Comments on: checking your thermometer’s accuracy http://smittenkitchen.com/tips/checking-your-thermometers-accuracy/ Mon, 06 Feb 2012 05:51:52 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Debit Card http://smittenkitchen.com/tips/checking-your-thermometers-accuracy/#comment-7123 Debit Card Wed, 16 Nov 2011 01:49:54 +0000 http://smittenkitchen.com/tips/?p=67#comment-7123 Interesting blog! Is your theme custom made or did you download it from somewhere? A theme like yours with a few simple adjustements would really make my blog jump out. Please let me know where you got your theme. Cheers Interesting blog! Is your theme custom made or did you download it from somewhere? A theme like yours with a few simple adjustements would really make my blog jump out. Please let me know where you got your theme. Cheers

]]> By: Magpie http://smittenkitchen.com/tips/checking-your-thermometers-accuracy/#comment-1397 Magpie Sat, 19 Mar 2011 03:28:37 +0000 http://smittenkitchen.com/tips/?p=67#comment-1397 Hi Deb Have you found the perfect candy thermometer yet? I am considering buying one that I can also use for other purposes ( whatever else one can do with a candy thermometer- deep fryer, oven use and other such) if you or any of your readers has a particular model to share please do! Have no idea which is better- digital sounds like it would be more accurate, but then it needs batteries to be replaced at some point and I'm lazy.. Hi Deb
Have you found the perfect candy thermometer yet? I am considering buying one that I can also use for other purposes ( whatever else one can do with a candy thermometer- deep fryer, oven use and other such) if you or any of your readers has a particular model to share please do!
Have no idea which is better- digital sounds like it would be more accurate, but then it needs batteries to be replaced at some point and I’m lazy..

]]> By: Christine http://smittenkitchen.com/tips/checking-your-thermometers-accuracy/#comment-1306 Christine Sun, 13 Feb 2011 17:55:27 +0000 http://smittenkitchen.com/tips/?p=67#comment-1306 I think there is some confusion here. A mixture of ice and water (and water vapor because you can't not have it) will have a temperature of 32°F to enough accuracy for the work you do in your home kitchen. There are rules about the system being adiabatic but even State lab specialists will expect you to "ice point" your thermometers once a year in a reasonably insulated container and take that as 32°f depending on the work you do in your lab. "So an ice/water bath self-regulates its temperature at 32 F. The only other quantities affecting this temperature are the air pressure (the bath temperature could shift upward by about 0.003 degrees F during the low pressure of a hurricane) and dissolved chemicals (half an ounce of table salt per liter of bath water will shift the bath temperature downward by about 1 degree F)." http://www.howeverythingworks.org/page1.php?QNum=1442 I think there is some confusion here. A mixture of ice and water (and water vapor because you can’t not have it) will have a temperature of 32°F to enough accuracy for the work you do in your home kitchen. There are rules about the system being adiabatic but even State lab specialists will expect you to “ice point” your thermometers once a year in a reasonably insulated container and take that as 32°f depending on the work you do in your lab.

“So an ice/water bath self-regulates its temperature at 32 F.
The only other quantities affecting this temperature are the air pressure (the bath temperature could shift upward by about 0.003 degrees F during the low pressure of a hurricane) and dissolved chemicals (half an ounce of table salt per liter of bath water will shift the bath temperature downward by about 1 degree F).”

http://www.howeverythingworks.org/page1.php?QNum=1442

]]> By: Caitlyn http://smittenkitchen.com/tips/checking-your-thermometers-accuracy/#comment-221 Caitlyn Tue, 25 May 2010 19:44:34 +0000 http://smittenkitchen.com/tips/?p=67#comment-221 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.) 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 http://smittenkitchen.com/tips/checking-your-thermometers-accuracy/#comment-171 pam Tue, 13 Apr 2010 03:25:59 +0000 http://smittenkitchen.com/tips/?p=67#comment-171 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. 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 http://smittenkitchen.com/tips/checking-your-thermometers-accuracy/#comment-63 deb Sun, 10 Jan 2010 15:24:20 +0000 http://smittenkitchen.com/tips/?p=67#comment-63 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. 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 http://smittenkitchen.com/tips/checking-your-thermometers-accuracy/#comment-61 Maureen Tue, 05 Jan 2010 20:40:30 +0000 http://smittenkitchen.com/tips/?p=67#comment-61 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! 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 http://smittenkitchen.com/tips/checking-your-thermometers-accuracy/#comment-39 slobby Wed, 09 Dec 2009 12:35:53 +0000 http://smittenkitchen.com/tips/?p=67#comment-39 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 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 http://smittenkitchen.com/tips/checking-your-thermometers-accuracy/#comment-25 Jessica Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:49:32 +0000 http://smittenkitchen.com/tips/?p=67#comment-25 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. 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 http://smittenkitchen.com/tips/checking-your-thermometers-accuracy/#comment-23 Jenny Williams Wed, 11 Nov 2009 06:13:13 +0000 http://smittenkitchen.com/tips/?p=67#comment-23 If you don't live at sea level, your water won't boil at 212 degrees F. Ours boils at about 200 degrees F. If you don’t live at sea level, your water won’t boil at 212 degrees F. Ours boils at about 200 degrees F.

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