Test if a pan is hot enough using the water-drop (beading) test
Flick a little water into the pan; if it beads and rolls around, the pan is hot enough to start cooking.
If the water just sits and evaporates, the pan isn’t hot enough yet. When droplets bead up and skate around, you’re in the right range to add oil and begin browning.
The short version
- Beading/rolling droplets = pan hot enough.
- Sitting/evaporating = not hot enough yet.
What you need
- frying pan
How to do it
- 1
Heat the empty pan.
Watch this step - 2
- 3
If droplets bead and roll around, proceed; if they sit and evaporate, keep heating.
Use this as a quick readiness check before adding oil.
Watch this step
What goes wrong
Skipping a readiness check and starting too cool
Use the water-drop test until you learn your stove/pan behavior.
Why it works
At sufficiently high surface temperatures, water forms droplets that move on a thin vapor layer, indicating strong heat for browning.
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