path: root/food/temps.md

---
title: The Big List of Temperatures
---

# The Big List of Temperatures

All temperatures listed in degrees Fahrenheit. Sorry, deal with it.

Mostly collected from J. Kenji López-Alt's <em>The Food Lab</em> and Harold
McGee's <em>On Food and Cooking</em>. Please submit additions or corrections to
<temperatures@benburwell.com>.

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Temperature</th>
      <th>Effect</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>3000</td>
      <td>Gas burns</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>2000</td>
      <td>Coals burn, electric cooking elements glow</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>400</td>
      <td>At roasting temperatures at or above, meat surface browns quickly but high moisture loss and uneven interior temperature</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>400</td>
      <td>Soufflés rise fastest above</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>350</td>
      <td>A moderate roasting temperature offering a compromise between high-temperature browning and low-temperature evenness</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>325-350</td>
      <td>Soufflés rise modestly</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>300-350</td>
      <td>Typical shallow or deep frying temperature for meat</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>280</td>
      <td>Ultra High Temperature cream pasteurization in 2 seconds, usually not sterile so must be refrigerated</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>265-300</td>
      <td>Ultra High Temperature milk pasteurization, takes 1-3 seconds. Sterile, can be stored for months without refrigeration.</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>250</td>
      <td>Milk solids in butter begin to brown and then burn. Hazel/black butter</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>250</td>
      <td>Ideal pan temperature for fried eggs</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>250</td>
      <td>Water boils in a pressure cooker</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>250</td>
      <td>At roasting temperatures at or below, escaping moisture helps cool meat surface resuling in even temperature and doneness with little browning</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>240-250</td>
      <td>250 Soft-ball candy stage</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>230-250</td>
      <td>Milk sterilizes in 8-30 minutes, develops a strong flavor, can be stored indefinitely at room temperature.</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>212</td>
      <td>Water boils at sea level</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>203</td>
      <td>Water boils in Denver</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>200</td>
      <td>Common oven tempterature for meringues</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>200</td>
      <td>Meat fibers easily separate from each other, collagen dissolves rapidly</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>200</td>
      <td>Approximate temperature of smoke</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>200</td>
      <td>Fibers in fish begin to disintegrate</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>194</td>
      <td>Water boils at 10,000 feet elevation</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>185</td>
      <td>Cream for butter is pasteurized, resulting in a custardy, cooked aroma</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>185</td>
      <td>Temperature required to eliminate some viruses present in seafood</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>180-190</td>
      <td>Cooking temperature for hard-cooked eggs</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>180</td>
      <td>Parmesan and pecorino melt</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>180</td>
      <td>Ovalbumin (54% of total albumin protein) sets in egg whites</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>180</td>
      <td>Egg whites become firm</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>180</td>
      <td>Crème Anglaise thickens to coat a spoon</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>180</td>
      <td>Actin (meat fiber protein) denatures and coagulates</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>175</td>
      <td>Starch added to eggs will absorb water at or above and slow protein binding, preventing curdling</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>172</td>
      <td>Lactoglobulin, a whey protein, denatures</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>171</td>
      <td>Common modern milk pasteurization temperature</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>170</td>
      <td>Milk develops "cooked" flavor (vanilla, almond, sulfer)</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>170</td>
      <td>Lysozyme (3.5% of total albumin protein) sets in egg whites</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>170</td>
      <td>Meat: USDA well</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>170</td>
      <td>All fiber-weakening enzymes in fish have been denatured and inactivated</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>165</td>
      <td>Poultry thigh meat should be cooked to at least in order to fully break down connective tissue</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>165</td>
      <td>Cream > 20% fat pasteurizes after 30 minutes</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>165</td>
      <td>Whole eggs (yolks + whites mixed together) set</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>162</td>
      <td>Milk pasteurizes in 15 seconds</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>160-165</td>
      <td>Cooking temperature for Middle Eastern long-cooked eggs (6-18 hours)</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>160</td>
      <td>Some whey proteins begin to denature</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>160</td>
      <td>Eggs free from salmonella after 1 minute</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>160</td>
      <td>Collagen dissolves into gelatin</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>160</td>
      <td>Myoglobin mostly denatured and coagulated</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>160</td>
      <td>Meat becomes stiff, is gray/brown, has lost most moisture</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>160</td>
      <td>Cooking temperature for emulsified sausages so that interior water does not boil, burst, and leak moisture</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>160</td>
      <td>Fish has become stiff and dry</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>158</td>
      <td>Egg yolk proteins set</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>155</td>
      <td>Cream <= 20% fat pasteurizes after 30 minutes</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>155</td>
      <td>E. coli die</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>155</td>
      <td>Meat: well (USDA medium)</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>155</td>
      <td>Poultry breast meat becomes dry and tough when heated above</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>150</td>
      <td>Cheddar- and Swiss-style cheeses melt</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>150</td>
      <td>Egg whites become a tender solid</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>150</td>
      <td>Egg yolk proteins begin to thicken</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>150</td>
      <td>Myoglobin continues to denature, turning meat from pink to brown or gray</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>150</td>
      <td>Refrigerated cooked meat safe to eat after being reheated</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>150</td>
      <td>Myocommata sheets in fish dissolve into gelatin</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>145</td>
      <td>Milk pasteurizes in 30-35 minutes</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>145</td>
      <td>Egg whites begin to thicken</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>145-155</td>
      <td>Meat: medium well (USDA medium rare)</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>140-160</td>
      <td>Meat tenderizing enzymes extracted from plants are most active</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>140-150</td>
      <td>Collagen denatures and meats shrink, expel juices, and become chewier</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>140</td>
      <td>Ovotransferrin (12% of total albumin protein) sets in egg whites</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>140</td>
