reduce the heat

Meaning

This expression means to lower the temperature setting on a stove or burner while cooking. It is commonly used in recipes when moving from a high temperature (like boiling) to a lower one (like simmering) to prevent food from burning or overcooking. The tone is neutral, practical, and highly common in culinary contexts.

Examples

• Once the soup comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and cover the pot.

  Once the soup comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and cover the pot.

• You need to reduce the heat immediately or the garlic will burn.

  You need to reduce the heat immediately or the garlic will burn.

• I usually reduce the heat when the sauce starts splattering everywhere.

  I usually reduce the heat when the sauce starts splattering everywhere.

• After searing the steak, reduce the heat to cook it through gently.

  After searing the steak, reduce the heat to cook it through gently.

• The recipe says to reduce the heat and let it cook for another ten minutes.

  The recipe says to reduce the heat and let it cook for another ten minutes.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ Please down the heat of the stove.

  ✓ Please reduce the heat.

  Learners often translate literally from their native language using phrasal verbs like 'down' instead of the standard culinary verb 'reduce'.

• ✗ Make the heat smaller once it boils.

  ✓ Reduce the heat once it boils.

  In English, heat is described as high, medium, or low, and we 'reduce' or 'lower' it, rather than making it 'smaller'.

Related Expressions

Practice

• Once the water boils, ___ to low and let it simmer.

  💡 Lower the stove temperature.

  Show answer

  reduce the heat

• If the sauce starts to stick to the bottom, you should ___ immediately.

  💡 Turn down the burner level.

  Show answer

  reduce the heat