Energy-Efficient Cooking of Spaghetti

Spaghetti is a dual-career family dinner favorite. But how much energy is consumed in the process, and how can it be optimized? I performed an experiment to test two methods for preparing a spaghetti meal. In both cases, the water was rapidly heated to the boiling point. The flame was kept at maximum for the first experiment until the spaghetti was cooked. In the second experiment, the flame was reduced and the top covered, such that the water was kept at 100C. The two methods are compared in terms of the total time required to prepare the meal and amount of energy required. A discussion of potential savings for the latter method--and possible uses for that savings--is discussed.