Stock pots, soup pots, Dutch ovens, saucepans, and skillets: If you have these in your kitchen, you also have their corresponding lids. And sometimes, it seems like that stack of lids is doing nothing more than taking up room in your cabinets.
So, how often should you really be using them? Some recipes tell you when to put a lid on a pan, but others are silent on the matter. By following a few simple guidelines, you can hone your cook's instincts and stop wondering whether you should simmer with the lid on or off—and learn which route to take when sautéing, boiling, and more.
Surprising Ways to Use Everyday Kitchen Items, From a Cast Iron Skillet to a Teaspoon
Always cover your pot if you're trying to keep heat in.
Simmering and Boiling
Keep the lid on if you want to bring something to a simmer or a boil for two reasons. "One, heat escapes through an open lid, so it would take longer for water to come to a boil," says Ronna Welsh ofPurple Kale Kitchenworks. "And two, water escapes in the form of steam, reducing the amount that was originally in the pot."
In the event that your goal is to keep moisture in—like when your pot of soup, stew, or sauce is already at the right consistency, but you want to keep cooking the vegetables and melding the flavors—leave the lid on to keep any more liquid from evaporating.
Braising
Braising is the go-to cooking method for tougher cuts of meat, like brisket, chuck, pork shoulder, and short ribs. Keep the lid on when braising meat, as it needs moist heat over a long period of time to break down the collagen and connective tissues for fork-tender results. "Pot covered, the ingredient you are braising gets continuously bathed in these steaming and simmering liquids, which the item flavors in turn," says Welsh.
Steaming
Like braising, steaming is only effective when both heat and moisture are trapped in the pot. Steaming foods like vegetables, tamales, seafood, and grains with the lid on supplies gentle, moist heat that will cook these foods to perfect tenderness without drying them out. "When you steam vegetables, you want the lid to trap the evaporating liquid in the pot, sealing the steam inside," says Welsh.
When to Keep the Lid Off
Leave the lid off of your pot any time you want to keep moisture out of your pot or pan.
Thickening Ingredients
To thicken a soup, stew, or sauce, leaving the lid uncovered is ideal. "It must be off, or semi-covered, if you are slowing down the reduction process," says Stephen Chavez, chef-instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education. "You are trying to evaporate some of the excess liquid when you are reducing or thickening liquids. If the lid stays on, the liquid water turns to steam, condenses back to liquid on the lid, and drops back into the sauce."
The longer you cook your dish, the more water that will evaporate and the thicker the liquid becomes—that means the flavors become more concentrated, too.
Searing
You should also leave the lid off whenever you're trying to achieve a beautiful sear. Searing takes place in a very hot pan and serves to create a flavorful, caramelized crust on the exterior of steaks, duck breasts, lamb chops, tuna, and more. Moisture is the arch nemesis of pan searing, as it creates steam and prevents a crisp coating from forming. "If the steam released when searing food gets trapped by a closed lid, that steam will fall back into the pan as liquid and dilute any browning achieved," says Welsh.
Frying
Moisture also interferes with creating a caramelized, crispy surface on stir-fried and deep-fried foods. All foods give off some steam when cooking, so it's important to leave the lid off the pan during frying so the steam evaporates rather than collecting on the lid and dripping back into the hot oil. "If you cover a pot of hot oil and add food to cook, the food still gives off steam (that’s all the bubbling and popping when you add the food)," says Chavez. "The steam will condense and will drip back into the hot oil which will cause popping and splashing and will become more dangerous than if left uncovered."
In the event that your goal is to keep moisture in—like when your pot of soup, stew, or sauce is already at the right consistency, but you want to keep cooking the vegetables and melding the flavors—leave the lid on to keep any more liquid from evaporating.
Then, as the heat from the pot cooks the food, the heat passes into the air, creating steam. That steam is hot, and that heat goes out of your kitchen exhaust as waste. But when you put a lid on, the heat stays in the pot. It helps cook your food faster.
