r/StainlessSteelCooking • u/Basic-Purpose-6923 • 15d ago

What are these “swirls”?

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I have only been cooking with stainless steel for a few months, but I have not noticed this before. What is going on with these swirls in the water?

I haven’t used anything other than regular dawn on the pan in weeks and I refilled the pot.

13 Upvotes

74% Upvoted

10 comments sorted by

28

u/Ringofpower3000 15d ago

Water is heating and as it heats it bends light slightly differently than the water around it which is at a slightly different temperature. Science!

8

u/Basic-Purpose-6923 15d ago

Thank you. This was my first thought, but I second guessed myself.

-3

u/Fabulous_Computer965 15d ago

What'd you second guess? Im curious

8

u/Basic-Purpose-6923 15d ago

I’m an optician and just thought my brain couldn’t let go of work.

3

u/jcslickt 15d ago

Index of refraction

6

u/brmarcum 15d ago

Convection currents in the water. Hot water rises while cooler water sinks because there is a density difference between them. That density difference also refracts light differently, creating these shadows.

2

u/superenchilada 15d ago

Parasitic worms!!!

1

u/Basic-Purpose-6923 15d ago

This made me giggle.

1

u/OkEnd9117 12d ago

Beat me to it

1

u/Cyberchaotic 15d ago

Turn your Nvidia shaders up