How to Pick the Best Digital Kitchen Thermometer For Your Restaurant

What is a Digital Kitchen Thermometer?

A food thermometer is an extremely important prop in commercial and home kitchens and helps to ensure that not only is the food safe to eat, but it is cooked to the exact degree of doneness as prescribed in the recipe.

There is a wide array of thermometers you can use in the kitchen. A digital thermometer is one of them. It comes with an electronic display screen and is supported by a battery. Digital kitchen thermometers display temperatures in the form of numerals, unlike analog dial thermometers that require temperatures to be read from the movement of pointers over markings on a dial, or even simpler mercury and alcohol thermometers that show temperature by the movement of liquids along temperature markings.

Digital thermometers are, therefore, easy to read and provide readings even as fractions. Analog thermometers, however, may cause you to strain your eyes to pick up exact temperature values (especially fractions), and quivering pointers make operating analog thermometers all the more difficult.

Digital food thermometers can be of the instant read variety, which involves inserting it into the food or lowering it into a liquid. This would give instantaneous readings, after which, the thermometer can be pulled out. Digital technology may also inform Bluetooth and Wifi thermometers, which let users monitor temperatures from afar and in real time.

Digital thermometers also come as thermocouple thermometers that use interchangeable probes on different cold and hot food items. Thermocouples have a shorter response time than instant read ones.

Digital thermometers can also work on the basis of infrared technology, using infrared light for delivering instant readings. These thermometers don't need to be in contact with the food to gauge temperatures, making them even more convenient than instant read thermometers that require probes to be inserted into the food.

You have digital oven thermometers and refrigerator thermometers too. Digital thermometers can be used for candy making and deep frying as well.

Kitchen Thermometers and Food Safety- What's the Connection?

The importance of kitchen thermometers stems from the fact that no food handling process can advance without monitoring temperatures. Food items have to be cooked, hot held, reheated, refrigerated, and frozen at the recommended safe temperatures so that they don't breed bacteria and other disease-causing pathogens.

The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), warns that the temperature range from 40 F to 140 F is hazardous for food. In this 'food temperature danger zone', bacteria are known to double in a matter of just 20 minutes. The National Restaurant Association's food safety training and certification body ServSafe identifies the narrower temperature range of 41 F to 135 F as constituting the food temperature danger zone. Among these overall ranges, temperatures falling between 70 F and 125 F are held to be especially risky for food.

Food, therefore, has to be cooked, reheated, and hot held for serving at temperatures above the hazardous range (above 140 F) and should be refrigerated at temperatures below the hazardous range (below 40 F). Frozen foods, on the other hand, need to be maintained at 0 F and lower. It's necessary to prevent cold foods from going past 70 F, and if the ambient temperature of the area where food is kept crosses 90 F, food shouldn't be left without refrigeration for over one hour.

Cooking involves heating food to minimum safe internal temperatures. These temperature values are essentially critical limits compliant with the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) food safety program. These are the extent to which food safety hazards need to be controlled at critical control points. Critical limits related to temperature vary from one food type to another.

Accordingly, beef, veal, pork, or lamb roasts need to be cooked to an internal temperature of 145 F to eliminate harmful foodborne microorganisms. The internal cooking temperature for eggs is 160 F, and poultry is 165 F. Reheated food needs to reach a temperature of 165 F.

Thermometers help in precise temperature monitoring, leaving nothing to guesswork, thereby ensuring food safety.

Types of Kitchen Thermometers

There are several varieties of thermometers on the market. These differ in the technology they employ, the ingredients they handle, the kitchen apparatus and equipment they work with, the cooking/storage methods involved, and the range of temperature they need to measure. Here are five broad types of kitchen thermometers-

1. Meat thermometers-
These allow you to take the temperature of meat and/or poultry during barbequing, grilling, roasting, or smoking. They can measure the temperature of the grill/smoker too. Instant read meat thermometers can measure the temperatures at specific junctures of the cooking exercise. You simply have to insert the probe into the thickest part of the meat while taking care to stay clear of fat, bone, and gristle. Meat thermometers work on more sophisticated Bluetooth and Wifi technology too. These wireless thermometers have probes that are left in the meat as it cooks, and they broadcast real-time temperature readings.

