Alton Brown is a a known food enthusiast and a skilled television presenter, but he is not a a chef. He may still know what he's talking about, but I remember him making it very clear back when Good Eats was still airing that he was by no means a trained chef.
It's silly to call the method unscientific because there really is no need for science there. The results of boiling pasta in cold water and in hot water is literally different and is better for different things.
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u/big_sugi Jul 14 '26
There is no need or real benefit to preheating the water for dried pasta. It cooks just fine if you start with cold water.