BEST KITCHEN THERMOMETERS
If you are a chef, you cannot miss a thermometer in your kitchen! With it you will get better results in your dishes, discover how it can help you, the different uses and types that exist.
To use a thermometer you do not have to be a professional chef, and the important thing is that knowing how to measure the temperature of food will give you better results in your dishes, achieving a more precise and tasty cooking because food thermometers are an extremely useful tool. and indispensable on many occasions.
- BEST KITCHEN THERMOMETERS and Instant-Read Thermometers Product
Controlling the temperature during cooking is an essential step in many recipes. Anyone who needs to temper chocolate, bake with sourdough, or make flawless caramel will know this.
There are many types of thermometers on the market and to use one, the first rule of thumb is to know what the standard temperatures are for cooking food, some examples are:
- Oil for frying is between 170 ° C and 180 ° C
- Fish or white meat at 62ºC
- Red meat not well done at 50ºC
BECAUSE YOU ARE INTERESTED IN A KITCHEN THERMOMETER
It is true that by tradition there are many people who continue to stick a knife or a toothpick when roasting, check the color or try to feel the temperature with their fingertips. There is nothing wrong with it, but the technique also evolves in the kitchen, and in the end the most reliable method to get an idea of the degree of doneness is through a precise measurement thanks to a kitchen thermometer.
After all, the perfect oven does not exist and the temperature is never constant. Even in the most modern and expensive ovens, and those used by professionals. When indicating the temperature of our oven, it varies over time: the oven starts with a higher temperature than the one we have indicated and then lowers it to reach the required degrees. Later, the temperature goes down and up, generating multiple temperature fluctuations of around +/- 20 ° C during cooking. As if that were not enough, it must be borne in mind that there is no point in the oven that has the same temperature as another.
To minimize these fluctuations a tip is to heat the oven at least one hour before baking. The temperature will be more stable and the quality of the results will improve.
HOW TO BETTER KNOW THE TEMPERATURE OF OUR OVEN
If we want to have a control of the temperature at which our oven is, there are oven thermometers that measure the interior temperature during the cooking of dishes, not the temperature of the food we are cooking. They are made of stainless steel, with a hook to easily hang them over the container.
We can keep this thermometer in the oven but let's not forget to clean it from time to time because it gets dirty with the fat from food when we cook. Its temperature ranges between 50 ° C and 350 ° C.
Thermometers can also be useful to check that the temperatures of the fridge and freezer are adequate for the preservation of the most perishable foods such as meat and fish, especially if we have had a power failure and we want to know if the food has remained very cold or frozen or if you have to, unfortunately, throw everything away.
WHEN THE KITCHEN THERMOMETER IS VERY NECESSARY
We are already clear about how important it is to check the exact temperature of the oven or freezer when we are with meat or fish, but there are also many other preparations in which precise temperature control is essential, for example:
- To melt sugar and prepare syrups or candies
- Fried foods, it is important to control the temperature of the oil
- When we need to control the increase in temperature, in particular, for example when baking bread or cake that requires fermentation
- When we want to temper the chocolate
- In the preparation of yogurt
- To serve wine and beer at the right temperature
TYPES OF KITCHEN THERMOMETERS:
Thermometers are commonly divided into contact thermometers, which work by insertion, and infrared thermometers, which are those used in the professional field. For those who enjoy cooking, the former are more interesting and there are several types: for roasts (in the heart), probe, for frying, chocolate, caramel, fermenting doughs and also two very specific ones for yogurt and wine.
HEART TEMPERATURE THERMOMETER (OR ROAST THERMOMETER)
Its long metal probe allows us to reach the central point of the preparation and check the core temperature. Using it is as simple as inserting it into the piece of meat to quickly check the internal temperature, and then removing it.
We may find that some of these thermometers are designed to withstand oven heat, while others are not heat resistant, and should only be used for a quick check during cooking. The most classic are analog.
To ensure that we have made a good measurement, it is necessary to allow about 20 seconds for the temperature to be read from the moment it is turned on. These thermometers typically measure temperatures from 50 ° to 130 ° and are inexpensive.
To achieve accurate readings, we must place the thermometer in the meatiest and least greasy part of the piece of meat, away from the bone. In the case of whole poultry, we must insert the probe in the place where the thigh adheres to the trunk, since it is an area of thick meat that will take longer to cook.
We should not spend pricking the meat too often to avoid losing too much juice.
PROBE THERMOMETER
We generally find them in a digital version and it warns us with an acoustic signal when the temperature reaches the correct point. If equipped with a wire probe, this thermometer can even be used in the oven to monitor the temperature at the heart of the preparation (in the oven the plug remains stuck in the meat and the measuring unit remains outside, connected to the probe by the cable, heat resistant).
These thermometers can often measure temperatures ranging from sub-zero to 250-300 °, which makes them very versatile, also for yeast, for caramelizing sugar, for jams and frying. It is worth investing a few more euros, because it can be used for many preparations.
