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At Last: A Terrific Affordable Thermometer
When it comes to baking, the three most critical factors to ensure the best results are the quality of the ingredients, the quantity of the ingredient (I prefer weight to volume) and the temperature. For the latter, it’s often useful to have a thermometer but if it’s not an accurate one it’s better to use none at all. You can get away without one for most baking but when it comes to sugar syrups it is almost essential. And it’s reassuring when baking bread to know for sure when it’s reached the proper internal temperature. For roasting or grilling I can’t begin to imagine doing without a thermometer.
Since mercury thermometers for use in the kitchen were banned by the FDA I’ve been searching for a viable replacement that would be both accurate and affordable. I love infra-red for surface temperature such as the inside of the oven, the freezer or frig, but have not found the ones that also include probes adequately reliable for internal temperatures. For these uses I can now recommend the CDN Pro Accurate™ Quick Tip™ Digital Cooking Thermometer on a Rope Model Q2-450 that I’ve been testing since the Chicago Housewares Show a few months ago. I’m pleased to report that tested against my old reliable mercury thermometer it is as accurate and possibly even faster. This is now the one that I pull out with the most regularity, probably because it’s so handy in design and so extraordinarily easy to use. Since I’m not working with large volumes, I especially appreciate the “quick tip” feature--the sensor is in the tip of the probe so it doesn’t require the usual deep immersion to get an accurate reading (No more tilting of the pot!). There are so many useful features I’ll list them here:
Temperature Range: -40 to 450˚F, -40 to 230˚C ±1/2 ˚
Waterproof
Self calibrating
One button operation (easy to turn on and off but auto turn-off after 10 minutes)
Big digit readout
Data hold (locks reading on display for use in low light conditions)
Hangs on a rope
Suggested retail price under $20
The company also offers a 23-page booklet on “temperature and thermometer tips” at www.cdnw.com or by mail if you send a stamped self-addressed envelope to:
CDN Customer Service
PO Box 10947
Portland, OR 97296
Check out their site for other useful thermometers such as one specific to grilling. I haven’t tried it out yet but the outdoor grilling season is just beginning so stay tuned!
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Matthew, hope you have not deleted the many emails I sent you about getting a Bialetti stove top espresso maker!
Reply to this Posted by: Hector | July 13, 2008 1:27 AM #
It is funny--I just got rid of all my omega emails/ printouts a couple of days ago--should have held on to them. I just wrote them an email with the model number of the thermometer I wanted. I described what I wanted to do with the thermocouples, and they responded quickly with a list of model numbers for the thermocouples (such as the one that goes in the oven). I would try emailing them again because I thought they had excellent customer service--perhaps your email didn't make it?
Reply to this Posted by: Matthew | July 12, 2008 1:48 PM #
I can totally understand that Hector - my hood vent ranges from 380-800 cfm and the neighbors always know when/what I'm cooking.
Reply to this Posted by: Patrincia | July 12, 2008 12:49 PM #
matthew, could you spell the omega beans? i dont have one.
i rely on little cdn nsf thermometers, plus smell, color and repeated results.
did i tell that i have a 600 cfm range hood venting outdoors? so i actually have to go to my yard to smell the performance of my oven!
Reply to this Posted by: hector | July 11, 2008 12:28 PM #
Hector
I would also like to have the details for the omega. I live in Europe so it is not easy for me to make a call for information to Omega. I have tried email but that did not work.I want to buy the omega hh22 with the thicker wires so I can check the oventemperature and the internal temparature of my meat etc, without taking the probes out the oven.
Reply to this Posted by: Lis | July 11, 2008 1:39 AM #
Veronica, are you still having trouble bringing the right temperature of sugar for Italian Meringues? I hope not since you have 2 of the most sought thermometers already: the themapen and thermocouple!
I have the CDN Pro Accurate Quick Tip and the little CDN infrared.
/H
Reply to this Posted by: Hector | June 19, 2008 6:50 PM #
I know I can rely on this site for answers to thermometer question! I've been having trouble getting the temperature of low volume sugar syrup for Italian Meringues which is so critical its end result. Thanks!!! And if you all want to see my collection of thermometers see here which does not include the last two I purchased , check over here :) :
http://kitchenmusings.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/09/how-many-thermo.html
Reply to this Posted by: veron | June 19, 2008 8:50 AM #
Hector, I also have all of the CDN models you mention except for the IR. I like them too. The DOT2 seems to be accurate and it is very affordable although I haven't tested it against the Omega yet. I basically wanted the Omega so I would never have to wonder again--it is accurate to a very fine level.
