How To
Use a
Cooking Thermometer - How To Use A Meat Thermometer
Take the Guesswork Out Of
Cooking!
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Thermapen 5 Thermometer
Instant-Read and Digital Thermometers
Sources: Food Safety Facts,
United States Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection
Service, September 1999.
The Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service.
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. Prevent overcooking
Hold foods at a safe temperature
How To Use 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 approximately 1 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 degrees F or higher; cold foods, at 40 degrees F or below.
REMEMBER: After each use, wash the stem of the thermometer thoroughly in hot, soapy water.
Check out my article on
Meat and Seafood Internal Temperature
Cooking Chart
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.
Instant-Read and Digital Thermometers:
The 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 even be
calibrated.
This is the type of thermometer that I prefer and use in my cooking. I, personally, use the Thermapen 5 Thermometer shown in the photo on the right. Originally designed for professional users, the Super-Fast Thermapen is used by chefs all over the world. The pocket design replaces more costly and bulky handheld thermometers while using the same professional thermocouple technology. To learn more about this excellent thermometer and to also purchase one (if you desire), just click on the underlined: Thermapen 5 Thermometer
Digital Probe Thermometer: These
remote devices transmit temperature from a long probe left in the
meat and attached to a thin cord that extends out of the oven to a
digital console. According to Cook's Illustrated magazine, they
report that you should not throw out your instant-read thermometer.
They tested 11 models-several by the same manufacturers-and not one
was flawless. The ones that accurately measured temperature sported
function buttons that were too slow or too hard to figure out.
Others that were user-friendly were also unreliable.
Pop-Up Types: These are
commonly found in poultry that you purchase, but may be purchased for other types of
meats. Not real accurate and not recommended.
How To Test a Cooking or Meat Thermometer
Most dial or digital food thermometers are accurate to within plus or minus 1 to 2 degrees 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 degrees F after 30 seconds.
How To Calibrate a Cooking or Meat Thermometer
You should calibrate your meat thermometer on a regular basis:
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.)
Digital Instant-Read Thermometer - Digital thermometers aren't as easily adjusted and usually have to be done by a professional.
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.
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.
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