Can you cook with distilled water? Yes, you can cook with distilled water, but you will be better off using it for other stuff.
Many people might think this is a foolish question because all water is safe to cook with, whether tap water or distilled water. But they are wrong. It is essential to understand why they are wrong.
Distilled water is demineralized water having a lower concentration of impurities than tap or bottled water. This is why it is sometimes referred to as sterile or germ-free, which makes it an appealing option for many cooking tasks.
However, people who think distilled water is safe for cooking are wrong because distilled water loses nearly all of its minerals after distillation. So, cooking with it can have a harmful impact on your overall health.
There have been studies where mineral deficiency was observed due to using too much distilled water for cooking.
Today, we will tell you in detail whether can you cook with distilled water or not? So, continue reading this article to find out!
Things You Will Learn:
- Cooking with distilled water is a common concern for many people.
- We will tell you whether or not you can use distilled water for cooking.
- Is it safe to use distilled water for cooking, if not, then why?
- The side effects of drinking and cooking with distilled water.
- We will answer some frequently asked questions about cooking with distilled water.
Can You Drink Or Cook With Distilled Water?
Technically you can drink or cook with distilled water, but you shouldn’t.
There are many instances where distilled water should not be used when cooking or drinking. If you are trying to cook with it, avoid boiling it at high temperatures to bring out the flavor of your dish.
Is Distilled Water Good For Cooking?
Contrary to popular opinion, distilled water is not good for cooking.
Distilled water is sold by many popular brands in the food industry. The process used for distilling water removes the minerals and toxins instead of just the impurities. This leaves you with a liquid with no minerals or toxins that have not been treated to include any beneficial minerals.
The only way to get these valuable minerals back into the water is to add them back after distilling them. Thus, the more you consume distilled water, the more you will lack minerals.
Why Is Distilled Water Not Suitable For Cooking?
Distilled water is purer than tap water as it has been heated to the point of vaporization. Thus, getting rid of all contaminants. It is also sterile, meaning it is free from any bacteria that could affect your health. Distilled water also lacks minerals, which could be a problem.
Since distilled water lacks its own minerals, so it pulls out the essential minerals in vegetables. Thus, lowering their nutritional value.
No, we are not making stuff up. A 2014 study from the Medical Journal Armed Forces India shows a 60% decrease in calcium and magnesium, calcium, and some other minerals in meals cooked in using distilled (demineralized) water.
The Side Effects Of Cooking With Distilled Water
Here are some downsides of cooking with distilled water:
- Boiling can damage the quality of your food by causing the minerals in foods to reach out into the boiling water. This can affect your digestive system and make the body more susceptible to disease.
- Boiling vegetables in distilled water can destroy their quality by killing the flavor while also reducing the nutrients found in them.
- Distilled water won’t cause mineral and chemical leeching that occurs in boiling water, but it can cause effects the way your drinks taste.
- Some seafood recipes require a lot of salt or acidic ingredients, such as lemon juice or vinegar. It is recommended not to use distilled water when cooking seafood. Fresh or tap water is better suited instead.
Can You Drink Distilled Water?
If you are trying to drink fewer calories and lose weight, you might be tempted to use distilled water instead of plain water from the tap. This is because people believe that drinking distilled water will make them lose weight because it has no calories or additional nutritional content.
However, that is not entirely true. Drinking distilled water can also cause adverse health effects.
The distilling process removes several minerals from the source liquid, so it can reduce the electrolytes and minerals in the body – both of which play a significant role in our well-being.
Electrolytes regulate our PH balance and hydration levels and improve immunity. At the same time, minerals are essential for various bodily functions like muscle growth, fluid balance, etc.
So, drinking distilled water for long periods can contribute to poor functioning due to a lack of minerals and nutrients in your diet.
If you are looking for ways to cut calories and lose weight, try cutting back on refined carbohydrates and sugar instead of distilled water as a substitute for regular tap or filter water.
What Is Distilled Water Used For?
There are many ways to use distilled water for different applications, some more popular than others. One of the most popular uses of distilled water is as a beverage additive.
These days many bottled and purified water is selling like hotcakes, but the one thing that makes these waters different from distilled water is that they are not filtered.
Apart from drinking, distilled water is commonly used in hospitals and aquariums, water plants, and steam irons.
Read More: Uses of Distilled Water
Why Should You Avoid Distilled Water?
Distilled water is purer than the water you get from your tap, but it has lost its minerals and will not retain any essential vitamins, minerals, or tastes in the food. Distillation removes essential natural cofactors and minerals that are needed to preserve food.
