One way to evaluate a new cooking method or product effectively is a blind triangular test. In this instance, we provide 3 samples – 2 of which are the same while one different. If the testee can’t effectively pick which sample is different, we can say what we are testing makes little difference.
This is useful in figuring out more efficient or delicious cooking methods. For instance – does searing meat before cooking it sous vide make a difference? How does making custards in a sous vide bath compare to the traditional double boiler method?