Cooking isn't just an art; it's a science. We'll help you understand the physical and chemical processes that make food look, smell, and taste the way it does.
A glass of soda being poured filled with ice on a countertop
People Swear This Ice Trick Keeps Soda Fizzier Longer—I Tested to Find Out
Closeup of a jar lid showing a best before date of February 5 1999
Stop Throwing Out Good Food: What “Sell By,” “Best By,” and “Use By” Really Mean
Overhead view of meat and sauce thickened in dutch oven
Stop Reusing That Spoon After Stirring Raw Meat—Food Safety Experts Explain Why
A close up of the crispy roast potatoes showing off the micro blistering on the surface.
For Crispy, Golden Roast Potatoes Every Time—Here's the Step You Can't Skip
Inside view of refrigerator
Baking Soda Alone Won’t Fix Your Funky Fridge Smell—Here’s What Actually Works
Side view of a roast chicken
Should You Wash Raw Chicken? Here’s What the Science Actually Says
Slice of black forest cake on a plate with a fork holding a piece
For the Deepest Chocolate Cake Flavor, I Always Choose This Cocoa
A salt shaker next to a small pile of salt
The Most Surprising Sources of Plastic in Your Kitchen Aren’t What You Think
20141205-tempering-chocolate-food-lab-02.jpg
Why Melted Chocolate Turns Grainy—and How to Prevent It From Happening This Valentine's Day
Brownies cut into squares with one square placed on its side to show the interior texture
Butter vs. Oil: Which Makes Better Brownies? We Tested It
Side angle view of guacamole in a molcajete
We Finally Cracked the Code to Keeping Guacamole From Turning Brown—This Clever Trick Is a Keeper
vegetables roasted on a sheet tray
The 4 Most Persistent Vegetable Prep and Cooking Myths—Debunked
Roasted broccoli florets on a sheet pan
Why Your Roasted Broccoli Turns Leathery—and How to Keep It Tender and Delicious
Overhead view of chickpeas
Why Canned Chickpeas Never Get Creamy—and the 5-Minute Fix for Better Hummus and Stews
A person filling a metal pot with water from a kitchen sink faucet
This Common Cooking Shortcut Could Be Adding Lead to Your Food
An assortment of dried beans of various types arranged in horizontal layers
Can You Stop Beans From Making You Gassy? We Tested 17 Remedies With Harvard Scientists—Here's What Works
Person using OXO Good Grips Thermocouple Thermometer to check temperature of cooked chicken
Stop Overcooking Chicken: The Safer, Juicier Way to Get It Done
A refrigerator stocked with food including fruits vegetables a cooked dish drinks and eggs on a shelf
How to Make Food Last Longer in Your Fridge, According to Experts
Closeup of fresh green leafy herb cilantro focus on leaves
Why Does Cilantro Taste Like Soap to Some People—and Can You Fix It?
Slices of cooked steak arranged on a wooden surface
Why So Many Meat Cooking “Rules” Are Wrong—and What Actually Makes Steaks Juicy and Chicken Crisp
broccoli with garlic
Stop Overcooking Broccoli—This Tested Method Keeps It Vibrant and Tender
Two pieces of steak being cooked in a castiron skillet with yellow thermometers inserted
Bringing Meat to Room Temperature Before Cooking: Essential or Not? We Tested It
cabbage on a platter with plates, forks and green napkins, and cups on the sides
We Tested 5 Ways to Cook Cabbage—Here’s How to Get the Flavor You Want Every Time
A person finely dicing an onion with a knife on a wooden cutting board
Why Onions Make You Cry—and the Simple Trick That Stops It
Hands holding a halved fried potato patty with several patties on a marked baking sheet in the background
Gray Potatoes Grossing You Out? Our Tests Show How to Stop It
Two stainless steel bowls with flour labeled 30 and 50 humidity one placed on a digital scale displaying 128 grams
Does Dry Winter Air Really Mess With Your Baking? A Surprising Home Test Says…
Side view of brining vegetables
