# Making caramel

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-caramel/959832>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Tags:** food-cooking\
**Created:** [February 20, 2022, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-caramel/959832 "2022-02-20T19:07:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\
**Post date:** [February 20, 2022, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/making-caramel/959832/1 "2022-02-20T19:07:35Z")

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When I make caramel, it’s usually step 1 in creme caramel. So I am making a hard candy, not a gooey sauce. But that’s what they are usually doing on the Great British Bake Off, and they do it differently.

I pour some sugar into a small anodized aluminum omelet pan, and stir it until is is evenly liquid, at which point it is also just about the right shade of brown.

They dissolve sugar in water, and DON’T STIR IT. (they always emphasize this) until it’s done.

I tried that once, and it took a lot longer and seemed fussier, somehow. Although I didn’t have that moment of panic when some chunky bits that got stuck early are a little reluctant to melt.

So, what’s your method, and what do you perceive to be the advantages and disadvantages of it?

By the way, Discourse says my topic is similar to:

> [@Caramel makers: Wet or dry?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/caramel-makers-wet-or-dry/665284):
>
> I recently forayed into the scary world of making my own caramel sauce. My first attempt was wet method, and I didn’t pay close enough attention, resulting in a smoking, burnt sugary mess. My second attempt was dry method, resulting in beautiful, creamy, perfect consistency to pour into my morning iced coffee goodness. However, it took about an hour and a half. SO: Do you use wet or dry method? Why? Any tips in general?

But that’s about making sauce, not a hard candy. And it’s also a pretty short thread that doesn’t really address my question. Still, you might want to check it out.