Hi, I’m Muhammad Sami. I build the calculator tools on ApplianceConversion.com. This page explains where my numbers come from, how I work them out, and why I always tell you the results are a starting point — not an exact answer.
I want you to be able to trust the tools on this site. The best way I know to earn that trust is to be open about my method. So here it is, in plain words.
Who builds these tools
I’m a software developer, not a professional chef. What I do is take cooking information that already exists in trusted, published sources, turn it into a clear formula, and build a calculator around it. My job is to make that information easy to use and honest about its limits.
That also means I don’t invent cooking times. Every tool on this site is based on numbers I looked up, checked against more than one source, and wrote down so you can see them too.
You can read more about me on my LinkedIn profile, and learn about the site on the About page.
My basic approach
For every tool, I follow the same steps:
- Research first. Before I write a single line of code, I look up how the conversion is normally done. I read cooking guides, conversion charts, and official food-safety pages.
- Check more than one source. If two independent sources agree on the same rule, I trust it more. If they disagree, I look for a sensible middle and I say so.
- Turn it into a clear formula. I write the math down in simple terms so the result is consistent every time.
- Always show a range, not a single magic number. Cooking is not exact, so a range is more honest than pretending I know the perfect time.
- Tell you the limits. Every result reminds you that conversions are approximate and that you should check your food before serving.
Why conversions are always approximate
This is the most important thing on this page, so I’ll be direct: no conversion tool can give you a perfect cooking time.
Real cooking depends on things a calculator can’t see — how much food is in the pot, how much liquid you used, the exact size and cut of your meat, and even the brand of your appliance. Two people using the same recipe can get slightly different results.
That’s why every tool gives you a range and tells you to check that your food is properly cooked before you eat it. Think of my numbers as a strong starting point that saves you from guessing, not as a promise.
Food safety comes first
When a conversion involves meat, poultry, or fish, I show the safe internal temperature from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). This is the temperature your food needs to reach inside to be safe to eat.
No cooking-time conversion replaces a meat thermometer. The time tells you roughly how long to cook; the thermometer tells you when it’s actually safe. I always point you to both.
You can see the official safe temperatures here:
- USDA Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart — the official US government food-safety reference I use for every protein.
The sources I rely on
Here are the main sources behind the tools on this site. I checked each one and used them to build and double-check my formulas.
For food safety (all tools):
For the Oven ↔ Air Fryer tool:
- Inch Calculator — Oven to Air Fryer Conversion Calculator — a clearly sourced guide that follows air fryer cookbook author Linda Larsen’s rule of thumb. I used this as a main reference.
- The Foodie Physician — Easy Oven to Air Fryer Conversion Guide — written by an ER doctor and trained chef, useful for the food-safety angle as well as the conversion rule.
- Everyday Family Cooking — Air Fryer Conversion Chart & Calculator — a second food site I used to cross-check the same rule, including how frozen food is handled differently.
For the Slow Cooker ↔ Instant Pot tool:
- Savor + Savvy — Slow Cooker to Instant Pot Conversion Chart — a detailed, food-by-food chart I used as a main reference.
- Gluten Free Supper — Slow Cooker to Instant Pot Conversion Calculator & Cheat Sheet — a second, independent source I used to cross-check the core rule.
As I add more tools to the site, I’ll add their sources here too, and each tool page will also have a short note explaining the specific math it uses.
A note on the math, in plain words
I try to keep the formulas understandable. Here are the main rules behind the two tools that are live right now.
Oven to Air Fryer: the widely used rule, which all of my sources agree on, is to lower the oven temperature by about 25°F and cut the cooking time by about 20%. So a dish that bakes at 400°F for 25 minutes becomes roughly 375°F for 20 minutes in the air fryer. Frozen food is the one big exception — there you usually keep the temperature the same and just cut the time, because the coating needs the full heat to crisp up.
Slow Cooker to Instant Pot: the main rule that both of my sources agree on is that the Instant Pot time in minutes is roughly the slow cooker time on HIGH multiplied by six. So about 4 hours on HIGH (or 8 hours on LOW) works out to around 24 minutes in the Instant Pot.
Some foods don’t follow these rules exactly, so I adjust for them — for the Instant Pot, rice and vegetables cook much faster, beans take a little longer, and large cuts like a roast are worked out by weight instead. Each tool’s own page explains the version of the math it uses.
I also keep two things separate that are easy to mix up:
- Cook time — the actual cooking time you set.
- Pressure build and release time — the extra few minutes an Instant Pot needs to build up and let off pressure. This is not part of the cook time, so I show it separately instead of hiding it inside the number.
If you spot a mistake
I’d genuinely rather know. If you think a number looks off, or you have a trusted source that says something different, please reach out through the Contact page or my LinkedIn. I update the tools when I find a better answer, and I’d rather get it right than be stubborn.