Why Your Roasted Vegetables Taste Flat—and the Genius Fix That Makes Them Sweeter, Creamier, and More Savory
Red apples arranged on a blue grid background some cut in half to reveal their interiors
The Real Reason Your Apples Keep Going Bad—and How to Fix It
salt being sprinkled into a bowl with raw eggs before whisking
Gordon Ramsay Was Wrong About Salting Scrambled Eggs—We Tested It
Overhed view of turkey
The Safest, Easiest Way to Defrost a Turkey, According to Food Safety Pros
Two roasted sweet potatoes on foil one partially peeled to expose the orange flesh inside
Stop Settling for Bland Sweet Potatoes—This Simple Step Makes Them Taste Even Sweeter
Roasted brussel sprouts and shallots with a balsamic glaze in a bowl, with glasses of sparkling water, some smaller plates and a colorfully printed table top
I Tested 3 Roasting Pans to Find the Secret to Crispy Brussels Sprouts
Cooked rice in a bowl
This Is the Only Kind of Microwavable Rice I’ll Ever Buy (Hint: It’s Not in the Rice Aisle)
Two pots filled with cooked rice one large and one smaller placed on a dark surface
Fluffy Rice Every Time—Here's the Step You're Missing
Hand holding a salted popcorn kernel with more popcorn in the background
Why Your Seasoning Never Sticks to Popcorn—and the Simple Fix That Actually Works
Several oysters served on ice with lemon wedges
Thinking of Ordering Raw Oysters? Here's What You Need to Know After Recent Deaths
Baked vegetable slices on foillined trays arranged in sections
For Perfectly Browned, Crisp Roasted Vegetables, I Always Do This
Pattern of candy corn on a purple grid background
Think Candy Corn Tastes Like Candle Wax and Sadness? Science Says There’s a Reason
Four bowls with hummus labeled 10 25 50 and 100 on a tray
Want Creamier, Restaurant-Style Hummus? I Tested the 1 Ratio That Really Matters
Close up of ice cream
No Ice Cream Maker? Just 2 Magic Ingredients Do the Work
Side view of caesar pasta
What “Season to Taste” Really Means—and How to Get It Right Every Time
Side view of cake
Does Coffee in Desserts Actually Give You a Buzz? We Did the Math
Your Cup of Coffee Loses Flavor Faster Than You Think—Here’s How to Save It
A bowl filled with diced watermelon pieces
Stop Serving Soggy Watermelon—This Genius Trick Will Save Your Cookout
A spoonful of pesto with a container underneath
We Tried Every Trick to Keep Pesto Green—This Is the Best Method
Slices of cooked steak arranged on a wooden surface
This Major Rule About Cooking Meat Turns out to Be Wrong
Tea going into a glass cup.
Why Tea Steeps and Coffee Drips: Unpacking the Science of Your Daily Brew
A hand holding a clear squareshaped ice cube over a reflective surface
There's a Reason Bar Ice Looks Better Than Yours (And You Can Fix It)
20140521-cooking-fats-saturated-fat.jpg.jpg
Cooking Fats Demystified: A Guide to Understanding Saturated and Unsaturated Fats
Half an orange paired with a matching sugar-coated candy slice
Here's Why Natural and Artificial Flavors Aren't What They Seem
Broccoli cooked with different PH balances, labeled Low, Control, and High on parchment paper
These Pantry Staples Can Vastly Improve Vegetable Texture, Not Just Flavor
a pile of cake flour
The Flour You Must Have for Perfect Cakes, According to a Pastry Chef
Tortilla española on a plate, with a slice removed and presented on another plate with some unadorned greens.
Not All Food Tastes Best Hot—Here’s Why
Cacio E Pepe on a serving plate
Perfect Cacio e Pepe
Diping graphic
This Gross Habit Might Be Ruining Your Food
Graphic of food on heat map
Is It Better to Eat Hot Food in the Summer? Here's What the Science Says
Graphic for Sotolon
Meet the Molecule That Smells Like Pancakes and Set Off Emergency Investigations in NYC
Alka-Seltzer cheese sauce atop nachos.
The Genius Ingredient for Perfect Gooey Cheese Sauce