Simmering vs boiling – What they mean and why you should master them both

Achieve the best results when you cook - by adjusting the amount of heat supplied. When it comes to whipping up hearty stews, soul-comforting soups, boiling eggs or cooking pasta al dente - two fundamental techniques come to mind - simmering and boiling. But what does simmer mean, and how different are the two? What does boiling vs simmering look like? How do you achieve a perfectly poached or boiled dish? And, what temperature is a simmer? We decode everything you need to know in this exhaustive guide.

Quick Links

• Frequently Asked Questions
• What does simmer mean
• What does it mean to boil
• Simmering vs boiling - what's the difference
• Simmering and boiling at a glance
• How to simmer and maintain it - a step-by-step guide
• How long to simmer different types of food?
• Benefits of simmering
• Disadvantages of simmering
• Kitchen tools and utensils for simmering and boiling food

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I simmer - covered or uncovered?

A good rule of thumb is to supervise your simmering. Ideally, leaving the lid off the pot is good practice until you're sure the heat is steady. Adding a cover will increase heat and can kickstart the boiling process.

Why bring to a boil and then simmer

Many recipes will tell you that you need to boil and then reduce the liquid back to a simmer. And while this can seem counter-intuitive - time is possibly the biggest reason for this. You see, sometimes bringing something to a boil is much faster than letting the food gently and gradually come to a simmer on medium-low heat. The idea is to get the liquid to a boiling point and cut back on the heat. Doing this also makes it easy to control and maintain a simmer.

What does simmer mean?

Understanding simmering comes down to one thing. Simmering is simply the art of gently and slowly cooking your food until it's tender. Bringing to a simmer is also a great way to infuse your dish with a volley of flavours and help it become concentrated. For example, when a soup simmers - the herbs and spices work to flavour the liquid richly. The vegetables in the soup absorb some of those flavours while also imparting their tastes to the soup. If you think about it logically, the simmering process involves synergy. The technique typically covers food items like soups, stews, and slow-cooked meats to starchy items like pasta, legumes, grains and potatoes. Wondering what temperature is simmering? This usually sits just below boiling point (85-95°C). So what does simmer look like? Simmering is characterised by tiny bubbles rising from the pan's bottom to the surface of the liquid. These gentle bubbles are ideal for delicate foods or those that need slow cooking.

What does it mean to boil?

Boiling is another popular cooking technique where water or any other liquid is heated to about 100°C, reaching what is known as the boiling point. At this stage, boiling water bubbles rapidly and produces steam. Boiling is a technique we often use to cook eggs, vegetables, pasta and certain types of meats.

Simmering vs boiling - What's the difference?

What is simmering? Simmering is slow and gentle with lower temperatures and less agitation. As a result, flavours gently infuse into your dish. Simmering is usually a great way to cook delicate food items that are likely to come apart during a boil. You can simmer in cooking - significant cuts of meat that you want to tenderise slowly.

The main difference between boiling and simmering is the speed at which it occurs. On one end of the spectrum, you have a slow simmer and a rolling boil at the other end. During a slow simmer, there's very little bubble activity. On the other hand, a rapid simmer will usually be slower than a full boil - the bubbles will be smaller too. A rolling boil will mean a lot of bigger bubbles and activity in your pot. The temperature of the simmer is also a significant differentiating factor. Typically boiling water or liquid will be several degrees hotter than the liquid in a slow simmer.

At boiling point, your ingredients bump into each other - causing disintegration or the elements to become soft and mushy. In contrast, during a simmer, ingredients move around just enough for the flavours to mix without getting damaged.

More differences between boiling and simmering

Cooking time: Simmering usually implies longer cooks since the heat is low. Boiling water, on the other hand, is at a higher temperature - thus cooking food more quickly.

Uses: Simmer when braising tough cuts of meat or making stews. Slow cooking at temperatures between 85°C - 96 °C turns collagen in the meat into gelatin, which coats the fibres causing the meat to feel tender, moist and succulent. Boiling meat, on the other hand, renders it tough and stringy. The high temperatures tend to denature the proteins in the flesh - causing an unpleasant change in texture.

What temperature is simmering?

