Why Recipe Blogs Always Seem To Lie About Times - Tasting Table

"More often than not, it is unintentional when the times on recipe blogs are inaccurate. For example, I am highly organized in the kitchen, so while it may take me less than five minutes to peel and dice onions like Gordon Ramsay, it can take others a bit longer. In that case, I might list the prep time as five minutes, which could feel like I'm lying when it actually takes a reader closer to 10."

"For example, while it might take my oven 30 minutes to preheat, yours may be ready in just 10. That's why, whenever a recipe of mine requires oven usage, I ask readers to preheat their ovens about 30 minutes before baking or roasting. I don't include those 30 minutes in the prep time, but sometimes I'll list them under inactive time."

Prep and cook times are subjective and often unintentional inaccuracies result from individual skill, organization, and differing assumptions about which steps count as prep. Highly organized cooks may complete tasks like peeling and dicing much faster than others. Steps such as softening butter on the counter are sometimes omitted when ingredients are listed as 'softened.' Oven preheat durations vary widely between appliances and are often suggested as a general preheat window rather than included in prep time; they may instead be listed as inactive time. Mixer size and other equipment differences change mixing and baking durations, so time estimates may not match every kitchen.

Read at Tasting Table