Does Water Boil Faster With A Lid? Answered

Last Updated on September 12, 2024 by Shari Mason

You can accomplish a variety of tasks using boiling water, including cooking, cleaning, and even in medical situations. It is considered one of the easiest ways to prepare a meal, second only to frying.

Sometimes boiling water takes longer, making us wonder if there are techniques for boiling water faster. One of those tips is putting a lid on the pot.

But is it really helpful? Does water boil faster with a lid? Keep scrolling for answers.

Will Water Boil Faster With A Lid?

Yes, water boils faster with a lid because the water vapor doesn’t go out and diffuses in the air.

The lid traps the vapor from boiling water and adds heat to the temperature that requires water to boil.

The water boils faster for three reasons: air circulation, the reduction of evaporation, and the equipment you will use in boiling water.

The lid helps with keeping the hot air circulating inside the casserole as you boil water at 100° C. 

As hot water evaporates, the lid prevents the steam from coming out to help with raising the internal temperature.  [1]

Read: How Long Does Boiling Water Take To Cool?

Reasons Why It Boils Faster

Air Circulation

One of the reasons why water boils faster with a lid on is because of the minimal air circulation.

The cover prevents the water vapor from escaping the casserole and stays inside to raise the temperature.

The lesser the air circulation, the faster the water boils. If the air circulation decreases due to the lid, it will cause higher pressure inside to help boil water faster.

Read: Can You Use Milk Instead Of Water For Pancakes?

Reduced Evaporation

If the evaporation of the boiling water is reduced, the hot water level is maintained with additional heat energy, making the water boil faster.

Covering the pot traps the steam from the boiling water. The heat energy from the bottom rises faster because of the reduction of the evaporation process of the water.

Read: Can You Boil Water In A Dutch Oven?

Equipment Used

The equipment you use also plays a big part in boiling water. There are types of pots that are good heat insulators, and some take time to absorb heat.

Pot materials that are faster to heat up are aluminum, stainless, or cast iron.

“Karate is like boiling water; if you do not heat it constantly, it will cool.”

– Gichin Funakoshi, Japanese Martial Arts Teacher

Because stainless and aluminum are good conductors of heat and are thinner, they can transfer the heat energy faster to the water to reach its boiling point.

Read: Should Jars Need To Be Submerged When Canning?

How Fast Will The Water Boil With A Lid? 

The water will boil with a lid for about 5 minutes or 346 seconds. The boiling time also depends on the amount of water you want to boil and the heat level of the source.

If you want to boil water faster, keep the water level as shallow as possible. The wider the heating surface, the faster the temperature reaches the boiling point.

Warm water also boils faster because the heat from the bottom of the pot transfers to the water quickly, unlike cool or tap water, which takes time to heat up.

Read: Can You Boil Water In A Dutch Oven?

FAQs

Final Thoughts

Generally speaking, boiling water with a lid is faster because it traps hot air inside the pot, which helps with boiling water faster. 

Boiling water without a lid will not just add minutes to boiling time; the water level will also decrease because of the steam diffusing in the air instead of trapping inside with a lid.

Putting a lid or any appropriate cover that could stand high heat on your pot of boiling water is a must if you want to boil water faster.

But keep in mind that water will only boil if the heat source can provide enough heat to reach the water’s boiling point, which is 100° C.

Reference:

1. https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/evaporation