One should cover a pan while heating?


One should cover a pan while heating?
You've probably heard it before: "Cover your pan, it'll boil faster", but is it true?

Let's find out.
33 K 3.4/5 (31 reviews)
Grade this page:
Keywords for this post:LegendsCookingTimeHeatLidCover
Last modified on: February 27th 2015
For this post: Comment Follow Ask me a question Send to a friend
One should cover a pan while heating?

The legend

You should always cover a pot of water you want to boil, so that it boils faster.
In other words, if you're heating water (or anything else), boiling is achieved more quickly if the pan is covered than if it's not.

How to check?

Boil 1 liter of water in a covered pan, timing the time, then 1 liter of water in an uncovered pan, again timing the time.
Comparing the times will show whether you really need to cover the pot to go faster.

Let's check:

étape1We measure 1 liter of water and place it in an uncovered saucepan on a hotplate, into which we dip a thermometer.

Room temperature and initial water temperature: 19°C (70°F).

étape1Turn on the stove and start the timer, reaching 100°C (210°F) in 9 minutes and 30 seconds.


The stove is left to cool down for about an hour, returning to room temperature.

étape1Another 1 liter of water is measured and placed in a covered saucepan on the stove, still using a thermometer.



étape1Turn on the stove and start the stopwatch, reaching 100°C (210°F) in 9 minutes and 27 seconds.



étape1The result is even more obvious if you compare the temperature curve, with the uncovered pan in red and the covered pan in green.


Conclusion

The time difference is too small to be significant: covered or uncovered, it's practically the same thing.
Some people have pointed out to me that if we were using a (much) larger volume of water, it wouldn't be the same; the lid would be effective, but in home cooking, we only use small volumes.

To sum up:"You should always cover a pot of water you want to boil, so that it boils faster", is not true.

Lasts posts
The other use for bowl scraper
The other use for bowl scraper
Your kitchen or bakery utensils may include a horn (left) or a pastry cutter (right). These practical utensils are normally used to scoop the contents of a bowl or salad bowl - the horn - or to cut dough - the pastry cutter. But they also have another, very practical use - let's see what it is.
May 9th 20261,013
The strange foam of potatoes in milk
The strange foam of potatoes in milk
As you may have already noticed, when you cook potatoes in milk, especially in small pieces (slices or cubes) for a gratin for example, a surprisingly abundant white foam forms on the surface. Where does it come from?
April 26th 20261,113
A little leftover butter
A little leftover butter
Very often when you're making a cake, your recipe will tell you to melt some butter and mix it into the batter - a classic for cookies, cakes, moelleux and the like. And every time you do this, you'll have to butter the baking tin to prevent the dough from sticking during baking. Naturally,...
April 16th 20261,1875
A tablet holder
A tablet holder
Perhaps you too cook by consulting your recipe on a tablet or phone, and putting it down on your worktop? It's practical, but not the best solution. Here's a look at how you can make an inexpensive, almost universal stand.
March 14th 20261,9375
Pre-calibrated pastry dough
Pre-calibrated pastry dough
When making pie dough (shortbread, shortcrust, sweet...), it's always a good idea to make a lot at once, and then divide it into pieces, which you can freeze. I've already pointed out the mistake not to make, which is to form a ball before freezing. It's difficult to roll out afterwards because...
March 9th 20261,6925

Other pages you may also like
Foie gras service
Foie gras service
For the upcoming christmas meals you too may be sacrificing to the tradition of foie gras? If so, I suggest you take a look at everything that revolves around serving foie gras: how to serve it, and what to eat and drink with it.
December 23th 201717 K4.9
Cleaning endives
Cleaning endives
If you buy your endives elsewhere than in supermarkets, and in this case the best is of course from a market gardener, he or she is the one who planted and harvested them, in this case you will have endives full of earth or sand, depending on where they were grown, which is normal and reassuring, we...
March 24th 202028 K4.6
Tranché, dissociated, failed, in short... missed!
Tranché, dissociated, failed, in short... missed!
When preparing a sauce or a cream, there's always a (small) risk that the creamy preparation you're working on will suddenly separate into two parts of different textures: a liquid part, for example, and a more or less solid part, or even become lumpy. It's terribly frustrating, but we'll see...
June 19th 202315 K5
Raising (or leavening) agents
Raising (or leavening) agents
When we want to make a dough or batter rise when baking, either in patisserie or bread-making, we need to use a raising agent or leavening agent, one of which is called leaven. In the context of baking, a raising agent is simply what "makes something rise". It is a substance which, when added to...
June 16th 202158 K4.8
What is the difference between bakery and patisserie?
What is the difference between bakery and patisserie?
This is a question that you may well have asked yourself and which I will attempt to answer. In France the two trades of "boulangerie" (bakery) and "pâtisserie" (patisserie and confectionery) have always been quite distinct, but where exactly do the boundaries lie? .
February 7th 2017136 K 14.2
Post a comment or question
Posted by
I am not a leaving thing
The 1 comment already posted on this page
  • This is going to be a most interesting addition to your site, jh. Now I wonder if hot water or cold water makes any difference in the boiling time?
    Posted by Louise october 24th 2009 at 17:48 n° 1

Follow this page

Receive an e-mail as soon as this page is modified or receives a new comment.

I am not a leaving thing
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.

Back to top of page