Cooking Stack Exchange
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Questions tagged [water]

Water strictly refers to the liquid state of that substance; it can be used for washing, soaking, boiling, steaming, simmering, diluting, etc. Ask questions about using water in a recipe.

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What's the ideal coffee to water ratio for a French press?

What's the ideal amount of coffee to use per cup of water in a French press? I've looked at various online resources, which all gave me a different amount. Some call for 2 tablespoons per 6 oz of water, others per 4 oz. Others said to use one or…
The How-To Geek
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When boiling water without any other ingredients in it, why start from cold?

A question about probably the most mundane subject in cooking: boiling water. For cooking techniques where you drop ingredients in simmering or boiling water - such as for vegetables, pasta, many rice recipes - I have often seen the recommendation…
Erik P.
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Tea water: heat to 80 °C or boil to 100 °C and let it cool down to 80 °C?

Boiling water is too hot for some teas. Today I heard that it's better to boil water to 100 °C and let it cool down to 80 °C rather than heat water to 80 °C. Is this true? Does it really affect properties of the water, other than killing bacteria?
Atte Juvonen
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Does water "go bad" in this sense?

I have an electric water boiler in the kitchen. I put fresh tap water into it, boil it up, and use it for my coffee. Then, an hour later, I go back and press the button again and have it re-boil the now room-temperature water, and use it for another…
A Nyboer
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Is it safe to boil water in a microwave?

Our electric kettle broke. So this morning I used the microwave to boil water for the first cup of coffee. Only thing is - the water in south Africa is not really the best of quality when you get it from the tap. I presume using a kettle kills of…
Pork Chop
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Why use a kettle to heat water?

Whenever I need to heat up water for a French press or hot chocolate, I do it in the microwave. Is there a good reason to use a kettle instead of the microwave to heat water?
David
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What causes water to boil over?

What are the mechanics of water boiling over? How can you stop it from happening? Is it more likely to happen with certain ingredients? Which? How does the amount of water effect the likelihood of water boiling over? What role does burner…
yossarian
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Does Boiling Water, Instead of Warm Water, Hurt the Flavor of Tea/Hot Chocolate

I have a counter-top water kettle that I frequently use to boil water for tea, hot chocolate, and powdered drinks (e.g. chai). I don't think anything of it when the water starts boiling and keeps on boiling for 20 to 30 seconds before the kettle…
Chad
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Does adding salt help water boil faster?

I've always heard adding salt to water makes it boil faster. Is this true? If so, why? If not, why do people do it?
Steve Vermeulen
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Is it safe to not wash mushrooms?

Most chefs stress the fact that white button mushrooms, and others, should not be washed to be cleaned. They say to either lightly brush them or just pat them with a cloth or paper towel to get the "dirt" off to clean them, and then cook or eat them…
user33210
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Why do some powders clump in hot water?

Why do some powders like flour or matcha green tea causes lumps in hot water while other powders like sugar or cocoa or wheat grass (triticum aestivum) readily dissolve? Wheat grass powder is green and easily dissolves in cold water. Cocoa:…
Chloe
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Does water that's been left to sit and then reboiled taste different from fresh water boiled once?

This may sound like a silly question, but I've always wondered: If I boil some water and use some of it and leave the remainder in the kettle, and then a few days later boil that same water again, will it taste the same as if I'd emptied the old…
Chris W. Rea
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At what point is water considered "at a boil?"

Lots of recipes call for waiting for the water to come "to a boil." However I have never been sure when that is. From my viewpoint it could be at three different points: First start to see small air bubbles coming up from the bottom of the pan…
Jack B Nimble
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Can food be boiled "extra fast/hard" in water?

Once water is boiling you can either leave the heat on quite high, or turn it down a bit so that it just keeps boiling. Apart from extra water vaporating, does this have any effect on the taste of food you're boiling (meat, vegetables, eggs,…
Jeroen
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Can I dissolve mint in water and drink it?

I like mint and sometimes put some in a cup of water. My question is can I grind the mint into a fine powder and dissolve it? Maybe if the water is warm? Usually mint like in this pic just settles on top of the water and the flavor slowly seeps…
Jack
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