Steaming, poaching, simmering, and boiling — both novice and experienced home cooks frequently find these terms confusing. All of them refer to cooking food using heated water, but at different ...

for example, cooking pasta, blanching vegetables, or boiling an egg. Boiling water is 212°F. Related: Should You Rinse Pasta? Simmering water is the stage before boiling water. It is gently ...