This site uses only a few technical cookies necessary for its operation. By continuing to browse, you accept their use.
To find out more...
To find out more...
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...
1 hour 20 min.
Easy
1 panLast 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.
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.
Other recipes you may also like
Turnip and sesame puree (tahina) soup
For this quick soup, 15 minutes, an original turnip taste with sesame purée (tahina). February 29th 2012242 K4.3 35 min.
Small cheese and bacon rolls
These small aperitif snacks can be prepared in advance and heated at the last minute, or served cold. September 7th 2018373 K5 1 hour 25 min.
Pitta bread
This Lebanese speciality is made as a flat round pocket, which can be filled with all manner of things. January 8th 2025543 K 14.5 2 hours 50 min.
Stock-pot fish
A julienne of vegetables (small sticks) mixed with choice morsels of fish, slowly cooked in vegetable stock. December 31th 2013329 K4.3 2 hours 40 min.
How to dust
"Dusting" in cooking is sprinkling a very fine layer of something in powder form. Icing sugar or cocoa powder on cakes for example. As this is not very easy to do evenly, here is a way to do it. October 13th 2010161 K5 2 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2026-01-04)
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Follow this recipe (as 2 people already do)
If you are interested in this recipe, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the recipe is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.
The 1 comment already posted on this recipe