How to Know When Food Is Done

The axiom “knowledge is power” holds especially true in the kitchen—the more you know about what’s going on inside your food as it cooks, the more you can control the result. That’s why we’re so gung ho about using an instant-read thermometer, as more control means less stress and better results.

Don’t Forget Carryover Cooking

The temperature of many proteins will continue to rise once they’re taken off heat and allowed to rest before serving, a phenomenon known as carryover cooking.

This is particularly true for thick roasts cooked at high temperatures, which must be removed from the heat as much as 10 to 15 degrees below the desired doneness temperature.

Cook Some Cuts Longer

Whereas most proteins are best cooked just to an internal temperature at which they’re safe to eat, items such as braised or slow-roasted dark-meat chicken, pork butt, and beef chuck often taste better when they’re cooked longer. That’s because these tough cuts are loaded with collagen, which breaks down into gelatin between 140 and 195 degrees and lubricates the muscle fibers, making them seem more moist and tender. It’s also important to cook these cuts slowly. The longer they spend in that collagen breakdown window, the more tender the meat will be.

Learn More About Carryover Cooking

Pink Poultry and Pork Can Be Safe

Pink-tinted turkey and pork aren’t necessarily undercooked. Often, the color is an indication that the pH of the meat is relatively high, which stabilizes the meat’s pink pigment so that it doesn’t break down when exposed to heat. As long as the meat registers the prescribed temperature, it’s safe to eat.

Salmon: With less fat than farmed salmon, wild salmon is more prone to drying out and overcooking, so we cook it to a lower temperature.

Swordfish: The exterior of cooked swordfish should feel firm while the inside is just opaque but still moist.

Shrimp: Cooked shrimp should look pink, feel just firm to the touch, and be slightly translucent at the center.

Mussels: An opened mussel is cooked, but one that remains closed might just need more cooking. Microwave it for 30 seconds. If it still doesn’t open, discard it.

Clams: Open clams are done—and overcook quickly. Remove clams as they open and keep them warm in a covered bowl while the rest finish cooking.

We use a thermometer to gauge the doneness of not just proteins but also many baked goods and desserts. 

Yeast Breads

We have found that yeast bread can reach its recommended temperature for doneness well before the loaf is actually baked through. You should take the temperature of your bread as a backup, but stick to the recommended baking time and make sure the crust is well browned before removing the loaf from the oven and checking its temperature.

Lean (e.g., rustic loaves such as sourdough bread): 205–210°F

Enriched (e.g., sandwich bread): 190–195°F

Loaf-Pan Loaves: Insert the thermometer from the side, just above the pan edge, and direct it at a downward angle into the center of the loaf.

Free-Form Loaves: Tip the loaf (cover your hand with a dish towel) and insert the probe through the bottom crust into the center.

Cheesecake

New York–Style Cheesecake: The velvety consistency of this style is achieved when the center registers 165 degrees.

Other Baked Cheesecakes: For an all-over creamy consistency, we bake them to between 145 and 150 degrees.

Custards and Puddings

Stovetop Custards: We cook custards such as crème anglaise to a relatively low 175 degrees to prevent the egg proteins from curdling.

Ice Cream Bases: Custard bases for ice cream should be thicker than conventional stovetop custards, so we cook them to 180 degrees.

Baked Custards: Custards such as flan and crème brûlée should jiggle but not slosh when gently shaken and should register between 170 and 180 degrees (depending on the ratio of eggs to other ingredients).

Custard Pie Fillings: Because baked custard fillings such as pumpkin pie filling continue to set up as they cool, it’s important to remove custard pies from the oven when they’re slightly underdone. The edges of the filling should be set, while the center should jiggle slightly (but not slosh) when the pie is shaken and should register between 170 and 175 degrees.

When a food doesn’t lend itself to temperature-taking, our visual guidelines can be just as helpful.

Cakes, Muffins, and Quick Breads

For thin (less than ¾-inch) items: Test for springback. Gently press the center of the food; it should feel springy and resilient. If your finger leaves an impression or the center jiggles, it’s not done.

For thick (at least ¾-inch) items: Use a skewer. Poke a wooden skewer or toothpick into the center; it should emerge with no more than a few crumbs attached. If you see moist batter or lots of crumbs, bake it longer.

Cookies, Bar Cookies, and Brownies

For chewy centers, underbaking is key—but tricky to gauge. Look for these visual cues.

Drop Cookies: Cookies should hang over the edge of a metal spatula blade.

Crackly Cookies: Cracks should appear shiny.

Stamped and Sliced Cookies: Edges should be light brown and centers slightly moist.

For uniformly crisp cookies, remove the cookies when the edges are deep golden brown and crisp and the centers yield to slight pressure.

For perfect brownies, poke a wooden toothpick into the center and look for a few moist crumbs. Moist batter means they’re not ready. Overbaking will yield dry, chalky results with diminished chocolate flavor.

Pie Crust

The pastry should be well browned (deep color equals deep flavor). We bake in glass pie plates, which allow us to monitor browning on the sides and bottom of the crust.

Fruit Pies

Filling should bubble at the edges and in the vents.

Now You Can Make Some of Our Favorite Recipes