I've always done this because I don't like pasta boiling over into my electric elements. The emssivity of stainless steel and the enormous heat capacity of even

I've always done this because I don't like pasta boiling over into my electric elements. The emssivity of stainless steel and the enormous heat capacity of even the small amount of water I use and the fact that water cannot exceed boiling temperature means spegetti is done in 10 minutes even with no power at all after boiling has been achieved. Do not waste precious oil in the water. Just stir for a minute to prevent sticking.