How CookCue calculates cooking times
CookCue does not ask AI to guess cooking times. A deterministic rule selects a food and method, applies the chosen size, thickness, weight, temperature, starting state and — where relevant — culinary doneness, then returns a practical range rather than false precision.
What an estimate means
Appliance output, shape, pan material and starting temperature vary. Our ranges are intended as a useful starting point. Check early, use the thickest part of the food, and adjust for what you observe.
Cooking estimates and food safety are separate
Culinary references inform timing baselines; the engine documents those references on each food page. Official safety minimums come from food-safety authorities and are displayed separately. A steak's medium-rare target, for example, is a culinary preference — it is not labelled as the USDA minimum.
How rules are maintained
Each rule has a source record with organisation, URL, source type and verification date. Automated validation rejects missing sources, unsupported starting states, implausible temperatures, invalid method combinations and duplicate SEO routes. We review the cited material before updating a rule.
Primary safety references
See an estimate in context on the cooking time chart. Always follow package instructions and local public-health advice where it is more specific.