People have been led to believe that because distilled water is purified, they do not need to worry about their mineral intake; however, it is wrong.
Most health experts do not recommend drinking distilled water as it has no minerals, leading to several health problems. This is because, in the distillation process, the water is boiled and becomes steam. This removes the minerals that would be found naturally.
FAQs | Can You Cook With Distilled Water?
Here are some frequently asked questions about cooking with distilled water.
Can You Cook With Distilled Water?
Yes, you can cook with distilled water. However, using filtered or spring water in some situations may be better. Distilled water is a good beverage and cleaning liquid. Also, distilled water will create a healthier environment because it is pure and free of contaminants.
You can’t use distilled water in place of tap or healthy water in a recipe that requires boiling because heating is needed to bring out the flavor in some foods and make them palatable.
You could, however, substitute distilled for tap or filter water when cooking something like rice or quinoa, which don’t require long periods of boiling.
Is It Safe To Cook With Distilled Water?
If you use distilled water to cook once or twice, it is not harmful. However, cooking your food in distilled water for a prolonged time may cause certain micromineral deficiencies in your body. So, it is not 100% safe to cook with distilled water.
Can You Cook Rice With Distilled Water?
While you may have heard that you should not cook rice with distilled water, the truth is that there is no reason to. The reasoning behind this is that there are no minerals in distilled water to cause any damage to your rice or rice cooker.
The only real reason that cooking rice with distilled water should be avoided is that most people do not like how their rice tastes when cooked in distilled water.
This can be attributed to a very slight metallic taste and how they look when cooked. There is also some concern over removing calcium and magnesium from your diet regularly through cooking with distilled water.
Can You Use Distilled Water For Cooking Pasta?
There are some benefits to using distilled water on your pasta, but it is recommended that if you use it, you limit the amount of time it is cooked in the distilled water.
One of the best benefits is that the pasta absorbs more flavor than it usually would if it were boiled in tap water or even bottled spring water. It will also give your pasta a firmer texture and reduce stickiness when cooking with tap or bottled water.
Should You Put Shrimp In Distilled Water Before Cooking?
Some people feel it is terrible to cook shrimp in distilled water, especially if they are new to the kitchen. It is important to remember that there are many different types of shrimp that come in varying sizes.
The most common way of cooking shrimp is by boiling them in water for 3 to 5 minutes, depending on the size of the shrimp. The only reason you would need to cook your shrimp with distilled water would be if you were looking for a much quicker cooking time.
Can I Use My Distilled Water In A Tea Maker?
There are many ways of using distilled water for cooking as an ingredient for your favorite tea recipe or beverage drink. The first thing that you should do is check the package for any warnings against using distilled water in your tea maker. If it does not mention anything, you are free to use it as much as you want.
The other thing you should consider is the kind of tea or beverage you plan on making. Certain teas will have more difficulty brewing if cooked with pure water, while others can handle it without any problems.
Can You Cook Noodles With Distilled Water?
The easiest way to cook your favorite variety of noodles is by boiling them in distilled or bottled water. This will help to prevent the noodles from sticking together and becoming clumped up. The main reason that you may not want to do this is simply because of the way they will look after they have been cooked.
Some people may not like the lack of color they get when they use distilled water, but it is essential to remember that it doesn’t affect how the noodles taste or even how healthy they are for you!
Don’t Cook Distilled Water In Aluminum Pots And Pans. Why?
The main reason that people believe that distilled water cannot be used in aluminum cooking is that it will react with the aluminum and cause a reaction that could leave you with a terrible taste in your mouth. However, there is no natural way to tell how this would happen.
Aluminum can change over time, and with so many different types of aluminum pots and pans out there, it is impossible to tell how it will react with distilled water or any other kind of water.
Another reason you may not want to use distilled water cooking in an aluminum pot or pan is that the aluminum can react with the impurities in the water and build up on the sides of your pot.
This can potentially cause a very unattractive and unhealthy-looking surface for your pan. Thus, many think that you not use distilled water to cook in aluminum pots and pans.
Bottom Line | Can You Cook With Distilled Water?
Distilled water is nothing more than water that is purified through the process of distillation. In some cases, distilled water can cause physical, chemical, or allergic reactions; however, a majority of people seem to find that there are no adverse side effects associated with the use of distilled water.
Having said that, it is not recommended to cook with distilled water. It is safe, but it pulls minerals from the food when you are cooking it. Cooking with distilled water might also make the food taste slightly bitter. So, avoid using distilled water for cooking.