What produces more severe burns, boiling water or steam?

When it comes to causing burns, steam is much more potent than boiling water. This is because steam possesses extra latent heat, gained during its transformation from liquid to gas. As it makes contact with skin, steam releases this latent heat and turns back into liquid, delivering a powerful surge of thermal energy to the tissues. In contrast, boiling water mostly transfers heat through direct contact. However, the additional thermal energy released by steam upon condensation makes it a more formidable force, inflicting deeper and more severe burns compared to boiling water at the same temperature.