Using a Cooking or Meat Thermometer
 Take the Guesswork Out Of Cooking!

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Other Safety Tips:

Reheating Foods: Reheat thoroughly to a temperature of 165 degrees F or until hot and steaming. Soup and gravies should be brought to a rolling boil.

Serving Foods: When holding or serving a buffet, hot cooked foods must be held at 140 degrees F or higher. Cold foods should be held at 40 degrees F or lower.

Clean Up: After each use, wash the stem section of the meat thermometer thoroughly in hot, soapy water.
 

Sources:

Food Safety Facts, United States Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service, September 1999, http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OA/news/1998/colorpr.htm

The Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service, http://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheets/HGIC3740.htm

 

  

Using a Cooking or Meat Thermometer
Have you ever cut into a roast or a turkey to see if it has finished cooking?

Have you ever paid what seemed like a fortune for a beautiful steak and have it come off the grill overcooked and dry?

You DEFINITELY need to use a cooking or meat thermometer!

Cooking or meat thermometers take the guesswork out of cooking, as they measures the internal temperature of your cooked meat and poultry, or any casseroles, to assure that a safe temperature has been reached, harmful bacteria have been destroyed, and your food is cook perfectly.

A cooking or meat thermometer should not be a "sometime thing." Use it every time you prepare foods like poultry, roasts, hams, casseroles, meat loaves and egg dishes.

If you don't regularly use a thermometer, you should get into the habit of using one. A thermometer can be used for all foods, not just meat. It measures the internal temperature of your cooked meat and poultry or any casseroles, to assure that a safe temperature has been reached and that harmful bacteria like certain strains of Salmonella and E. Coli O 157:H7 have been destroyed. Foods are properly cooked only when they are heated at a high enough temperature to kill harmful bacteria that cause food-borne illness.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, temperature is the only way to gauge whether food is sufficiently cooked. USDA research reveals that the "color test" can give consumers misleading information about the safety of the foods they are preparing, since cooked color varies considerably. For example, freezing and thawing may influence a meat's tendency to brown prematurely.

A cooking or  meat thermometer can help you:

  • Cook foods to a safe temperature and prevent food borne illness: Food Borne Illness
     

  • Prevent overcooking


    •  

  • Hold foods at a safe temperature

Using a Cooking or Meat Thermometer

To use a cooking or meat thermometer, insert it through the fat side of the meat, being careful not to touch bone. Bone conducts heat faster, and you'll get a false reading of the meat's temperature.

Where to Insert - To be an accurate indicator, a meat thermometer must be inserted properly. The sensing area of thermometers is ½ inch to 2 inches long, and this area must be completely immersed in the deepest area of the food.

    Poultry - insert it in the inner thigh area near the breast of the bird, but not touching bone.

    Red meat, roasts, steaks or chops - insert in the center of the thickest part, away from bone, fat, and gristle.

    Ground meat and poultry - place in the thickest area of meat loaf; insert sideways in thin items such as patties.

    Casseroles and egg dishes - insert in the center or thickest area. Hot, cooked foods must be held at 140° F or higher; cold foods, at 40°F or below.

REMEMBER: After each use, wash the stem of the thermometer thoroughly in hot, soapy water.

Check out my Meat and Seafood Internal Temperature Cooking Chart (click on the underlined)

Which Type of Cooking or Meat Thermometer To Buy?

There are several types of thermometers available at grocery, hardware or kitchen supply stores. The type of thermometer determines when it should be inserted in the meat. Make sure the thermometer you buy is designed for meat and poultry, not for candy or appliances.

    Regular, Ovenproof Types: These go into the food at the beginning of the cooking time and can be read easily.

    Instant-Read and Digital Types: The newer digital instant-read thermometers should be used only toward the end of the cooking time -- they're not designed to remain in the food as it cooks. Most need to be inserted only a half-inch deep, so they can be used on a wider variety of foods such as burgers, pork chops and chicken breasts. Some types can be calibrated. NOTE: This is the type that I prefer and use. To learn about the different brands and how they rate, click HERE.

    Pop-Up Types: These are commonly found in poultry, but may be purchased for other types of meats. Not real accurate.

    Microwave-Safe Types: These are especially designed only for microwave ovens.


 Check out my article on Purchasing and Using a Good Instant-Read Thermometers

Testing a Cooking or Meat Thermometer

Most dial or digital food thermometers are accurate to within plus or minus 1 to 2 °F. The accuracy of the meat thermometer can be verified and the thermometer "calibrated" if necessary. Thermometers should be checked periodically. Follow manufacturer's recommendations.  Some dial thermometers have a calibration nut under the dial that can be adjusted by twisting the small  nut beneath the thermometer face with pliers.

The easiest way to check the accuracy of a food thermometer:

Ice Water Method - Fill a large glass with finely crushed ice. Add clean water to the top of the ice and stir well. Immerse the thermometer stem a minimum of 2 inches into the mixture. The thermometer should read 32 °F after 30 seconds.

 

Calibrating a Cooking or Meat Thermometer

Thermapen Thermometer - Remove back label which covers the two calibration adjustment screws. Place tip of the probe in ice water (being careful not to let the probe tip touch the container) and adjusted the “Zero” screw (on the right) until the temperature reads 32 degrees. Repeat the same test, this time using boiling water and adjusting the “Span” screw (on the left) until the thermometer read 212 degrees. (You’ll need to adjust for the fact that the boiling temperature of water drops 1 degree for every 500-foot increase in elevation above sea level.)

Dial-Face Thermometer - Just immerse the thermometer in a slurry of ice water (boiling temperature calibration is not necessary), being careful not to touch the container and, using a pair of needle-nose pliers, adjust the screw on the underside of the dial face until it reads 32 degrees.