Tiny life-changer: You don't have to boil pasta

[Gerard]

I got this from Cook's Illustrated: the boiling water you put pasta into is plenty hot enough to cook it, even with no further heat. Boil a pot of water, stir in the pasta, turn off the heat, put on the lid, remember to stir it once or twice in the first couple of minutes and once about halfway through. It'll take about a minute longer than usual, but it'll come out just the same. Plus, no boiling over pots, no adding oil to the water, and it frees up a stove burner. I've been doing this for about six months now, and it's great!

[Bakari]

Very clever!

I'll try it.

Reminds me of something I do:  I never preheat the oven, even though every single recipe and boxed food says to.  Instead, I leave the food sitting in the oven with the heat off after the timer goes off, and let the residual heat finish the cooking.

[MountainMan]

Great tips from both of you!  Thanks.

[Parizade]

That's great to know for camping, when you are relying on whatever fuel you are able to carry with you. Bringing water to a boil takes less fuel than keeping it at a boil for 10-15 minutes.

[zinnie]

Great tip--I have never heard this!

Side note: this method is how you make perfect hard-boiled eggs. Bring to a boil, turn it off, and leave covered for 16-17 minutes. Comes out perfect every time and shells peel off cleanly.

[Mrs MM]

Nice tip!  We use rice pasta (since I am gluten-free by necessity) and you do the same thing.  We just let it sit in hot water for 20 minutes and then it's magically done.

[Dave]

+1

I'd really like to figure this out for rice, because we cook it all the time and inevitably it boils starch over the lid and hob... I'm sure it can be done, but I always seem to end up having to fire the heat on again.

[MountainMan]

I wonder if sea level changes the calculations a bit.  It affects the boiling point of water, so if you're at different sea levels, maybe you have to let it boil a minute longer or something like that. 

Edit: Just realized that wouldn't be the case, since the point is to bring water to a boil and cook the rice or whatever in it.  Once it is boiling, the objective is achieved, I think.

[Dave]

No, you're right. At altititude you can get less heat energy into water before it boils, so it will cool back to ambient more quickly (might still be enough to cook pasta, might not).

However, you'd need to pretty high - water still boils at 90C at 10,000 feet...

[Rich M]

Thumbs up!

This makes me wonder what if you take dry pasta and pre-soak it.  Can you just warm it like udon noodles?

[Mike Key]

You know you can't actually preheat an oven, it can only exist in two state, heated and unheated. There is no preheated. :) lol

[trammatic]

This is also useful if you microwave the water.  It's extremely efficient at boiling water.

[Gerard]

This is also useful if you microwave the water.  It's extremely efficient at boiling water.

The internet disagrees with you --
http://blog.plotwatt.com/2009/08/best-way-to-boil-water.html --
but I still like the idea, as I sometimes stay in hotel or dorm rooms that have a microwave but no kitchen.

[Chris]

The internet disagrees with you --
http://blog.plotwatt.com/2009/08/best-way-to-boil-water.html --

Read the comments, particularly Stan Miller's. Looks like the posts results are not conclusive.

[Gerard]

The internet disagrees with you --
http://blog.plotwatt.com/2009/08/best-way-to-boil-water.html --

Read the comments, particularly Stan Miller's. Looks like the posts results are not conclusive.

Thanks! I got bogged down in some of the methodological details, but I think Stan found the microwave was better for small volumes, if you cover the container, but not for larger amounts. I usually make a lot of pasta at once, but I can definitely see switching to the microwave for single servings, especially when travelling. I need to test-drive it, though... you ever get that boil-up thing when you add a teabag to hot microwaved water? I'm afraid of pasta doing the same. Will report findings...

[JanMN]

Re the whole "you don't have to boil it" thing, I just tried this with barley - and it worked!!  Barley apparently has to be simmered for (gasp) 1.5 hours on the stove according to the directions.  I boiled water, put the barley  in, let it sit for an hour, and presto it was soft enough to finish up nicely in the soup.   I'm amazed.

