Questions about what temperature is optimal for cooking/preparing certain food or how certain temperatures can affect different types of food. Questions can also include how to best achieve/maintain a certain temperature for a specific type of food.
30
votes
3answers
802 views
Theoretical: why there's no gradient of doneness in bread?
I was always wondering, why there's no gradient of doneness visible on the cuts of bigger breads. For example:
This one was made in the baking form, it has a thin visible crust, but after that the ...
22
votes
7answers
11k views
How to rest meat but not let it get too cold?
Having read this question I am persuaded that resting meat is good for its flavour. But if the meat has a good temperature straight after it's been cooked, it seems as though it will be too cold after ...
20
votes
6answers
219k views
What temperatures should I keep my refrigerator and freezer set at?
For a refrigerator, if it's cooler, items like milk and meat last a bit longer. However if I set it close to freezing then some items start showing frost on them. What temperature should I set my ...
18
votes
2answers
4k views
Does Boiling Water, Instead of Warm Water, Hurt the Flavor of Tea/Hot Chocolate
I have a counter-top water kettle that I use frequently to boil water for tea, hot chocolate, and powdered drinks (e.g. chai). I don't think anything of it when the water starts boiling and keeps on ...
18
votes
1answer
2k views
Why should a stock be simmered and not boiled?
Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles cookbook says that a stock should NEVER be boiled, why is this? Does the higher heat extract bitterness or something else undesirable?
It seems a little strange because ...
16
votes
3answers
3k views
How do you decide what temperature to bake at?
What is the logic behind the choice of temperature for baking?
Obviously if you're following a recipe it will say what temperature to use, but I'd like to understand the reasoning behind it.
Is it a ...
16
votes
2answers
1k views
How does thermal shock affect pans made of different materials?
In another question, I had a little comment-discussion with TFD on the effect of shock cooling on pans. In a nutshell, I said that it is bad for the pan, and he said that especially if the pan is made ...
15
votes
3answers
895 views
How hot does garlic need to get to lose its sharpness?
Inspired by the recent questions here, I made manicotti over the weekend. The recipe I used called for minced garlic in the filling. I love garlic and usually put in at least double recipe-prescribed ...
15
votes
1answer
2k views
(Why) do onions taste sweeter when cooked at lower temperature?
I use onions to add a sweeter taste to some dishes, for example in tomato sauce for pasta. I cook them in oil, with some salt, before adding the other ingredients. It seems to me that when I turn the ...
12
votes
4answers
16k views
How long should I cook pork for (at 100° C)?
I have a pork shoulder in the over right now at 100° C (212° F). I was planning on roasting it for 7 hours, will this be long enough to cook it safely?
I saw the FDA chart about minimum internal ...
11
votes
3answers
2k views
Cooking on the stove: what is “too hot” for a pan?
I'm a novice cook and often hear about "learning one's stove". Obviously manufacturers, cooking methods, and appliance types vary and so "high" on one stove isn't comparable to another.
That said, ...
11
votes
4answers
15k views
How long should roast pork be cooked so that it stays light pink?
Often pork is much too dry when served, I would like to have it slightly 'rosé' pink.
So I am looking for some cooking instructions for cooking a roast pork in the oven. A time/temperature table ...
11
votes
3answers
2k views
What do I need to know about temperature and food safety?
What general rules do I need to follow to keep my food safe? How do I know what temperature to cook something to, or whether my food is safe at room temperature?
10
votes
5answers
27k views
Time vs. Temperature - What changes what?
Really basic question that's bugging me...
Speaking mathematically, 200 degrees of heat for 10 minutes should be the same as 400 degrees of heat for 5 minutes , but that's not the case, right?
So ...
10
votes
2answers
2k views
How much warm is warm water?
I'm following a recipe for making dough for a challah recipe, and the recipe calls for warm water. How warm should the water be (in degrees)? Do I need to heat it, or is room-temperature good enough?
...
9
votes
3answers
25k views
What does “bring to a simmer” mean?
First, a confession: I work in software, so I'm probably paying way too much attention to the state of liquid that is "a simmer". That written, I love to cook, and no recipe direction gives me more ...
8
votes
4answers
4k views
What is “hand hot”?
How hot is "hand hot"?
