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Tom Learns to Cook

Age 7 to 11
Challenge Level Yellow star
  • Problem
  • Getting Started
  • Student Solutions
  • Teachers' Resources
First put the cards in order.  We can focus on the eggs, beans and toast separately to start with, then see how they need to be integrated into a single plan.

The eggs:
  1. Fill a small pan with water to a depth of about 3 inches or 8cm.
  2. Bring the water to the boil.
  3. As the water comes to the boil, add a dessert-spoon of vinegar and turn the heat down so the water is just simmering.
  4. Gently add the eggs to the simmering water and continue to simmer for about 3 minutes.
  5. Lift the eggs carefully out of the water with a slotted spoon and gently place on the toast.

The toast:
  1. Put two slices of bread in the toaster.
  2. Put two slices of toast on the plate.

The beans:
  1. Open the can of beans and put as much as you want into a small pan.
  2. Bring the beans to the boil and simmer gently until everything else is ready - but don't let them get too dry.
Tom wants everything ready for 7pm.

The eggs take a total of roughly 8 to 12 minutes, depending on how quickly the water comes to the boil.
The toast will take a minute or two.
The beans will take a few minutes, depending on how much of the tin Tom uses.

The eggs will take longest so they should be started first, with the final stage of cooking the eggs coinciding with making the toast and heating the beans.

So Tom might do things in this order:
  1. Fill a small pan with water to a depth of about 3 inches or 8cm.
  2. Bring the water to the boil.
  3. Open the can of beans and put as much as you want into a small pan.
  4. As the water comes to the boil, add a dessert-spoon of vinegar and turn the heat down so the water is just simmering.
  5. Gently add the eggs to the simmering water and continue to simmer for about 3 minutes.
  6. Bring the beans to the boil and simmer gently until everything else is ready - but don't let them get too dry.
  7. Put two slices of bread in the toaster.
  8. Put two slices of toast on the plate.
  9. Lift the eggs carefully out of the water with a slotted spoon and gently place on the toast.
Tom should get the water onto boil for the eggs about 6.50pm, putting the beans on about 6.57pm and putting on the toast about 6.58pm.
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The NRICH Project aims to enrich the mathematical experiences of all learners. To support this aim, members of the NRICH team work in a wide range of capacities, including providing professional development for teachers wishing to embed rich mathematical tasks into everyday classroom practice.

NRICH is part of the family of activities in the Millennium Mathematics Project.

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