Imagine you are making pasta for dinner, and you are running behind. Your sauce is ready, but you still need to cook your pasta. For that, you need boiling water. You fill your pot with hot water from the tap to save time. Or, you want to make a beverage that requires hot water. Why heat cold water? Why not use the already hot water from your tap? Have you ever been in those situations? What you should and shouldn’t do is the subject of this Cooking Tip.
The simple answer is don’t do it! Don’t use that hot tap water for your cooking or drinking. Why not?
Lead
- Lead is commonly found in our plumbing systems, especially in older homes. Even newly-manufactured pipes have a permissible amount of lead in them.
- Lead dissolves more easily in hot water than cold and, therefore, is more likely to contain higher amounts of lead. We all want to limit our exposure, but especially those of our children, to lead.
Contaminants
- Hot water systems like tanks and boilers contain metallic parts that corrode as time goes by. These can contaminate your water. Hot water dissolves these contaminants faster than cold water.
Bacteria
- Hot water tanks can act as biological incubators and grow bacteria.
- The CDC says boiling water for one minute (or three minutes at elevations higher than 6,500 feet) will kill bacteria. However, boiling water does not remove lead.
Minerals
- Hot water contains more dissolved minerals from your pipes, which, although not a health hazard, can negatively affect the taste of your food and beverages.
Ben Montross, Vermont’s Drinking Water Program Manager, has the following advice to consume tap water with the lowest possible risk.
- Only consume cold tap water.
- Flush the taps until the water runs truly cold before consuming it.
- Regularly clean and sanitize appliances that use water.
I have always used cold tap water, but others in my household do not always heed this advice. What about in yours?
Culinary Journeys, LLC 