Reply to this Posted by: Matthew | December 7, 2007 2:07 PM #
oops, sorry, Matthew, found the info above. Congratulations on the Omega. Right now my therm collection is as follow:
The CDN DOT2 hanging on the oven shelf that I will be baking (hanging from the shelf above, or sitting on the shelf itself). I place it right in the middle so I could read it thru the oven door glass, which is still hard to read as I don't clean the glass often. What I do is when I open the oven door to bring in the cake, I remove the thermometer and read it, and no longer place it in the oven or place it towards the side after I put the cake in just so I can read it when the cake is done; it is just hard to have the thermometer in the way! My oven is always lined with tiles on the oven floor or bottom shelf and on the top shelf and I do preheat at least 30 minutes (gas oven, convection on), I use my CDN Infrared to read the tile temp, and when that is done I am assured my oven temp is pretty accurate and stable.
The CDN Infrared IN428. It is my baby, and I carry with me everywhere I go! Like Rose mentions, this is the one I use to read the temperature everywhere, and not just in the kitchen (although never tried to read my toes). When I read the tiles, I feel comfortable that my oven is at the correct and constant temperature since tiles are temperature stable. I am aware that when the tiles are directly on the oven floor they will always be at much higher temperature, do this for pies or roasts, for cakes the tiles are on the bottom shelf. My baby goes indoors, outdoors, on my pets, in my garden, in my office, Europe, etc, etc.
The CDN Q2-450 ProAccurate Quick Tip. This I use when heating sugar, cooking, etc. Also when I reheat leftovers, specially in the microwave, I probe the food to read internal temperature of 160 or so. When I heat sugar, I also read with the IR every now and then, interchangeably, it gives you a better idea of what is going on.
KitchenAid freezer/refrigerator thermometer, one on each freeze/refrigerator I have, and I do interexchange them across my freezers/refrigerators to see if they give you still the same temperature wherever they should be. Every now and then, I place a glass of water in my refrigerators and read with the CDN Quick Tip. I've just ordered an Orka Fridge/Freezer Thermometer, dual probe, digital outside reading, A75014, just for fun. My freezer is kept at 0, my fridge at 30 to 32 (I know, that is cold), and my chest at -10.
Polder 602-90 Digital Cooking Timer/Thermometer, two of these. When I do roasts primarily, and do cross check accuracy with my oven's built in probe and with my Quick Tip.
My wish for an addition would be the Raytek IR/Probe Food Service.
Reply to this Posted by: Hector | December 7, 2007 1:08 PM #
Matthew, details of the Omega, pls. model, where to buy, etc.
Reply to this Posted by: Hector | December 7, 2007 12:35 PM #
no--i place it on the shelf where i will be baking--usually toward the middle but not to touch the baking pan of course!
congratulations--you'll feel so secure with this thermometer!
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | December 7, 2007 10:34 AM #
Rose,
I decided to go ahead and get the Omega, and I have it now. It looks very "scientific." I like it. One final question. Where/how do you place the wire probe in your oven? I can see my oven's built-in probe rests on a little ledge in the top left of the oven. Do you place yours at the top too?
Reply to this Posted by: Matthew | December 7, 2007 10:20 AM #
refiner's syrup would give the fondant an off-white color so it's up to you.
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | November 19, 2007 1:36 PM #
I have a question regarding poured fondant. I'm going to making napoleons this week. Can I use refiners syrup in the fondant or does it have to be corn syrup?
Reply to this Posted by: Bill | November 18, 2007 7:32 AM #
the probes attached to coiled yellow wires are not oven or heat safe. they are what i referred to as instant read. for the oven you need the special wires which come in thin and thicker sizes. i like the thicker as it's more durable. since there are two 'sockets'you can use one to test the oven at the same time as the probe to test sugar syrup etc.
in the past i've called the company and they are very helpful guiding you to what your specific requirements are.
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | November 6, 2007 9:31 AM #
Thank you for your response Rose. It prompted me to turn back to your books and do a bit more reading. I am now considering taking the plunge for the Omega. I went to their website and looked at the HH22, but there isn't a lot of practical information. I'm trying to visualize how I would use it. The probes appear to be attached to coiled yellow wires--are those oven safe? How do you place the probes in the oven?
Secondly, you mention an optional instant-read attachment for the Omega. Could the extra second probe be used for this purpose? If not, do you happen to know what the optional part is called. I searched for instant-read probe, but I didn't turn up anything.
Reply to this Posted by: Matthew | November 6, 2007 12:04 AM #
my first choice is the thermapen for spead. the only infrared i've used is the raytek foodpro.
