Table 2. Data from cook or chef interview about customer ordering preferences and observational data on temperatures of cooked hamburgers in 234 restaurants.
| Level of donenessa | No. (%) of customer requests | Median (range) temp, °F [°C], of cooked hamburgerb | No. (%) of undercooked hamburgersc |
|---|---|---|---|
| Medium rare | 15 (6) | 158 (113–184) [70 (45–84.4) ] | 6 (40) |
| Medium | 36 (15) | 166 (128–186) [74.4 (53.3–85.6) ] | 10 (28) |
| Medium well | 68 (29) | 174 (145–205) [78.9 (62.8–96.1) ] | 4 (6) |
| Well | 50 (22) | 179 (135–210) [81.7 (57.2–98.9) ] | 4 (8) |
| Preference not consideredd | 65 (28) | 177 (137–210) [80.6 (58.3–98.9) ] | 5 (7) |
| Total | 234 (100) | 172 (113–210) [77.8 (45–98.9) ] | 29 (12) |
a
Question asked of the chef: “How did the customer request this hamburger be cooked?”
b
Final cook temperature as measured by EHS-Net staff.
c
“Undercooked” was defined as cooked to <155°F (68.3°C) because the Food Code states that ground beef patty should be cooked to 155°F for 15 s.
d
Restaurant cooked hamburger to one level of doneness only and disregarded customer-requested level of doneness.