12 science experiments you can see every day in your kitchen

Flickr / Rainer Stropek

If you're like me, there are some parts of cooking that are completely baffling. I'm not just talking about figuring out the recipe. Sometimes I also just wonder what sort of chemical reactions are going on that makes the food taste so good and turn out the right — or wrong — way.

Without further ado, here are the scientific answers to some of your biggest quandaries in the kitchen.

How much water do I need to cook my rice?

Here's a general rule: For every cup of rice you cook, you'll need two cups of water. However, Dan Souza, the executive editor of Cook's Science at America's Test Kitchen and one of the authors of "The Science of Good Cooking," told Business Insider that this isn't always true. There are a number of other factors that influence how much water you're going to need, including what size the pot is and how much evaporates.

"If you have a ratio of 1:2 and you double that to 2:4, you're saying you're going to get double evaporating because you doubled it, and that's not true," he said. So keep this in mind the next time you try to double your portions.

Does searing a steak really seal in its juices?

Many cooks will tell you that searing your meat ensures all the good juices stay inside. That's not quite true. While you're searing a steak on a high temperature, you're making a crispier crust on the steak, but that crust isn't responsible for keeping in any liquids.

"Nothing about making a crust on the outside of a steak is going to trap moisture," Souza said. In fact, he said, muscle proteins at higher temperatures actually squeeze out liquids instead of keeping them in.

What's the best way to preserve nutrients when cooking vegetables?

The best way to preserve and enhance the nutrition in fresh broccoli is to steam them, according to a November 2015 study that evaluated different cooking methods for vegetables, including broccoli. 

One of the easiest ways to steam? Fill a large glass bowl with broccoli, add a tablespoon or so of water to the bowl, cover the bowl with a plate, and then microwave your setup on high for a few minutes.