# What does the cooking time range mean?

**URL:** <https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/what-does-the-cooking-time-range-mean/289>\
**Category:** Anova Precision® Cooker\
**Tags:** timetemp\
**Created:** [January 14, 2015, 7:59pm UTC](https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/what-does-the-cooking-time-range-mean/289 "2015-01-14T19:59:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![sailfree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/34f0e0/32.png) [@sailfree](https://community.anovaculinary.com/u/sailfree)\
**Post date:** [January 14, 2015, 7:59pm UTC](https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/what-does-the-cooking-time-range-mean/289/1 "2015-01-14T19:59:14Z")

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For example, if the cooking time says 2 to 4 hours does it mean the food is done in 2 hours and overcooked after 4 hours??? Thanks

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**Author:** ![jordan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/community.anovaculinary.com/jordan/32/532_2.png) [@jordan](https://community.anovaculinary.com/u/jordan)\
**Post date:** [January 14, 2015, 11:23pm UTC](https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/what-does-the-cooking-time-range-mean/289/2 "2015-01-14T23:23:21Z")

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@sailfree Cooking ranges specify the ideal length of time for a particular type of protein or vegetable. The minimum time should be adhered to in order to ensure that the food is cooked safely, but with sous vide, going over on cooking time is not as much of an issue. If you go over in time (ex. 5 hours instead of 4 for a time range of 2-4 hours) you won’t need to worry about overcooking because the device is maintaining the same, precise temperature the whole time. Hope this helps, please let me know if you have any other questions!

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**Author:** ![sailfree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/34f0e0/32.png) [@sailfree](https://community.anovaculinary.com/u/sailfree)\
**Post date:** [January 15, 2015, 12:34am UTC](https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/what-does-the-cooking-time-range-mean/289/3 "2015-01-15T00:34:52Z")

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Thanks for the reply. So in the 2 to 4 hour example the minimum time is 2 hours and the 4 hours is meaningless since it cannot overlook. Got it. Thanks again.

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**Author:** ![jordan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/community.anovaculinary.com/jordan/32/532_2.png) [@jordan](https://community.anovaculinary.com/u/jordan)\
**Post date:** [January 15, 2015, 2:26am UTC](https://community.anovaculinary.com/t/what-does-the-cooking-time-range-mean/289/4 "2015-01-15T02:26:27Z")

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@sailfree Yes, and while the 2-4 hour timeframe may be exceeded without overcooking the food, it will taste its best when cooked within the time range provided.