How to use the online timer
Ten minutes in a moderately hot pan is a fair guide for standard-cut rashers, turning partway through, though thickness varies enough between brands that this is very much a starting point rather than a rule. Streaky bacon with more fat renders and crisps faster than a leaner cut, and starting the pan cold with the bacon already in it — rather than adding it to an already-hot pan — lets the fat render out gradually instead of the outside burning before the inside cooks.
Oven baking is the easier route if you're cooking bacon for a crowd, since a single tray at a moderate-high heat for a similar stretch of time cooks a full packet evenly without you standing over a pan flipping rashers in batches, and it makes far less mess on the stovetop.
Colour is the best guide to doneness rather than time alone, since pans and stovetops vary so much in how much heat they actually deliver. Look for a deep golden-brown with crisped, slightly darker edges rather than pale and floppy or scorched and black — and drain it on paper towel straight away, since bacon left sitting in its own fat goes soft again within a minute or two.
Common questions
Why does my bacon burn on the outside before it's cooked through?
Starting with an already hot pan is the usual cause. Put the bacon in a cold pan and let the heat and fat build up together for more even cooking.
Is oven baking really easier than pan frying?
For more than a couple of rashers, yes — one tray cooks a full packet evenly with far less mess and no standing over a pan flipping pieces individually.
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