When you boil water, do you put hot or cold tap water in the kettle?

[SamIchi]

I've always put cold, but then I got thinking, why not just put hot water in the kettle it will boil faster. It's almost boiling if I leave the tap on hot.

I always thought that the hot water had contaminants or somethin', but that wouldn't make much sense since it's hot it would kill off some of the bad stuff right? Am I thinking too much again?

[techlover828]

I've always put cold, but then I got thinking, why not just put hot water in the kettle it will boil faster. It's almost boiling if I leave the tap on hot.

I always thought that the hot water had contaminants or somethin', but that wouldn't make much sense since it's hot it would kill off some of the bad stuff right? Am I thinking too much again?

the cold water is somehow more pure I know, maybe because it hasn't been run through the boiler or whatever.

[gauchogolfer]

Hot water tends to pick up more chemicals from the hot water boiler than cold water does, which can give it a funny taste. Hot water would indeed kill off more bacteria, but what you're really tasting are things like copper/lead/whatever is in your pipes.

Having said that, I usually just go straight for hot water, unless it's for making something like tea. For boiling pasta/vegetables, I go the quick route

[AliensAreFuzzy]

I don't really care, I just flip the faucet on and fill 'er up.

[ravenvii]

I don't really care, I just flip the faucet on and fill 'er up.

^ What he said.

[Prof.]

Cold water. Don't pick up the metal taste from the heater.

Also, we use filtered PUR water when cooking.:cool:

[twoodcc]

I don't really care, I just flip the faucet on and fill 'er up.

that's pretty much what i do as well

[MaciMac]

I also go for the cold water.

Can't wait until the water is fully warmed up :-)

[ucfgrad93]

I use cold water.

[mkrishnan]

Hot water tends to pick up more chemicals from the hot water boiler than cold water does, which can give it a funny taste. Hot water would indeed kill off more bacteria, but what you're really tasting are things like copper/lead/whatever is in your pipes.

So is this why directions for making coffee (e.g. the 1 Tbsp / cup instructions on the side of the bag) specifically say to use cold water?

[brn2ski00]

Cold, why waste the $$$$ ?!

[Hawkeye411]

I always use cold for boiling water and cooking and I always let the tap run for a bit before using the water.

[QuarterSwede]

I generally use cold water because our stove heats water up very fast and I don't want to wait for the hot water to get hot.

[techlover828]

actually at my dads I have an insta-hot, so handy :D

[brn2ski00]

I've always put cold, but then I got thinking, why not just put hot water in the kettle it will boil faster. It's almost boiling if I leave the tap on hot.

I always thought that the hot water had contaminants or somethin', but that wouldn't make much sense since it's hot it would kill off some of the bad stuff right? Am I thinking too much again?

In older hot water heaters, the heating coils are totally exposed to the water allowing a more "dirtier" final product. I don't think that this is the case with newer furnaces/hot water heaters.

[d_and_n5000]

I always figured that I had a hot water heater running to give me hot water. Why should I use cold water to boil with and use more energy to get it to boiling when I already have hot water at the ready and can save energy on the cooktop because the water is already hot?

[~Shard~]

Cold water from our RO system - nicely filtered, no crap to worry about. ;)

[Nicolecat]

These might help...

How To Boil Water:
http://www.ehow.com/how_2295_boil-water.html

How To Boil Water Faster:
http://www.ehow.com/how_2223522_boil-water-faster.html

[wordmunger]

I can't remember where I saw it, but I recently read in a reputable source -- either the NY Times or Scientific American -- that hot water picks up lead and other heavy metals in the pipes. These can potentially cause serious health problems. So you should boil cold water.

[Nicolecat]

Yup that's in the links that I posted...
But, this is only really something to worry about if you live in an older home.

[ChrisA]

I can't remember where I saw it, but I recently read in a reputable source -- either the NY Times or Scientific American -- that hot water picks up lead and other heavy metals in the pipes. These can potentially cause serious health problems. So you should boil cold water.

At least here where I live in California lead and so on has been banned from use in domestic plumbing for years. However houses can be 100 years old (yes even here in Redondo Beach, CA we have 100 year old houses) but the pipes and fixtures in my house are lead free. My water heater is lined with glass andheated with natural gas.

