The Best Method For Accurate Temperature Evaluation In My Oven

Steve Williams

Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
Hi Keith

Cooking is certainly fun and reading all of your threads on items cooked serves to stimulate my salivary glands. One of my concerns is the inaccuracy of the temperatures in the oven as determined by the oven internal thermometer. I find all too often that the probes that come with the oven are also inaccurate. Is this just my impression or do you feel the same? If so what thermometer or other method do you use to get the most accurate temperature determination?
 

mep

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
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Steve-Are you looking to calibrate your oven or just wanting to buy a digital thermometer to check food temperatures?
 

mep

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
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I'm not clear on whether you are trying to calibrate your oven or if you are looking to buy a digital thermometer.
 

mep

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
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That one looks pretty serious Steve. You don't trust it?
 

GaryProtein

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Jul 25, 2012
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I have one of all-clad's too. I cook for done-ness by temperature and that's a good probe. I also use the ThermoWorks Thermapen 5 because it reads almost instantly.

You can also use an IR thermometer to check for the oven temperature.

I use a Fluke model 63 IR thermometer. It's good for testing the temps in the freezer and refrigerator too (as well as your AC duct temperatures and many surface temperatures that you can't stick an immersion thermometer into like saute pans, walls, amplifier heat sinks, etc).
 

Keith_W

Well-Known Member
Mar 31, 2012
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Hi Steve, that gadget that you have is perfect for checking oven temperatures. Bear in mind that your oven probably has hot and cold spots so you should move it around a little to get an idea. I use my Rocks BBQ Stoker to keep an eye on the oven and food temp. It's great, because I can add as many thermometers as my budget allows :)
 

JackD201

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
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I've always had reliable results with my built in probe. Yikes! Thanks to this thread I might get ovenphilia nervosa!!!!!!!!
 

beaur

Fleetwood Sound
Oct 12, 2011
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There is no substitute for trial and error especially if you bake a lot. Assuming you aren't wedded to exactly replicated recipes and instructions do some experimenting when you cook. Make enough batter for, say 3, trays of muffins, cookies etc. Then for each tray vary either the time or the temperature. Takes more time and effort as you have to pay attention to what's going on but after doing several of these trials you should have a good idea of how your oven cooks. The upside is you get lots of tasty treats, the downside is the expanding waistline!

Also remember if you have a convection oven to either lower the suggested cooking temperature or shorten the time mentioned in most recipes.
 

Ronm1

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Feb 21, 2011
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Sorry I'm late on this one. I've had one of these for years in our ovens. Hangs easily on a rack, after spot testing it was left in place. It's quite accurate. Has a large dial so it's easy to read.
Cooper-Atkins #24HP. A steal at $6.
 

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