2. Oven thermometers-
Oven thermometers address the shortcomings of oven dials by displaying accurate oven temperatures. They can also identify hot and cold spots, which are areas within the oven where temperatures differ. These temperature anomalies can affect baking time.

3. Instant read thermometers-
Instant read thermometers can be used to measure temperatures in a split second, for not just meat, but any kind of food. The strong suit of these thermometers is their simplicity, though they are not as high-tech as Bluetooth or Wifi thermometers. They also need the cook to be in close proximity to the food and manually insert the thermometer into the food for readings.

4. Candy/deep-fry thermometers-
These thermometers measure the temperature of boiling sugar, syrups, oils, and sauces. Temperatures can go as high as 300-400 F unlike meat thermometers, which don't need to measure temperatures any more than 180-200 F. Mercury thermometers are ideal for candy-making, given their ability to measure extremely high temperatures of up to 673 F.

5. Refrigerator thermometers-
Appliance thermometers help ensure that the temperature of the refrigerator and freezer stays perfect. Here's how to use them- the thermometer needs to be dipped in a glass of water and then placed at the center of the refrigerator. If the temperature that is displayed is not between 38 F and 40 F, the temperature control of the refrigerator has to be adjusted. Similarly, place the appliance thermometer between food packages in the freezer to see if the temperature is between 0 F and 2 F. Alcohol thermometers can work well in the refrigerator and freezer, given their ability to measure temperatures as cold as -328 F.

How Does a Digital Kitchen Thermometer Work?

Digital or electronic thermometers are based on the concept that the resistance of a block of metal alters with changes in temperature. Resistance, in this regard, shows how easily electricity flows through the object. As metals turn hotter, atoms dance inside the metals more vigorously, obstructing the flow of electricity, and thereby increasing resistance. On the other hand, as metals get cooler, resistance decreases and the flow of electricity frees up.

The battery of a digital thermometer normally supplies a small 1.5V voltage. By passing this voltage across a metal probe an electronic thermometer measures the flow of electric current. For instance, if the probe is lowered into boiling water, the heat hinders the electric current from flowing through the probe. As a result, there is an increase in resistance, which can then be measured. The thermometer's internal microchip gauges the resistance to derive temperature measurements.

Digital thermometers have much faster response times than mercury or alcohol thermometers, and analog dial thermometers. Reading the temperature value off the markings on an analog thermometer may need you to strain your eyes. This, therefore, takes some time. In the case of digital thermometers, however, readouts are quickly flashed on the screen and there is no scope for error or ambiguity.

Bluetooth and Wifi thermometers with digital displays allow temperatures to be even more easily read. Temperatures can, in fact, be read in real time, on any handheld device. So you won't have to stand near the oven to read its temperature.

Buyer's Guide- How to Pick the Right Kitchen Thermometer

1. First and foremost, there should be no compromise on the accuracy of your kitchen thermometer. If the readings on a food thermometer are not the true temperature, your food safety and quality will be compromised. Poor temperature control can give your restaurant a bad name, and dissuade customers from visiting you, resulting in loss of revenue. Worse still, it could expose you to litigation by consumers and disciplinary action by regulatory agencies.

2. Check what fractions of a degree your thermometer is able to measure. If it shows a single digit after the decimal point, it measures up to a tenth of a degree, and if it shows two digits, it measures a hundredth of a degree. Usually, the latter provides more precise readings.

3. Temperature readings displayed by the thermometer should be consistent. With all other factors remaining constant, it should not show different temperature values at different times while measuring the same variable. For example, every time water starts to boil, the thermometer should read 212 degrees Fahrenheit.

4. Thermometers should be able to measure a wide Food Temperature range. For example, certain meat thermometers can measure temperatures in excess of 500 F, and can therefore also be used for candy making and deep frying, which involve temperatures in the range of 300-400 F. On the other hand, an alcohol thermometer won't be suitable for measuring boiling water as the ethanol in the thermometer has a much lower boiling point than water. Alcohol thermometers are, therefore, not great cooking thermometers.