I do use cold water unless by chance the all the cool water is already flushed from the line and hot water is availavle without waiting then I use hot water.

[Zwhaler]

Hot water tends to pick up more chemicals from the hot water boiler than cold water does, which can give it a funny taste. Hot water would indeed kill off more bacteria, but what you're really tasting are things like copper/lead/whatever is in your pipes.

Having said that, I usually just go straight for hot water, unless it's for making something like tea. For boiling pasta/vegetables, I go the quick route

I always use hot water when cooking hot beverages or cupnoodles, and I have never noticed any taste difference. But maybe thats because after I burn myself trying to eat it I can't taste anything anyway :eek: :p

[Antares]

I use filtered tap water which I keep in the fridge. Otherwise, I would just use cold water out of the faucet.

[wordmunger]

At least here where I live in California lead and so on has been banned from use in domestic plumbing for years. However houses can be 100 years old (yes even here in Redondo Beach, CA we have 100 year old houses) but the pipes and fixtures in my house are lead free. My water heater is lined with glass andheated with natural gas.

I do use cold water unless by chance the all the cool water is already flushed from the line and hot water is availavle without waiting then I use hot water.

Dang, I wish I could find that article. The claim was that even with modern plumbing systems it's still a problem. Maybe because of the connection from the water heater?

[Nicolecat]

Man...I just don't have the first clue where to find that article.
Not the first clue.

Link again...I'm pretty sure this is what you're talking about.
http://www.ehow.com/how_2223522_boil-water-faster.html
..."And finally, the big question, DOES cold water boil faster than hot water? The answer is no, regardless of the common household urban myth. Occasionally, common sense does prevail. If you think about it, cold water has to BECOME hot water before it becomes boiling water. The thing is, for sink water to become hot water, it has to pass through the water heater, which is less sanitary than your regular plumbing, and if your house is old enough to have lead pipes, running hot water through them will actually extract more poisonous lead than cold. You could always run hot tap water through a Britta filter but... why would you?"

:D No hard feelings. :D

[bobr1952]

I would put hot water in just to get the water to boil quicker but it takes so long for the hot water to actually get to my faucet, that cold water is all that ever gets into the pot. I need one of those "on demand" hot water systems instead of the antiquated hot water heater in the garage--but it works and its paid for.

[Nicolecat]

Yeah, I know some people that have a "piggy-back system" It's both gas and electric, it pulls from whatever is fastest and most efficient at the time.

I have looked at the water heaters that mount right under the kitchen sink...I've thought about that for the master bathroom, since it is the furthest from the water heater (take so long to draw a hot shower.)
0_o

[Drewbaby226]

Dang, I wish I could find that article. The claim was that even with modern plumbing systems it's still a problem. Maybe because of the connection from the water heater?

Here is the article from the NY Times. "Hot water from the tap should never be used for cooking or drinking. "

January 29, 2008
Really?
The Claim: Never Drink Hot Water From the Tap
By ANAHAD O’CONNOR
THE FACTS

The claim has the ring of a myth. But environmental scientists say it is real.

The reason is that hot water dissolves contaminants more quickly than cold water, and many pipes in homes contain lead that can leach into water. And lead can damage the brain and nervous system, especially in young children.

Lead is rarely found in source water, but can enter it through corroded plumbing. The Environmental Protection Agency says that older homes are more likely to have lead pipes and fixtures, but that even newer plumbing advertised as “lead-free” can still contain as much as 8 percent lead. A study published in The Journal of Environmental Health in 2002 found that tap water represented 14 to 20 percent of total lead exposure.

Scientists emphasize that the risk is small. But to minimize it, the E.P.A. says cold tap water should always be used for preparing baby formula, cooking and drinking. It also warns that boiling water does not remove lead but can actually increase its concentration. More information is at www.epa.gov/lead or (800) 424-5323 (LEAD).

THE BOTTOM LINE

Hot water from the tap should never be used for cooking or drinking.

scitimes@nytimes.com

[jv17]

I've always put cold, but then I got thinking, why not just put hot water in the kettle it will boil faster. It's almost boiling if I leave the tap on hot.

I always thought that the hot water had contaminants or somethin', but that wouldn't make much sense since it's hot it would kill off some of the bad stuff right? Am I thinking too much again?
you have a point there..better use our common sense though..

