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    Home » How-To

    Handy Kitchen Cheat Sheets

    Published on January 29, 2022 - Updated on October 11, 2022 by Chef Rodney - Leave a Comment - This post may contain affiliate links.

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    I decided to put together this collection of Handy Kitchen Cheat Sheets that I often refer to when making recipes. These charts are for reference only and your results may differ depending on several factors.

    kitchen conversion chart
    Image Courtesy of Amanda at SavvyJuju Designs
    Quick Links
    • 🌡️ Internal Cooking Temperatures
    • 💭 Common Conversions
    • 💭 Common Ingredient Substitution
    • 🍝 Perfect Pasta
    • ⏲️ General Slow Cooker Tips
    • 💭 Food Storage Guidelines
    • ♨️ Air Fryer Temp and Cook Times
    • 🧈 How to Measure Butter
    • 🍚 Rice to Water Chart
    • 🌡️ Oven Temperatures

    🌡️ Internal Cooking Temperatures

    When cooking meat it's especially important to cook it to a safe internal temperature to reduce your risk of contracting foodborne illnesses and infections from potentially harmful bacteria. As always I strongly suggest you use a digital thermometer to check the temperature of the food you are cooking.

    FoodTemperature
    Ground Beef, Pork, Veal, Lamb160°F
    Ground Turkey, Chicken165°F
    All Poultry (Breasts, Thighs, Legs, etc.)165°F
    Eggs160°F
    Fish and Shellfish145°F
    Hot Dogs140°F
    Pork Roasts, Loins and Chops145°F
    Leftovers and Casseroles165°F
    Data Courtesy of the USDA
    smoked prime rib
    Prime Rib Roast with Bluetooth enabled Meat Thermometer

    💭 Common Conversions

    CupFluid OzTablespoonTeaspoonMilliliter
    1 Cup8 oz16 Tbsp48 tsp237 ml
    ¾ Cup6 oz12 Tbsp36 tsp177 ml
    ⅔ Cup5 ⅓ oz10.6 Tbsp32 tsp158 ml
    ½ Cup4 oz8 Tbsp24 tsp118 ml
    ⅓ Cup2 ⅔ oz5.3 Tbsp16 tsp79 ml
    ¼ Cup2 oz4 Tbsp12 tsp59 ml
    ⅛ Cup1 oz2 Tbsp6 tsp30 ml
    1/16 Cup½ oz1 Tbsp3 tsp15 ml
    measuring cups
    Photo by Klaus Nielsen

    💭 Common Ingredient Substitution

    Missing an ingredient to make a recipe and don't want to make a trip to your local grocery store? Check out some of these handy ingredient substitutions.

    1 Cup Cake Flour1 Cup All Purpose Flour minus 2 Tbsp
    1 teaspoon Baking Powder½ teaspoon Cream of Tartar + ¼ teaspoon Baking Soda
    1 Cup Honey1 ¼ Cup Sugar + ¼ Cup Water
    1 Cup Buttermilk1 tablespoon Lemon Juice + enough milk to yield 1 Cup
    1 Cup Tomato Sauce⅓ Cup Tomato Paste + ½ cup Water
    ½ Cup Chopped Green Onions½ Cup chopped Leeks or chopped Scallions
    1 Cup Greek Yogurt1 Cup Sour Cream
    Goat CheeseCream Cheese or Mascarpone
    1 Cup Beer1 Cup Chicken Broth
    1 Cup Cottage Cheese1 Cup Ricotta Cheese
    1 teaspoon Cream of Tartar2 teaspoon Lemon Juice

    🍝 Perfect Pasta

    When making pasta, it's important to cook the pasta al dente to ensure to best texture possible. If you are not familiar with the term "al dente", it means cooking the pasta so it's still chewy and firm and that it will hold its shape when the sauce is added to it. This chart will give you approximate cook times based on the type of pasta you are using. When in doubt, always follow the directions on the package.

    Angel Hair1 - 2 minutes
    Cannelloni7 - 9 minutes
    Fettuccine6 - 8 minutes
    Lasagna10 - 12 minutes
    Linguine6 - 8 minutes
    Macaroni8 - 10 minutes
    Manicotti7 - 9 minutes
    Pappardelle6 - 8 minutes
    Ravioli7 - 9 minutes
    Rigatoni10 - 12 minutes
    Rotelle8 - 10 minutes
    Rotini8 - 10 minutes
    Spaghetti10 - 12 minutes
    Tortellini10 - 12 minutes
    Vermicelli4 - 6 minutes
    Ziti10 - 12 minutes
    Time may vary from 1 - 2 minutes. Test doneness at the shortest time.
    Easy Pasta Carbonara
    Pasta Carbonara

    ⏲️ General Slow Cooker Tips

    FoodHighLow
    Pot Roast4 - 5 Hours8 - 12 Hours
    Stew5 - 6 Hours10 - 12 Hours
    Ribs5 - 6 Hours8 - 9 Hours
    Swiss Steak5 - 6 Hours10 - 12 Hours
    Casserole2 - 4 Hours4 - 9 Hours
    Rice2 -3 Hours5 - 9 Hours
    Meatloaf3 - 4 Hours8 - 10 Hours
    Chicken3 - 4 Hours7 - 10 Hours
    Vegetables in liquid1 - 3 Hours2 - 4 Hours
    Baked Potato2 - 4 Hours8 - 10 Hours
    Cooking times are general guidelines. Check your slow cooker's manual.

