Why put salt in your cooking water?

You might sprinkle salt in your cooking water because you believe it speeds up the cooking process. But adding salt doesn't really make much of a difference. Add one tablespoon to five quarts of boiling water when cooking pasta, for example, and you'll save a half a second off your cooking time.

Salt does raise the boiling point of water slightly and in theory this means water will boil hotter and faster. But the change is just too small to count as a benefit. So if you're monitoring your sodium intake, skip the salt when cooking pasta, rice, vegetables, and hot cereals. It'll matter when it comes to your health. It won't matter at all when it comes to sitting down at the table any faster.