Salting water at the right time can save your pots and bills

The seemingly simple question of when to salt the water for pasta or rice surprisingly sparks much controversy. Each of us has habits from home, but few realize that adding salt at the wrong time can not only affect the cooking quality but also damage the pots.

Many salt the water for pasta or rice right after pouring it into the pot, even before placing it on the stove. This practice is one of the most common mistakes, which can lead to the gradual destruction of our pots.

It turns out that salt added to cold water dissolves more slowly and reacts with the pot's metal surface.

As a result, a difficult-to-remove residue can form, and in the long run, it can even cause corrosion, especially if we use stainless steel pots. Although this process is slow, regularly salting cold water significantly speeds up the damage to the utensils.

When we salt the water too early, the condition of the pots suffers. Another negative effect of this mistake is the extended cooking time. Salted water has a higher boiling point, meaning it needs more energy and time to boil. For those who care about the household budget and energy consumption, this is an important issue—longer cooking times directly translate into higher electricity or gas bills.

The answer is simple—you should only salt the water when it starts to boil. When the water reaches the boiling point, the salt dissolves immediately, minimizing the risk of residue formation on the pot. Moreover, salted water reaches cooking temperature faster, making the process more efficient. This principle applies to cooking pasta, rice, and potatoes.

First, our pots will last longer, stubborn residues will not form, and the risk of corrosion will be reduced. Second, we will save time and energy by adding salt to boiling water, which will allow it to boil faster.