Methodology

The test stack

Three appliances are used as reference. They are named in every article that references their settings.

• Cosori Pro II 5.8-Quart Smart Air Fryer (model CAF-P583-KUS, 1700W). Reference unit for 5.8-qt basket-load capacity numbers and the per-cut frozen-food settings on every food-conversion guide.
• Ninja AF101 4-Quart Air Fryer (1500W). Reference unit for 4-qt basket-load capacity and the lower-wattage time corrections referenced in the wattage section of the frozen-fries article.
• 30-inch GE convection oven, calibrated against an oven thermometer at 350°F. Reference unit for every "oven baseline" used in the 25-25 conversion math.

Internal temperatures are read with a calibrated ThermoWorks Thermapen ONE. Calibration is verified in ice water (32°F) and boiling water (212°F at sea level; Toronto's elevation is negligible) before any test cook that informs published numbers.

How a conversion gets published

Step 1. Manufacturer-published settings are the ground truth where they exist. The back-of-box oven instructions for a frozen item or the appliance's owner-manual preset table is the input. We do not invent settings for foods that have a published baseline.

Step 2. The 25-25 rule is applied: subtract 25°F from the oven temperature and reduce time by 20-25%. Food-specific corrections are then layered on (for example: bone-in vs boneless poultry, frozen vs thawed, breaded vs naked, sugary glazes), with the reasoning documented inline in the relevant article.

Step 3. In-kitchen verification. We cook the published settings and the converted settings on the same food, same brand, same quantity, on consecutive days. Internal temperature, surface color, and visible doneness are recorded. If the converted settings produce the cooked-through result with appropriate surface browning, the number ships. If not, the correction is adjusted and the test re-run.

Step 4. Where a number came from a test run rather than from a published manufacturer setting, the article body says so by name. We do not fold test-derived numbers and manufacturer-published numbers into the same line.

Internal-temperature targets and food safety

Every internal-temperature claim links to USDA FSIS or Health Canada. Both regulators publish equivalent guidance (the Canadian targets are slightly more conservative where they differ).

• Poultry (chicken, turkey, duck): 165°F (74°C). USDA FSIS standard, matched by Health Canada.
• Salmon and other finfish: 145°F (63°C). USDA FSIS standard, matched by Health Canada.
• Ground meats (ground beef, ground pork): 160°F (71°C). USDA FSIS standard.
• Whole muscle pork (chops, roasts): 145°F (63°C) followed by 3 minutes rest. USDA FSIS standard.
• Reheated leftovers: 165°F (74°C) regardless of original cook method. USDA FSIS standard.

When USDA and Health Canada targets differ, we publish the more conservative target and footnote both. For poultry and fish, the two highest-volume topics on this site, they are identical.

Citation policy

Every safety claim is hyperlinked to a primary source. The standard reference list is: USDA FSIS Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart, Health Canada Safe Internal Cooking Temperatures, FoodSafety.gov reheating guidance, and the manufacturer's published owner manual for any appliance-specific claim. Articles where peer-reviewed food-science citations are warranted (Maillard reaction, carryover cooking) link to Compound Interest, Harold McGee's On Food and Cooking, or the underlying journal where it is accessible.

Brand-specific settings (Ore-Ida, McCain, Totino's, DiGiorno, etc.) reference current packaging from 2025 to 2026. The reference is dated in the article body. When a manufacturer revises packaging, the article is updated and the dateModified field is bumped.

Two pages exemplify how this policy plays out: A Complete Guide to Air Fryer Safety for safety floor citations, and The Science of Air Fryers vs. Ovens for the food-science backing behind the 25-25 rule.

Corrections policy

If a published number on this site is wrong, we update the article and add a one-line correction note above the body with the date the correction shipped and what changed. We do not silently rewrite history. Corrections can be reported to the contact page; investigation begins within 48 business hours and the correction publishes within 5 business days for non-safety items, within 24 hours for safety-critical items.

AI disclosure

Drafting and editing on this site uses large-language-model assistance for outline structure and prose tightening. Every published article is then read end-to-end and fact-checked by Kaustubh Ghodke, the named editor, before publishing. No conversion number, internal-temperature claim, or brand-specific time on this site is taken from a model without verification against a primary source. AI-generated images are not used; OG cards are programmatically rendered from the article title and brand colors via `scripts/generate-og-images.js`.

Review cadence

Brand-specific guides (frozen pizza, frozen fries, bacon brands) are reviewed quarterly against current packaging. Safety articles are reviewed any time USDA FSIS or Health Canada publishes updated guidance. Calculator math is regression-tested against a fixed set of conversion cases on every release. The "Last reviewed" date at the top of each page reflects the most recent of those checks.

What this site is not

This site is not a chef-curated recipe library. We do not develop original cuisine; we publish accurate conversion math and food-safety-anchored cooking guidance. We do not publish nutrition information beyond what the food's manufacturer publishes, and we do not provide medical, dietary, or weight-management advice. For original recipes, consult a chef-authored source; for nutrition, consult a registered dietitian; for medical advice, consult a physician. Cooking guidance on this site is informational only. Always verify internal temperatures with a calibrated thermometer.