5. Thermometers should provide quick readings, and digital instant read thermometers work best in this regard. Slow thermometers can make a hash of the cooking, particularly when dealing with temperature-sensitive products.

6. Your thermometer should alert you if temperatures go out of control, and when the cooking is done. Choose Bluetooth or Wifi thermometers for the added convenience of monitoring temperatures from a distance. Smart thermometers can also maintain a record of temperatures reached at various points of the cooking process.

Top 3 Digital Kitchen Thermometers for Restaurants

1. Lavatools Javelin Pro Duo-
This digital thermometer comes with a big two-inch anti-fog backlit display, and offers a 360-degree viewing angle. Its ambidextrous display rotates automatically, making it easy to read from any angle. The standout feature of the Javelin Pro Duo is its smart temperature stabilization feature, whereby the thermometer can hold a temperature readout after it stabilizes, alerting you with a beep. This ensures that constantly fluctuating temperature readings won't throw you off. The Javelin Pro Duo provides instant readouts, with a response time of just two to three seconds, and has a high accuracy of 0.9 F at temperatures ranging from -4 F to 302 F. It can measure temperatures from -40 F to 482 F. The Javelin Pro Duo is splash- and dust-resistant. It can run for more than 4,000 hours on just a single battery and saves power when not in use.

2. Thermopro TP 19-
This thermometer possesses a thermocouple sensor that allows it to display temperature readouts in two to three seconds. It has an accuracy of 0.9 F between 14 F and 212 F. Outside this range, the ThermoPro TP 19 is accurate to 1.5 F. It can gauge temperatures between -58 F and 572 F. Like the Javelin Pro Duo, it comes with an ambidextrous display and a 360-degree viewing experience. The automatically rotating, two-inch backlit display is easy to read from all angles. It comes with motion-sensing functions. The thermometer hibernates when not in use for 90 seconds, and wakes up as it is picked up. The ThermoPro TP 19 can be easily cleaned under running water.

3. ThermoWorks Thermapen One-
This is a handheld instant read digital thermometer, and is good in the kitchen, as well as in the smoker or the grill. It is accurate to 0.5 F between the temperatures -4 F to 248 F. Outside this temperature range, it is accurate to 1.8 F. The Thermapen One has a response time of one second. The 360-degree automatically rotating display turns right-side up. The bright backlit and smart display illuminates automatically in dimly lit conditions and if you cover the sensor window. The thermometer can turn on intuitively when picked up. Set it down and it intuitively turns off. It has a battery life of 2,000 hours. It is waterproof, dustproof, shockproof, and hand-washable.

Food Safety FAQs

Q.What are the latest facts on foodborne illnesses in the US?

A. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) finds that 47.8 million people are victims of domestically-contracted foodborne illnesses in the US annually. This amounts to one in every six Americans falling sick every year due to foodborne diseases. The CDC also reports 127,839 hospitalizations and 3,037 deaths every year from foodborne diseases. As many as 31 known pathogens and numerous unspecified agents are responsible for this massive foodborne disease caseload in America.

Q. What does New Era of Smarter Food Safety mean?

A. This involves approaching the issue of food safety from a new angle, incorporating technology to digitally create a safe food system that also possesses a fair degree of traceability. It explores processes that are effective yet simple, and its ultimate objective is to reduce the burden of foodborne diseases in the US.

Q. How can you use HACCP in retail and distribution?

A. The FSIS works in collaboration with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to fix federal norms for the safe transportation, distribution, and storage of food items before those products reach retail outlets. Using the Food Code, the two agencies seek to offer joint guidance on Food Safety to retailers.

Q. Can consumers make use of HACCP norms?

A. Yes, it is possible for households to implement HACCP-like practices. To do this, one must use the correct methods for food handling, cooking, storage, and cleaning.

For instance, households must follow HACCP principles for cooking and refrigerating meat and poultry that need strict time and temperature control. HACCP norms can also be followed to keep raw food away from cooked and ready-to-eat meals, and to store leftovers in the refrigerator in order to prevent pathogens from flourishing.