◍The Table
Cooking for

Reference

How long to cook a steak

Times are per side for a 2.5cm / 1 inch steak in a properly hot pan. Thickness matters far more than weight — a thick steak needs longer per side, not more sides.

Blue

46–49°C  ·  115–120°F

Seared crust, cool and near-raw red centre. Only worth it on very fresh, thick-cut steak.

Per side1 min
Rest5 min minimum
Touch testFeels like the base of your relaxed thumb — very soft.

Rare

50–52°C  ·  122–126°F

Bright red centre, warm rather than hot, very juicy and soft throughout.

Per side1½–2 min
Rest5 min minimum
Touch testSoft with a slight spring.
Recommended

Medium rare

54–57°C  ·  130–135°F

The default for a reason. Warm red-pink centre, maximum juiciness, fat has started to render.

Per side2–3 min
Rest5 min minimum
Touch testSprings back gently, like your palm below the thumb when touching thumb to middle finger.

Medium

60–63°C  ·  140–145°F

Hot pink centre with a wider brown band. Still juicy, noticeably firmer bite.

Per side3–4 min
Rest5 min minimum
Touch testFirm with a definite bounce.

Medium well

65–68°C  ·  150–155°F

A faint blush of pink at the very centre. Getting dry — go for a fattier cut if you cook to here.

Per side4–5 min
Rest5 min minimum
Touch testFirm, very little give.

Well done

71°C+  ·  160°F+

No pink, fully firm. Use a thinner cut and lower heat, and rest it just as long.

Per side5–6 min
Rest5 min minimum
Touch testHard, no give at all.

The four rules

01

Room temperature

Out of the fridge 45 minutes before it hits the pan. A fridge-cold centre burns the outside before the middle gets there.

02

Bone dry

Pat with kitchen paper until no moisture comes off. Wet steak steams; it cannot brown.

03

Pull early

Carryover cooking adds about 3°C / 5°F while resting. Pull the steak just under your target.

04

Rest it

5 minutes minimum, 10 for a thick cut. Cut too early and the juice ends up on the board instead of in the steak.

Adjusting for thickness

  • 1.5cm / ½ in — cut the per-side times by about a third, and keep the heat high.
  • 2.5cm / 1 in — the times in the chart above.
  • 4cm / 1½ in+ — sear 2 min per side, then finish in a 180°C / 350°F oven for 4–8 min depending on target. Or reverse-sear: low oven first, blistering pan last.

A £12 instant-read thermometer removes all of this guesswork permanently. Feel and timing are backups.