[Daley]

I need to test-drive it, though... you ever get that boil-up thing when you add a teabag to hot microwaved water? I'm afraid of pasta doing the same. Will report findings...

That's just superheating, and it's relatively easy to avoid. Use scratched up pyrex or a mug, make sure the water's well aerated before going in, toss in a toothpick before starting if you don't mind you water tasting a little piney... you get the idea. The important thing is that there's somewhere for the bubbles to form so it won't superheat to begin with. Heck, you could probably toss in the pasta with the cold water and bring it to boil in the microwave that way and avoid the issue entirely.

[BenDarDunDat]

Works for white rice too. Bring 2 parts water to a boil, add rice, cover, resume boil.  Turn off heat.  It will cook perfect rice with no fancy $200 rice machine needed.

I'll do similar with my pressure cooker. Bring the dish to steam, turn off heat, and let it vent naturally.  The only thing to worry about is overcooking. 

[the fixer]

For backpacking, I made one of these to help trap heat in better while letting pasta, rice, etc. cook without fuel. http://blackwoodspress.com/blog/6582/ultralight-backpacking-pot-cozy/

My windshield reflector was from an old car and didn't fit in the current car's windshield, so it was a great re-use.

[Gerard]

I finally did a (kinda lame) test-drive combining some of the suggestions here.
Adding pasta to cold water, then heating: this definitely didn't work for me. It got soft, but not "cooked". I would definitely do this for whole grains, though.
Heating water in microwave: heating enough water to fit/cook my pasta took a very long time, and it was hard to tell how hot the water actually was. Again, I would do this for whole grains, or maybe for very small servings, but not for my usual stuff.
I still have to try pouring boiling water from a kettle over the pasta in a cover-able container. I know it works for rice noodles and couscous, but I'm afraid the container will lower the water temperature too quickly. Maybe I need to rinse it with boiling water first. (This last technique is the one I really want to work, so I can make pasta at work and on the road!)

[the fixer]

Remember that water has a much higher heat capacity than metal. This not only means it takes longer to heat up the same weight of water as it does metal, but that water can heat metal up rapidly without lowering its own temperature that much. So pouring boiling water in should work.

I used my pot cozy on a test run with only a few cups of water, brought to a boil, added pasta, returned to boil, then removed from heat to simmer covered and in the cozy. I let it cook for an extra minute or two which overcooked it a bit, so it's even more effective than I thought it would be.

[jdchmiel]

if you do not pre-heat your oven, just be aware that some ovens will overshoot the target temperature and then fall back down to target when they pre-heat.   For many dishes this might not matter, but it might change the way a break or cake comes out.  FWIW before I switched to a gas oven, It used to be much more cost effective to use a toaster oven for baking small dishes, even things like brownies.  The big oven uses up to 50 amps at 240v vs a toaster oven using up to 15 amps at 120 volts.  Pre-heat the toaster oven, bake your brownies or fish or whatever and save some electricity. 

[QuietContrary]

Hey, I tried the OP's pasta trick: it works!
Thank you!

[Dicey]

It also works for Quinoa. Boil 2 cups of water or better still, stock. Add 1 cup well-rinsed Quinoa and return to heat until it boils. Cover the pot and let sit for 20-30 minutes and like magic, it's perfect. It is faster on an electric stove due to higher residual heat. On a gas stove it takes longer for the moisture to absorb as there is less residual heat. Play around with it until you find the prefect length of time for your situation. No stirring, no boil overs, it works great!

[darkelenchus]

Tried out the pasta trick today! Worked great! Pretty rad!

[auri]

I am looking forward to try this with pasta!

[beav80]

This worked great.  What an awesome idea.  One of those things you take for granted I guess.

[ducknalddon]

Worked for me as well although I had to leave it a little longer than I would normally cook it for. I guess it would work for rice as well.

