How much of an instant-read thermometer reads temperature?

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no mayonnaise

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I've always had doubt about knowing how much of my instant-read thermometer actually reads the temperature of what I'm cooking. For example, if the probe is 5" long, how much of that length is actually affecting the reading? For instance, if I'm cooking a filet and want an absolutely perfect internal temperature of 130 degrees at the center, and I over-penetrate the tip of the thermometer by a couple centimeters, am I compromising a proper reading on the center? Or, by contrast, if the entire 5" affects the reading, then putting the tip of the probe into the very center isn't accurate because the part of the probe that's not in the center of the filet is exposed outside the very center, thus changing the reading and doneness.
 
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And conversely, get a room temp reading with the thermometer, then hold a heat source behind the tip and see if it influences the reading. I'm thinking it should, since SS is a conductor.
 
Typically, a few centimeters of the tip are what's important.

Testing the probe as described is a good idea.
 
If you notice the indentation, 2" up from the tip, thats where the coil spring is located. This is where the temp is read.
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OK , your talking about a thermocouple thermometer which is a little different.


  • A thermocouple does not measure absolute temperature, but rather the difference in temperature between two points. When one end of a conductor, such as a metal strip, is hotter than the other, it creates a voltage between the two ends. The greater the temperature difference, the greater the current. Different metals react at different rates, and a thermocouple actually makes use of two metals, joined at the sensor end. At the circuitry end, they are attached to a meter that uses the difference in voltages between the metals to calculate the temperature


Read more: How Does a Thermocouple Thermometer Work? | eHow.com How Does a Thermocouple Thermometer Work? | eHow.com
 
Testing the probe as described is a good idea also said Andy M.
 
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