In addition to great spice storage, a sharp knife, cast iron skillet, and a kitchen scale, every kitchen deserves a thermometer. It’s the most reliable way to cook foods to the proper/desired doneness. Well, it’s reliable if your thermometer is correctly calibrated.
Thermometers galore!
Though I’m an enormous fan of my Raytek MiniTemp infrared thermometer (note this style only measures surface temperatures, not internal temperatures) and my ThermoWorks ThermaPen, I happily used inexpensive dial thermometers for years with great results. One of the things I made sure to do is calibrate regularly. My method was rather standard, filling a glass with ice, adding cold water, and placing the thermometer in the ice water to get a reading. Ideally it should read 32˚F and if not the nut under the display head adjusts the reading when turned.
Dial thermometer adjustment
It wasn’t until I recently saw a post about calibrating thermometers on ThermaPen.com that I realized I didn’t have the process quite right. There are a few subtle details that are rather important when setting up a water bath for calibration. Here’s what I learned.
Fill a glass with ice
Calibration ice bath
Add just enough cold water to fill in the gaps between the ice and keep the water level 1/2” below the surface of the ice. Check to be sure the ice isn’t floating up off the bottom of the glass. If it is, you have too much water. This picture is a bit deceptive; the ice is sitting on the bottom of the glass, but the glass has an inch-thick bottom.
Give the ice water a stir and let it sit for 1 minute.
Right where it should be
Insert the thermometer probe 2” below the surface and gently stir. This will give you an accurate reading. If you have a dial thermometer you can then turn the nut to adjust the needle to read 32˚F if it doesn’t already. ThemoWorks has a nice video demo of this water bath calibration technique.
To get an accurate reading when checking food for doneness with a probe thermometer it’s important to insert the probe deep enough into the food for the temperature to register. The sensor on some probes can be ½” to 1” from the tip, depending on the manufacturer. One of the reasons I like my ThermaPen is that the sensor is in the very tip of the probe, plus it registers temperatures at lightning fast speed.
In addition to thinking about where the probe will sense the temperature, it’s important to consider where to take a reading in the food. Generally inserting the thermometer at a slight angle into the thickest part of a piece of meat or the center of a casserole is the best approach. If the item is thin, inserting the probe into the side at an angle nearly parallel with the surface will allow the probe enough contact to register the temperature. Be careful to avoid hitting bone or cartilage with the probe because you won’t get an accurate reading of the temperature of the meat.
If you want to make a great investment and buy an outstandingly high-quality instant read thermometer I can’t say enough good things about the ThermaPen, but if you aren’t ready for that level of commitment consider an inexpensive dial thermometer, after all you now know the proper technique for making an ice bath for calibration.
If you are cooking a turkey tomorrow, it’s ready to come out of the oven when the thickest part of the thigh registers 165˚F. Be sure to check both thighs before pulling the bird out of the oven. This doesn’t mean it’s done though, there’s still the critical rest period. Don’t skip it. Let the cooked turkey rest for 20-30 minutes before carving. You can tent the turkey with foil if you like, but be sure to poke a few holes in the foil so steam can escape and the skin stays crispy. I found a nice run-down of cooking temperatureson the Thermapen site that might be a handy reference.
If you’re staring at tomorrow with no plans and no prepped turkey, pick up a whole chicken or turkey breast to roast. Below is a recipe link for a Basic Roast Chicken from Rouxbe Online Cooking School, it’s a perfect stand-in for turkey. I’ve also included a few other recipes on our site that might round out your menu. Note, the recipes on Rouxbe are free to access, but by using our affiliate link you can access all the content, including the entire cooking school curriculum, on their site free for 14 days! If you like what you see and end up buying a membership, you help us raise money for Share Our Strength.
Recipe Links
- Basic Roast Chicken
- Cornbread Stuffing Baked in a Squash
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Pearl Onions
- Veggie Cheesy Torte
- Spiced Cranberry Sauce
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
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I think it should be my new year’s resolution to round up all of my thermometers and calibrate them! I rely on them so much; I shouldn’t assume that they’re accurate.
Hmmm. I’m thinking my thermometers could use a little love. They are neglected most of the time!