[Mr. Minsc]

Sounds like a good tip so I'll bump this back up. :)

Haven't tried it yet but I do believe I was well on my way to discovering this.  I had all ready learned a year ago you don't need near as much water as the package calls for.  Lately I have been adding the pasta to the pot then add water until it's level with the top of the pasta (I suppose you'd have to break spaghetti to make it fit in the pot), bring it to a boil then reduce to low/medium heat until the pasta was ready.  Was definitely quicker then waiting for the water to boil and adding the pasta.  I'll have to try the OP's method and see how it goes. :)

[anastrophe]

Sounds like a good tip so I'll bump this back up. :)

Haven't tried it yet but I do believe I was well on my way to discovering this.  I had all ready learned a year ago you don't need near as much water as the package calls for.  Lately I have been adding the pasta to the pot then add water until it's level with the top of the pasta (I suppose you'd have to break spaghetti to make it fit in the pot), bring it to a boil then reduce to low/medium heat until the pasta was ready.  Was definitely quicker then waiting for the water to boil and adding the pasta.  I'll have to try the OP's method and see how it goes. :)

Less water will make your pasta more starchy, which might make it stick, but also makes your sauce stick better. Do like you normally do, but bring it to a simmer and shut off.

[Riceman]

Another tip:

Defrost everything by placing it in water, not in the microwave or out in normal air.

 First, freeze everything in appropriate-sized ziploc bags.  Fill a large bowl with water and place the ziploc bag in the water.  If defrosting overnight, place the bowl in the fridge.  If defrosting to use in a couple hours, leave the bowl on the counter.  If you're defrosting chicken this way, do not leave outside the fridge for more than two hours.  If you're in a hurry, change the water when it gets cold.

This works much faster than defrosting out in the air and much better than defrosting in the microwave.  As you end up cooking things that start at room temperature, it cuts cooking time and gets better results.

[Luck better Skill]

Been microwaving my rice for years.  I recommend rinsing the rice first, get off the extra starch as there is no water to drain after cooking.  Got a microwave rice/pasta steamer $12.  It is a double lid bowl so the steam is vented without boiling over.  Takes about 15 minutes to cook 4 cups of rice.  It can but I have never need to do larger batches.  I have done pasta in it also.

[Kaytee]

You can do a similar thing with oatmeal. We do a 1:1 oats to liquid ratio in a mason jar with oatmeal, coconut milk, maple syrup, cinnamon, and dried fruit, and leave overnight in the fridge. Perfect oatmeal every time.

[anastrophe]

Been microwaving my rice for years.  I recommend rinsing the rice first, get off the extra starch as there is no water to drain after cooking. 

You might want to think about cooking your rice in more water, like pasta---it's recently been discovered that rice has high levels of arsenic and you probably shouldn't eat more than a cup of the stuff per week. I definitely eat more than that but am trying alternatives:(

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2012/11/arsenic-in-your-food/index.htm

You can do a similar thing with oatmeal. We do a 1:1 oats to liquid ratio in a mason jar with oatmeal, coconut milk, maple syrup, cinnamon, and dried fruit, and leave overnight in the fridge. Perfect oatmeal everything.

Yummy! I will try making my oats this way too. Does it work on steel-cut or only rolled?

[Rebecca Stapler]

Been microwaving my rice for years.  I recommend rinsing the rice first, get off the extra starch as there is no water to drain after cooking.  Got a microwave rice/pasta steamer $12.  It is a double lid bowl so the steam is vented without boiling over.  Takes about 15 minutes to cook 4 cups of rice.  It can but I have never need to do larger batches.  I have done pasta in it also.

This is going to be a game changer for us. We don't have enough time between getting home from work and eating dinner to make brown rice on the stovetop. (our toddler's bedtime is late enough as it is - no need to push it back just for rice) We have been using frozen rice in the microwave. But, it takes up freezer space, and is sometimes $1/bag! (though I usually get is for $0.50 with coupons, sometimes we run out and I pay sale price.)

