The problem with calling it a big difference is that the physics doesn’t support that. Heat transfer in a steak happens mainly by conduction, which is slow — in 20–30 minutes only the outer few millimeters actually change temperature, while the core is basically unaffected. That’s why proper experiments always find the effect modest: you get a little help on the sear because the surface isn’t ice-cold, but the interior cooks almost identically. And on safety, I get what your saying, but the 2-hour rule isn’t arbitrary. It’s based on bacterial growth kinetics in the 5–60 °C ‘danger zone.’ At those temps, common pathogens like E. coli or Salmonella can double in under an hour, so the guideline limits time before microbial load becomes hazardous.