Food scientist Morrine Omolo told Southern Living, "Adding salt to water doesn't make it boil faster. At the concentrations typically used in food, it increases the boiling point." In fact ...

Why that difference? Miss Fong: Well, adding salt to water makes the water impure, so it takes longer to boil salty water, and the boiling point is higher too. Katie: Wow, that's fascinating stuff.

There is a good basis for this, at least in theory. Adding salt, or any nonvolatile solute to water will raise the boiling point. This is called a colligative property. And, hotter water will cook ...