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Pinchwell

Editorial Policy

Pinchwell is a reference instrument, not a recipe blog. Every page exists to answer one question — what to use instead of a given ingredient, how much of it, and what the swap will change. This page states the rules that govern how those pages are written, so that you can check whether we followed them.

What every page must contain

  1. A single recommended substitute, named first, before any explanation.
  2. A ratio, expressed as a measurement rather than a description. “¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons” is acceptable. “About the same amount” is not.
  3. What changes — the effect on texture, flavour, colour or set. A swap that works perfectly in every case is rare, and a page that claims one is usually wrong.
  4. At least one honest negative. Every substitution page names a case where the swap fails or should not be attempted. If we cannot find one, that is a signal we have not researched the ingredient properly yet.
  5. Named, linked, dated sources. See How we source.

What we do not do

  • We do not test recipes. Nothing on this site has been cooked, baked or tasted by us. Every ratio is compiled from published sources and cross-checked against them. You will not find the words “we tested” anywhere on this site, because it would not be true.
  • We do not invent authors. Pinchwell is published by an organisation, not by a named individual, and no page carries a byline, a portrait or a credential. Where an author is required by structured data, it is the publication itself.
  • We do not publish health or medical claims. Some ingredients carry a large volume of health-related questions. Those are a deliberate non-target. We are not qualified to answer them and we do not pretend otherwise.
  • We do not pad. No page opens with an anecdote, and no page is lengthened to meet a word count.

Where a page stops

When two credible sources disagree, we publish the disagreement rather than picking the more convenient number and hiding the other. When a commonly repeated claim cannot be traced to a source we can open and read, we cut it, even when every competing page states it confidently.

When a claim would require a qualification we do not hold — clinical, nutritional or allergen-safety advice — we say so and stop. If you are cooking for an allergy, check the product label. A reference site cannot see what is in your kitchen.

Review

Each page carries a visible last reviewed date, and that date is real. A review means the sources were re-opened and the figures re-checked, not that the file was touched. Where a review changes something, the change is recorded on the page and in our corrections record.

Corrections

If something here is wrong, we want to know. Write to contact@pinchwell.com and see Corrections for what happens next.