By Erik Spjut, professor of engineering

A common rule of thumb in the kitchen is that stirring a pot that you're trying to heat will make it boil faster. Is it true? Assume you have an 8-quart stockpot made of 12 gage stainless steel. The pot contains 6 quarts of water and is placed on a 9000 BTU gas burner. The kitchen air is at 72°F and 30% relative humidity. The water starts at 65°F. Assume that you can stir at about 40 rpm.

CHALLENGE:
What is the difference in the time for the water to reach 212°F between a stirred and an unstirred pot? Is stirring an attractive option to a cook in a hurry? You may verify your results experimentally but a purely experimental approach will not be acceptable.

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