Cook Once, Eat for Weeks: The Math That Saves You Hours

A writer with a background in algorithmic complexity (the study of how work scales) realized that cooking is like a computer program. If you cook one serving of rice seven times, you repeat the same steps—measuring, rinsing, boiling, cleaning—each day. But if you cook seven servings at once, you do those steps only once. The time savings are huge: 30 minutes vs. 3 hours for the same amount of food. The same logic applies to any grain, soup, or stew.

The key is batch cooking: make as much as your pots, freezer, and containers allow. The author typically cooks 20 servings at once and freezes them in individual portions. This not only saves time but also lets you mix up your meals—say, rice one day, another grain the next—so you don't get bored. Freezing simple foods like rice doesn't change their taste or texture much, according to the author.

But there are limits. Some foods require more work per serving. Peeling potatoes, for example, takes time proportional to the number of potatoes. Pre-cut frozen carrots or peeled garlic can outsource that labor, though at a cost. Also, scaling up isn't smooth: you might need a bigger pot, more burners, or more freezer space, which can suddenly increase your work. Still, for anyone who sees food as fuel and doesn't mind repetition, this approach can free up hours each week.

The author admits this method won't suit everyone—especially those who crave variety or love the cooking process itself. But for busy professionals, students, or anyone tired of daily kitchen drudgery, thinking like a computer scientist might just be the recipe for a more efficient life.