I only do shallow frying, so IR therms are fine. A Thermapen will tell you anything within 3 seconds, including deep frying.
That would be amazing. I was trying to get my carrot cake to 210 yesterday. I wasn’t completely sure on time because I halved the recipe and made it in a 9x13 pyrex rather than 3 cake rounds. I had to hold my polder steady in the middle of a roughly 3" cake for at least 30 seconds, and went through this exercise 4 times after pulling it out originally around 188 and then putting it in over and over for 5 min at a time. 3 sec reading sounds like a dream.
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I use a Thermapen Mk4 or Javelin digital instant-read thermometer for checking the temp of meats and such, and recently got a Thermoworks Square Dot for both as a leave-in meat thermometer and also to check my oven temp (it’s about 5 degrees off).
For deep frying I have a clip on thermometer, which is just about the right depth for my 4 quart saucepans:
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01CI50FJU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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Do you know how to calibrate a thermometer?
Boiling and freezing water.
I have to do this for my thermapen, too. Sometimes there can be a 5 degree F difference between different areas of the liquid.
That’s what I was thinking about oil for deep frying. I don’t do it often but when I do, I use a wok. I’m not sure it’s worth it to me to stir hot oil!
I’m not sure it matters that much as the temp of frying oil is no where near as critical as tempering chocolate.
With that said, I only shallow fry, with a max of about a half inch of oil and the IR always gives great results. As for deep frying, does it really matter if the surface is 5-10 degrees cooler than the bottom? Won’t most fried food settle towards the top anyway?
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I love my javelin, and although I don’t usually care about this sort of thing, they come in a wide variety of great colors…
Mine is orange! One nice thing about the Javelin is that the back is magnetic, I stick it to the side of my fridge.
I agree with all of the comments abut thermapens. I think
Thermoworks is a great company to deal with. If you are looking to buy, sign up at the website and wait for a sale. In addition to my thermaopen I use a Dot for my baking.
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I own 2 of the Thermapen One’s, which can read the temperature within one second.
Expensive, but worth it.
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I successfully used an IR for tempering chocolate at 34 degrees Celsius today!
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It’s not the range; it’s the duration and application. The range of cooking options presents the biggest challenge. The choice where the cooking happens in a closed container is different from that in open.
If I were starting over, I 'd choose:
Handheld penetration probe–something fast and pocketable like Thermapen.
IR gun–something cheap because you won’t be using it near as much, and accuracy isn’t that important.
Immersible/wireless unit–for continuous monitoring and for applications where cables are a hassle or you don’t have access to the food (eg, sous vide). I’d buy Thermoworks RFX. It’s expensive but worth it. Your results will vary depending on Bluetooth/Internet use.
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I often wonder how the Rat in Ratatouille or even Escoffier made decent food without the benefit of thermometers. I have a Thermapen, and I use it now and then on thick steaks, but for everything else, even sugar, careful attention seems to work.
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They knew how to do it. The careful attention you describe was especially pronounced.
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