[KingYaba]

So hot water that runs through a boiler picks up more chemicals? Since we're boiling water does it even matter? I thought boiling purifies water. :confused: Anyway, I always use the hot water thinking it can come to a boil a minute faster. Cooking rice and beans takes some time.

[Scepticalscribe]

Cold. Always cold, and always have for all of the reasons cited in the earlier posts. It's interesting to see the proverbial old wives tales (the original instruction on always using cold to cook, and drink, came from my mother oh, several years ago) somehow vindicated. Cheers.

[mkrishnan]

Thread resurrection! :p

So hot water that runs through a boiler picks up more chemicals? Since we're boiling water does it even matter? I thought boiling purifies water. :confused: Anyway, I always use the hot water thinking it can come to a boil a minute faster. Cooking rice and beans takes some time.

Running water through pipes and containers in general causes it to acquire new dissolved contents, yeah, naturally. And no, of course boiling it doesn't purify all of those contents out of it, unless you run it through a distilling device also.

Think about it this way -- suppose you run water through a mile of copper piping. It will pick up trace amounts of copper (which is solid at room temp, obviously). It also has some dissolved substances in it that are gases at room temperature, like fluorine. If you boil it, you might get rid of things that are gaseous at the boiling temperature, but how are you going to get rid of the copper? The boiling temperature is 100C... copper melts at over 1000C. You're not going to turn it into a gas. How is it going to escape from the boiling water?

That's the general idea... it's those solid substances in the water (calling them "chemicals" doesn't really mean anything... the water itself is a "chemical") that you acquire in different conveyances and which can affect the taste of the water.

It's going to depend on your taste sensitivities, though, and also the hardware in your home.

It is funny that this thread came up, because I did start letting the cold water run for a few moments before filling my coffee pot. I honestly don't notice a huge difference, though. :o

[MacNut]

I can't remember where I saw it, but I recently read in a reputable source -- either the NY Times or Scientific American -- that hot water picks up lead and other heavy metals in the pipes. These can potentially cause serious health problems. So you should boil cold water.How are you supposed to take a shower with hot water then?:confused:

[bbotte]

Here in Columbus Ohio the local news ran a story about all the local water towers, took video of the insides of them, if you are worried about "hot" water being dirty or having contaminates, I hate to tell ya, cold has just as much. The news showed dead birds in the tanks, rust, and all kinds of other stuff. Yes that is your cold water. Gross. :eek:

[Rhosfelt]

I use cold because I don't have to wait there for cold water. Where as I can walk away for several minutes while it is on the stove. :)

[Macky-Mac]

So hot water that runs through a boiler picks up more chemicals? Since we're boiling water does it even matter? I thought boiling purifies water. :confused:

boiling water will kill bacteria and such, but it doesn't remove lead, rust or other contaminates from the water

[Shaun.P]

boiling water will kill bacteria and such, but it doesn't remove lead, rust or other contaminates from the water

Would a water filter eliminate lead?

[mkrishnan]

Would a water filter eliminate lead?

Maybe... but if you really think there's a chance your water has lead in it, call up your utility company and have them come down and analyze it. The analyses are available everywhere (in the US at least), and the cost is zero or nominal. They'll be very happy to tell you more about your drinking water.

It's pretty unlikely you have a lead problem in your system, unless you live in a very old home. But again, if there's a chance that it's there, you need to get professional analysis -- using a Brita pitcher is not really the right technique for dealing with lead in the water.

[mactastic]

I always figured that I had a hot water heater running to give me hot water. Why should I use cold water to boil with and use more energy to get it to boiling when I already have hot water at the ready and can save energy on the cooktop because the water is already hot?
I question whether you are actually saving any energy with this method, since your water heater must then apply heat to compensate for the cold water that replaces the water that you have drawn off, plus you have left however many feet of hot water sitting in the supply line between your water heater and the tap, which will then cool to ambient temperature and waste the heat energy it contained when it left the water heater.

For small withdrawals from the water heater, I would submit that the ratio of hot water used to hot water wasted by allowing it to sit in the pipes does not justify it's use in an effort to save some energy on the stove.

