Thermometers

 Thermometers

Good temperature control is critical in many aspects and disciplines of the kitchen. Depending on what we are preparing, it will be important to know at what temperature an oven is, or the oil or water in which we are going to cook. The temperature also allows us to know what is happening in areas that we cannot see: is my roast beef raw inside? The interior temperature of the piece will tell us. To this end, cookware manufacturers are developing increasingly precise, easy-to-use and versatile appliances. Here is a short list that is not intended to be complete.

- Thermometers and Instant-Read Thermometers Product

Let's start with the cold: yes, the fridge and freezer are undoubtedly the most important and critical elements of our kitchen. Having them well regulated is important and in this we are not only concerned with the quality of those we conserve but also our own health. The refrigerator should be between 2 and 4ºC. The freezer should be at least -18ºC. There may be several reasons why a refrigerator does not reach the desired temperature, and although it is not the object of this article, I give you some possible causes: poorly adjusted thermostat, lack of gas in the compressor, refrigerator too full, refrigerator with insufficient ventilation on the back ... And the way to know for sure that our fridge is cooling as expected, is to use a thermometer. Most models are suitable for both the fridge and freezer.

Oven temperature

Oven temperature : depending on how sophisticated your oven is, it may have its own temperature indicator. Many cooks, despite having ovens with this functionality, are not quite trustworthy and prefer to also have a good quality thermometer that is placed inside the oven (on a tray or hung from a rack) so that it can be read from the window without opening the door. This is essential since the simple act of opening an oven door can momentarily lower its interior temperature drastically. These thermometers are special for oven and most measure maximum temperatures of 300 or 350ºC.

Liquid temperature

Liquid temperature: the European Union has just banned the sale of mercury thermometers. But in addition, liquid column thermometers (mercury or other) are fragile and relatively inaccurate. There are also the so-called bimetallic foil thermometers (those that look like a clock with a needle that moves a spring). These are not very precise either and in my opinion they have a very specific use that we will see later. With what we have left digital thermometers, which are the ones I recommend. They are affordable, read almost instantly, and are versatile. They measure quite wide temperature ranges and serve both to measure the temperature of a liquid and to see the internal temperature of a food (and that is why they are shaped like a needle).

Meat thermometers

Meat thermometers : if we want to monitor the internal temperature of a piece of meat or a chicken that we are roasting in the oven without having to open the door each time, we will need a meat thermometer. It is left punctured in the piece making sure that the end of the thermometer needle reaches approximately the center of the piece. And we do it in such a way that we can read the thermometer from the oven window. Thus, without having to open the door, we will know at all times what temperature is in the heart of our roast. Many of these thermometers also add a "cutlet" that reminds us of what temperature beef, pork and chicken should be to be undercooked, medium or well cooked.

This meat thermometer allows us to make sure that our roast is always ready, but it forces us to always be near the oven door “monitoring” the temperature. There is another model of thermometers (which we also have in the Cocinista store) that solves this problem in a very witty way. It is a thermometer whose probe is connected to the central unit by a heat resistant cable. We will puncture the probe in the food and close the oven door, which will catch the probe cable but will not break it. In the central unit we will see the temperature of the part, but what is more important, we can program an alarm that will warn us as soon as the center of it reaches the desired temperature. Unless we go very far from the kitchen, we will never eat roasts again! Say that this thermometer also serves to measure temperatures of liquids. The cable with the probe can be disconnected and we have the central unit which is a clock and a timer. Can you tell that I love this product?

Finally, mention a thermometer that we will see especially in professional kitchens: I am referring to the infrared thermometer. It is similar to a "gun" that we will have to aim at the object or liquid whose temperature we want to know, appearing instantly on a screen. They are undoubtedly very "cool" but I do not know if their use in a domestic kitchen is justified. In addition, to measure the temperature accurately, you have to make manual adjustments that can be complex.