Water: Myths or Facts.

For me, the past week was spent in a coffee deprived state of consciousness. While I was kayaking around Lake Tulaby daydreaming about coffee, a few curious thoughts occurred to me.

Myth

A watch pot never boils.

False.

If you don't believe me, go boil water and stare at it.

Myth
Cold water boils faster than hot water.

False.

Fact
Water boils at 212 F.

The physics of bringing water to a boiling point is pretty straight forward.
It is a transfer of energy, specifically 1 calorie to heat 1 milliliter of water 1.8 F.
My husband, an aerospace engineer who enjoys astrophysics, informed me that it is technically thermal dynamics which is kind of a branch of physics and kind of chemistry.

A pot or kettle of water sits on a heating unit. The heat is transferred to the pot, from the pot to the water. If the water is cold to begin with the coefficient of time will be higher because the temperature difference is greater.

Time Difference = (Temperature Difference * K * Surface Area) / (Heating Power * Material Thickness)

K as a water property constant which is a bit tricky to calculate as the properties and efficiency will vary for the water supply you use and the setup of the system.

In summation, using hot water means you will be able to brew and enjoy a cup of coffee sooner. 

So again, why?
The science for using hot water is sound.

Why boil cold water?  

Fact

Hot water leeches minerals and possibly lead out of metal pipes.
Obviously lead is not something we want to be voluntarily ingesting on a daily basis and the minerals will add off-flavors.

Now I know why I’m constantly being instructed to use cold water to brew coffee or cook.
It goes against the facts of thermal dynamics, but quality of life will be improved by better tasting coffee.

If you know your water supply and house hold plumbing do not interact with metal pipes, use hot water to bring water to a boil faster; if you are not sure or if you know there are metal pipes, continue to use cold water and be happy with the knowledge you won’t receive lead poisoning from your daily consumption of coffee.