Salt Water

Does adding salt to water really make it boil faster? No, but I'll tell you what it does do...

Adding salt to the water you're boiling doesn't make it boil faster. But adding salt DOES cause the water to boil at a higher temperature, and reduces your overall cooking time. And that's not all it does to help. Eggs boiled in salted water peel more easily, and shaking some salt into greasy pan will make it much easier to clean.

Cold salted water is handy too. If you drop apples, pears and potatoes in cold, lightly salted water as they are peeled they won't turn brown. And if you cut yourself peeling those potatoes, throw the blood stained item in the cold salt water too, that will help prevent staining.