11 replies to this topic

[jrshaul]

I'm supposed to make a large sum of chocolates for a party, but my thermocouple thermometer has started measuring thirty degrees low. I don't have time for anything to arrive in the mail, and I need to temper some chocolate. Can anyone make a suggestion?

[Mjx]

Where are you located (i.e. nearest city or town), and what's your budget?

Given the temperature range involved, a basal thermometer should do the trick, and according to eG member Robert Jueneman, they're reasonably priced and accurate, and they seem to be widely available (e.g Eckerd, Rite Aid, Target).

[Lisa Shock]

Smart & Final has regular old school mercury and newer instant read thermometers near the checkout. They are a fairly large chain, located in most larger cities.

[Edward J]

Go to your drugstore, find a regular thermomter, the kind your Mom used to put under your tongue when you had a fever.

Look, the melting temp and working temp of couverture is almost the same as human body temp (32 C vs 36/37 C). The "fever" thermometer is accuate within 10ths of a degree.

It'll do, it'll do very well, and it's cheap and easily obtainable.

[jrshaul]

I'm in Madison, WI.

That said, I think one of the above options will cover it - you folks are absolutely 100% full of win. Thanks!

[jrshaul]

The standard oral thermometers at Wallgreens dont' go above 102F or below 95F; the ovulation thermometers appear to have an even narrower range. Any suggestions for a specific model?

[Mjx]

Hm. That range seems too high (based on what pastrygirl, who's a pro, said in another topic). If there aren't any decent kitchen supply shops in your area, what about lab supply shops?

[rickster]

_{30 seconds of googling came up with a couple of kitchen supply stores in Madison, including a WIlliams Sonoma. Seems pretty easy to call one of them up.}

Edited by rickster, 28 November 2012 - 02:56 PM.

[jrshaul]

I called both of the restaurant supply stores Google returned; Williams Sonoma had a thermocouple thermometer, but for more than I'd just paid for 22 pounds of coverture. Ouch.

It turns out that my $100+ thermometer is working fine - it's the probe that's malfunctioning. In what I feel was a fairly heroic fix, I removed the thermocouple from the original probe and, after hollowing it out with a tiny screwdriver, inserted a replacement thermocouple. It measures beautifully, though the poor thermal conductivity makes it awfully slow.

[Kerry Beal]

I pick up infrared thermometers from Canadian Tire when they go on special - I find they work quite well for tempering. A bunch of folks from the chocolate conference last year took them home.

[jrshaul]

I pick up infrared thermometers from Canadian Tire when they go on special - I find they work quite well for tempering. A bunch of folks from the chocolate conference last year took them home.

Can you link to the specific model? My present IR thermometer is inadequately accurate, and I would be interested in an inexpensive replacement of required precision.

[Kerry Beal]

I pick up infrared thermometers from Canadian Tire when they go on special - I find they work quite well for tempering. A bunch of folks from the chocolate conference last year took them home.

Can you link to the specific model? My present IR thermometer is inadequately accurate, and I would be interested in an inexpensive replacement of required precision.

Here you go. Now ignore the $99 - they are generally on sale. Anything from $39 up.