I wonder if you've done this for brown rice? Does it take the same amount of time?

[anastrophe]

Been microwaving my rice for years.  I recommend rinsing the rice first, get off the extra starch as there is no water to drain after cooking.  Got a microwave rice/pasta steamer $12.  It is a double lid bowl so the steam is vented without boiling over.  Takes about 15 minutes to cook 4 cups of rice.  It can but I have never need to do larger batches.  I have done pasta in it also.

This is going to be a game changer for us. We don't have enough time between getting home from work and eating dinner to make brown rice on the stovetop. (our toddler's bedtime is late enough as it is - no need to push it back just for rice) We have been using frozen rice in the microwave. But, it takes up freezer space, and is sometimes $1/bag! (though I usually get is for $0.50 with coupons, sometimes we run out and I pay sale price.)

I wonder if you've done this for brown rice? Does it take the same amount of time?

Brown rice takes longer no matter how you cook it. It's also better for you. It also has more arsenic.

[Luck better Skill]

  I have not done brown but I am sure brown rice will take longer.  I tend to use Jasmine or Basmati, as I can buy them in bulk.  Got the microwave rice cooker at Bed Bath Beyond.

  There are many problems in our food supply.  Knowing local farms you can purchase from is best.  That is another discussion.

[Kaytee]

Yummy! I will try making my oats this way too. Does it work on steel-cut or only rolled?

I purchase GF rolled oats in bulk, so have only tried it on them as I have a fecal ton of them on hand. Google says yes "refridgerator oatmeal steel cut."

[cav513]

Back to pasta, you also do not have to boil lasagna noodles before assembling a lasagna. Just put the dry noodles in the layers of cheese and sauce and the water from the sauce will be absorbed by the pasta; this also makes for a firmer lasagna that's easier to serve. Not only do you save the energy to boil the water, you don't have a pot to wash.

[Nords]

http://www.fastapastacooker.com/

If you really want to throw down the gauntlet then create your own out of whatever microwave-safe Tupperware you already have and use the cooking charts on their website.  It's the same level of complexity as cooking rice or quinoa in the microwave.

We have a convection microwave oven, and we hardly ever use the full-size range or convection oven anymore.

[Mr. Minsc]

Another tip:

Defrost everything by placing it in water, not in the microwave or out in normal air.

 First, freeze everything in appropriate-sized ziploc bags.  Fill a large bowl with water and place the ziploc bag in the water.  If defrosting overnight, place the bowl in the fridge.  If defrosting to use in a couple hours, leave the bowl on the counter.  If you're defrosting chicken this way, do not leave outside the fridge for more than two hours.  If you're in a hurry, change the water when it gets cold.

This works much faster than defrosting out in the air and much better than defrosting in the microwave.  As you end up cooking things that start at room temperature, it cuts cooking time and gets better results.

If I'm on the ball I all ready do the defrosting in water gig (sometimes I just forget to take the meat out of the freezer on time).  Mom always defrosted chickens by placing them in a sink filled with water.  I carried on doing the same thing.

[Rural]

Been microwaving my rice for years.  I recommend rinsing the rice first, get off the extra starch as there is no water to drain after cooking.  Got a microwave rice/pasta steamer $12.  It is a double lid bowl so the steam is vented without boiling over.  Takes about 15 minutes to cook 4 cups of rice.  It can but I have never need to do larger batches.  I have done pasta in it also.

This is going to be a game changer for us. We don't have enough time between getting home from work and eating dinner to make brown rice on the stovetop. (our toddler's bedtime is late enough as it is - no need to push it back just for rice) We have been using frozen rice in the microwave. But, it takes up freezer space, and is sometimes $1/bag! (though I usually get is for $0.50 with coupons, sometimes we run out and I pay sale price.)

I wonder if you've done this for brown rice? Does it take the same amount of time?

I do brown rice in the microwave in a plain casserole dish, no special cooker required. Brown does take longer, but the microwave is faster than the stovetop.

