Boiling Milk

Unlike water, boiling milk with an electric kettle can be a tricky task. One time, I have had a reader ask me this question for which, I had provided a detailed reply (not comprehensive by any means). As part of phase 2 of this blog, I thought, it would be interesting to post these questions and answers for the benefit of other readers.

Hi Manoj,
After a lot of browsing, I landed up in ur blog and it is really useful.
I am using a flat bottom (concealed heating element) 1500W kettle but when i boil milk, it burns and sticks to the bottom, giving an unpleasant taste. How do I overcome this problem??

The issue may be due to the following reasons.
The 1500 W kettle – generates immense heat which is more than enough for milk to get boiled.
The milk. If you are using double cream, there is more chance for it to get burnt and stuck to the bottom.
A few things that you can do to solve the issues are.
1. Add water to milk before switching on the kettle. (15 % to Volume of milk).
2. Instead of leaving the kettle unattended, you can fiddle with the kettle on of switch a few time so that it won’t get stuck to the bottom.
3. Constantly stir the milk. Make sure you don’t get a steam burn.

This has happened to me also. I use a 1000W kettle. Those were the things I did to sort out the issue.

Make sure you clean the kettle after the adventure.

 

Cleaning the Kettle

Well, if you ask me what are the things I really hate doing, one of the first things I would say is cleaning dishes. I hate it as much as the next person. My strategy for cleaning dishes is as follows.

Once I’m done cooking, I plate the dishes and clean everything I can, including the kitchen so that there’s only very little to clean afterward. I have a relaxed meal and clean my plates.

Cleaning your electric kettle can be difficult at times, depending on what adventure you had with it (Especially after boiling milk, making rice, pasta). I have a four-step process I follow to clean my kettle. So here it is, for everyone.

Make sure you disconnect the kettle from the power socket before starting the cleaning process to avoid the risk of electrocution. 

• Soaking

Once you are done boiling milk. Never leave the kettle to dry. Fill it with water and let it sit for a while (15-20 minutes at least). You can also use a mixture of liquid dishwashing soap and water.

• Scraping

Use a wooden ladle to scrape the bottom of the kettle (there might be some discoloration due to the burnt milk protein. Please don’t use any sharp objects for this as it may damage the kettle. Or the worst case, give you an injury by accident.

• Cleaning

Depending on the state of your kettle, you might have to go back to soaking sometimes. Otherwise, clean the kettle with water to remove the soap residue.

• Drying

Please use a paper towel or a dry cloth to pat dry the kettle.

Must read

Things that you must be aware of, before getting onboard!

You must be well armed about your instrument, Usually electric kettle comes with short length cord. So if you need an extension make sure you are using something that could withstand the current, or else the instrument will get burnt, or damaged. That’s no kettle cooking. It is better to rely on a 3 pin socket that can withstand above 5A current. The Kettle must be of the hot pan type and not the inside coil type.

Inside coil type Electric Kettle.

Flat bottom type Electric Kettle.

Make sure the kettle has a thermostat relay, this will ensure that the kettle will heat only up to set temperature. Inherently, an electric kettle is not designed to perform high-end cooking so whatever we are doing is pushing the instrument to the limits so the behavior cannot be predicted.

The kettle must be above 750W, and I’m using a ‘whiteline’ make kettle(750W) to do the trials. Whatever you are doing, believe me, It’s worth doing.

A word of warning

Please have necessary kitchen rags and gloves, keep a burn cream also. Use a wooden spoon for blending purposes.Whatever I’m doing, I ought to be responsible for the after effects, but I cannot take responsibility for your wrongdoing. The things that I’ve shared are the things that worked for me. Also, make sure that you read the manual of the machine before using it.

 Wish you a happy cooking with kettle.

 Yours

Gangadharan,Manoj Kumar

Updates!!

Hello, there lovely folks!

I know, it’s been a while since I have posted anything new or interesting here. But things are gonna change soon. I have decided to spend at least a few hours on this blog every week, pursuing #cookingwithakettle. I will be testing out new recipes and techniques and post it over here for you.

Meanwhile, like always, If you find something interesting that other readers of this blog might like, feel free to let me know. And, if you have any doubts or questions or confusions regarding the things I post (English is not my first language :(), feel free to ask. I will do my best to address those issues.

Like always, please be aware that the kettle is not a device inherently designed for cooking and doing so has many risks and dangers. Please read the instruction booklet and please be aware of the health, safety and fire regulations of the respective states you are in. These are my adventures and if you are following this and doing things, please be aware that you are doing it at your own risk.

Wish you all the best in your adventures and let’s see how we take off together.