These battery-operated and therefore portable thermometers can be used if we cook outdoors on the classic barbecues.
FRYING THERMOMETER
Useful for those who don't use the deep fryer. The correct temperature of the oil makes it possible to obtain crispy and tasty fries and at the same time delicate. Controlling the temperature allows the nutritional principles and organoleptic characteristics of the oil to be kept unaltered, avoiding the burning of fatty acids, which are the ones that provide us with great health benefits. Specific thermometers for frying are designed with a clip that anchors them in the edges of pots and pans, to keep the temperature of the oil constant, rising or falling depending on the detection.
There are professionals who even inform you of the quality of the oil and when to change it.
SUGAR THERMOMETER (OR CANDY METER)
It is about 30 cm long, it is often made of glass protected by stainless steel to prevent it from breaking, to use it it is fixed on the edge of the pot. Some are equipped with a special hook that holds them vertically in the center of the pot, facilitating mixing during cooking.
It is very useful to measure the temperature of sugar and for the preparation of caramel, it is also used to measure the temperature of liquids such as syrups, tea or milk. The temperature range is usually between 70-80 and 180-200 °. In the case of sugar, a few degrees of difference are enough to change its state, so precision is basic.
It is important to remember never to add cold ingredients or even at room temperature to hot caramel, to avoid splashing: if we prepare creams such as caramel or salted caramel, the cream or milk must be heated well before adding them to the caramel.
CHOCOLATE THERMOMETER
Similar to the classic household thermometer, but made of high heat resistant plastic. It is a perfect thermometer for those who want to temper chocolate. Extremely accurate, it measures temperatures from -20 ° to + 50 °.
Once done, the ideal temperature to store the chocolate is between 15-20 °. If we put it in the fridge we will see that it takes on a white patina, which gives it the cocoa butter when it emerges.
DOUGH FERMENTATION THERMOMETER
Those who are panarras or like to make their own cakes will know that baking and confectionery are an exact science (you have to measure the temperature of the water, the flour, the salt where the fermentation will take place and that of the sourdough end) and they probably already have their kitchen thermometer. For a good start to yeast, in fact, the dough should have a temperature between about 25-26 °. If we use sourdough at too low a temperature it will slow it down, making it inactive.
If a yeast cake is kneaded by hand, the yeast is dissolved in a liquid (water or milk), the maximum temperature must be 40 °. Fermentation should take place in a warm place, within 30 °; if the temperature is too high, it will “speed up”, with the consequent risk of bacterial contamination and developing an acid taste in the product that will remain even after cooking.
If you prepare a delicious panettone, remember that it is essential never to exceed 26 ° of temperature of the dough (so as not to spoil its sticky consistency).
WINE THERMOMETER
Controlling the serving temperature of wine is important to better appreciate its characteristics and qualities.
The wine thermometer is the ideal gift for your fans.
The temperatures that are considered optimal for serving wine are:
- Dry sparkling wines 4-6 ° C
- Sweet and sparkling sparkling wines 6-8 ° C
- Young white and rosé wines 8-10 ° C
- Structured white wines, dessert wines and fortified white wines 10-12 ° C
- Structured rosé wines and delicate reds with little tannin 12-14 ° C
- Red wines of medium structure and tannins, dessert wines and red liquor wines 14-16 ° C
- Evolved red wines with great structure and tannins 16-18 ° C
YOGURT THERMOMETER
It consists of a classic probe that ends in a small digital thermometer, to be used by immersion. For optimal fermentation of homemade yogurt, 40-45 ° are needed. If we are making cheese, it is ideal for measuring the temperature of the milk. The cost is generally low.
NON-CONTACT THERMOMETERS
Non-contact thermometers are often used by kitchen professionals. Their great advantage is that they allow the temperature to be measured without coming into contact with food, recording the infrared radiation emitted by a body. Infrared digital thermometers are also called pyrometers.
Laser-operated ones are also available: both types allow you to control the temperature of surfaces without touching them.
It should be noted that measurements do not work through glass, for example the oven glass. Its use is very widespread in pizzeria ovens, pots and pans, to measure the temperature of the water and the outside of the food that is being cooked. There are also digital infrared thermometers with a built-in probe to measure the internal temperature of food.
CLEANING AND CARE OF FOOD THERMOMETERS
After using the kitchen thermometer, we must wash the metal part that has come into contact with the food simply with hot soapy water.
In the case of sugar thermometers, a good trick is to fix it on the edge of a pot with boiling water and let it rest for a while, to eliminate the residual sugar. If we have used a thermometer probe for candy or a similar recipe, we must submerge only the metal needle in the pot.
Thermometers are only going to be useful to us when they maintain their precision, hence we have to take care of it. When in doubt, a good way to know if the thermometer is measuring correctly is to put it in ice water or boiling water. If the water is cold it should show 0 ° and in the case of boiling water it should show 100 °.
Using thermometers in the kitchen allows us to save many mistakes, obtaining great results. You sign up?