# Time vs. size - For how long should i cook my steak? **URL:** \ **Category:** Anova Precision® Cooker\ **Tags:** beef\ **Created:** [June 4, 2018, 7:50pm UTC](https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/time-vs-size-for-how-long-should-i-cook-my-steak/14861 "2018-06-04T19:50:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Pascal\_Cohen](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/community.anovaculinary.com/pascal_cohen/32/3485_2.png) [@Pascal\_Cohen](https://community.anovaculinary.com/u/Pascal_Cohen)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2018, 7:50pm UTC](https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/time-vs-size-for-how-long-should-i-cook-my-steak/14861/1 "2018-06-04T19:50:18Z")
Hey everyone! I am pretty new to SV cooking. I cooked my first prime rib yesterday. Came out good. I am thinking of doing a Tomahawk but the Anova app is not allowing me to select different sizes of meat. Here my question 🙂 Is there somewhere a table that can guide me on how long and with what temperature I should different steaks? The app provides me only help for a Prime Rib 1-1.5 inch thick but nothing above that. E.g. if the steak is 3 inch thick… Would appreciate any help! Thank you! ---
**Author:** ![Ember](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/community.anovaculinary.com/ember/32/729_2.png) [@Ember](https://community.anovaculinary.com/u/Ember)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2018, 10:36pm UTC](https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/time-vs-size-for-how-long-should-i-cook-my-steak/14861/2 "2018-06-04T22:36:14Z")
Thickness is what you need to take into account. This will impact the time it takes for the steak to come up to temperature. There is a rule of thumb that you can use. It takes 30 mins (approx) for the warmth to travel half an inch. So, for a 3 inch steak you can work on 3 hours for the steak to reach temperature equilibrium, ie) same temperature as the water bath all the way through. From there you can decide if you want to cook it any longer than that. Steaks are cut from low work muscle groups so are naturally tender and do not require a whole lot more than reaching temperature equilibrium. Knowing where on the beast your meat came from will help you select appropriate ‘time for tenderness’ targets. Harder work muscles are higher in connective tissue and therefore longer cooks for tenderness. ---
**Author:** ![Pascal\_Cohen](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/community.anovaculinary.com/pascal_cohen/32/3485_2.png) [@Pascal\_Cohen](https://community.anovaculinary.com/u/Pascal_Cohen)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2018, 2:11am UTC](https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/time-vs-size-for-how-long-should-i-cook-my-steak/14861/3 "2018-06-05T02:11:01Z")
Thank you Ember. Appreciate your help here. So 3 hours for 3 inch…but what about the temperature? Let say I want it Medium - rare. I found this blog post [https://sansaire.com/cook-steak-sous-vide/](https://sansaire.com/cook-steak-sous-vide/) There is a table, and the table states something else 😕 - i am confused. ---
**Author:** ![Ember](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/community.anovaculinary.com/ember/32/729_2.png) [@Ember](https://community.anovaculinary.com/u/Ember)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2018, 3:56am UTC](https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/time-vs-size-for-how-long-should-i-cook-my-steak/14861/4 "2018-06-05T03:56:06Z")
Medium rare is 130F/54.4C. The rule of thumb I gave you is good enough for a rough calculation. It’s widely accepted as a practical estimation. The Sansaire chart may be more accurate but I’ve not seen anyone actually use the rule of thumb and have their steaks cold in the middle. The accepted authority for all things sous vide is Douglas Baldwin. His work is the best reference available. Please note, the times in Baldwin’s charts are for pasteurisation which is not necessary for most home cooking circumstances (with the exception of chicken and turkey.) [http://www.douglasbaldwin.com/sous-vide.html](http://www.douglasbaldwin.com/sous-vide.html) ---
**Author:** ![Pascal\_Cohen](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/community.anovaculinary.com/pascal_cohen/32/3485_2.png) [@Pascal\_Cohen](https://community.anovaculinary.com/u/Pascal_Cohen)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2018, 12:57pm UTC](https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/time-vs-size-for-how-long-should-i-cook-my-steak/14861/5 "2018-06-05T12:57:04Z")
Ok great! Thanks Ember! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![chrisblaxland](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ba9def/32.png) [@chrisblaxland](https://community.anovaculinary.com/u/chrisblaxland)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2018, 8:57pm UTC](https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/time-vs-size-for-how-long-should-i-cook-my-steak/14861/6 "2018-06-05T20:57:13Z")
Try the Anova guide: > **[Sous Vide Time and Temperature Guide](https://anovaculinary.com/pages/sous-vide-time-and-temperature-guide)** > > by J. Kenji López-Alt Whether you’re new to sous vide cooking or you just want to know the basics, the Anova Time & Temperature Guide will help you achieve the best meal ever, every time. With the help of The Food Lab, we've created a full...