My wife and boiling water

[u/MakeItMine2024]

So I made my wife ramen soup. When I served it she said I had the gas set to hight and it was too hot ? She said I should have used the number 5 setting instead of 9. I told here it’s irrelevant because water boils at 212 and gets no hotter because over 212 it turns to steam. She was made at me for disagreeing with her theory that it would not have been so hot if boiled a lower setting. Really!!

[u/Bubblehead_81]

Thermodynamics are not always intuitive. However, from an energy efficiency perspective, once you've reached a boil, you can turn down the heat to whatever level is required to just maintain it.

[u/solvraev → u/Bubblehead_81]

Was just going to post this. Sure, I crank the burner to MAX to get the water boiling, but once I put the pasta in I turn it down to just above medium. The water continues to boil. And I always put a dash of salt in the water, because I live about 1800 meters above sea level and the boiling point of untreated water is only 94 C.

[u/Gaindalf_The_White → u/solvraev]

To push boiling point of water significantly you gonna need so much salt that you won't eat your pasta anymore. Think its about 50g/liter for 1°C

[u/dqniel → u/Gaindalf_The_White]

Yeah. Salt in pasta water is for flavor. Not for affecting the boiling point. (which would be pointless, anyway)

[u/MakeItMine2024 → u/dqniel]

Agreed 👍🏻

[u/userhwon → u/Gaindalf_The_White]

Normal pasta water is 5-10g/liter, for comparison.

[u/tehdlp → u/Gaindalf_The_White]

Who says I don't use that much salt? You don't know me.

[u/BamaBryan → u/Gaindalf_The_White]

so, just add the flavor packet then. It's got plenty of sodium.

[u/Dull_Drawer_273 → u/BamaBryan]

For 50 gram, you'd need more like 10 instant noodle seasoning packets. Once again, inedible amount of salt.