How to Buy a Cooking Thermometer

Cooking thermometers alleviate guesswork.

Knowing the precise temperature of certain foods and baked goods before and during the cooking process is imperative for the success of the dish, although not all cooking thermometers are equal. When you’re ready to purchase a thermometer, it helps to know what kinds are on the market and how they work. Read on to learn how to buy a cooking thermometer.

Instructions

1. Choose a thermocouple food thermometer when you need a quick reading. Designed to measure the internal temperature of meats for safety purposes, this probe-type thermometer is also handy for determining the temperature of bread dough as it rises and as it bakes. The thermocouple thermometer is accurate in as few as five seconds.

2. Use a bimetal deep probe thermometer when you need to monitor the internal temperature in a large oven-baked meat product, such as a turkey or a roast. With a long probe, these thermometers are oven-save and are also useful for determining the temperature of soups and stews.

3. Cook candy to the correct stage by using a digital thermometer with a long probe and a clip to fasten to the edge of your cooking pot. Digital thermometers work well when cooking sugar-based liquids at high temperatures because their readout is easy to see. Regular liquid thermometers can be difficult to read when steam or sugar residue covers the numbers.

4. Detect the surface temperature of your pan with a laser thermometer. Long used by the food service industry, consumer models are now available to the home cook. When you need a pan heated to a specific temperature, just aim the gun-looking device, pull the trigger and you’ll have the exact pan temperature immediately. This saves time and money when cooking foods that require an exact temperature to sear or melt.

5. Keep perishable foods at a safe temperature before cooking with a refrigerator/freezer thermometer. Newer versions of this thermometer transmit a wireless signal to a digital receiving unit on the outside of your refrigerator to let you know at a glance the current interior temperature.

6. Test your thermometer each time before use by placing it in rapidly boiling water and noting the temperature. Since water boils at 212 degrees, you will know if your thermometer reads a little high or a little low and you can adjust the cooking temperature of your recipe accordingly.

Tips & Warnings

• Never use a thermometer designed to take human body temperatures in cooking. Unable to withstand high heat, they may explode, scattering glass fragments into the food.