> wrote in message
ups.com...
> I'm aware that 1BTU is the amount of energy required to raise 1lb of
> water 1F, but I recall seeing instructions such as cook blah on medium
> for five minutes and it struck me as a meaningless phrase if every
> cooktop's medium setting is pumping out a different amount of heat (in
> a given time)


Well not necessarily a meaningless question. I asked what is this in
reference to see if you were/are cooking with some liquid. As you know from
Chem. 101 water at sea level pressure will not boil over 212 degrees.
However if you are simmering then the rare of evaporation is X if you are
cooking over medium heat the evaporation rate is Y*X depending on the mass
and the BTU difference in the settings. If you are cooking on high - well
you get the picture. So there is a meaning that is valid. In addition the
height of the side walls of the pan will also make a difference.

Dimitri