      <td>Eggs free from salmonella after 5 minutes</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>140</td>
      <td>Eggs at or above will give off hydrogen sulfide, which produces the distinct eggy smell</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>140</td>
      <td>Myoglobin begins to denature, meats start to lose deep red</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>140</td>
      <td>Protein-bound water flows from meat cells under collagen pressure</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>140</td>
      <td>Meat starts to shrink</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>140</td>
      <td>Temperature required for eliminating bacteria and parasites in seafood</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>140</td>
      <td>Fish becomes dry</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>137</td>
      <td>Trichinosis-causing trichina spiralis worms die</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>135-145</td>
      <td>Meat: medium (USDA rare)</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>130-180</td>
      <td>Typical meat temperature during hot smoking</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>130-140</td>
      <td>Pasteurization temperature for eggs</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>130-140</td>
      <td>Most fish are firm but still moist</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>130</td>
      <td>Whey is expelled from curd particles in cheesemaking</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>130</td>
      <td>Soft cheeses melt</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>130-135</td>
      <td>Meat: medium rare</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>130</td>
      <td>Myosin, meat fiber protein, has coagulated</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>130</td>
      <td>Collagen sheaths in meat begin to weaken</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>130</td>
      <td>Fiber-weakening enzymes in fish have denatured</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>130</td>
      <td>Fish becomes flaky as muscle sheets in begin to separate</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>122</td>
      <td>Cathespins, enzymes which break down contractive filaments in meat and dissolve collagen into gelatin, denature and lose effectiveness at or above, but are most active just under</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>120-130</td>
      <td>Meat: rare</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>120-130</td>
      <td>Collagen in fish disolves into gelatin</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>120</td>
      <td>Ideal meat carving and serving temperature</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>120</td>
      <td>Meat develops a white opacity as myosin denatures and begins to coagulate</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>120</td>
      <td>Myosin in fish has coagulated</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>110</td>
      <td>Meat: bleu</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>110</td>
      <td>Fish starts to shrink, becomes firmer and opaque</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>106-114</td>
      <td>Yogurt ferments in 2-5 hours</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>105</td>
      <td>Calpains, enzymes which break down structural proteins in meat, denature and lose effectiveness at or above</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>104-113</td>
      <td>Thermophilic lactobaccili and streptococci bacteria thrive, develop high levels of lactic acid</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>100</td>
      <td>Protein-bound water begins to escape and accumulate within meat cells</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>100</td>
      <td>Myosin in fish begins to denature</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>100</td>
      <td>Collagen sheaths in fish shrink and rupture</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>100</td>
      <td>Escape of protein-bound water in fish accelerates</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>90</td>
      <td>Milkfat in cheese melts</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>86</td>
      <td>Yogurt ferments in 6-12 hours</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>85</td>
      <td>Butter melts</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>85</td>
      <td>Mesophilic lactococci and Leuconostoc bateria thrive, develop moderate levels of lactic acid in 12-24 hours</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>80</td>
      <td>Koumiss ferments in 2-5 hours (before cool aging)</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>80</td>
      <td>Milkfat in cheese begins to melt and sweat out of cheese</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>75</td>
      <td>Propionibacter shermanii, the Swiss cheese hole-making bacteria, grows</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>72</td>
      <td>Buttermilk ferments in 14-16 hours</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>72</td>
      <td>Sour cream ferments in 16 hours</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>70</td>
      <td>Fiber proteins in fish begin to unfold</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>70</td>
      <td>Collagen in fish begins to weaken</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>70</td>
      <td>Protein-bound water in fish begins to escape</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>70</td>
      <td>Maximum emulsion temperature (before fat separates) for beef-based sausages</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>68</td>
      <td>Crème fraîche ferments in 15-20 hours</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>68</td>
      <td>Ropy milks ferment in 18 hours</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>68</td>
      <td>Kefir ferments in 24 hours</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>60</td>
      <td>100 Fermentation temperature range for sausages</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>60-80</td>
      <td>Typical smoke box temperature for cold-smoking</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>60</td>
      <td>Butter becomes spreadable</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>60</td>
      <td>Maximum emulsion temperature (before fat separates) for pork-based sausages</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>55-60</td>
      <td>Ideal cheese storage temperature</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>40-140</td>
      <td>Salmonella multiply</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>40-45</td>
      <td>Typical refrigerator temperature</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>40</td>
      <td>Milk stored at or below will stay fresh for 10-18 days</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>40</td>
      <td>Maximum storage temperature for meat confits</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>40</td>
      <td>Margarine becomes spreadable</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>34-38</td>
      <td>Dry-aging temperature for beef</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>32</td>
      <td>Water freezes</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>32</td>
      <td>Meats keep best at or below</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>32</td>
      <td>Fish keeps twice as long on ice as at 40 (typical refrigeration temperature)</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>20-22</td>
      <td>Soft-serve ice cream is served, half of water content is liquid</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>8-10</td>
      <td>Ideal serving temperature for ice cream</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>5</td>
      <td>Trichinosis-causing trichina spiralis worms die after 20 days at or below</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>0</td>
      <td>Ideal maximum storage temperature for ice cream</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>0</td>
      <td>Ideal freezing temperature for meats</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>0</td>
      <td>Typical minimum home freezer temperature</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>-10</td>
      <td>Parasites in fish die after 7 days</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>-22</td>
      <td>At or above, fish myoglobin oxidizes and turns brownish, red tuna must be stored below to preserve color</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>-31</td>
      <td>Parasites in fish die after 15 hours</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>-320</td>
      <td>Boiling point of nitrogen</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>