Pasta Cooking Gadget

[Darcie B]

Man, I was just having a long discussion about this with my girlfriend.

Her point was it does the same thing as I do on the stove. Hot water on pasta. I was saying that it does'nt have enough water and there needs to be oxygen circulating to help it cook properly.

Then it brought up questions scientifically about what happens when water boils.

I was under the impression that it looses oxygen when it boils and that is why you can't resuse pasta water for a second batch. And that in an open container, big pot, it looses oxygen and gains some back. Then I thought that if this cylinder is letting steam out through what appear to be vents on top then new oxygen can't get in at the same time steam comes out. And when the steam stops rising and the oxygen is able to get in at that point no cooking is being done. The only data I could find to backup my loosing oxygen theory is  an episode of  Good Eats I vaguley recall and sites for making Tea that all say the same thing.

Does anybody know if this is true? Because this would be another reason should'nt work. I think it would be fine for cooking shrimp and asparagaus though.

←

Water doesn't lose oxygen as it boils because then you'd be left with a big ol' pot of hydrogen (or at least hydrogen peroxide), which doesn't seem too likely. You can't (or perhaps shouldn't is a better word) reuse the pasta water because of all the starch that is left behind when the pasta is cooked.

That being said, I do remember reading something about not reusing boiled water for tea but don't recall exactly why. I thought it had to do with the minerals, etc. in the water...

[Rachel Perlow]

you can't resuse pasta water for a second batch.

←

Who said you can't? I see the post just before this one says it's because of starches in the water. However, many restaurants use 1 large pot with strainers shaped like 1/4 pie wedges to cook pasta portions, using the same water over and over.

I found a couple examples: link 1, expensive! (32 qt pot sold separately), link 2, reasonable price (set with 20 qt pot)

[Daniel]

What makes someone look at one of the easiest tasks in the kitchen and try to further simplify it. Pouring water into a pot, adding salt, and waiting is not hard.. Want to make that easier, start boiling really hot water from your faucet.. Isnt the most time consuming part of cooking dry pasta the heating of the water? Once the water is boiling the time is quick.. How does this thing making life any more easy? Just another peace of garbage to fill the cabinets in my mind..

[jefferyc]

I don't think oxegen is the issue but starch is. The instant you put starch in water it gels, the same way corn starch lumps up when you put a spoonfull into boiling liquid. With out enough water (~4 qts./lb.) pasta will gell on the outside then stick. I don't see how this device can prevent it.

Man, I was just having a long discussion about this with my girlfriend.

Her point was it does the same thing as I do on the stove. Hot water on pasta. I was saying that it does'nt have enough water and there needs to be oxygen circulating to help it cook properly.

Then it brought up questions scientifically about what happens when water boils.

I was under the impression that it looses oxygen when it boils and that is why you can't resuse pasta water for a second batch. And that in an open container, big pot, it looses oxygen and gains some back. Then I thought that if this cylinder is letting steam out through what appear to be vents on top then new oxygen can't get in at the same time steam comes out. And when the steam stops rising and the oxygen is able to get in at that point no cooking is being done. The only data I could find to backup my loosing oxygen theory is  an episode of  Good Eats I vaguley recall and sites for making Tea that all say the same thing.

Does anybody know if this is true? Because this would be another reason should'nt work. I think it would be fine for cooking shrimp and asparagaus though.

←

[OnigiriFB]

I just saw this commercial and the thing looks interesting. I'm curious to know how it works also. Though I don't want to spend the money on it. Personally I'm not so sure whats so hard about making pasta? Is this more about saving time? I don't remember if it said how long it would take.

I also notice a lot of you said you have to boil pasta in a ton of water or it will stick together. I don't get it. I've never used a big pot of water and my pasta never sticks. I use a saucepan and curl my spaghetti into the boiling water. When it comes back to a boil. I stir it up so the strands seperate and then wait until al dente. I live alone so I normally only make about 1/2 lb but I've done a lb. the same way and no problem. Oh and all I add is salt to the water.