    💭 Food Storage Guidelines

    Listed in the chart below are some guidelines for keeping certain foods from spoiling in the refrigerator and freezer. It has been suggested that the ideal temperature for the refrigerator is 37°F but according to the USDA anything below 40°F is acceptable. The freezer temperature should be 0°F.

    FoodRefrigeratorFreezer
    Beef Steaks & Roast3 - 4 days6 - 12 months
    Ground Beef1 - 2 days3 - 4 months
    Veal1 - 2 days4 - 6 months
    Pork Chops2 - 3 days4 - 6 months
    Bacon2 weeks3 months
    Chicken & Turkey1 - 2 days12 months
    Fish1 - 2 days3 - 6 months
    Hard-Boiled Eggs5 daysn/a
    Fresh Eggs in Shell3 - 5 weeksn/a
    Cottage Cheese1 week2 weeks
    Sour Cream2 weeksn/a
    Yogurt2 weeksn/a
    Butter & Margarine2 - 4 weeks9 months
    Milk8 - 20 daysn/a
    Mustard6 - 8 months12 months
    Mayonnaise12 monthsn/a
    Bread1 - 2 weeks3 months
    leftover food container
    Photo by Greta Hoffman

    ♨️ Air Fryer Temp and Cook Times

    If you are lucky enough to own an Air Fryer, this chart contains the temperature and average cooking times for several popular foods. Your mileage will vary depending on the type of air fryer you have so when you are air frying meat or seafood, ALWAYS cook until you reach the minimum internal temperature. Always consult the user's manual when in doubt.

    FoodTemperatureTime
    Bacon350°F8 - 12 minutes
    Burgers350°F8 - 19 minutes
    Meatballs400°F7 - 10 minutes
    Steak400°F7 - 10 minutes
    Pork Chops375°F12 - 15 minutes
    Chicken Breast350°F25 - 30 minutes
    Chicken Thigh400°F25 minutes
    Shrimp375°F8 minutes
    Salmon400°F7 - 10 minutes
    Grilled Cheese350°F8 - 9 minutes
    Frozen French Fries400°F15 - 18 minutes
    Bacon cooked in the Air Fryer

    🧈 How to Measure Butter

    CupsSticksTablespoonsOuncesGrams
    ¼ Cup½ Stick4 Tbsp2 oz57 g
    ½ Cup1 Stick8 Tbsp4 oz113 g
    1 Cup2 Sticks16 Tbsp8 oz227 g
    1 ½ Cups3 Sticks24 Tbsp12 oz341 g
    2 Cups4 Sticks32 Tbsp16 oz454 g
    Photo by Felicity Tai

    🍚 Rice to Water Chart

    If you don't have a rice cooker or pressure cooker and have to make your ice the old-fashioned way in a pot, this chart should help you make perfect rice every time.

    TypeWater to Rice RatioCook TimeYields
    White Long Grain2 Cups to 1 Cup18 - 20 minutes2 Cups
    White Short Grain1 ¼ Cups to 1 Cup15 minutes3 Cups
    Brown Long Grain1 ¾ Cups to 1 Cup40 - 45 minutes2 ½ Cups
    Brown Short Grain2 Cups to 1 Cup50 minutes3 Cups
    Basmati1 ½ Cups to 1 Cup15 - 20 minutes3 Cups
    Jasmine1 ¾ Cups to 1 Cup15 - 20 minutes3 Cups
    Wild Rice2 Cups to 1 Cup45 - 50 minutes2 ½ Cups
    Quinoa2 Cups to 1 Cup15 minutes3 ½ Cups
    ham fried rice

    🌡️ Oven Temperatures

    FahrenheitCelcius
    250120
    275140
    300150
    325160
    350180
    375190
    400200
    425220
    450230
    475240
    500260

    If you've ever wondered what kind of onion to use for a particular recipe check out my article on Choosing the Right Onion.

    More How-to Articles

    • How to Roast Poblano Peppers
    • How to make Homemade Seasonings
    • How to Store Fresh Strawberries
    • Choosing the Right Onion
    hot rods recipes

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