Showerthought: my dad told me to always preheat my mug with hot water

He swore by it for years, said it kept the coffee hotter longer. I thought it was a pointless extra step. Tried it his way for a full month, measuring the temp with a kitchen thermometer. The coffee in a preheated mug stayed above 140 degrees for 22 minutes. In a cold mug, it dropped below that in under 15. He was right. Anyone have other small rituals that actually make a noticeable difference?

4 comments

4 Comments

margaret_gonzalez254d ago

That part about measuring with a kitchen thermometer for a full month is so real. I went through the same stubborn phase with my mom's advice to always rinse rice before cooking. I was sure it did nothing. Tried it her way and the rice was so much less sticky, the texture was completely different. It's wild how those little things our parents swear by actually have a point. Makes me wonder what else I'm brushing off as an extra step.

lisaf384d ago

Okay but "so much less sticky" isn't always the goal though. For some dishes you WANT that sticky texture. Is it really an upgrade or just a different style?

annas874d ago

Actually rinsing rice is about removing excess starch, not just an old wives tale. The texture change is REAL.

morgan.logan4d ago

What is it with us being so stubborn about these little things? I did the same exact thing with my grandma's advice to always soak beans overnight. I argued it was a waste of time for YEARS. Finally caved and the difference in how they cooked was insane, no more crunchy bits. It's like @annas87 said, the texture change is real and we just have to learn the hard way. I guess the joke's on me for thinking I knew better than decades of kitchen experience.