Comments on: checking your thermometer’s accuracy

By: Caitlyn

Caitlyn — Tue, 25 May 2010 19:44:34 +0000

actually, the freezing point also changes above or below sea level, just not as much. And it doesn’t have to be measured just as it begins to boil – all boiling water at sea level is 212 degrees, because as long as it is boiling the heat from the stove is being used to turn water into steam, not to heat the water. (Another way of thinking about it is that the boiling point is as hot as liquid water gets – each molecule of water that gets hotter than the boiling point promptly leaves the pot.)

By: pam

pam — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 03:25:59 +0000

Jessica’s comment is a good start, but she didn’t go into how to calibrate the thermometer. Most baking thermometers have a nut underneath the head. If the thermometer doesn’t register 32 degree in the frozen water, you can turn the nut with pliers to adjust the needle.

By: deb

deb — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 15:24:20 +0000

Hi Maureen — Not exactly, because I’ve bought even fancy ones and the temps were off. I’d bring one home, keep the receipt, check to see if it’s accurate and if not, return it for a different model.

By: Maureen

Maureen — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 20:40:30 +0000

do you recommend a particular thermometer? I burned caramel terribly and my boyfriend banned me from making it again until I get a proper thermometer :-) I didn’t see one in your tools and gadgets section so any recommendations would be much appreciated!

By: slobby

slobby — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 12:35:53 +0000

Altitude is a huge factor in boiling point, barometric pressure is as well, to a lesser extent. Here is an excellent boiling point calculator, just get your barometric pressure from a weather website. In Denver, today, our boiling point is 202.754.
http://www.csgnetwork.com/h2oboilcalc.html

By: Jessica

Jessica — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:49:32 +0000

I took a food safety class when I worked at Whole Foods and the recommended method for calibrating a thermometer was the freezing method, not the boiling. Water boils at different points based on sea level, but you can always count on freezing at 32 degrees F. Put the thermometer in ice water and calibrate it to 32.

By: Jenny Williams

Jenny Williams — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 06:13:13 +0000

If you don’t live at sea level, your water won’t boil at 212 degrees F. Ours boils at about 200 degrees F.