Cooking Stack Exchange
Cooking Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [temperature]

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.

Questions about what temperature is optimal for cooking certain food or how certain temperatures affect different types of food. Questions can also include how to best achieve/maintain a certain temperature for a specific type of food.

Conversion from Fahrenheit to Celsius: C = (F-32)*(5/9)

Conversion from Celsius to Fahrenheit: F = C*(9/5) + 32

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"Room temperature" and "cool, dry place" -- are there actual temperatures associated with these canned phrases?

When a product says "refrigerate" or "freeze", the temperature they're asking you to keep it at is not a mystery -- most refrigerators and freezers maintain an expected temperature range. But other products indicate "room temperature" or that they…
Roddy of the Frozen Peas
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Why is 180 degrees C so common in recipes?

Is there any particular reason 180 degrees Celsius is so commonly called for in baking, roasting, deep frying?
aaaidan
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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 refrigerator to for best overall results? Since the…
Sam Harwell
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Should pasta be started in cold or boiling water?

There are two main methods, either putting the strands into water already at boiling point, or putting them in cold water and then putting on the heat. Which method is the best to cook pasta? Does it make a difference if you add pasta to cold or…
Laila
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Why do tomatoes get so hot?

Ever noticed how certain foods seem to get a lot hotter than others? I almost never burn my tongue or mouth... except on tomatoes; Pizza sauce, tomatoes in panini sandwiches or spaghetti sauce. Tomatoes always seem to get hotter and retain their…
Daniel Bingham
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Why did James Bond heat up the knife for his foie gras?

I was reading Fleming's Casino Royale and ran into the following curious detail, when describing James Bond's meal: Later, as Bond was finishing his first straight whisky ‘on the rocks’ and was contemplating the paté de foie gras and cold langouste…
DVK
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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 texture is absolutely uniform. How is that happens…
Sergey Mikhanov
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What is the temperature range for food not to burn your mouth?

I'm trying to get a temperature range for knowing when food is too hot to eat. Most of what I am finding is temperature ranges for food to kill bacteria instead. For example, if I'm serving a hot drink or a soup/stew which was recently simmering or…
RICARDO HOLMES
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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 resting it for a few minutes. How do you rest…
bryn
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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 the bones used to make the stock were previously…
Ryan Anderson
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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 confusion, sadness, and googling than "bring to a…
Christopher
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Why do my silicone spatulas melt in frying oil?

I have bought three silicone spatulas so far and all of them start "melting" when used to flip frying eggs. I don't leave them in the pan or anything and, supposedly, silicone should be able to withstand much higher temperatures than frying oil. But…
notarobot
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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 seen sources say 350°F (175°C), 310°F (155°C),…
Athanasius
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How can I cool tea quickly?

Imagine you're making someone a tea, but for whatever reason they have to leave soon. How can I cool the tea so that they don't have to choose between leaving it unfinished or burning their mouth? Ideally the method should not only be fast, but also…
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Does Boiling Water, Instead of Warm Water, Hurt the Flavor of Tea/Hot Chocolate

I have a counter-top water kettle that I frequently use 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 boiling for 20 to 30 seconds before the kettle…
Chad
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