Do you use a thermometer for more than just meat?

I have started using a probe thermometer for a lot more than just proteins. For example, when baking a potato, the Idaho Potato trade association says 210 degrees, which makes a lot of sense chemically, and I have been getting some perfect baked potatoes that way. Better that the squeeze and feel test. Today, I was roasting some tomatillos and other stuff for salsa verde and put two apples in a separate pan to bake. I could not find an ideal temp. Yes, I know, when they feel soft and the juice is beginning to caramelize, but I would have liked the “perfect” answer. Do you use a thermometer for such a task and do you have a good source from proper temps?

All the time for baking things like banana bread, brownies, etc.

And there’s a thing called a Candy Thermometer for a reason… :wink:

Sugar, chocolate, cheese making, frying etc.

I use my Thermapen to calibrate the thermometer in my wine cellar of course.

I know your question is more specifically referring to the inside of food, but I bought an IR gun for our pizza oven and now use it when heating a wok or cast iron pans, but especially checking oil temp when frying. So much easier than a thermometer for many applications.

I use a pen thermometer for roasts mostly and a heat-safe bluetooth probe for watching grill temps when smoking.

yep, I use it for a lotta different things, including soap making

Diabetes. No can do. And I preferred the drop it in ice water test.

I just looked at the prices and they are cheaper than I thought. How accurate are they? What did you buy?

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So this thread should be limited to only those applications that are useful to you?

Thanks for the tip on baked potatoes at 210°F. Will definitely try that.

Unsure what you are specifically referencing but I have an instaread, a probe with 2 probes and wireless receiver, and an IR thermo. I use them all regularly for different applications and they all were fairly cheap. I bought them based on Amazon reviews. You can never have to many thermometers if you take your cooking seriously.

I have this one. It is inexpensive, and it was close enough on ice water/boiling water tests. Useful in the kitchen, at the grill, checking fridge and AC function, etc.

I use my thermapen to stir cocktails (those that should be stirred vs shaken).

Jay, I have one from Amazon, similar to what David links above. Same experience, seems very accurate to me.

I have the same IR gun linked above. It works great and I end up using it quite a bit. Thermapens are nice and all, but in my experience the knock offs for half the price work just as well. I also have a bluetooth one for the smoker so I can check on the temp of the food and smoker from inside the house, that’s pretty convenient.

Bread. Pull from the oven once it hits 200F or 93 C

No, I didn’t say that. I was merely commenting that I can’t use it for that. I have 2 candy thermometers that I use to measure oil temp for French Fries for my grandson. I was more interested in measuring food temp to determine when it is done. Meat works well, and potatoes work well, and I was interested in determining other things I could measure to determine if it was the perfect level of done-ness.

Yes. I used to do that until the medical profession removed my pancreas and didn’t give it back, resulting in reduced bread consumption just as I was perfecting my sourdough technique.

Yes, to test soil temperature when starting to scout for morels.

I do this with my cast iron wok too.

Also used one to check for cold spots in a house to see where we could possibly better insulate.