Boiling Water: The Magic Temperature

Boiling Water: The Magic Temperature

What’s the most magical thing you can think of? For me, it’s water that boils without heating up the pot it’s in. It seems like magic, but it’s a little less mysterious once you understand the basics of boiling water and pressure, which are exactly what we’ll talk about today! Let’s find out just how hot boiling water gets and why it does this!

Boiling Water

How can you boil eggs perfectly every time?

You can boil eggs perfectly every time by paying attention to the temperature of the water. The boiling point of water is the temperature at which the vapor pressure of water becomes equal to the pressure surrounding the water. When the water reaches this temperature, it will begin to boil. By monitoring the temperature of the water, you can ensure that your eggs are cooked perfectly every time. To make sure that you cook the egg to perfection, place the egg in a pan with cold water and then heat up until it starts boiling. 

Then turn off the stove and allow it to sit for another 20 minutes so that the egg can fully cook through before cracking open. After cooking, crack the egg into an ice bath so that it doesn't continue cooking. You'll have yourself a perfect hard-boiled egg without any cracks or chunks! If you don't want to wait around for twenty minutes, use cool water instead of hot water and set a timer for 12-15 minutes. Keep checking on the water and if it begins to boil too much, lower the heat. Once you're satisfied with how much time has passed, take out the egg and crack it open as usual.

Why does it matter?

If you're trying to cook food, boiling water is the temperature you need to reach in order to kill off bacteria. That's why it's important to make sure your water reaches a rolling boil before adding any food that needs to be cooked. Nowadays there are lots of methods for telling if water has reached the boiling point without having to wait for bubbles to appear and an old-fashioned way of testing this is by using a spoonful of plain white sugar. The sugar will start dissolving into the hot liquid at around 212 degrees Fahrenheit and should form little strings which will tell you that the water has reached its boiling point! Another fun way to test whether or not your water has boiled, though not as accurate as the sugar test, is to put a few drops of vegetable oil on top of the water - if it starts bubbling up all over the surface then you know that it's boiled. 

Alternatively, one can use a candle flame to check the boiling point. As the flame moves closer to the pot, it will get bigger and bigger until it touches down inside of the pot. At this point, it's safe to say that your water has reached its boiling time! One last method is to place a wooden spoon across the top of the pot so that it touches both sides of the pot. 

You'll see a small gap between where the spoon meets both pots; this gap will gradually close as long as there is still some water remaining in the pot, but once it closes completely (meaning there's no more water left), then you'll know that your water has boiled and you'll be able to take it off of the heat.

How it applies to your life

Everyone knows that boiling water is hot, but did you know that it's also the temperature at which the vapor pressure of water becomes equal to the pressure surrounding the water? This is why when you're cooking, it's important to make sure that your food is cooked all the way through - otherwise, you risk eating undercooked food. Boiling water is also a great way to clean things since it can kill bacteria. But be careful! If the water is too hot and you touch it, you could get burned. 

There are even some people who claim that they've made a piece of chocolate by pouring boiling water over cocoa powder and letting it sit for a few minutes. Be safe and use care when playing with boiling water! Don't touch it unless you want to feel its warmth or pain, as well as make sure to avoid spilling it on yourself or anyone else. 

It's best if kids don't play with boiling water, since they have less developed motor skills and are more likely to accidentally hurt themselves if they try this experiment. Remember that it only takes about five seconds for most foods in boiling water to cook thoroughly - this includes meat, eggs, noodles, and rice! 

You might think that because these foods take longer to cook than vegetables, you should add them later. But adding them early actually helps keep them from overcooking while waiting for the other ingredients to finish cooking. So boil away and enjoy! When the water reaches its boiling point, it produces steam, so place the pot off of any surfaces that can potentially catch fire (such as your stove). 

Finally, remember to measure out your measurements carefully before starting anything! When following recipes, start reading after you reach a boil.