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | November 5, 2007 2:50 PM #
Rose,
I'm about to invest in a new set of thermometers, so I was reading through this thread again. I plan to purchase the quick tip, but would also like to buy an infrared. Do you also recommend CDN's model? I saw this comment from you, but I wasn't sure/couldn't locate the model you were referring to.
Reply to this Posted by: Matthew | November 5, 2007 1:47 PM #
Hi everyone,
This post is long overdue. I checked my thermometer's tip as adviced by the CDN rep and found a slight nick on it. My replacement just came in and it works much better than the first. It has a smooth and unblemished tip. It doesn't fluctuate wildly like the first one. I successfully made a ganache and poured fondant recipe with it.
Thx everyone, for your input and suggestions!
Reply to this Posted by: maria | August 4, 2007 4:21 PM #
kathy, none of the mauvial copper i've purchased is covered with any protective coating. copper that is usually comes with instructions for removing it. i haven't seen this for years.
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | June 24, 2007 9:30 PM #
Jen, your explanation is EXACT. Thanks for sharing.
Reply to this Posted by: Hector | June 22, 2007 2:58 PM #
Hi Maria. We were taught in culinary school that once your thermometer hits the desired temp for the FIRST time, you stop the cooking. The sugar is boiling, so the temp is going to jump up & down depending on if the probe is in an air bubble, closer to the bottom of the pan, etc. And sugar does heat in "stages" (jumps a few degrees at a time), so you are not losing your mind! I'm sure Rose knows the scientific explanation for this (it may be in the super informative sugar "work-of-art"icle posted on this site, i didn't go look again).
Anyhow, I defer as always to Rose's knowledge of these matters, but it has always worked for me to stop cooking exactly when I first see that "248 degrees" register on the thermo....(except for caramel, where I do take it off the heat 5 degrees early).
Hope this helps.
Reply to this Posted by: Jen N | June 22, 2007 8:46 AM #
Maria, I don't think you can avoid that. Honestly, I use thermometers only as a reference. Even if they are extremelly exact, I eye ball a lot. /H
Reply to this Posted by: Hector | June 21, 2007 1:47 PM #
Hector, thx for the reply!
The reading would be fine if it kept increasing linearly. Say my thermometer reaches 248.3, the slightest movement of my hand will bring it back to 247.8 or 247.9 or lower. This confuses me, and I am left high dry as my thermometer reading wavers and the candy continues to heat way past the requisite stage.
Reply to this Posted by: Maria | June 21, 2007 12:18 PM #
Maria, I think if you are registering 247.9 and then it jumps to 248.3, it is accurate enough. =)
Reply to this Posted by: Hector | June 19, 2007 4:58 PM #
See, that is what I mean hector. Because its instant read, would the temperature keep climbing steadily without a pause, registering even the slightest increase in temperature?
What I have seen in my thermometer (which may be faulty)is that it does not read in increments of 0.1,ie. 240.1,240.2,240.3,240.4 and so on. It jumps ahead skittishly by 0.3 or 0.2 decimals. There is no uniform increase in temperature.
When I used the thermometer, it never ever recorded a clear, precise 248. It was always either 247.9 or 248.3. Thats why I ask.
How long should each increment last on the display? So, when I say hold, I don't mean the hold feature on the thermometer, I mean how long does any temperature reading remain on the display.
Reply to this Posted by: maria | June 19, 2007 3:29 PM #
I have purchased a Mauviel copper bowl for beating egg whites. It came with no information as to first time use. Some copper must be cleaned of protective finishes before using. Is this the case with this particular bowl? It does not appear to have a coating of any kind.Thanks.
Reply to this Posted by: Kathy M | June 19, 2007 2:25 PM #
Maria, the thermometers we use are "instant read," which means these register temperature changes immediatelly. If a candy recipe calls to cook to 248oF, the thermometer will say 248oF and this is when you stop the cooking or go on to the next step in your recipe.
Why would you need to hold the temperature reading in your thermometer? I find this feature helpful when you want to read the thermometer avoiding getting too close to the food.
Reply to this Posted by: Hector | June 19, 2007 2:05 PM #
Rose,
An update on my post about the thermometer. I talked to a CDN customer rep and she said the fluctuations in thermometer could be the result of the red tip being scratched or bruised.
I also wanted to mention that the temperature fluctuations I see are by decimal points, like by 0.1 - 0.4. Not by entire degrees. But I didn't see any abrasions on the tip. I will go home and check thoroughly today.
Let me ask you this, suppose a candy recipe says the candy should be cooked to 248F, does your thermometer hold that temperature after it registers, if so how long does the temperature stay at 248?