[dukebound85]

How are you supposed to take a shower with hot water then?:confused:

lol i must have quite a bit of lead poisoning by now

[atszyman]

It is funny that this thread came up, because I did start letting the cold water run for a few moments before filling my coffee pot. I honestly don't notice a huge difference, though. :o

If you could taste the difference you're either not making the coffee strong enough, or you're not burning your tongue on the first sip. Both of which are unforgivable sins of coffee making, at least in my house....

How are you supposed to take a shower with hot water then?:confused:

You don't drink the water in your shower or use it to wash/cook your food in it (that is unless you're Kramer) so you actually ingest very little of the shower water..

[exabytes18]

I question whether you are actually saving any energy with this method, since your water heater must then apply heat to compensate for the cold water that replaces the water that you have drawn off, plus you have left however many feet of hot water sitting in the supply line between your water heater and the tap, which will then cool to ambient temperature and waste the heat energy it contained when it left the water heater.

For small withdrawals from the water heater, I would submit that the ratio of hot water used to hot water wasted by allowing it to sit in the pipes does not justify it's use in an effort to save some energy on the stove.

Very interesting point.

I wonder how those instant water-heaters stack in comparison.

[Gray-Wolf]

On a health point of view, if you drink/consume the water, draw it from the cold tap. Your hot water heater, unless its new, contains dirt, rust and other very bad things in the bottom of the tank and do contaminate the water. I dumped a 14 year old one out after a leak, and about 3 lbs of rust poured out. Healthy huh. :(

[mactastic]

Very interesting point.

I wonder how those instant water-heaters stack in comparison.
Much better. Because you're only heating water when you need it. You're not paying to keep 120 degree water in a cylinder all day while you are at work and all night while you sleep just so you can have hot water whenever you feel like it.

Everyone I know who has installed one has seen their utility bill drop as a result. Of course, there is a higher initial cost, but most people will recover that within a couple of years.

[MyDesktopBroke]

Dad says hot water picks up more metels from the pipes than cold, plus there's the boiler thing, too.

I use cold.

[MacNut]

On a health point of view, if you drink/consume the water, draw it from the cold tap. Your hot water heater, unless its new, contains dirt, rust and other very bad things in the bottom of the tank and do contaminate the water. I dumped a 14 year old one out after a leak, and about 3 lbs of rust poured out. Healthy huh. :(You know that clean out valve on the bottom of the tank, well it has a purpose. You are supposed to flush the sediment out of the tank every few months to get rid of the rust build up and prolong the life of the tank.

[doubleohseven]

I usually put hot water in the kettle.

Since it's winter where I live at the moment, it takes a little longer for the water to get hot, so I'm currently putting cold/luke warm water in the kettle.

[GradientMac]

Cold water. Don't pick up the metal taste from the heater.

Also, we use filtered PUR water when cooking.:cool:

Tthe PUR filter isn't really removing any bacteria, it's just removing some things that taste bad. If you're using cold water, you're not really changing much. :)

I just kind of pick one. :) I don't 'use' one in specific.

[Dagless]

Cold. It'd take about 20 seconds for the boiler to kick in and make us warm water anyroad.

[KingYaba]

It's going to depend on your taste sensitivities, though, and also the hardware in your home.

It would be funny if someone boils bottled water.

[kfordham281]

Hot water; it comes to boil quicker.

[localoid]

It would be funny if someone boils bottled water.

Not nearly as funny as the efforts to ban "DHMO" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dihydrogen_monoxide_hoax)... :D

Dihydrogen monoxide:
is called "hydroxyl acid", the substance is the major component of acid rain.
contributes to the "greenhouse effect".
may cause severe burns.
contributes to the erosion of our natural landscape.
accelerates corrosion and rusting of many metals.
may cause electrical failures and decreased effectiveness of automobile brakes.
has been found in excised tumors of terminal cancer patients.

Despite the danger, dihydrogen monoxide is often used:
as an industrial solvent and coolant.
in nuclear power plants.
in the production of styrofoam.
as a fire retardant.
in many forms of cruel animal research.
in the distribution of pesticides. Even after washing, produce remains contaminated by this chemical.
as an additive in certain "junk-foods" and other food products.

Dihydrogen monoxide, shortened to DHMO, is a scientific name for water.