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.
Quick Links
🌡️ 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.
| Food | Temperature |
|---|---|
| Ground Beef, Pork, Veal, Lamb | 160°F |
| Ground Turkey, Chicken | 165°F |
| All Poultry (Breasts, Thighs, Legs, etc.) | 165°F |
| Eggs | 160°F |
| Fish and Shellfish | 145°F |
| Hot Dogs | 140°F |
| Pork Roasts, Loins and Chops | 145°F |
| Leftovers and Casseroles | 165°F |
💭 Common Conversions
| Cup | Fluid Oz | Tablespoon | Teaspoon | Milliliter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Cup | 8 oz | 16 Tbsp | 48 tsp | 237 ml |
| ¾ Cup | 6 oz | 12 Tbsp | 36 tsp | 177 ml |
| ⅔ Cup | 5 ⅓ oz | 10.6 Tbsp | 32 tsp | 158 ml |
| ½ Cup | 4 oz | 8 Tbsp | 24 tsp | 118 ml |
| ⅓ Cup | 2 ⅔ oz | 5.3 Tbsp | 16 tsp | 79 ml |
| ¼ Cup | 2 oz | 4 Tbsp | 12 tsp | 59 ml |
| ⅛ Cup | 1 oz | 2 Tbsp | 6 tsp | 30 ml |
| 1/16 Cup | ½ oz | 1 Tbsp | 3 tsp | 15 ml |
💭 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 Flour | 1 Cup All Purpose Flour minus 2 Tbsp |
| 1 teaspoon Baking Powder | ½ teaspoon Cream of Tartar + ¼ teaspoon Baking Soda |
| 1 Cup Honey | 1 ¼ Cup Sugar + ¼ Cup Water |
| 1 Cup Buttermilk | 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice + enough milk to yield 1 Cup |
| 1 Cup Tomato Sauce | ⅓ Cup Tomato Paste + ½ cup Water |
| ½ Cup Chopped Green Onions | ½ Cup chopped Leeks or chopped Scallions |
| 1 Cup Greek Yogurt | 1 Cup Sour Cream |
| Goat Cheese | Cream Cheese or Mascarpone |
| 1 Cup Beer | 1 Cup Chicken Broth |
| 1 Cup Cottage Cheese | 1 Cup Ricotta Cheese |
| 1 teaspoon Cream of Tartar | 2 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 Hair | 1 - 2 minutes |
| Cannelloni | 7 - 9 minutes |
| Fettuccine | 6 - 8 minutes |
| Lasagna | 10 - 12 minutes |
| Linguine | 6 - 8 minutes |
| Macaroni | 8 - 10 minutes |
| Manicotti | 7 - 9 minutes |
| Pappardelle | 6 - 8 minutes |
| Ravioli | 7 - 9 minutes |
| Rigatoni | 10 - 12 minutes |
| Rotelle | 8 - 10 minutes |
| Rotini | 8 - 10 minutes |
| Spaghetti | 10 - 12 minutes |
| Tortellini | 10 - 12 minutes |
| Vermicelli | 4 - 6 minutes |
| Ziti | 10 - 12 minutes |
⏲️ General Slow Cooker Tips
| Food | High | Low |
|---|---|---|
| Pot Roast | 4 - 5 Hours | 8 - 12 Hours |
| Stew | 5 - 6 Hours | 10 - 12 Hours |
| Ribs | 5 - 6 Hours | 8 - 9 Hours |
| Swiss Steak | 5 - 6 Hours | 10 - 12 Hours |
| Casserole | 2 - 4 Hours | 4 - 9 Hours |
| Rice | 2 -3 Hours | 5 - 9 Hours |
| Meatloaf | 3 - 4 Hours | 8 - 10 Hours |
| Chicken | 3 - 4 Hours | 7 - 10 Hours |
| Vegetables in liquid | 1 - 3 Hours | 2 - 4 Hours |
| Baked Potato | 2 - 4 Hours | 8 - 10 Hours |
💭 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.
