Water is an essential component of many household chores, including cooking. Boiling an egg for breakfast, making lunchtime pasta and even preparing rice at dinnertime all require the use of water in order to cook properly. However, have you ever wondered if the water you use for cooking is soft or hard?
You can use hard water for cooking, but hard water is rich in minerals like calcium and magnesium, which is not required for cooking. Almost 85% of American homes get hard water from the State, which makes it a hassle for them to use soft water for cooking.
Many people have a negative perception of hard water. In this article, we will go through all the pros and cons of hard water and find out whether it is safe for cooking. So, keep reading if you want to know all facts about hard water and its effects when used for cooking.
Read my article 10 Problems with Hard Water.
Table of Contents
Can I Use Hard Water for Cooking?
There are no obvious health concerns regarding the usage of hard water for cooking purposes. So, you can use it. However, people often complain that the taste, or freshness of their meals fade when they use hard water.
Hard water is also the primary reason you find white streaks on your bathroom faucets, shower heads, and kitchen sink. Refer to the table below that shows concentration of minerals in water as per PMC – National Library of Medicine to find out distinct types of water used in homes:
| Type of Water | Milligrams per Liter (mg/l) |
| Soft | 0-60 |
| Moderate | 61-120 |
| Hard | 121-180 |
| Very hard | >180 |
The states of California, Texas, and Minnesota reportedly have the hardest (>120 mg/l) tap water. The residents of these states say that the taste of water is unappealing, which means they are less likely to drink it.
Does hard water also affect the taste of cooked meals? Let’s find out.
Effects of Hard Water on Cooking
While there is no solid proof that hard water affects your health if you use it for cooking, it can change the taste, smell, and texture of your food.
The primary effects of hard water on cooking are given below:
Reduced Flavor and Nutrition
Hard water can affect food taste by altering the chemical composition of the minerals it contains.
Have you ever noticed how some vegetables, regardless of how fresh, will never taste the same when you cook with tap water? It is because the tap water you are using is hard.
Hard water can also cause the leaching of certain minerals and nutrients from food, reducing its overall nutritional value.
Discoloration
You must have noticed the discoloration of pasta, rice, or any other light-colored foods. It is because of the presence of minerals in the hard water, which makes them appear a bit gray.
Textural Changes
Hard water can affect the texture of food by altering the amount of starch in grains and vegetables, making them less tender. This may also affect certain foods that would otherwise have a golden, crispy, texture normally achieved when oven cooking food.
Staining
Like shower heads, you may have noticed the gray/white stains on cookware, utensils, and dishes, making them appear unsightly.
Hard water can interfere with the cleaning power of detergents and soaps, making removing these stains and residues more difficult.
Kitchen Chores and Hard Water
We studied the general effects of hard water when used for cooking. Let’s dive into the details of using hard water for boiling, baking, and making homemade sauces like ketchup.
Boiling With Hard Water
When you boil hard water, instead of soft water, your food takes longer to cook. Pure water will boil at 100 degrees Centigrade or 212 Fahrenheit.
However, the boiling point will increase with the addition of impurities like magnesium, calcium, or chlorine. That is why rice often takes longer to boil, only to look unappealing as they absorb more minerals.
Preparing Tea/Homemade Sauces
If you use hard water to prepare tea, coffee, or even sauces like ketchup and mayonnaise, you will most likely be disappointed.
Water quality greatly affects the taste and texture of everything you cook, so packaged foods or restaurant meals often taste better than when you try making them at home.
Baking
We all have a story of a failed baking attempt, and almost all of us are unsure where we went wrong.
Following a recipe religiously, keeping strict checks on the number of ingredients, and buying the best fresh ingredients but still failing can be extremely frustrating.
The culprit could be hard water, which changes the gluten and yeast levels, two of the basic baking ingredients.
Only a true baker knows how necessary it is to get these right to ensure your cake, or whatever you are baking, comes out perfectly. Hard water makes the fermentation process slower as the minerals present in water restrict the dough from absorbing water.
Note: The ideal water for baking is neither too soft, so the dough becomes sticky, nor too hard, that dough becomes tough.
Quick Hacks to Treat Hard Water
There are several methods for reducing or removing hard water in homes. While some of these would require professional help with installations, they are still quite time-saving.
A few of the hacks include:
- Water softeners use ion exchange to remove minerals such as calcium and magnesium from the water.
- Water descalers use electromagnetic waves to prevent mineral buildup in pipes and appliances.
- Reverse osmosis systems use a semi-permeable membrane to filter out minerals and other impurities.
- Vinegar and lemon juice mixtures descales shower heads, faucets, and other fixtures.
FAQs
Does Hard Water Make Cooking Difficult?
Hard water makes cooking a bit difficult. This is because hard water increases the boiling point of water, so it takes longer to cook grains, beans, and rice compared to when you use soft water.
How Do You Soften Hard Water for Cooking?
Boiling the water is the easiest way to soften the hard water as it makes the minerals, calcium, and magnesium sit in the bottom of utensils while soft water is separated.
Is Hard or Soft Water Better for Cooking?
There are no evident effects to health when using hard water, but the texture and color of rice and vegetables cooked in soft water are better than those cooked in hard water. Also, soft water takes less time to cook food.
Final Thoughts
While cooking with hard water may not be a direct hazard to your health, there are multiple drawbacks that make it unfavorable for cooking.
Also, remember the next time you want to cook rice faster, use soft water!