Technically, Europe indicates mass in recipes, but then measures the weight instead. Unless, you are using a balance. So crazy.

Stop complaining and just cook more OP. If you do, you realize exact times can’t be given because kitchen instruments vary so widely. This is just ignorance on your part.

Anonymous wrote:I am over recipes giving me large ranges for cooking! I just made rice, it said 12-15 minutes to cook. OK but which one is it? How do I know when it's done?

Practice.

Anonymous wrote:Can't the directions say "12-15 minutes, or when the steam stops" so I know if it's actually 12 or 15 minutes?!

It's not this exact. It depends on the nuances of your environment and kitchen.

Anonymous wrote:My DH made something that told him to slow cook his meal for 2-3 hours. Which is it?! Is there a temperature I'm looking for?!

It depends on the meal.

Anonymous wrote:Is the answer when my gut says "stop"???

Pretty much yes. Your gut will gain knowledge with practice.

Anonymous wrote:I'm also over using measuring cups.

Ok?

They are not accurate

Are you sure you are using them properly?

Anonymous wrote:why can't we be like Europe and use a weight instead of a measurement???

What's preventing you?

We can use weight, just buy a food scale. You can find recipes online.

Things like rice you develop a feel for how it feels while stirring it with a fork. So my advice is fluff the rice with a fork a little and then taste it. You'll start developing a feel for it.

For baked goods it just depends. Skewers can work for some cakes, cookies you generally just look at them. Some breads you tap and listen for them to be hollow. Small variations in your oven can make a big difference (I personally rotate stuff in my oven). Cakes you can actually hear when they're done (cakes that are still cooking make a kind of bubbly sound).

To fix this problem, we need to standardize rice. It will need to have a consistent grain size, variety, and moisture level. You will need to add a hygrometer to your drawer if you can't keep rice at a consistent moisture level.

For rice, I wash mine, goes into saucepan with lid, bring to boil, turn off stove, 17 min.

My oven runs hot, so cookies I check at the low end of the range. For meat, thermometer. Oven has a probe but it lies. For other baked goods it's the consistency of the product or if it's bubbling along the edges.

My kitchen in an old house is cold, so stovetop things always take longer than they should in winter.

My oven is super-awesome so I know for baking everything will be the lowest range or even a bit lower. If I want to shorten it further, I put it on Convection Bake, keep temp the same and watch the time. (cookies/muffins- not really casseroles)

For stove cooking you just learn from experience. I cook a lot of grains and sometimes have to throw in extra water/broth and keep them going because they are still a little too al dente.

Just keep at it OP and you will get better.

I usually go for the exact middle when given a time range, and based on how it tastes add or subtract 30 seconds until I find what's right. Never takes more than two tries.

Use a rice cooker if you want to take the guesswork out of making rice. The time given for the stovetop is variable depending on the exact amount of heat each person uses.

Things cook differently at different altitudes, there are differences in appliances, etc.

For something like rice, use the 12 minutes as a minimum, and then check to see if it has achieved the texture you want.

Assuming it was a protein in the slow cooker, you can just temperature check it at some point between 2 and 3 hours to see if it has reached a safe temperature. Also, the time is less critical with a slow cooker - in that if you go too long, there is usually less impact to the food, so it's not as critical to check right at the 'minimum time' and see.

I am over recipes giving me large ranges for cooking! I just made rice, it said 12-15 minutes to cook. OK but which one is it? How do I know when it's done? Can't the directions say "12-15 minutes, or when the steam stops" so I know if it's actually 12 or 15 minutes?! My DH made something that told him to slow cook his meal for 2-3 hours. Which is it?! Is there a temperature I'm looking for?! Is the answer when my gut says "stop"???

I'm also over using measuring cups. They are not accurate, why can't we be like Europe and use a weight instead of a measurement???