Should it be about the temperature where you can stand leaving your hand in the water ... but any degree hotter and it wouldn't be tolerable? Or is that way too hot?
For ...
8
votes
5answers
3k views
What's the best way to defrost ice-cream/sorbet quickly?
I made some sorbet at the weekend, and realised just when we were due to serve that I had forgot to take it out of the freezer to soften, and so it was rock hard.
What is the best way to bring it to ...
8
votes
1answer
966 views
Is it normal for the Chickpeas to develop white froth after being soaked for 12 hours?
Yesterday at 08:00 I had soaked white Chickpeas in water and left the container in the kitchen. Daytime temperature here is 44C.
At 20:00 the same day I saw the container covered by white froth. Is ...
8
votes
1answer
986 views
Why should dried mushrooms be soaked in warm water?
I was looking at some recipes online that included dried mushrooms (mostly porcini). All those recipes and this question mention soaking them in warm water.
Why warm water? Would there be a ...
8
votes
2answers
602 views
What is the ideal coffee temperature for tiramisu?
When making tiramisu, I usually make a fresh batch of strong coffee. I just don't know how long to wait to use the coffee (for dipping the cookies).
In my opinion, room temperature coffee tastes ...
8
votes
3answers
920 views
Ideal fridge temperature accounting for temperature spikes
I've read the question on the ideal fridge temperature, but am asking a more involved question about a baseline temperature and temperature spikes. How will a few hours each day at 10 C effect the ...
8
votes
0answers
208 views
Cooking Temperature for Crocodile meat?
Does anybody have any experience cooking crocodile meat sous-vide?
We found some crocodile meat at our local butcher, and bought some on a whim. Judging by appearances, it looked quite a lot like ...
7
votes
6answers
1k views
Baking chicken - temperature vs time
I'd like to bake a chicken. Let's say it's already washed, marinated, sitting on tray and ready to bake. I usually do it at 180 degrees C, for 1 hour. My main problem is that the skin is not crunchy ...
7
votes
3answers
3k views
Why does my steak turn out well done when the temperature probe says it's only rare?
Is it because I used a poor cut of meat? Did I not cook it fast enough? Should I have removed it from the heat sooner? Is my cut too thick? Is my temperature probe too conservative?
7
votes
3answers
2k views
What is the correct internal temperature for rabbit meat?
I have never cooked rabbit before, and my charts don't include rabbit. Are there food safety considerations speaking for thorough heating, as with chicken, or is it acceptable to cook it medium rare? ...
7
votes
2answers
2k views
Cook Time vs. Cook Temp trade off
So I've always thought of cooking this way:
Higher Temp & Less Cook time = crispier
vs.
Lower Temp & More Cook time = softer
Now obviously this doesn't apply to everything, but generally. ...
7
votes
2answers
678 views
When is Slow Cooking done - time vs temperature of meat
I have read that slow cookers manufactured recently (not sure what time period that actually means) rise to their cooking temperature faster because of FDA concerns of keeping a food at a dangerous ...
7
votes
2answers
204 views
Smell Something Burning. Course of action?
What do I do when I smell something burning in my pot of mutton in gravy? Stirring is the best way to prevent this but what if some charring has already taken place? Wouldn't it be better not to stir ...
7
votes
3answers
104 views
How do I accurately take a chicken thigh's temprature?
I tried to bake chicken thighs the other day and I used my Probe Thermometer to tell me when they were done. Well it seems that I did something wrong when inserting the thermometer because the thighs ...
6
votes
3answers
11k views
Cooking slow-roasted pork to 190F?
I got a recipe from America's Test Kitchen for "slow-roasted pork" using a bone-in pork shoulder. They say to cook it at 325F until it's 190F internal temperature.
However: you normally need to cook ...
6
votes
7answers
8k views
What can you do with an infrared thermometer?
Infrared thermometers have plummeted in price in recent years, and are now inexpensive gadgets for the home cook, not to mention the pros. What do you use them for? What have you learned about cooking ...
6
votes
8answers
24k views
How can I keep hot food hot when transporting it?
How can I keep hot food hot when transporting it, e.g. to a friend's house or a potluck? I usually just give up and take cold food, but I'd like to have more options.
6
votes
2answers
1k views
Difference in cookie texture if we use melted vs softened butter
I would like to know the difference in the final result if we use softened butter or melted butter in an ordinary cookie recipe.