Anyway, I am getting a replacement from the retailer I order it through. I will report back on how that goes.
Maria.
Reply to this Posted by: Maria | June 19, 2007 1:41 PM #
I've got the CDN quicktip as Rose listed, and also a CDN infrared. My experience with thermometers is none prior to this, but my experience with caramel is about 100 batches. I trained with the color changes of caramel and with the detailed description Rose mentions on Cake Bible (color, texture, drop size, etc).
Now I use the thermometers and I also find that I need to account 5 degrees earlier. If you wait until your caramel is at the exact temperature, it will over do. Besides the thermometer been slow in registering, I believe that caramel increases temperature so fast and drastic when it is reaching target temperature. So, keep one eye on your thermometer and the other eye on the caramel, provided you have 2 eyes.
Reply to this Posted by: Hector | June 12, 2007 1:01 PM #
also please note that with all thermometers, especially when making caramel, it's a good idea to remove the mixture from the heat a minimum of 5 degrees before it reaches temperature. you can always return it if necessary, but many pots retain the heat and if the thermometer is slow in registering, this conspires to end up with a temperature far in excess of what you are trying to achieve.
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | June 12, 2007 10:46 AM #
i strongly recommend that you contact the manufacturer. although the reading is not as fast as the thermapen, it should not be that sensitive to motion or as slow as you describe. thanks for reporting this.
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | June 12, 2007 10:40 AM #
Hi Rose,
I chanced upon your review of the CDN quicktip proaccurate thermometer in my search for a reliable candy thermometer. I was glad to see that this is something you recommend and quickly ordered the equipment.
I used Q2-450 along with my analog thermometer in a few recipes, to get comfortable with it.
I found Q2-450 to be very motion sensitive. That is, I have to hold it absolutely still in the liquid for it register the temperature. Any slight movement and the temperature will start going up and down randomly.
I also did the boiling water test. Surprisingly the 212 reading showed up long after the water had come to a boil and even then it did not hold the temperature, it just kept going up and down.
In some cases it showed temperatures far in excess of my analog thermometer. I don't know if I got a faulty piece of equipment but I thought I'd share just in case there is anyone else out with a similar experience.
Maria.
Reply to this Posted by: Maria | June 12, 2007 10:32 AM #
i'm so glad. (on all counts)
xoxox
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | December 26, 2006 7:51 PM #
Thank you, Rose. I will keep my infrared and I have to tell that watching your show on PBS rekindled my love of baking and I proceeded to buy a KitchenAid like my mum had and all your books, actually reading them cover to cover. Your recipes and information on why and how baking works in your books have inspired me and my re-found love of baking. Thank you so much!
Reply to this Posted by: Sheri | December 26, 2006 7:20 PM #
i have to tell you that i use my infrared thermometer all day long--from testing the room temperature where i soften the butter to checking the preheating of a sauté pan. i also find it works just fine pointing it into the middle of the oven. i just checked it again the oven thermometer i'm about to recommend and they were identical. i don't even look at either because i know how my oven bakes by now so no need. and if recipes are baking in the right range of time the recipe specifies that's all you usually need.
the thermometer that seems to work best is the cdn model dot 2. the contact info is in a posting above.
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | December 25, 2006 4:11 PM #
Rose:
My husband just bought me an infrared thermometer for Christmas hoping to help me get my oven temperature "issues" settled. You had mentioned the Raytek infrared in the Cake Bible (which I ADORE) and we thought it would be a great idea.
I have an in-oven thermometer now but I cannot read it without taking it out of the oven. We thought that the infrared would be the answer but upon getting it and trying it out, we are unsure as to what to focus on in the oven. Since it is only taking surface temp, i am worried that it will give me a reading different than my recipe and i will be continually adjusting. Now reading the posts, I am thinking it is not the best tool for the job. I looked at the Omega and it is just too expensive. Should I take my infrared (Fluke mini62) back and buy an regular oven theremometer with bigger numbers?
Reply to this Posted by: Sheri | December 25, 2006 4:04 PM #
if you don't have an oven with a window and light so that you can read the thermometer, call omega: 800/826-6342 and ask for model # HH22 (it has a probe that goes into the oven but the thermometer itself stays outside where you can read it easily.)
alternatively, the CDN Model DOT2 has proven very reliable but of course if you need to open to oven door to read it the temperature will drop by at least 25 degrees.
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | November 5, 2006 3:36 PM #
I could use a little added guidance on a thermometer. I will probably get the CDN for measuring food, but I would like to g