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How To Boil Water

Question: How to boil water?

How do you boil water? What is the boiling point of water?

Answer:

Water boils at 212°F, that is the boiling point of water.

Getting water to it’s boiling point is a simple process necessary to know when you begin cooking, as many recipes begin with boiling water.

How To Boil Water

Steps To Boil Water

To boil water you will need water and a pot, a stove (or another form of fire) and of course, water.

1) Fill the pot about 3/4 of the way up with water, to allow room for splashing once the water boils. Starting with hot water from the tap will get you to its boiling point the quickest.

2) Cover the pot to keep all the heat contained and thus boil the water faster. Boiling water uncovered is also fine.

3) Turn the stovetop burner to high.

4) Check now and then for bubbles. The time it takes to boil depends upon the temperature you started with, the amount of water, the metals in your pan and the heat of your stove.

Boiling water is accomplished when you see bubbles coming from the bottom and popping at the top, over the entire pan of water. The boiling point of water has been reached!

How To Boil Water

Boiling Water Terms

Common Terms for Boiling Water

A pot “begins to boil” when you see just a few bubbles reaching the surface, usually the first bubbles you see will be around the edge of the pan. Wait until you also see a few bubbles in the middle of the pan before proclaiming that your water has begun to boil.

A “gentle boil” is reached when there is continuously a bubble here and there in the middle of the pan and more around the edges. You must turn the heat down once the boiling point has been reached in order to keep a gentle boil going.

A “full rolling boil” is when large bubbles are forming and popping all over the entire surface of the water. Beware that these popping bubbles of boiling water can burn your hands.

Note: Usually just water is kept at full rolling boil for extended amounts of time, most other liquids are turned off or down after they reach a full rolling boil.

Additional Information

Please visit our page on how long to boil corn for corn on the cob boiling times. Visit our how long to boil eggs page for information on making hard cooked eggs.

To find out how long other foods are good for, please visit the Dairy, Drinks, Fruits, Grains, Proteins, Vegetables and Other sections of Eat By Date or use the search function below.