| Food | Refrigerator | Freezer |
|---|---|---|
| Beef Steaks & Roast | 3 - 4 days | 6 - 12 months |
| Ground Beef | 1 - 2 days | 3 - 4 months |
| Veal | 1 - 2 days | 4 - 6 months |
| Pork Chops | 2 - 3 days | 4 - 6 months |
| Bacon | 2 weeks | 3 months |
| Chicken & Turkey | 1 - 2 days | 12 months |
| Fish | 1 - 2 days | 3 - 6 months |
| Hard-Boiled Eggs | 5 days | n/a |
| Fresh Eggs in Shell | 3 - 5 weeks | n/a |
| Cottage Cheese | 1 week | 2 weeks |
| Sour Cream | 2 weeks | n/a |
| Yogurt | 2 weeks | n/a |
| Butter & Margarine | 2 - 4 weeks | 9 months |
| Milk | 8 - 20 days | n/a |
| Mustard | 6 - 8 months | 12 months |
| Mayonnaise | 12 months | n/a |
| Bread | 1 - 2 weeks | 3 months |
♨️ 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.
| Food | Temperature | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Bacon | 350°F | 8 - 12 minutes |
| Burgers | 350°F | 8 - 19 minutes |
| Meatballs | 400°F | 7 - 10 minutes |
| Steak | 400°F | 7 - 10 minutes |
| Pork Chops | 375°F | 12 - 15 minutes |
| Chicken Breast | 350°F | 25 - 30 minutes |
| Chicken Thigh | 400°F | 25 minutes |
| Shrimp | 375°F | 8 minutes |
| Salmon | 400°F | 7 - 10 minutes |
| Grilled Cheese | 350°F | 8 - 9 minutes |
| Frozen French Fries | 400°F | 15 - 18 minutes |
🧈 How to Measure Butter
| Cups | Sticks | Tablespoons | Ounces | Grams |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ¼ Cup | ½ Stick | 4 Tbsp | 2 oz | 57 g |
| ½ Cup | 1 Stick | 8 Tbsp | 4 oz | 113 g |
| 1 Cup | 2 Sticks | 16 Tbsp | 8 oz | 227 g |
| 1 ½ Cups | 3 Sticks | 24 Tbsp | 12 oz | 341 g |
| 2 Cups | 4 Sticks | 32 Tbsp | 16 oz | 454 g |
🍚 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.
| Type | Water to Rice Ratio | Cook Time | Yields |
|---|---|---|---|
| White Long Grain | 2 Cups to 1 Cup | 18 - 20 minutes | 2 Cups |
| White Short Grain | 1 ¼ Cups to 1 Cup | 15 minutes | 3 Cups |
| Brown Long Grain | 1 ¾ Cups to 1 Cup | 40 - 45 minutes | 2 ½ Cups |
| Brown Short Grain | 2 Cups to 1 Cup | 50 minutes | 3 Cups |
| Basmati | 1 ½ Cups to 1 Cup | 15 - 20 minutes | 3 Cups |
| Jasmine | 1 ¾ Cups to 1 Cup | 15 - 20 minutes | 3 Cups |
| Wild Rice | 2 Cups to 1 Cup | 45 - 50 minutes | 2 ½ Cups |
| Quinoa | 2 Cups to 1 Cup | 15 minutes | 3 ½ Cups |
🌡️ Oven Temperatures
| Fahrenheit | Celcius |
|---|---|
| 250 | 120 |
| 275 | 140 |
| 300 | 150 |
| 325 | 160 |
| 350 | 180 |
| 375 | 190 |
| 400 | 200 |
| 425 | 220 |
| 450 | 230 |
| 475 | 240 |
| 500 | 260 |
If you've ever wondered what kind of onion to use for a particular recipe check out my article on Choosing the Right Onion.
leave comment and rating!