Please help settle this dispute! The difference between simmering and boiling liquid

[DragonSnaps]

My DF and I are adamant that we each are in the right.

Whenever I'm cooking something on the hob, he will constantly interfere and turn down whatever it is onto the lowest heat setting. He says that it's boiling if there are bubbles in the liquid, no matter how small. In my opinion this is a low simmer, not boiling and it takes longer for things to cook. There is a difference between something being on a low simmer with hardly any bubbles, to full on boiling. Or am I wrong? Or is my DF wrong. Please help.

Depends what you’re cooking.

Do a casserole at a boil and you’ll have tough as old boots meat.

Boil in the bag rice needs, well, boiling. But other rice you turn down to a simmer so it cooks properly.

So yes you’re right.

Simmer is small bubbles rising now and again. Boiling is big bubbles furiously erupting.

I want to say the temperature is 100 C? As water boils at 100 C.

Is simmering temperature different to boiling temperature?

If you are cooking he needs to fuck off.

He's right. Boiling point is boiling point, it doesn't change with how fast things are boiling.

We’re debating here whether you need the big bubbles to be at 100C and whether small bubbles occur at lower temperatures as the water starts to heat. The solution is to buy a jam making thermometer and measure the temperature and find out if it’s different.

"Simmer is small bubbles rising now and again. Boiling is big bubbles furiously erupting"

This

Simmering is when there is an line of very small bubbles around the circumference of the water, so the surface doesn't move. Boiling is when the bubbles break the surface area of the water, so the water 'bounces' more.

Bubbles start to appear in hot water well below the temperature of simmering water. You are right.

But Kala unless you are boiling water then the temp will probably not be 100 degrees anyway.
I agree with you op that simmering is small, gentle bubbles and boiling is larger more vigorous bubbles.

You are both using different meanings for the same words. Simmering is technically boiling but you are essentially meaning boiling as something above that. So YABU.

At some point, I think someone needs to mention latent heat and specific heat capacity...

(I have had some wine so not much help beyond this )

There is a difference isn't there? Boiling and simmering are not the same.

Simmering happens just before boiling. If bubbles break the surface of the water its boiling.

I see boiling as lots of large, rapid bubbles bursting on the surface of the liquid, whereas simmering is very few gentle bubbles that slowly break the surface.

Boiling occurs when the liquid starts to rise. Simmering is when the liquid is cooking and bubbling, but doesn't rise,

In cooking there's simmering and a rolling boil, which is more vigorous.

Simmering is at or near as dammit 100C. A rolling boil is at 100C.
The difference is that the water evaporates quicker at a rolling boil as a higher heat is applied.

It does not always mean that the food is cooked quicker.
Steam however is hotter than 100C. So this explains why steamed food generally cooks more quickly.

DragonSnaps Rapid bubbles is a rolling boil, gentle bubbles is a low boil. Simmering occurs just before the low boil point.

Simmer is little bubbles, very little activity on the surface. Boil is proper big bubbles and very agitated surface. YANBU!

As for which to use, it depends what you're cooking. Rice, meat, stew, eggs etc, simmer. Pasta I'd boil. Long cooking tend to simmer. Rice, boiling breaks up the grains, meat it makes tough.

The distinction between ‘simmering’ and ‘boiling’ does seem arbitrary.

A digital probe thermometer only cost a few quid, so it would be very helpful If recipes gave instructions such as ‘simmer at 88C for 20 minutes’.

Boiling= large bubbles that pop, simmering is boiling water, turned on low so there are just little bubbles.

If you google images will show you boiling v simmering. If there are bubbles appearing and breaking the surface whether that is a gently boil or a more vigorous rolling boil it’s still boiling the water is still 100 degrees. If you keep things up high you are just evaporating the water faster not cooking faster.
A simmer is just before boiling when bubbles are starting to appear but the water is fairly still and they aren’t breaking the surface.

So from what you say I agree with your df.