Then I carefully measured a whole passel of water into the Straight Dope tea kettle and boiled it for about five minutes. I could compare the freezing rate of boiled H20 with that of regular hot water from the tap. I subsequently did the same with two trays of cold water, which had been chilled down to a starting temperature of 38 degrees. The cold water froze about 10 or 15 minutes faster than the hot water, and there was no detectable difference between the boiled water and the other kind. Another old wives' tale thus emphatically bites the dust.
Science marches on.
I hope we will see another column soon resolving the issue. The smaller the amount of water, of course, the faster it freezes. In addition, the water vapor carries away a certain amount of heat. To test this theory, Jearl covered his lab beaker with Saran Wrap to prevent water vapor from escaping. The freezing rate difference was greatly diminished.