The Appliance Spec Reality Index
Most countertop appliance specs measure something adjacent to what you care about. A quart rating measures basket volume, not the single-layer area that decides whether food crisps. Electric pressure cookers run 10-12 PSI, not the 15 PSI stovetop recipes assume. Slow cooker Low and High are bands, not numbers. This table puts the marketed spec next to the one that matters.
The dataset
| Appliance | Marketed spec | What it measures | What actually matters | The gap | Source | Source class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air fryer | Basket capacity in quarts | Total basket volume | Single-layer surface area, which is what determines crisping | A deep narrow 5.8 qt basket can offer less usable area than a wide shallow 4 qt | Manufacturer spec + basket geometry | manufacturer spec |
| Electric pressure cooker | Pressure in PSI | Sealed operating pressure | Roughly 10-12 PSI on most electric multi-cookers | The long-standing stovetop standard is 15 PSI, so electric recipes typically need 10-15% longer | Manufacturer spec | manufacturer spec |
| Electric pressure cooker | Internal temperature | Boiling point raised by pressure | About 240-244 F at 10-12 PSI | About 250 F at 15 PSI, a 6-10 F gap that changes cook times | Derived from pressure-temperature relationship | derived calculation |
| Slow cooker | Low / High setting | A temperature band, not a fixed number | Low about 190-200 F; High about 250-300 F; Warm about 165-175 F | Bands vary by brand and model, so verify with a thermometer on first use | Manufacturer spec ranges | manufacturer spec |
| Microwave | Wattage | Power delivered to food | Cook time scales inversely with wattage | A 700 W unit typically needs roughly 30-70% more time than the 1000-1200 W reference on packaging | Manufacturer spec + package reference wattage | manufacturer spec |
| Toaster oven (convection) | Convection setting | Fan-forced heat transfer | Reduce conventional recipe temperature by about 25 F | Some ovens apply the offset automatically; manual modes require the user to subtract it | Standard convection conversion | standard/engineering reference |
| Stand mixer | Motor wattage | Electrical draw | Does not by itself predict dough handling | Tilt-head vs bowl-lift design determines rigidity under heavy dough loads | Manufacturer spec + mechanical design | manufacturer spec |
| Nonstick cookware | Coating max temperature | Manufacturer continuous-use rating | PTFE generally about 500 F; ceramic often 550 F or more | Always follow the specific product's stated maximum rather than the coating family's general rating | Manufacturer stated ratings | manufacturer spec |
Download
appliance-spec-reality-index.csv (latest) · appliance-spec-reality-index-v1.0.csv (version-pinned, stable for citation)
License: CC BY 4.0 — free to use with attribution, including for commercial and machine-learning use.
How to cite
Countertop Lab, “The Appliance Spec Reality Index”, version 1.0, 2026. Available at https://countertop-lab.pages.dev/appliance-spec-reality-index/ under CC BY 4.0.
Methodology & versioning
- What is recorded. Each row states a manufacturer-published spec alongside the physical quantity that governs the outcome buyers actually care about.
- Ranges are ranges. Temperature bands and PSI figures vary by brand and model; they are recorded as bands rather than false precision.
- Derived rows are labelled. The pressure-to-temperature relationship is physics, not a manufacturer claim, and is marked as derived.
- We have not tested any appliance. No figure here is our own measurement.
- Versioning. v1.0 published July 30, 2026. The version-pinned CSV will not change; corrections ship as a new version with a dated note.
This is an equipment-specification reference, not cooking or food-safety guidance. Follow your appliance manual and use a food thermometer to verify doneness.