Why should one boil water over medium-high heat for pasta?
I have encountered a pasta recipe with this as the first step:
Bring a large pot of water to boil over medium-high heat.
What is the purpose of using medium-high heat? Isn't it faster and more efficient to use high heat to boil water?
Best Answer
A few lines of thought:
- Pasta water boiling over happens to the best of us. Either from not paying attention, using too little water, or using too much water. Using the medium-high heat versus max heat helps mitigate boil overs from happening.
- On my own stove, when the burner is at its highest setting, much of the heat ends up being directed up the sides of the pot, rather than on the bottom of the bot. The gas flame becomes so wide underneath the pot, that much of the heat is lost to the air, rather than being focused on the pot. This makes the medium-high setting more efficient than high. Obviously this all depends on the pot and the burner, but even my larger pots have this happen to them.
- If you were shooting for another temperature, like 200F (93C), instead of boiling it would be hard to hit that number on high heat without going over. Even if you have a thermometer in the pot and turned the burner off immediately after hitting 200F, the water would continue to rise in temperature as the residual heat carries over. Ideally, as the water gets hotter and closer to 200F, you would want to slowly back off the heat until getting to the point that will allow you to hold the water at exactly 200F. I think it's the same idea for boiling water. It's okay to use high heat, but you want to back off the burner as the water gets closer until you end up on medium-high: a good happy-medium for keeping water boiling versus having hotspots on the bottom of the pot.
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Quick Answer about "Why should one boil water over medium-high heat for pasta?"
A few lines of thought: Pasta water boiling over happens to the best of us. Either from not paying attention, using too little water, or using too much water. Using the medium-high heat versus max heat helps mitigate boil overs from happening.Should you boil pasta on high heat?
You need the intense heat of boiling water to \u201cset\u201d the outside of the pasta, which prevents the pasta from sticking together. That is why the fast boil is so important; the water temperature drops when you add the pasta, but if you have a fast boil, the water will still be hot enough for the pasta to cook properly.Should I boil water on medium?
High heat is useful when you want to get the water to reach boiling temperature quickly. Once you've got where you want, reduce the heat to medium (for boiling) or medium-low (for simmering). Once the water is at a rolling boil, more heat will only make it boil away faster.Why does water boil over when cooking pasta?
With the combined influences of heat and water, the starch thickens as it rises to the surface, creating an active agent at the top of the water which blocks air from escaping. Because it contains more air, the volume of water then expands, rising to the point of boiling over.What heat should you boil water?
\u201cThe boiling point of water is an important cooking landmark,\u201d Harold McGee writes in \u201cKeys to Good Cooking.\u201d At that point, 212 degrees Fahrenheit/100 degrees Celsius* (stick a pin in this for later), the water is \u201chot enough to kill microbes, firm meats and fish, and soften vegetables.\u201d (Most microbes can be killed ...Why I stopped boiling my pasta water.
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