Instant read thermometer

[jmhepworth]

Re: Instant read thermometer

I used the Harbor Freight IR thermometer to measure the temperature of the oven when I was curing it and I get it out most of the time when I'm cooking pizza, but I rely a whole lot more on burning the black off the wall to tell me it's hot enough.

For food preparation I use the CDN ProAccurate Quick-Read Thermometer. My daughter got it for me for Christmas because she said America's Test Kitchen recommended it as an afforable ($20) alternative to their first choice, the Thermapen ($80). It does the job well.

Joe

[papavino]

Re: Instant read thermometer

It completely depends on which area of the body you are measuring the temperature. If it's an extremity, I highly doubt you'll be getting a reading near 98 degrees. The forehead or an armpit would be a good spot to try, although I'd recommend against aiming the thermometer at anyone's face. Another thing to take into consideration is the emissivity of the surface you are measuring. The harbor freight thermometer doesn't allow you to set or change the emissivity, so it probably uses 0.95 as the default, which should be fine for pizzas, but it could make a difference.

And a quick check of the HF website shows "Accuracy: +3?F/+2?C or 2% of reading" for their non-contact thermometer.

[kebwi]

Re: Instant read thermometer

No no, I don't care if it's 950 or 980 when I'm making pizza. I was concerned because I was using it to judge whether my curing hearth was going to dip below the recommended concrete curing temps of high 40s, so I cared about the difference between high 40s and, say, low 40s...and I simply don't know the "degree" to which it was accurate.

No big deal. I hadn't noticed a "range" on the thermometer as you suggest. I'll look more closely next time. It is pretty cheap after all.

One thing I noticed is that when pointed directly at a person's skin, even point-blank, it rarely registers 98 degrees, but I suppose that might be correct. Maybe we aren't actually body-temperature on a surface. I have no idea actually. That's a interesting question. (It was below 98, not above; I can't remember the actual reading now).

[papavino]

Re: Instant read thermometer

In response to kebwi, it's probably not spot on to a tenth of a degree. All of the IR thermometers give a +/- range. Besides, is it going to matter that much if your oven is at 900 or if it is at 910? Probably not. I use the ATD 701 IR thermometer. Picked it up for about $60. No complaints.

[DrakeRemoray]

Re: Instant read thermometer

Got an email today that the Thermapen is on sale for $74...Not cheap but very excellent...

ThermoWorks - Home of the Original Super-Fast Thermapen!

[fxpose]

Re: Instant read thermometer

Has anyone tried a wireless digital thermometer for meat?

I have a Maverick digital wireless unit I use for smoking meat. While pretty accurate during long smokes the remote wireless unit can lose signal and give a false reading if taken indoors behind walls.
A lot of folks in the BBQ/smoking community use wireless units and this brand is very popular among the users.

[kebwi]

Re: Instant read thermometer

I got the one from Harbor Freight a few weeks ago. I don't have a usable oven yet, so I can't report too much. It has a laser which you can disable (saves the battery of course). One annoying thing is it doesn't give the option of disabling the beep when you release the trigger. It gives constant live feedback while the trigger is down (not just one reading at the time you pull the trigger), but as soon as you release the trigger is beeps (and then shows the last recorded temperature somewhat indefinitely). I find the beep annoying and unnecessary.

One other thing is I have no calibration. For all I know it's perfect to within a tenth of a degree...or it's off by ten degrees. I just don't know.

[Spunkoid]

Re: Instant read thermometer

Has anyone tried a wireless digital thermometer for meat?

[ERASMO]

Re: Instant read thermometer

I had the slow ebay type also and just got the Thermopen. What a difference!

[nissanneill]

Re: Instant read thermometer

Mine is like yours James. A cheapie from ebay but better than nothing.
I am envious of the Thermopen and have one listed on my 'must get list' but in due course.

Neill

[Xabia Jim]

Re: Instant read thermometer

James, after using the Thermopen for checking bread dough and loaf temperatures (while learning to make various breads at CJ's last Spring) we bought one too. Relatively expensive but the response times are very good.

[Ken524]

Re: Instant read thermometer

Santa got me "The Original Super-Fast Thermapen Instant Read Thermometer" by Thermoworks. It really is lightning fast.

I haven't tried it with bread but it instantly told me I overcooked our Christmas turkey

[james]

Which brand of instant read thermometer is everyone using? And do you like it?

I have a very basic model, which seems to take forever to creep up to the final internal bread temperature.

Have a good lead for me?
Thanks,
James