Thermometer, use one for all or have 2?

[kitchengoddess8]

Are there thermometers that can be used for meat as well as candy/confections?

I just bought this candy thermometer for measuring melted cocoa butter:
CDN Candy and Deep Fry Ruler Thermometer - BedBathandBeyond.com

I also have this Polder thermometer which comes with a sleeve marked with meat temperatures:
Polder Easy-Read Instant Cooking Thermometer - BedBathandBeyond.com

Did I make the right decision in buying a separate thermometer for candy? The salesperson at Bed Bath said the Polder thermometer I have should not be used for candy.

 

[RPCookin]

I have this one that does both: Chef Alarm

I have the accessory clip that lets you hang the probe on the side of a pot for either deep frying or for candy (I don't make sweets, so I've never used it for that). Click the "More Info" button on the website to see it used for a pot.

I also have a second probe for measuring air temp, so it can be used for checking oven temperatures or for use in in a smoker or grill.

I like that the alarm is loud enough to be heard throughout most of the house (much louder than either the stove or microwave), even for me, and I wear hearing aids. It can be set to alarm for both high and low temps. I use this thermometer almost as much as I do my Thermapen instant read.

 

[Andy M.]

I think your two thermometers are exactly what you need.

 

[kitchengoddess8]

I think your two thermometers are exactly what you need.

Thanks Andy! I just spoke with someone at Polder and they said the probe thermometer I have can be used for liquids in candy making, but they do sell glass thermometers specifically for candy. Is there a reason glass is better for candy temps?


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[kitchengoddess8]

I have this one that does both: Chef Alarm

I have the accessory clip that lets you hang the probe on the side of a pot for either deep frying or for candy (I don't make sweets, so I've never used it for that). Click the "More Info" button on the website to see it used for a pot.

I also have a second probe for measuring air temp, so it can be used for checking oven temperatures or for use in in a smoker or grill.

I like that the alarm is loud enough to be heard throughout most of the house (much louder than either the stove or microwave), even for me, and I wear hearing aids. It can be set to alarm for both high and low temps. I use this thermometer almost as much as I do my Thermapen instant read.

Wow that one looks really amazing...maybe for later when I'm a more experienced chef


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[RPCookin]

Wow that one looks really amazing...maybe for later when I'm a more experienced chef


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To be honest, having good tools can help to make you a better cook. I was a journeyman machinist before I retired, and I learned the value of good tools. You can often make do with less, but having better tools usually means they are more accurate and more durable, as long as you don't abuse them too severely.

 

[jd_1138]

To be honest, having good tools can help to make you a better cook. I was a journeyman machinist before I retired, and I learned the value of good tools. You can often make do with less, but having better tools usually means they are more accurate and more durable, as long as you don't abuse them too severely.

Yep, having the proper tools is especially important for beginners. Using junky tools makes things harder, and you'll end up replacing them more often than a quality tool.

I am not a professional mechanic, but I have a toolbox of SK Tools because they feel better in the hands than Craaftsman/HF stuff. Did you keep all your tools when you retired as a machinist?

 

[Andy M.]

Thanks Andy! I just spoke with someone at Polder and they said the probe thermometer I have can be used for liquids in candy making, but they do sell glass thermometers specifically for candy. Is there a reason glass is better for candy temps?


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The glass candy thermometer is a specialized tool. It's made specifically for making candy. Not sure of the reason it's "better". Specialized tools usually are.

 

[Sir_Loin_of_Beef]

I have an instant read thermometer in my kitchen tools crock, a clip on the edge of the pot thermometer in the utensil drawer that can be used for candy making or deep frying, and two of those 'the probe goes inside and the readout stays outside' thermometers in the bottom drawer next to the stove (one for the turkey and one for the stuffing).

 

[GotGarlic]

Yep, having the proper tools is especially important for beginners. Using junky tools makes things harder, and you'll end up replacing them more often than a quality tool.

Absolutely! I got a set of cheap Farberware cookware for a wedding present and had a hard time with it for years - burning things in hot spots, etc. With some freelance and birthday money, I bought myself an All-Clad saute pan and WOW! What a difference! I also got good knives and Le Creuset cookware and bakeware - not that that's necessary, but it is excellent quality - and my cooking improved immensely. That's when I started really getting into learning more about cooking and got pretty good at it (she says modestly )

 

[RPCookin]

Yep, having the proper tools is especially important for beginners. Using junky tools makes things harder, and you'll end up replacing them more often than a quality tool.

