There are many pieces of kitchen folklore that don’t hold up in reality, and cold water boiling faster than hot water is one of them.

In reality, water only boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit, so even though cold water does technically warm up quicker, hotter water will still reach that 212 mark faster.

Another myth surrounding boiling water is that salt speeds up the boiling process. Salt lowers the heat capacity of water, meaning it needs less heat to raise the temperature.

However, salt also increases the boiling point of water to almost 216 degrees Fahrenheit, making the heat capacity decrease negligible.