On Wed, 26 Jan 2005 12:17:26 -0500, Ed Huntress wrote:

I don't know, but this may be of interest to you: I've noticed the same
thing when boiling commercial lye, which I do to strip steel parts of oil
and grease prior to blueing them.

I hear the same noise when one of my water heaters (electric) comes on,
but not the other. I always assumed it was the steam bubbles collapsing
as they cooled, but I don't know why it only happens on the one.

I may be related to the pot being *really* clean, which may relate to
nucleation as others have suggested...or maybe not. g

I think it's related to heat, somehow