# Reduce heat and simmer: reduce it to WHAT?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reduce-heat-and-simmer-reduce-it-to-what/114915
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [June 19, 2002, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reduce-heat-and-simmer-reduce-it-to-what/114915 "2002-06-19T17:03:02Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)
#### Post date: [June 19, 2002, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reduce-heat-and-simmer-reduce-it-to-what/114915/1 "2002-06-19T17:03:02Z")
When package instructions call for you to bring to a boil, and then cover, reduce heat and simmer, what do they mean exactly? Low? Medium? Medium Low?
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### Author:  [@kirk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kirk)
#### Post date: [June 19, 2002, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reduce-heat-and-simmer-reduce-it-to-what/114915/2 "2002-06-19T17:14:29Z")
You reduce the heat until the item is no longer boiling. Generaly, it is the LOW setting.
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### Author:  [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)
#### Post date: [June 19, 2002, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reduce-heat-and-simmer-reduce-it-to-what/114915/3 "2002-06-19T17:26:41Z")
Reduce heat so that it will [simmer.](http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?va=simmer) What that setting will be depends on what you will be simmering. 😉
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### Author:  [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)
#### Post date: [June 19, 2002, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reduce-heat-and-simmer-reduce-it-to-what/114915/4 "2002-06-19T17:33:03Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by kirk \*
> \*\*You reduce the heat until the item is no longer boiling. Generaly, it is the LOW setting. \*\*
Right on!
Simmer is the point at which tiny bubbles break the surface.
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### Author:  [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)
#### Post date: [June 19, 2002, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reduce-heat-and-simmer-reduce-it-to-what/114915/5 "2002-06-19T20:39:16Z")
> [@](#):
>
> What that setting will be depends on what you will be simmering.
Gah. I suspected as much. The package instructions are worthless.
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### Author:  [@erislover](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erislover)
#### Post date: [June 19, 2002, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reduce-heat-and-simmer-reduce-it-to-what/114915/6 "2002-06-19T20:48:44Z")
Besides, “low” is meaningless to us gas stove users. What, you want all instructions to be made _just for you_, huh, **Lib** , huh? 🙂
But, yeah, package instructions are pretty worthless. Except, now that I think about it, Rice A Roni instructions were actually pretty good. But they were the exception, of course.
For anything that will scortch to the bottom of a saucepan like sauces you pretty much want it as low as it will go and still see a bubble come up now and again (one here or there every second, maybe?). For something in a regular pan that is too wet to be considered to saute then I would usually consider a faster pace.
So, the answer would be depends, depends, depends. Depends on what, in what, and with what.
Next up: best way to set the dial on an oven!