We know, boiling seems beyond basic; What could be more essential than filling a pot, putting it on high, and letting the water rip? Boiling water—and lower-temperature techniques like steaming and poaching—opens up tons of delicious meal options. When you learn to harness the power of boiling you can make delicious weeknight pasta dishes, make basic stocks and broths, poach eggs for brunch and fish for dinner parties. You can meal-prep basics like hard cooked eggs or steam simple vegetables like broccoli and sweet potatoes for the weeknight side. And how can we forget soup? Boiling is essential to soothing, budget-friendly pots of soup and beans.

For cooking, there are three types of boils: rolling, slow, or simmer. A rolling boil is the classic 212 F pot of rumbling, vivacious bubbles. A rolling boil is most often used for cooking pasta and hard-cooking eggs. Pro tip: Water will come to a boil faster without salt, so salt your pasta pot after it is actively boiling. A slow boil is approximately 205 F and most often used for making broth and stock. A simmer ranges from 205 to 190 F. You’ll want to know how to simmer for cooking dried beans as well as creating rich, meaty braises.