About The Doneness Guide

What this site is

The Doneness Guide is a free reference for one question: what temperature should this meat reach? It puts two different numbers side by side, because most confusion in the kitchen comes from mixing them up.

• The safe minimum is the food-safety baseline: the internal temperature at which harmful bacteria are reliably killed.
• The doneness temperature is about texture and preference: rare, medium, well done. For whole cuts like steaks, chefs often take meat off the heat below the safe minimum and let it finish while it rests.

Seeing both numbers together lets you make an informed choice, rather than guessing from a recipe that gives only one.

Where the numbers come from

Safe minimum temperatures follow the United States Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA FSIS). The chart shows °F and °C. UK readers should know that the Food Standards Agency's standard advice is a core temperature of 70°C for 2 minutes, or an equivalent combination. Doneness temperatures reflect standard culinary practice. Every source is listed on our Sources page.

Who runs it

The Doneness Guide is an independent site run from the United Kingdom. It is not affiliated with any food brand, thermometer maker or government body, and no one pays to have a product mentioned. The site is funded by advertising.

A note on safety

Cooking below a safe minimum carries some risk. Pregnant people, young children, older adults and anyone with a weakened immune system should always cook meat to at least the safe minimum. This guide is a reference, not medical advice; see our Disclaimer.

Corrections

If you spot an error in a temperature or a guide, please tell us through the Contact page. We check and correct reported errors promptly.