Fastcooking

Fastcooking is a term used to describe practices and techniques aimed at producing meals quickly. It encompasses planning strategies, ingredient choices, and cooking methods that shorten overall preparation and cooking time without necessarily sacrificing safety.

Historically, demand for convenience foods grew in the 20th century with the rise of prepackaged ingredients and electric appliances. In recent decades, fastcooking has evolved with microwaves, electric pressure cookers, air fryers, and the popularity of meal kits and batch cooking.

Core techniques include pre-preparation (mise en place), using ready-to-use sauces, canned and frozen ingredients, high-heat methods such as stir-frying or pan-searing, one-pot or sheet-pan meals, and the use of electric pressure cookers or microwaves to reduce cooking times.

Common approaches: 15-minute meals, batch cooking on days off, and frozen or preserved ingredients that speed assembly. Equipment such as microwave ovens, pressure cookers, air fryers, induction stoves, and electric skillets are often employed.

Impact: fastcooking can improve weeknight meal access and reduce preparation stress, but critics argue that it can encourage reliance on processed ingredients, compromise flavor and nutrient retention if not managed, and increase energy usage or packaging waste.

Related topics include meal prep and batch cooking.