Steak and Whole-Muscle Red Meat Doneness Guide

5 stages, rare to well done — what to look, smell, and listen for at each one.

Safety note

Doneness labels are a visual guide, not a food-safety measurement. For meat, go by a thermometer and the temperature written in the recipe.

The scale, at a glance

Rare→Medium-rare→Medium→Medium-well→Well done

The full progression

  1. 1/5Rare

    Cool red centre, very soft to the touch.

    Look / smell / listen fordeep red centre · very soft, little resistance · cool in the middle

    Also called: bloody, blue plus, red centre, red center

  2. 2/5Medium-rare

    Warm red centre with a firmer bite — the usual target for steak.

    Look / smell / listen forwarm red centre · springy but yielding · juices run pink

    Also called: medium rare, med rare, pink centre, pink center, warm red

  3. 3/5Medium

    Pink throughout, noticeably firmer.

    Look / smell / listen foruniform pink · firm with some give · less juice

    Also called: pink throughout, just pink

  4. 4/5Medium-well

    Only a trace of pink left; firm.

    Look / smell / listen forfaint pink line · firm to press · drier

    Also called: medium well, med well, barely pink, slightly pink

  5. 5/5Well done

    Cooked through with no pink remaining.

    Look / smell / listen foruniform grey-brown · firm, springs back hard · no pink

    Also called: well done, well, no pink, cooked through, fully cooked

Common questions

What's the difference between rare and medium-rare steak and whole-muscle red meat?

Rare: Cool red centre, very soft to the touch. Medium-rare: Warm red centre with a firmer bite — the usual target for steak.

What's the difference between medium-rare and medium steak and whole-muscle red meat?

Medium-rare: Warm red centre with a firmer bite — the usual target for steak. Medium: Pink throughout, noticeably firmer.

What's the difference between medium and medium-well steak and whole-muscle red meat?

Medium: Pink throughout, noticeably firmer. Medium-well: Only a trace of pink left; firm.

What's the difference between medium-well and well done steak and whole-muscle red meat?

Medium-well: Only a trace of pink left; firm. Well done: Cooked through with no pink remaining.

Is "Bloody" the same as "Rare" for steak and whole-muscle red meat?

Yes — both describe the same stage: Cool red centre, very soft to the touch.

Cooking is a target, not a timer

Say “cook until well done” out loud, and FlavorSavor keeps that exact doneness target attached to the step — not lost in a vague number of minutes.

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