Simmering typically occurs between a wide temperature range (85°C - 96°C), from a slow simmer to a rapid one.

Simmering and boiling at a glance

• Low Simmer: With the lowest heat supply - slow simmers are characterised by slight steam and few bubbles. These are typical in stocks and braises. A low simmer is also the perfect poaching temperature.

• Simmer: You'll see a few gentle bubbles emerging on medium-low heat. Use a steady simmer for soups, stocks and sauces.

• Full Simmer: With a medium-high heat profile, you'll see more bubbles in the pot - rapid simmers are usually used when reducing sauces.

• Boiling: Think of high heat and giant bubbles on the liquid's surface. Boiling is usually a method reserved for cooking root vegetables like potatoes, pasta, and legumes or when blanching vegetables.

How to simmer and maintain it - Step-by-step guide

Step 1: Fill pot/pan with liquid

Fill your choice of cookware with enough water to fully submerge and cover the ingredients you need to add in.

Step 2: Place the cookware on the burner

Place your pot or pan on the stovetop or electric hob, starting with low-medium heat, and slowly increasing the temperature until you've reached the perfect level of simmer. When you add your ingredients in, it's good to remember that this may slightly lower the liquid's temperature.

Step 3: Keep adjusting temperatures to maintain a simmer

Keep the simmer from changing into a rolling boil. Turn the temperature down slightly if you feel like the liquid is on the verge of boiling. If you notice that the surface of the liquid is flat and no bubbles are breaking on the surface, increase the heat slightly. A medium-low heat setting on your stove will keep your simmer steady. Keep an eye on the bubbles, or keep a cooking thermometer handy.

Step 4: Stir as needed

Once you've achieved a consistent level of simmering, stir your food occasionally or as often as needed.

How long to simmer different types of food?

Depending on the type of food you're preparing, here's how long you should simmer food:

Chicken:

Simmer poultry or chicken between 20-45 minutes, depending on the size of the meat. You'll want to see if the chicken is falling off the bone.

Vegetables:

Root veggies like potatoes, sweet potatoes, beetroot and turnips, for instance, lend themselves perfectly to simmering. There is no fixed time for simmering vegetables, though. Cooking times tend to vary depending on its size and density. You can know if your vegetables are done by simply inserting a knife into them. If it goes straight through without resistance, it's ready to be served.

Grains and legumes:

Grains and legumes are the perfect candidates for cooking through simmering. But depending on the variety, they'll each have different cooking times. Refer to their labels for more information. Popular grains and legumes include - quinoa, millet, barley, beans, lentils, etc.

Stocks:

You'll want to leave meat stocks on shallow heat to simmer for extended periods (preferably a few hours). This will ensure every bit of the meat's flavours has been infused in the liquid.

Tough cuts of meat:

Look to make your meats fork-tender. It may take more than 4-5 hours to cook larger meat cuts. Ideally, place your meat in cold water and then bring it to a simmer. That way, the meat and liquid can heat up uniformly - and stay moist when done.

Benefits of simmering

Simmering is a versatile process - offering delicious results in various time frames. Plus, the process ensures whatever you've added to the liquid infuses its flavours into the dish. Vegetables and beans absorb this seasoned liquid while lending their flavours to the liquid. As the cooking liquid slowly evaporates, it also intensifies the flavours.

Disadvantages of simmering

While there are heaps of benefits of simmering - unfortunately for someone new to cooking - a simmer can be challenging to maintain and regulate. Simmering also results in your food losing some of its nutrients in the cooking liquid. However, this isn't a problem if you're cooking a stew.

Kitchen tools and utensils for simmering and boiling food

You can choose from a wide range of kitchen utensils to help with your culinary feats. We recommend a heavy-bottomed pot or saucepan with a lid for boiling or simmering food. Here is our list:

• Stockpot
• Slow cooker
• Spoons - Wooden or Steel
• Thermometer

This exhaustive guide covers everything from boiling vs simmering, what is simmer, the temperature to simmer and the type of foods to simmer and boil. We've also got a guide about a pressure cooker vs a slow cooker to help you make intelligent cooking choices in the kitchen, optimise your time and create dishes you'll love. For more inspiration about recipes and kitchen utensils for your spaces, visit our Food Hub today.