Best oven thermometers: buying guide

by JUN YING INSTRUMENTS JUN YING INSTRUMENTS

We all have baking issues, like when your muffins come out sunken in the middle instead of perfectly domed, or when your sleek macarons look more like flat, crunchy pastel coins. However, these types of problems are often caused by the temperature of the oven, rather than any mistakes you've made. Do you want consistent results every time? So it's time to try an oven thermometer.

 

Using an oven thermometer is the expert's trick to getting the recipe right. If your oven has not been properly calibrated, your oven's temperature reading may be turned off by 50º F or more. Always keeping an oven thermometer in the oven or simply using one every three months to check its accuracy are easy solutions to cooking problems.

 

But do a cursory search for oven thermometers and you'll find a dizzying array of options, most of which have basically the same. So how can you tell the winners from the losers?

 

Our in-depth buying guide contains all the tips you need to find the right oven thermometer for your needs.

 

Oven thermometers are not the same as probe Remote Reading thermometer. Oven thermometers are designed to read the temperature inside the oven, while probe thermometers read the inside temperature of cooked food.

 

Why buy an oven thermometer?

 

The built-in thermometer in the oven only reads the temperature at one point, which does not take into account hot spots, temperature cycles and the location of the heating elements, so it can be inaccurate. However, with an oven thermometer, you can place it anywhere you want inside your oven. Taking the temperature in the center where you cook your food is best.

 

Using an oven thermometer helps ensure that the oven heats up enough that you can cook food safely.

An oven thermometer gives you peace of mind that your oven has heated up to the correct temperature for whatever recipe you are making, causing less disaster than the recipe. This is especially important for recipes that require precise temperatures to achieve the desired result, such as soufflés.

 

If you run a restaurant or commercial kitchen, you may be required by law to use an oven thermometer to verify that the oven is heating food to a safe temperature.

 

Key considerations

 

Display type

 

Most oven thermometers have one of two types of displays. They have a dial display, where a hand indicates the correct temperature, or a bulb display, where the liquid inside the bulb rises to show the temperature. Although dial displays are the most common, they tend to be slightly less accurate.

 

Readability

 

The main drawback of bulb oven thermometers is that they are more difficult to read than dial thermometers. But not all dial thermometers are the same. A good rule of thumb: the larger the dial, the better the readability.

 

Temperature range

 

Some oven thermometers can display temperatures as low as 50 ° F. and up to 600 ° F., but others have smaller temperature ranges. Make sure the temperature range works for you. For example, if you bake bread or pizza in the oven, you will likely want a thermometer that goes all the way up to 500 ° F.

 

Attachment type

 

Most oven thermometers have a hook on the top to attach it to an oven rack. Ideally, you want your thermometer to face the front of the oven, so you can read it through the door. It should also come with a base for standing it in your oven if you prefer.

 

Food Safety Guides

 

Food safety is important. Some oven thermometers provide food safety information or guidelines, in accordance with the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point  method used by most restaurants and food manufacturers. For example, it could show the safe zone for reheating or reheating food. This is great for home kitchens and professional environments, because food safety should be important to everyone.

 

Tips

 

• Position the oven thermometer so you can read it with the oven door closed. If you constantly open the door to check the thermometer, you will release the heat from the oven and cooking will take longer.
• An accurate oven temperature is extremely important for cooking. If you regularly bake cakes, cookies, or muffins, we highly recommend using an oven thermometer, even if you're pretty sure your oven is accurate. An oven only 10 or 20 degrees from the notch could ruin a recipe.
• Put the thermometer in the oven before turning it on. This allows it to read the temperature as the oven heats up and can provide more accurate results.
• Check the overall dimensions of the oven thermometer. It should be large enough to read easily, but not so large that it gets in the way while you try to use the oven.

 

The vast majority of oven thermometers are made of stainless steel, as they are durable, lightweight and rust resistant.

 

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Created on Jul 22nd 2021 04:42. Viewed 201 times.

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