Here are answers to common thermometry questions we receive about using a thermometer to determine the doneness of food, calibration, accuracy, and water-resistance.
It may seem like an obvious point, but a thermometer is just a tool that gives you information about the temperature of the food you are preparing. You have to make the decisions about when to increase or decrease the heat and about when things are done based on the information the thermometer gives. In most cases, look for the lowest temperature reached in the thickest part of the food to judge doneness.
While different people like their meat or other food prepared to different levels of doneness, here is a chart of chef-recommended temperatures to get you started.
When testing doneness in most cooked foods, the coldest part will be the very center of the thickest portion. With larger foods, you can take quick readings with your thermometer in several locations to verify that the entire portion is done. If you are chilling a food, the center of the thickest part will be the last to cool.
Keep in mind that different types of thermometers have sensors of different sizes.
A dial thermometer can have a sensor as big as an inch long and your reading will be an average of the temperature of all the different materials touching that sensor.
ƒmi
Most digital thermometers have small sensors at their tip. Penetrate the food you are checking with the probe and place the very tip of the probe where you want to measure.
The word “calibrate” is often misunderstood to mean necessarily making some kind of adjustment to a thermometer for accuracy. While adjustments are sometimes needed, “calibrating” a thermometer simply means testing its accuracy against a verifiable standard. If the thermometer is within the accuracy specification listed by the manufacturer or quality control agency, no adjustment should be made.
When it comes to recommended frequency, there is a very wide range. Mechanical thermometers (like dial thermometers) should be calibrated very regularly, if not daily, while digital thermometers are often only calibrated once a year. Check the manufacturer’s recommendation for your particular type and model of thermometer or check with the appropriate health department or quality control agency with authority over your operation.
Again, the answer depends upon the requirements of the presiding health department or quality control agency. Many organizations, including corporations, require lab calibration of thermometers for professional use. ThermoWorks’ Calibration Laboratory is accredited by A2LA (American Association for Laboratory Accreditation) and is thereby independently certified to perform calibrations within the boundaries of a specific scope of capabilities. Contact us at [ protected] or ask for the Calibration Lab at 1-800-393-.
While it is true that the most definitive test of a thermometer’s calibration follows at least a 3-point method, the use of a properly made ice bath is a widely used test in the food industries and is recommended by the USDA and other agencies.
The most common error in an electronic temperature sensor is a shift in the base electrical value which can be seen in an ice bath test. If a digital thermometer has been once calibrated successfully at other temperatures, and it can be shown to read accurately in an ice bath thereafter, then the likelihood that it reads correctly at other temperatures is greater.
Probably, because the temperature is higher than the ice point unless you take the time to create a properly made ice bath. If the thermometer is, in fact, outside of its published accuracy specification, adjust accordingly or contact our Tech Support team for help by emailing [ protected] or by calling 1-800-393-.
Check the battery compartment. In many thermometers, there is a small metal clip that holds the batteries in place. Even if the batteries are in place, if they are not under this little clip, the thermometer won’t turn on. If the clip is in place and the thermometer still won’t turn on, contact our famous Tech Support team for help by emailing [ protected] or by calling 1-800-393-.
Most likely, because your old thermometer is not as accurate as your new ThermoWorks digital thermometer. Test both thermometers in a properly made ice bath to check and adjust accordingly or contact our Tech Support team for help by emailing [ protected] or by calling 1-800-393-.
Typically, because the temperature of food keeps changing while it is cooking, and your ThermoWorks digital thermometer is accurate enough to read these changes. Thermometers don’t “lock in” on a given reading unless they have a “hold” feature designed to do that.
You should wipe the probe clean with cleansing wipes or soap any time it comes in contact with raw meat, and you should wipe the whole thermometer casing after each use, being careful not to get it wet. Never put the housing of your digital thermometer near water unless it has an IP rating of 66 or higher.
One common added feature for electronic thermometers, particularly electronic cooking thermometers, is a splash-proof or waterproof rating.
The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) has created a standard for rating instruments based on their ability to protect their electronic components from corrosion by water or dust. The International Protection Rating code (or IP code) consists of the letters “IP” followed by two numbers.
The first number tells you how protected an instrument’s electronics are from penetration by solids (like dust) and the second number tells you how they stand up against liquids according to the following table:
First numberIf, for example, a thermometer has a rating of “IP65,” that would mean that it was tested and found completely protected against dust as well as protected against low pressure jets of liquid from all sides, but not protected against immersion, or an accidental drop into the soup.
Contact our Tech Support team. They’ll be happy to assist you.
: [ protected]
chengle contains other products and information you need, so please check it out.
