Temperature Switches

Most cooking reactions are gradual — foods soften, darken, and thicken over a range of temperatures. Temperature switches are fundamentally different: binary phase transitions where nothing happens until a precise temperature is reached, then everything changes at once. These are on/off switches, not dimmers.

Sugar Melting (186°C)

Crystalline sucrose liquefies at precisely 186°C. Below this point: white and crystalline. At 186°C: instant liquid. This sharp transition has a practical use: sprinkle sugar across a pan surface to test heat distribution — areas where the sugar melts instantly show proper temperature, while solid areas reveal cold spots and thermal dead zones.