Brown rice: 1 part rice to 3 parts water. Cook on high for 10 minutes uncovered, stir, cover, and cook 20 minutes at half power. Let it stand five minutes, fluff with a fork, and serve.

White rice: 1 part rice to 2 parts water. Cook on full power for 10 minutes uncovered, stir, cover, and cook 7 minutes at full power. Let it stand five minutes, fluff with a fork, and serve.

With white rice in particular, I sometimes get some water overflow, but never enough to overflow the glass turntable plate in the microwave, so I just pull it out and rinse it when it's cooled off a bit.

[Jamesqf]

This is going to be a game changer for us. We don't have enough time between getting home from work and eating dinner to make brown rice on the stovetop.

Rice cooker with a timer.

[mushroom]

This is going to be a game changer for us. We don't have enough time between getting home from work and eating dinner to make brown rice on the stovetop. (our toddler's bedtime is late enough as it is - no need to push it back just for rice) We have been using frozen rice in the microwave. But, it takes up freezer space, and is sometimes $1/bag! (though I usually get is for $0.50 with coupons, sometimes we run out and I pay sale price.)

I wonder if you've done this for brown rice? Does it take the same amount of time?

Um...why are you *buying* frozen brown rice?? Just make a lot when you're making a batch and freeze what you don't eat. I find that if I freeze them in individual Ziploc sandwich bags (you want to freeze it flat in a thin layer) it's a good size to reheat for an individual portion. And I only make brown rice, so this definitely works for brown rice. Then all you have to do is take it out of the bag, break it up into a few chunks, and microwave for a minute. This really does not take up much freezer space.

[Rural]

This is going to be a game changer for us. We don't have enough time between getting home from work and eating dinner to make brown rice on the stovetop. (our toddler's bedtime is late enough as it is - no need to push it back just for rice) We have been using frozen rice in the microwave. But, it takes up freezer space, and is sometimes $1/bag! (though I usually get is for $0.50 with coupons, sometimes we run out and I pay sale price.)

I wonder if you've done this for brown rice? Does it take the same amount of time?

Um...why are you *buying* frozen brown rice?? Just make a lot when you're making a batch and freeze what you don't eat. I find that if I freeze them in individual Ziploc sandwich bags (you want to freeze it flat in a thin layer) it's a good size to reheat for an individual portion. And I only make brown rice, so this definitely works for brown rice. Then all you have to do is take it out of the bag, break it up into a few chunks, and microwave for a minute. This really does not take up much freezer space.

It works with white, too. I've done both, depending on which was on sale. I'll second the flattened baggies; stacks very well that way. You don't even have to break it up to defrost. It can be done right in the bag (open it just a bit to vent).

[dragoncar]

Wimps.  I have honestly eaten pasta dry before.  Zero prep time for busy people on the go.

*I do not recommend making the same mistake I did.

[happy]

I did the rice and the pasta and they both worked perfectly. boil and stand. No worries about boiling over, no sticking. Much easier Love it thank you

[NightMedic1]

This is also how I cook fresh corn on the cob. Boil the water, drop in the corn, and turn it off. Perfect corn every time, never soggy.

[mushroom]

Oh, and aside from freezing extra rice, I do find it's helpful to have different starches on hand to work with. So if I don't have rice around or I don't want to wait to make rice, I'll often use something else instead of rice in a recipe.

Couscous is crazy fast if you're really in a rush (and thus also awesome for camping with).
Bulgur is pretty easy and fast too if you just dump some boiling water over top and have it on the table ready to serve. Quinoa's not too bad either.
Quick steel-cut oats are nice for porridgey type recipes.

I think the important part is not to get too attached to having only rice and being open to using other (often healthier) grains as substitutes.

[psu256]

Works for hard boiling eggs too - put the eggs in when starting with cold water, bring them to boiling, take them off the heat and let them sit for about 10 minutes. They will be cooked through.