Wait for the water to reach its boiling temperature. The boiling temperature depends on how high you are or your altitude. If you’re at sea level, it will boil at 100 degree Celsius or 212 degrees Fahrenheit. If you’re at a higher altitude, the boiling temperature becomes lower.
When steam is escaping the lid, lift the lid carefully to see if the water is boiling. Be careful not to let the steam get into your face; it can scorch you. Teapots usually whistle, to tell you that the water is boiling already.
If you only see small bubbles, the water’s not boiled yet. Cover the pot and give it a few more minutes. When you see large bubbles rising from the bottom to the surface, then the water is boiling.
Some Tips:
It’s tempting as it may be to use warm water from the tap to shorten the boiling time, but don’t do it. This has been sitting in your pipes for quite some time and can be already stale.
If you think that boiling water longer makes it hotter, you’re wrong. Once it reaches its boiling temperature, it remains at that temperature. Boiling it further causes it to evaporate.
You don’t have to keep an eye on boiling water, but never leave any stove or open flame unattended.
Knowing how to boil water is very useful, whether you like to cook or not. Just follow these steps, and you’ll do it perfectly.