A little know-how goes a long way

Kitchen help

Read once before you begin

Check the ingredients, equipment, preparation states, and total time. “240 g dry rice” is different from 240 g cooked rice. Get out your pans and measure ingredients before turning on the heat.

Measure with confidence

Use a scale for grams or ounces by weight. Use a liquid measure for milliliters or US cups. Our US cup is 236.588 ml. A cup of spinach does not weigh the same as a cup of rice, so we never convert all ingredients with one density. Regional spoon and cup sizes can differ.

What a simmer looks like

Small bubbles gently break the surface. A rolling boil bubbles vigorously. Adjust the heat as needed; stove numbers differ. If sauce is sticking, reduce heat and stir more often.

Batch cooking without guesswork

Use the recipe calculator to multiply ingredients from the original batch. Oven temperatures stay unchanged. Give food enough space; two pans may work better than one overcrowded pan. Check doneness and expect timing to vary.

Safe cooking endpoints

Use a food thermometer: poultry, including ground turkey, reaches 165°F / 74°C; fish reaches 145°F / 63°C; egg dishes reach 160°F / 71°C; leftovers reach 165°F / 74°C. Follow the recipe’s specific endpoint. FoodSafety.gov temperature chart.

Cool, store, and pack

Refrigerate perishables in shallow containers within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F / 32°C. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F / 4°C or below. Most cooked leftovers should be used within 3–4 days; freeze later-week portions promptly. Keep cold lunches cold with ice packs. FoodSafety.gov storage guidance.

Make your pantry work for you

Start with a few ingredients you actually use: beans, grains, canned tomatoes, and a frozen vegetable. Mark items you already have in your grocery list. This helps shopping; it does not tell you whether a food is still safe to eat.

Substitute thoughtfully

Use the adaptations listed on a recipe. Changing a flour, protein, sauce, or dairy ingredient may change cooking behavior, allergens, and nutrition. Check product labels and keep the original estimate in context.