Can I use baking soda instead of baking powder?
Does adding salt make water boil faster?
One particularly stubborn myth is that adding salt will make the water take longer to come to a boil. Chemically speaking, it’s true that salt raises the boiling point; however, the amount of salt used in cooking applications is so small that it won’t make a difference with timing.
Should you boil cold or hot water?
Cold water boils faster than hot water.
There is, however, a good reason to use cold water instead of hot for cooking: hot water will contain more dissolved minerals from your pipes, which can give your food an off-flavor, particularly if you reduce the water a lot.
Can water reach 212?
Above 212°F at standard pressure, liquid water is unstable. It will evaporate very rapidly from the surface. If the temperature is held constant (which requires some heat input, since evaporation cools things) the liquid will all evaporate. If the temperature is much above 212°F, the water will boil.