: Toll Free: 800-393- 6am – 8pm M-F, 9am – 4pm Saturday, MT
LiveChat: 8am – 5pm M-F
There are meat thermometers specifically designed to be left in the meat as it cooks. Some are mechanical thermometers that have a dial and can be left in. Personally, if I am going to use a meat thermometer that can be left in the meat, I use ChefsTemp Quad XPro Alarm Thermometer. This thermometer is designed to leave the probe in the meat and has 4 probes with extra-long leads which attach to a temperature sensing head you are able to affix to the outside of the oven via magnets, or use the kickstand and set it on the counter. It has an alarm to notify you when the meat reaches the desired set temperature.
Meat thermometers have probes with the sensor in the tip of the probe. They are designed to be inserted into the thickest part of the meat and give you a real temperature reading. Bone will be hotter due to the nature of bone, so if you insert a probe and it touches the bone it is going to give you a false reading and the meat may not reach the correct safe internal temperature needed to kill any bacteria that may be present in the food. If you insert the probe and it hits the bone, reposition the probe into the thickest part of the meat. Remember, you need to take temperature readings in several separate locations to determine if the food has reached the correct temperature.
Laser IR Thermometers measure the amount of heat being put out by the food; the laser is used to help you point it to a specific spot to take a temperature. They only measure the surface temperature though. A laser thermometer has no way of reaching the internal portion of the meat where you need to measure the cooking temperature. Laser thermometers are great for measuring the temperature of liquids, soups, water, and pan surface temperatures for things like dry toasting herbs, seeds, chilies, and nuts. A probe thermometer, whether digital or manual, is required to get an accurate internal cooking temperature.
The probe of a thermometer can be cleaned and sanitized using these steps:
l- Wash the probe with warm water and detergent.
l- Sanitize the probe appropriately (alcohol swabs can be used).
l- Rinse the sanitizer away if necessary (refer to the instructions on the sanitizer).
l- Allow the probe to air dry or thoroughly dry it with a disposable towel.
Normally, the transmission range is the “best case” range assuming there are no physical barriers between the transmitter and the receiver and no interference from other radio signals. It would be impossible to print a specification that covered “normal” home-user conditions because of the infinitely variable circumstances under which a transmitting thermometer might be used.
Differences in home construction and wall composition is a good example. Concrete, masonry, aluminium siding, metal studs, and metal lathe underneath stucco or masonry are all good inhibitors of radio signals. Interference from other radio signals is also variable (microwaves, cell phones, radio communications, networks, etc.), so the only reliable way to compare device specifications is to give a specification for maximum transmission distance under ideal conditions.
If you want to evaluate whether a manufacturer meets their literal “line of sight” distance claims you should test the device in a rural area with no physical barriers between the transmitter and receiver and little or no interference from other radio signals.
Remember that the more walls and the greater the radio interference the greater the negative impact on your actual transmission distance.
Never leave a thermometer inside an oven, grill, smoker, or microwave while cooking unless it is specifically designed for this.
Don’t leave your thermometer on the grill hood or close to an open flame.
When checking temperatures above a grill or fire, be careful that the thermometer body does not get too hot.
Some probes are designed to be left inside an oven or grill, but the thermometer housing itself (where the electronic components are kept) typically needs to be kept cool and should only be brought near heat for short periods.
Since flare-ups temperature can be over 537°C which will damage the probe. To avoid damage, please keep probe and cable away from flare-ups, grill lids, grill grates or other hot spots with high temperatures over 250°C.
If you’re seeing this code on your Receiver, it means it is not receiving the signal from your Main Unit. Follow your device’s instructions for syncing the units.
Step 1: Hold ”VOL” on the Receiver to enter the signal receiving state. After one beep, all data of the Receiver will be reset and the radar icon will begin flashing.
Step 2: Press the ”Signal” button on the back of the Main Unit to send signals manually.
Note:
When the Receiver loses signal for 30 seconds, the alarm will automatically ring, the backlight will be flashing and the Receiver will be vibrating. Press any button on the Receiver to turn off the alarm.
If the Receiver fails to receive the signal for 8 minutes, the signal receiving function will be turned off automatically. Press and hold the ”VOL” button of the Receiver for 2 seconds to restart the signal receiving function.
If your probe was exposed to temperatures above or below its temperature range (-58 to 572°F/-50 to 300°C), you will see an LLL or HHH error.
LLL means that the probe was exposed to temperatures below its range and HHH means that it was exposed to temperatures above its range.
If the probe is not fully inserted into the socket, LLL or HHH may also appear, please remove the probe, and then re-insert the probe fully.
Another reason may be that the probe or socket is damaged, if the problem still exists after re-inserting, please contact our customer service to get help.
For more information, please visit Food Thermometer Supplier.