Is There a Difference in Cooking or Making Tea/Coffee with Cold Water to Start?

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Is There a Difference in Cooking or Making Tea/Coffee with Cold Water to Start?

Posted: 8/2/2005 9:20:40 AM EDT

I’ve heard from a few people whom I believe to be misguided that using cool/room temperature water to start cooking with is better than using hot water to start with. Namely a new employee at work said I should start making the coffee with cold water rather than hot because it tastes better.

My mother also said my sister’s doctor said starting with cool water was healthier than with hot water when cooking.

Are these people crazy? From what I understand, water is water and the only difference is it’s going to take more energy to make the cool water hot. It’s the same exact stuff either way, just warmer/hot water contains more energy/calories (no, not nutritional calories) in it which is what makes it hot.

Posted: 8/2/2005 9:22:21 AM EDT

[#1]

I'm guessing you won't get any weird "water heater" taste in your water. Mineral deposits, etc are more prevalent in the hot water plumbing, aren't they?

Posted: 8/2/2005 9:25:14 AM EDT

[#2]

Quoted:
I’ve heard from a few people whom I believe to be misguided that using cool/room temperature water to start cooking with is better than using hot water to start with. Namely a new employee at work said I should start making the coffee with cold water rather than hot because it tastes better. My mother also said my sister’s doctor said starting with cool water was healthier than with hot water when cooking.

Are these people crazy? From what I understand, water is water and the only difference is it’s going to take more energy to make the cool water hot. It’s the same exact stuff either way, just warmer/hot water contains more energy/calories (no, not nutritional calories) in it which is what makes it hot.

My brother's friend's aunt's cousin told him to tell me that if you leave tap water out on the counter for a couple of hours, some of the minerals/deposits/whatever will evaporate. I don't know.

Posted: 8/2/2005 9:29:53 AM EDT

[#3]

Quoted:
I'm guessing you won't get any weird "water heater" taste in your water. Mineral deposits, etc are more prevalent in the hot water plumbing, aren't they?

That's the only thing I could think of too actually. But then again, I'd think that the minerals and water in a water heater would continuously be flushed out from use. At work we have a filtering/purifying system with hot, cool, and cold spouts though so I know that's not an issue.

Posted: 8/2/2005 9:30:39 AM EDT

[#4]

I always use cold water.

Posted: 8/2/2005 9:32:41 AM EDT

[#5]

Quoted:
Quoted:
I’ve heard from a few people whom I believe to be misguided that using cool/room temperature water to start cooking with is better than using hot water to start with. Namely a new employee at work said I should start making the coffee with cold water rather than hot because it tastes better. My mother also said my sister’s doctor said starting with cool water was healthier than with hot water when cooking.

Are these people crazy? From what I understand, water is water and the only difference is it’s going to take more energy to make the cool water hot. It’s the same exact stuff either way, just warmer/hot water contains more energy/calories (no, not nutritional calories) in it which is what makes it hot.

My brother's friend's aunt's cousin told him to tell me that if you leave tap water out on the counter for a couple of hours, some of the minerals/deposits/whatever will evaporate. I don't know.

The only thing that will evaporate is the water. Second grade science. Though some chlorine may dissipate as well, if present.

Posted: 8/2/2005 9:36:08 AM EDT

[#6]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
I’ve heard from a few people whom I believe to be misguided that using cool/room temperature water to start cooking with is better than using hot water to start with. Namely a new employee at work said I should start making the coffee with cold water rather than hot because it tastes better. My mother also said my sister’s doctor said starting with cool water was healthier than with hot water when cooking.

Are these people crazy? From what I understand, water is water and the only difference is it’s going to take more energy to make the cool water hot. It’s the same exact stuff either way, just warmer/hot water contains more energy/calories (no, not nutritional calories) in it which is what makes it hot.

My brother's friend's aunt's cousin told him to tell me that if you leave tap water out on the counter for a couple of hours, some of the minerals/deposits/whatever will evaporate. I don't know.

The only thing that will evaporate is the water. Second grade science. Though some chlorine may dissipate as well, if present.

That's it. The chlorine will evaporate. I couldn't remember.

Posted: 8/2/2005 9:37:47 AM EDT

[#7]

Mineral deposits, etc are more prevalent in the hot water plumbing, aren't they?

There's the correct answer.

Posted: 8/2/2005 10:53:46 AM EDT

[#8]

I don't know, but I do know that sun tea tastes different than regular tea.. and its awesome

Posted: 8/2/2005 10:59:44 AM EDT

[#9]

Quoted:
I don't know, but I do know that sun tea tastes different than regular tea.. and its awesome

most of the time it's the tea you use.
that and boiling tea tends to make it bitter.
folks don't like bitter ice tea so sun tea tastes "better"

Posted: 8/2/2005 11:01:23 AM EDT

[#10]

<<<uses reverse osmosis water from the fridge for coffee.

ETA: from Starbucks.com:

Water;
Use fresh, cold water heated to just off the boil A cup of coffee is 98 percent water. Therefore, the water you use to make coffee should taste clean, fresh, and free of impurities. Water heated to just off a boil (195° to 205° F or 90° to 96° C) is perfect for extracting the coffee's full range of flavors. Any cooler and the water can't adequately do the job. Automatic coffee makers heat the water for you. Make sure the one you use gets the water hot enough.

Posted: 8/2/2005 11:30:54 AM EDT

[#11]

This is the only type of answer to this question that I've heard of:

: Is it okay to use hot water from the tap for cooking?

A: No. Use cold water. Hot water is more likely to contain rust, copper, and lead from your household plumbing and water heater because these contaminants generally dissolve into hot water from the plumbing faster than they do into cold water.

www.ci.gillette.wy.us/util/WaterFAQs.html

and another:

Most people have at some time or another been told not to drink hot water from the tap, but are unaware of the reason why. In your hot water tank, the minerals, salts, etc. that have settled in the tank can dissolve into the water. As you know, hot water can dissolve substances that will not dissolve in cold water, and in greater quantities. Plus, the chlorine in the water has an effect on the sediment, and may produce unwanted and possibly unhealthy chemical compounds. All the more reason to keep the sediment level in the tank low.

www.naturalhandyman.com/iip/infwaterheater/infdrainwh.shtm

Posted: 8/2/2005 8:57:22 PM EDT

[#12]

I thought it had something to do with the oxygenation of the water, hot water has less disolved gasses in it therefore it tastes "flat". I don't know if that's true or not. The sediment thing makes more sense.

Posted: 8/2/2005 9:00:13 PM EDT

[#13]

From my experience, in restaurants they never begin with hot water - it's just for cleaning, washing, etc - it's always with cold water. The best rationale I've gotten form this is that there is less mineral taste in the cold water from sitting in the heater, plus the cold water is running a lot more often so it's not still long enough to allow sediment/other.

Posted: 8/2/2005 9:01:23 PM EDT

[#14]

I wish my life was so uncomplicated the only thing I had to worry about was whether or not my coffee would taste better if I had used warm or room temperature water before hand. Snap back into reality Patty! I'm just really grateful there IS coffee........yum.

Patty

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Is There a Difference in Cooking or Making Tea/Coffee with Cold Water to Start?

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