How Do You Calibrate a Kitchen Thermometer?
Kitchen thermometers are used in many tasks in home cooking, from candy making to ensuring that a roast is done. Probe thermometers, which are poked into solid food, are one of the most common types used in a household. Kitchen thermometers don't always measure the correct temperature, as their dial can become out of alignment just as a clock's hands might be. Calibrate your thermometer on a regular basis to make sure that you are measuring the correct temperature in your home cooking. Does this Spark an idea?
Instructions
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Fill an insulated cup with crushed ice or cracked ice. Use a thick-walled plastic cup or an insulated travel mug. Add enough water to the cup to cover the ice.
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Allow the ice water to sit for five minutes to ensure that the water is the same temperature as the ice. Stir the ice once or twice while waiting to help cool off all of the water.
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Place the thermometer probe into the ice water while holding the dial. Don't allow the probe to touch the bottom or sides of the cup. Don't touch the stem of the thermometer with your hands.
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Read the dial to note what temperature your food thermometer is indicating. If it says 32 degrees F, your thermometer is correctly calibrated. If the dial reads any other number, adjust your thermometer calibration until it reaches the correct number.
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Grasp the small nut or bump on the back of the dial through which the probe passes. You will be able to twist this nut back and forth, moving the dial needle on the face of the thermometer. Move the nut while leaving the probe in the middle of the ice water, until the dial reads 32 degrees F.
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Tips & Warnings
Calibrate your probe thermometer every time you drop it, as this will often knock it out of alignment.
When calibrating, twist the dial nut with needle-nose pliers if it is too stiff to turn with your hands. Often the dial will be very stiff with newer kitchen thermometers, or those that haven't been calibrated in quite some time.
References
- Photo Credit the thermometer on a white background image by YURY MARYUNIN from Fotolia.com
