In the kitchen, people have an amazing tolerance for imprecision. Ovens might say 400 degrees, but many regularly veer 20 degrees above or below that mark, if it’s calibrated correctly in the first place. On the stovetop, we don’t even have the specificity of degrees. Turn the dial up to “high” or “medium-low” or just “seven,” even though every manufacturer has a different standard for what that place on the dial means.

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