Hot Pot Timer
Two timers in one: when it's food-safe (USDA temperature) and when it's at best texture. Never undercook chicken or overcook maodu again.
Select Ingredients
Times assume rolling boil and thawed, bite-size pieces. A crowded pot adds 30–50%. Safe-temp is reached well within texture time for most ingredients at a full boil — but chicken and pork need the full timer.
🔴 In the Pot
Nothing cooking yet
Safe Temp vs Best Texture — Why They're Different
Every timer card shows two numbers. Texture time (🔴 ring) is when the ingredient tastes and feels best. Safe time (🟢 inner bar) is when it reaches the USDA minimum internal temperature at a full rolling boil.
For thin beef and lamb, safety is reached in the first few seconds — the 20-second texture timer is purely for taste. For chicken, thick pork, and ground-meat meatballs, food safety and texture align: you genuinely need the full time.
| Category | USDA Safe Temp | Risk at hot pot temps |
|---|---|---|
| Beef (whole cuts, sliced) | 145°F / 63°C + 3 min rest | Very low at rolling boil |
| Pork (sliced) | 145°F / 63°C + 3 min rest | Moderate — cook fully opaque |
| Poultry (chicken, duck) | 165°F / 74°C | High — no pink, ever |
| Ground meat / meatballs | 160°F / 72°C (beef/pork) | Moderate — float + 1 min |
| Offal (tripe, intestine) | 160°F / 72°C | Moderate — reached quickly at boil |
| Seafood (shrimp, fish) | 145°F / 63°C | Low — visual cues reliable |
| Plant-based / tofu / veg | No raw-meat risk | None |
Source: USDA FSIS Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart
How to use the timer
- Tap every ingredient you're about to add.
- Drop the food into a fully boiling broth, then tap Start.
- Watch the ring — green bar = food-safe. Full ring = best texture.
- High-risk items (red border) — do not eat until the timer finishes.
- Always cook in small batches so broth quickly returns to a boil.
Done cooking? What's next:
Trickiest timings — learn more
Safe temperature data: USDA FSIS Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart
👨🍳 Ready to cook one of these?