Heat levels: high, medium, low, boiling and simmering

✅ The essentials

A hob or a burner only has three useful settings: high, medium, low. High is for boiling water and searing, medium for sweating and cooking most things, low for simmering and keeping warm. The numbers on the dial change from one kitchen to the next, but what the pot does never changes, and the pot is what you should watch.

📏 The landmarks

• High: the dial at three quarters or maximum. For boiling pasta water, searing meat, stir-frying vegetables. The oil shimmers and smokes slightly.
• Medium: the dial at half. For sweating an onion, cooking an omelette, a fish, a thick piece of meat after searing it.
• Low: the dial at a quarter. For simmering a sauce, cooking rice by absorption, melting chocolate, keeping warm.
• Boiling: big bubbles that move everything, on high heat. For pasta and boiled vegetables.
• Simmering: the surface barely moves, with a few small bubbles rising, on low heat. For sauces, stews, poached eggs, rice.
• An induction hob reacts instantly, a ceramic or electric hob holds its heat a minute or two after you turn it down: anticipate, or take the pot off the heat.

⏱️ How long it takes

Nothing. It is a glance into the pot, and a reflex that comes in a few meals.

🩹 If it goes wrong

It sticks or burns: it was too high, or the pan was empty for too long. Turn it down, add a little water or fat, and scrape the bottom with the spatula, that is flavour. It boils instead of browning: it was too low or the pan too full. Turn it up, and cook in two batches. The rice or the sauce boils over: turn down to low, and leave the lid ajar.

🍽️ Make it tonight

Rice by absorption. It goes through the three levels in twenty minutes: high to get the boil going, low to cook covered, off to rest.