The great stock simmer debate: lid on or lid off?

For years in my first kitchen job, we kept the stockpot lid on tight, simmering for 8 hours straight. The head chef said it kept the heat in and saved energy. After moving to a spot in Chicago, the new chef made us simmer with the lid off, claiming it made a clearer, cleaner flavor. I've been doing it his way for about a year now and I think he's right, but it uses more gas. Which method do you all use and why?

3 comments

3 Comments

king.derek1mo ago

Remember my buddy who swore by the lid-on method? He tried the lid-off thing for a week and said his chicken stock went from tasting like a cloudy pot of water to something actually worth drinking on its own. He's back to using more gas now because the flavor difference was just that big for him.

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danielw881mo ago

My cousin did the same thing and now her soup has way more flavor.

barbara_baker571mo ago

Wait, he actually measured the gas difference?