Cooking Temperature Chart

Master the art of temperature control with our comprehensive guide to cooking heat levels, from gentle simmering to high-heat searing

Stovetop Methods

🍳Pan-Searing & Pan-Frying

High-heat cooking in a pan with oil or fat

General Temperature Tests:

•Oil shimmer test - watch for oil movement patterns
•Butter foaming test - butter should foam but not brown immediately at medium heat

Heat Level	Temperature	Practical Test
Low Gentle warmth	250-300°F 120-150°C	Water droplet slowly evaporates
Medium-Low Gentle cooking	300-350°F 150-175°C	Water droplet slowly dances and evaporates
Medium Standard cooking	350-400°F 175-205°C	Water droplet dances and evaporates in 2-3 seconds
Medium-High Hot cooking	400-450°F 205-230°C	Water droplet forms ball and rolls around
High Very hot cooking	450-500°F 230-260°C	Water droplet instantly vaporizes with loud sizzle

⚠️ Safety Tips

•Always heat pan gradually to prevent warping
•Use appropriate oil with high smoke point for high heat cooking

🥘Sautéing

Quick cooking over medium heat with constant movement

General Temperature Tests:

•Butter test - butter foams but doesn't brown immediately
•Vegetable test - vegetables should sizzle gently, not violently

Heat Level	Temperature	Practical Test
Medium Ideal sautéing temperature	320-375°F 160-190°C	Onion sizzles gently when added

🍲Simmering

Gentle cooking in liquid just below boiling point

Heat Level	Temperature	Practical Test
Gentle Simmer Minimal bubbling	185-190°F 85-88°C	Occasional bubbles break the surface
Regular Simmer Steady bubbling	190-200°F 88-93°C	Steady stream of small bubbles
Rapid Simmer Active bubbling	200-209°F 93-98°C	Active bubbling throughout

Grilling

🔥Grilling

Cooking over direct heat source

General Temperature Tests:

•Hand test - hold hand 5 inches above grate and count seconds
•Charcoal visual: Bright red with white ash (high), Orange-red with ash (medium), Dark red with thick ash (low)

Heat Level	Temperature	Practical Test
Low Slow cooking	250-300°F 120-150°C	Hand test: 10+ seconds before moving hand
Medium-Low Gentle grilling	300-350°F 150-175°C	Hand test: 7-8 seconds
Medium Standard grilling	350-400°F 175-205°C	Hand test: 5-6 seconds
Medium-High Hot grilling	400-450°F 205-230°C	Hand test: 3-4 seconds
High Very hot grilling	450-550°F 230-290°C	Hand test: 2-3 seconds before moving hand

⚠️ Safety Tips

•Always preheat grill for 10-15 minutes
•Keep a spray bottle nearby for flare-ups
•Never leave grill unattended

Oven Methods

🔥Baking & Roasting

Dry heat cooking in an enclosed oven

General Temperature Tests:

•Paper test - place white paper in oven for 5 minutes and observe browning
•Oven thermometer - most reliable method for accuracy

Heat Level	Temperature	Practical Test
Low Slow roasting	200-300°F 93-150°C	Paper browns very slowly
Moderate Standard baking	325-375°F 165-190°C	White paper turns light brown in 5 minutes
Hot Quick roasting	400-450°F 205-230°C	White paper turns golden in 5 minutes
Very Hot Pizza/bread baking	475-500°F 245-260°C	White paper turns dark brown in 5 minutes

🔥Broiling

High-heat cooking from above

General Temperature Tests:

•Distance test - closer to element = more intense heat
•Bread test - slice of bread should brown quickly

Heat Level	Temperature	Practical Test
High Intense direct heat	500-550°F 260-290°C	Bread browns in 30-60 seconds

⚠️ Safety Tips

•Keep oven door slightly open when broiling
•Watch food constantly to prevent burning

Deep Frying

🍟Deep Frying

Cooking completely submerged in hot oil

General Temperature Tests:

•Wooden spoon test - small bubbles form around handle at 350°F
•Bread cube test - timing indicates temperature
•Water droplet test - should sizzle vigorously but not violently

Heat Level	Temperature	Practical Test
Low Gentle frying	325-340°F 165-170°C	Bread cube browns in 90 seconds
Medium Standard frying	350-365°F 175-185°C	Bread cube browns in 60 seconds
High Crispy frying	375-385°F 190-195°C	Bread cube browns in 40 seconds

⚠️ Safety Tips

•Never fill oil more than halfway in pot
•Keep oil below smoke point to prevent fires
•Have lid nearby to smother potential fires

Specialty Methods

💨Smoking

Low temperature cooking with wood smoke

General Temperature Tests:

•Wood chip test - should smolder steadily, not flame
•Smoke color - thin blue smoke is ideal, white smoke indicates too much moisture

Heat Level	Temperature	Practical Test
Cold Smoking Flavoring without cooking	68-86°F 20-30°C	Wood chips smolder without flame
Warm Smoking Light cooking with smoke	90-120°F 32-49°C	Gentle smoke production
Hot Smoking Full cooking with smoke	225-250°F 107-120°C	Steady smoke without flames

🍲Slow Cooking

Long, low-temperature cooking

Heat Level	Temperature	Practical Test
Low Gentle slow cooking	190-200°F 88-93°C	Gentle bubbling around edges only
High Faster slow cooking	280-300°F 140-150°C	More active bubbling but still gentle