Cooking Thermometers

Ever wished you could use a ray gun to read temperatures? Well, you can, actually. There are several great brands of cooking thermometers that are designed to look and function like ray guns – sort of. They’re called infra red non-contact cooking thermometers. They’re generally digital, which means you can expect quick and accurate readings every time.

How ray gun cooking thermometers work

The infra red non-contact cooking thermometer, as its name implies, relies on infra red energy or IR. This type of cooking thermometer uses emitted energy from the object, which in this case is food. Since every object emits some level of infra red energy, the device is designed to capture this energy and calculate its temperature.

Because IR devices can also read reflected and transmitted energy, they have to be adjusted in order to come up with a more accurate reading. To take the surface temperature of an aluminum pan, for example, it’s best to consider the reflectivity of that surface because it can affect the accuracy of the reading. Aluminum pans are shiny and the reflection of light will give you a false temperature reading on your IR cooking thermometer.

To compensate, you could use a cooking spray to coat the surface of the pan or you could cut a length of masking tape (1 ½ to 2 inches will do), stick it on the surface and then aim your IR cooking thermometer on that area.

Uses of ray gun cooking thermometer

An infra red non-contact cooking thermometer is excellent for use with many different types of foods and cooking methods. It can take food temperature of cakes, pastries, sugar syrup, meat, poultry and even stew. It could also be used when grilling, baking or roasting.

There are also certain infra red non-contact cooking thermometers that are designed to work in a more flexible manner. Some models, for example, can be used not only for taking food temperatures but also for measuring the temperature of stoves, ovens, air conditioners and heaters. You aim one at a turkey right out of the oven and then use the same device to take the temperature of bath water, your freezer compartment or even baby’s milk.

What is a ray gun cooking thermometer good for?

Other than the looks and the feeling they give you of being in a sci-fi movie set, ray gun cooking thermometers are actually very convenient. They are designed to allow you to take the temperature of the food you’re cooking even without actual physical contact – no need for touching, probing or tapping your precious holiday ham.

Ray gun cooking thermometers are perfect if you do not like touching food too much or are performing other chores while cooking. That way, there’s no need to wash your hands after taking the meat’s temperature.

Second, infra red non-contact thermometers are convenient – no need to use a probe to poke your food and waste the precious juices. Furthermore, there’s not a lot of cleaning and wiping involved.

Third, taking temperatures does not require the instrument to touch the food. You can aim the thermometer from about half an inch to a quarter inch away and still be able to take an accurate reading. With a ray gun cooking thermometer, food keeps its great flavor, remains intact and free from contamination of any kind.

Limitations

Although flexible, quite easy to use and very convenient, the ray gun cooking thermometer does have its weakness. It’s designed to measure only the surface temperature of its target. That means if you need to take internal temperature (such as when cooking meats and poultry), you will still need a cooking thermometer that uses a probe.

Tags: Ray Gun Cooking Thermometers
Filed under: Cooking Thermometers | Mar 23rd, 2010.