Digital Thermometers??

[SlowCook66]

Ok! What’s going on??

I clip my digital thermometer to measure my fudge and it is submerged about 1cm-2cm in the fudge.

I was reading around 112C.

I unclipped the thermometer so I can hold it while submerged in the fudge at a slant so to test the temperatures in the middle of the fudge and all of the sudden I was at 119C ??????

Is there a minimum that digital thermometers need to be submerged in fudge?

Isn’t 1-2cm enough to get the proper reading?

Should I double my recipe in order to at least be able to submerge the thermometer a couple of inches?

For precise measurements, should we hold the thermometer in our hands while measuring as opposed to having it clipped to the side of the pot?

Why the sudden change ?

Thanks

 

[pepperhead212]

I don't know about the thermometer you have, but I have two digital thermometers, one older one, and one newer one, that is much faster reacting. However, when I'm making things heating up oil, or browning butter - similar to the higher temperatures, heating up sugar syrup - I use the old one, because the newer one has the sensor for the temperature in the very tip, and the old one has an indentation in the thermometer about 1/2" from the tip, which I think is where it is located. And when stirring in a pot I found that newer one was sensing the heat in the pot, and it had to be kept from touching the pot - sort of hard to do! The old one I keep off the pot, for the most part, but it doesn't really react that fast, as long as it's not constantly touching the metal. Also, 1-2 cm isn't very deep, so you might want to increase the amount, or use a more narrow saucepan, so it will be deeper in it.

 

[dcSaute]

digital thermometers use a thermocouple for temperature sensing. on "most" brands looking at the tip you can see two different metals/pcs. the thermocouple itself is a short piece on the tip - the more expensive the digital thermometer the smaller is the sensing tip....

as long as that little bitty piece is completely 'in the object to be measured' - you're good to go....

that said . . . yes there can be / there is / there are actual real differences in temperature in a roast, a chicken, a turkey, a chop, frying oils . . . and that's why depending on where you poke/put the tip, you'll see different temps (accurately) measured.

fudge is viscous, so the temp difference with millimeters is not likely - but bottom to top in a heavy pan, I suspect you'll see 5+ differences.