As many of you know, I am a fan of booze (in moderation, of course). So it shouldn’t surprise any of you that the term “Leidenfrost effect” conjures up images of Oktoberfest and frosty beers. Of course it has nothing to do with Lederhosen (or beer). The Leidenfrost effect comes into play when a liquid is in contact with a solid much hotter than the boiling point of the liquid. And as the short video from The American Chemical Society points out, it’s a great way to indicate if your pan is hot enough to properly sear your food.
The video also notes that if heat exchangers get too hot, the Leidenfrost effect will make them less efficient. If enough heat builds up, it could damage the equipment. “Better controlling the Leidenfrost effect in nuclear reactors might prevent cataclysmic explosions like what happened at Chernobyl or Fukushima,” according to the ACS.
Check out the short video below. Prost!