Maybe I’m just impatient, or had bad directions, but the last few times I tried—several years ago, now—mine came out under-done. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t a problem with my technique, as I’ve successfully boiled other, testable things in water (speaking of which, pasta might be a reasonable benchmark for level 1 or level 2 or so); I think it was just a timing issue.
I think the very fact that there is an argument about this, should suggest that “boiling an egg” is not a bad starting place. Why make Level 1 more difficult than it has to be? It’s not like we’ll run out of numbers. “Making a hotpocket” would be one step under that, and while it’s not technically cooking, it’s still “preparing food” which I think is a nice first step.
Maybe I’m just impatient, or had bad directions, but the last few times I tried—several years ago, now—mine came out under-done. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t a problem with my technique, as I’ve successfully boiled other, testable things in water (speaking of which, pasta might be a reasonable benchmark for level 1 or level 2 or so); I think it was just a timing issue.
I think the very fact that there is an argument about this, should suggest that “boiling an egg” is not a bad starting place. Why make Level 1 more difficult than it has to be? It’s not like we’ll run out of numbers. “Making a hotpocket” would be one step under that, and while it’s not technically cooking, it’s still “preparing food” which I think is a nice first step.
That’s my experience too—and yet people in my life think I’m a “great cook,” go figure.