"A boil" or "the boil"?

[thayes1c]

I've been wondering about this for quite a while: Some recipes tell you to bring water to "a boil", some tell you to bring it to "the boil". Same action, so why the difference? Is it a cultural thing? Or is one, in fact, more correct than the other?

[MarkinHouston]

I think "to a boil" or "to the boiling point" would be better. When I hear "to the boil" it belongs in the sentence, "What kind of beer are you bringing to the"shrimp" boil?"