A few days ago i baked chocolate chips cookies i waited for the ...
6
votes
1answer
863 views
What temperature does the Maillard reaction occur?
There seems to be a lot of disagreement about the temperatures and conditions under which the Maillard reaction can occur. Cooking professionals reference all sorts of "minimum temperatures" -- I've ...
6
votes
2answers
539 views
Is leaving eggs out of the fridge, prior to cooking them a direct cause as to how shell break?
I have friend who went to culinary school who claims that cold eggs crack cleaner than eggs at room temperature. Do egg shells crack cleaner coming cold out of the fridge?
Does warming up to room ...
6
votes
2answers
3k views
What temperature are dark beers (stouts and nut browns) supposed to be consumed at?
I remember reading somewhere that certain beers are supposed to be drunk much closer to room temperature than most people drink them for optimal flavor. Specifically stout beers and nut brown ales ...
6
votes
1answer
6k views
Why are my (italian Whole foods) sausages still pink inside?
I bought some italian pork and garlic sausages from Whole foods. I cooked them on a low heat, they were in the pan for probably an hour but the middle remained slightly pink. To be precise, by ...
5
votes
2answers
507 views
What does a fridge do apart from storing and cooling?
There are quite a lot of recipes ending with 'Put it in the fridge for a couple of hours'.
I've had this with tiramisu, chocolate mousse, panna cotta to name a few.
All of these have ingredients like ...
5
votes
4answers
2k views
How to decide the baking temperature when recipe doesn't mention it?
On what factors does the temperature setting depend?
Of course if I have to bake a stone, I would need to set the temperature at 900C perhaps :rolleyes: ;), but in normal cakes where you have a ...
5
votes
2answers
7k views
How do I know if my meat thermometer is ovenproof?
Ever since a supposedly "ovenproof" thermometer shattered glass on my turkey Thanksgiving 2006 I have been afraid of these things. Is it generally safe to use them? Any maximum temperature I should be ...
5
votes
3answers
1k views
How to approximate the Maillard temperature (154°C) in a pan?
Are there any common (non-toxic) household substances with boiling or smoke points close to the temperature at which the Maillard reaction occurs, 154°C?
I want to be able to check that my pan is ...
5
votes
2answers
369 views
How can you prevent the lettuce from wilting if covered with something hot?
If I want to make a shrimp salad, I put the lettuce and other raw vegetables on the plate, cook the shrimps and put them on the veggies. However, after a minute or so, the lettuce becomes soft, like ...
5
votes
2answers
70k views
To which internal temperature should I cook beef for rare/medium/well done?
I am going to cook a beef roast: To which internal temperature should I cook it for rare/medium/well done?
5
votes
2answers
1k views
Ceramic vs Stainless Steel in coffee mugs
My travel mug broke :( Looking at replacements, I find that most travel mugs with designs tend to be stainless steel, whereas my prior mug was ceramic. Is there a difference in heat retention between ...
5
votes
1answer
3k views
Frozen pizza - Understanding time and temperature equivalency
When cooking a frozen pizza in a conventional oven, I have two similar personal pizzas: one box's instructions say to cook at 425°F for 19 minutes, and the instructions on the other pizza box says ...
5
votes
1answer
319 views
Why must I return the chilled chocolate cookie dough to room temperature before baking?
According to a chocolate chip cookie recipe, I chilled the cookie dough before baking but it was also written to turn the cookie dough to room temperature before baking. What is the purpose of doing ...
5
votes
2answers
375 views
Is there a more exact temperature for cold smoking?
In researching cold smoking a product there is quite a large gap between 80-100* . Does anyone use a more exact temperature? Does it vary because of the product? Any little hints to give the smoking a ...
5
votes
2answers
260 views
Is a “typical” jam sweeter today than the typical jams of centuries ago?
I have a new early morning snack this week - toast and jam, but after putting the (fridge temp) jam on the toast, I put the whole plate of toast and jam in the microwave for 20 seconds to warm the ...
5
votes
4answers
123 views
Should you wait certain amount of time after steak reaches 170 degrees internal temperature
I was wondering if the steak reaches internal temperature of 170 degrees (for well done) is it done at that instant or should you still wait a certain amount of time after the thickest part has ...