I am not a professional mechanic, but I have a toolbox of SK Tools because they feel better in the hands than Craaftsman/HF stuff. Did you keep all your tools when you retired as a machinist?

The machinist specific tools I sold to guys in the shop, since I wasn't going to need them any more. My 3 Mitutoyo micrometers (0-1, 1-2, and 2-3) were bought in 1975, and were as good when I sold them in 2006 as when I bought them new. They were top of the line when I got them. I kept my hand tools and a few others that can be used outside of the shop.

 

[LizStreithorst]

I don't now a lot but I know some stuff. The correct tool for the job makes your life easier and your results better.

 

[kitchengoddess8]

I have an instant read thermometer in my kitchen tools crock, a clip on the edge of the pot thermometer in the utensil drawer that can be used for candy making or deep frying, and two of those 'the probe goes inside and the readout stays outside' thermometers in the bottom drawer next to the stove (one for the turkey and one for the stuffing).

Which brand and model do you have?


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[kitchengoddess8]

To be honest, having good tools can help to make you a better cook. I was a journeyman machinist before I retired, and I learned the value of good tools. You can often make do with less, but having better tools usually means they are more accurate and more durable, as long as you don't abuse them too severely.

Maybe so but $59 is a bit much for me to spend on one tool right now.


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[kitchengoddess8]

The glass candy thermometer is a specialized tool. It's made specifically for making candy. Not sure of the reason it's "better". Specialized tools usually are.

That's helpful to know, Andy. I noticed that most of the thermometers online that are described as made specifically for candy are glass.


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[taxlady]

RP, I have a Chef Alarm too and love it. (Mine is blue). I actually use it most as a timer. I love that it tells me how long it's been since it started making noise.

An instant read thermometer is not ideal for candy making or deep frying, because you can't really leave it in the candy or oil. Sure, you can use one in a pinch, but the ones you can leave in are more useful.

 

[kitchengoddess8]

RP, I have a Chef Alarm too and love it. (Mine is blue). I actually use it most as a timer. I love that it tells me how long it's been since it started making noise.

An instant read thermometer is not ideal for candy making or deep frying, because you can't really leave it in the candy or oil. Sure, you can use one in a pinch, but the ones you can leave in are more useful.

Basically I'm going to be using it to make sure my cocoa butter doesn't exceed 100 degrees when melting. Why wouldn't the thermometer I bought work for that?


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[taxlady]

Basically I'm going to be using it to make sure my cocoa butter doesn't exceed 100 degrees when melting. Why wouldn't the thermometer I bought work for that?


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It will work just fine. You even bought a thermometer that can be left in the butter. I'm just saying that the kind you can leave in the liquid are handier. Instant read will work too, but you will have to keep sticking it back in the butter or hold it in the butter with your hand.

 

[outRIAAge]

My main thermometer for the last 30-odd years is the Taylor Precision Products Digital Cooking Thermometer/Timer. I first reviewed it on Amazon more than 20 years ago, and I've updated it several times.

My review is easy to find, because it's the first of thousands, but in short, once you know its limitations (and have a spare probe on hand: they sometimes don't last long), it's a reliable tool. I can't understand why they haven't yet come up with a probe cord that can handle more than 392F, because I often exceed those temperatures. I like to stick it in the centre of what I'm cooking and leave it there ready to alarm me when it reaches the temperature I set.

I've tried cordless remote thermometers, but have never found a reliable, simple one. I don't use "instant-read" thermometers, because the Taylor only takes five seconds to give an accurate temp. The only other thermometer I use is a $20 infra-red one that is accurate up to 900F, but I've pegged even that one with my pizza oven. It also has the great advantage of coming with a laser pointer, so I can also literally drive the cat up the wall.

Oops: I sometimes also use my $200 Auber PID controller as a lab-quality thermometer, but its main job is running my smoker. (While getting that link, I discovered they now also make a thermocouple dual-probe thermometer for less than $200 in which the probe is rated up to 900F. I's gonna git me one of dose, ya betcha.)

 

[outRIAAge]

Hah! As soon as I posted the above, I went back to look at the new themocouple controller, and found that they have a photograph of the exact setup I will be using it for.