One should always cover a pan while heating
Tradition says: "One should always cover a pan while heating".
In other words, if you heat water (or something else), it comes to the boil faster with a lid on the pan than without.
True or false? Let's try the experiment...
In other words, if you heat water (or something else), it comes to the boil faster with a lid on the pan than without.
True or false? Let's try the experiment...
Last modified on: July 25th 2017
Times for this recipe
Preparation
2 min.
Resting
1 hour
Cooking
20 min.
All in all
1 hour 20 min.
When should you start or finish this recipe?
If you start now, at , you will finish around : ?.Change start time
To finish around 7pm, you'll need to have started before: .Change end time
Step by step recipe
Stage 1 - ⌛ 2 min.
1 litre of water is measured and poured into a pan without the lid and put on the hob with a thermometer in it.
Starting temperature of water (and room): 70°F (19°C).
Starting temperature of water (and room): 70°F (19°C).
Stage 2 - ⌛ 9 min.
The heat is switched on. The water reaches 210°F (100°C) in 9 minutes and 30 seconds.
Stage 3 - ⌛ 1 hour
The hob is left to cool for about one hour, to allow it to reach room temperature again.
Another 1 litre water is put in the same pan covered with the same thermometer in it, on the same hob.
Starting temperature of water (and room): 70°F (19°C).
Another 1 litre water is put in the same pan covered with the same thermometer in it, on the same hob.
Starting temperature of water (and room): 70°F (19°C).
Stage 4 - ⌛ 9 min.
The heat is switched on. The water reaches 210°F (100°C) in 9 minutes and 27 seconds.
Stage 5
The result is shown more clearly in the diagram: the temperature of the uncovered pan in red and that of the covered pan in green.
Conclusion
False: The time difference is too small to be significant. It really doesn't matter whether the pan is covered or not.
Source: Homemade.
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