Should you cover the pasta when cooking it? It's okay to put a lid on the pot while you are waiting for the water to boil. However, after it starts to boil and you add the pasta to the water, you should remove the lid to prevent the water from bubbling over.
You can simmer with the cookware lid on or off, simply follow your recipe instructions. Keep in mind that when using a cover, you'll want to set your stovetop to a low setting as it can reach a simmer faster than without a cap. When you're not using a lid, adjust your stovetop setting to medium.
When you are simmering food and you don't want liquid to escape as steam, cover the pot. Best example is cooking rice: bring to a boil, cover pot, and let simmer (cook and absorb liquid) for about 20 minutes.
Moisture also interferes with creating a caramelized, crispy surface on stir-fried and deep-fried foods. All foods give off some steam when cooking, so it's important to leave the lid off the pan during frying so the steam evaporates rather than collecting on the lid and dripping back into the hot oil.
Stopping evaporation – got a saucy dish that's the perfect consistency but the veggies aren't cooked through (think stews, casseroles, or soups)? Cover with a lid and it will stop the liquid from evaporating allowing you to retain the consistency while still cooking the vegetables.
Cooking a soup, stew, or sauce uncovered allows water to evaporate, so if your goal is to reduce a sauce or thicken a soup, skip the lid. The longer you cook your dish, the more water that will evaporate and the thicker the liquid becomes—that means the flavors become more concentrated, too.
Cooking the tomato sauce over a low and steady heat with the lid on is essential to obtain a pleasantly thick consistency. The lid keeps the moisture inside the pan, preventing the sauce from drying out too quickly. The low heat then allows the flavours to develop gradually, slowly softening the vegetables.
After you bring your stew to a gentle simmer it's important to cook with the lid on as it helps to trap the liquid inside, cook the ingredients evenly, enhance the combination of flavours and prevent the ingredients from drying out.
Regulate the heat so that a few bubbles rise to the surface. Skim regularly and keep the ingredients covered by topping up with cold water. Cook uncovered for 3-4 hours. Strain the stock, pour into a clean pan and boil fiercely to reduce the stock and intensify the flavour.
Place chicken, carrots, celery, and onion in a large soup pot; add enough cold water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium heat; reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until meat falls off of the bone, about 90 minutes. Skim off foam every so often, as needed.
Cover your pan with a lid to help bring the water up to the boil more quickly, then remove the lid once the water is boiling or reduce the temperature slightly to stop it bubbling over. Add the pasta to the water once it's boiling, never before, and cook without the lid.
Store ready-to-eat foods such as cooked meats, pies and dairy products such as cheese, butter, cream and yoghurt in the top part of the fridge. Covering and wrapping food stops harmful bacteria from being passed from raw foods to ready-to-eat foods. It also stops food from drying out and becoming stale.
Uncovered baking typically requires less time to cook compared to covered baking. The direct heat exposure allows for faster cooking, which can be advantageous when you're looking to save time or achieve a faster cooking process. Reduction of excess moisture.
Covering a skillet, saucepan, or pot while cooking helps maintain temperature control, which is important for even cooking. It helps bring liquid to a boil faster, too (which uses less energy, aka, it's more cost efficient, too). Covering the pot keeps steam from escaping, too.
Covering the pot prevents water vapor from escaping, enabling the temperature to rise more quickly. How much more quickly? In our experience, not a lot.
THE BOTTOM LINE : Water boils faster in covered pots. The more water you have in the pot the more of a difference the lid will make. When boiling water in a pot for which you have no lid, cover it with a baking sheet or aluminum foil. Water boils about 30% faster with a lid.
When to Keep the Lid Off. Cooking a soup, stew, or sauce uncovered allows water to evaporate, so if your goal is to reduce a sauce or thicken a soup, skip the lid. The longer you cook your dish, the more water that will evaporate and the thicker the liquid becomes—that means the flavors become more concentrated, too.
Introduction: My name is Terence Hammes MD, I am a inexpensive, energetic, jolly, faithful, cheerful, proud, rich person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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