By The Numbers

Quick reference numbers for the kitchen. See also Types of Flour and The Golden Ratio.

Food Safety

165°F: Minimum safe internal temperature for all poultry, whole or ground, and for reheated leftovers (74°C).
160°F: Safe internal temperature for ground beef, pork, veal, and lamb (71°C). Ground poultry needs 165°F.
145°F: Safe internal temperature for steaks, roasts, and chops of beef, pork, veal, and lamb, followed by a 3 minute rest (63°C).
40°F: The highest safe refrigerator temperature (4°C). Aim for 34 to 38°F.
0°F: Freezer temperature. Frozen food should arrive and stay frozen solid at this temperature or below (-18°C).
2 hours: Maximum time perishable food should sit at room temperature. Only 1 hour when it is above 90°F.
3 to 4 days: How long leftovers keep in the refrigerator.
24 hours: Refrigerator thawing time for every 4 to 5 pounds of turkey. A 15 pound bird needs about 3 days.

325°F: Standard temperature for roasting meats, poultry, and vegetables.
350°F: The most common baking temperature for cakes, cookies, and quick breads.
375°F: Common temperature for pies, tarts, and fritters.
400°F: Typical temperature for pizza and other high heat baking.
500°F: Very high heat for crisp pizza crusts and crusty breads.
350 to 410°F: Smoke point of extra virgin olive oil. Refined or light olive oil handles higher heat, around 465°F.

32°F: Freezing point of water (0°C).
212°F: Boiling point of water at sea level (100°C). Water boils about 1°F lower for every 500 feet of elevation.
223 to 235°F: Thread stage. Syrup forms thin threads, used for syrups and glazes.
235 to 245°F: Soft ball stage, used for fudge and pralines.
320 to 340°F: Sugar begins to caramelize and turn amber.

1 tsp = 5 mL: Useful for measuring small volumes.
1 tbsp = 3 tsp: Common conversion for spices and small amounts.
1 cup = 240 mL: Standard metric cup used on nutrition labels.
4 cups = 1 quart: A common unit of liquid measurement in the United States.
454 g = 1 lb: Weight of one pound in grams.
60 to 100 drops: Approximate number of drops in a teaspoon. It depends on the dropper and the liquid.

2 : 1: Water to rice for long grain white rice (2 parts water to 1 part rice).
1/4 tsp: Typical amount of salt per 1 cup of all-purpose flour in baking.
20%: Common fat percentage in ground beef for burgers (80/20).
5 to 10 minutes: Resting time for steaks after cooking. Large roasts need 15 to 20 minutes.
1.618: The golden ratio. Interesting to experiment with in the kitchen, though not a proven cooking rule. More