Candy/Confectionery Thermometers

[andiesenji]

Get a ThermaPen or any ThermoWorks digital that has the higher temperature range.

They do cost more but they also last longer and are tough.

I still have the first one I purchased several years ago and it still works perfectly, still accurate calibration.

I have the Combi one, and a couple of others for various tasks - not all need to be for very high temps.

I have these accessory clip holder thingys To hold the ThermaPen when I am deep frying or candying or probes with wire cables with other thermometers.

A vital accessory for me.

There is also a cheaper alternative and it TALKS! The only cheaper one that goes high enough for candying and deep frying.

The problem with many of the less expensive digitals is they are not accurate over 300° F. The ones from ThermoWorks are.

[RWood]

I have these accessory clip holder thingys To hold the ThermaPen when I am deep frying or candying or probes with wire cables with other thermometers.

A vital accessory for me.

I am definitely going to look into the clip holder thingys . I can always use extra. They seem to get stretched out and not hold on to the pot.

I am considering getting this one by Matfer with the cage and holder as well. I used this type in my first bakery job, and even though I had to get used to Celsius, it worked really well. I'll just have to convert all my confection recipes over.

[qrn]

THE CDN is best I think,and my first one quit,after a few years , and they replaced it with a new one for free...great company,to bad you have to buy em in rest.supplyplaces,but they were not to pricey..

Bud

[Edward J]

A second here for Matfer.

The thrmometer is in a s/s tube, which can sit undisturbed in a pot, or it can be hung on a piece of wire, or you can hang it fom a dedicagted (albeit expensive) hanger that clips onto teh sdide of the pot.

I use it daily, even use it to stir a big pot of caramel. No probes to wear out, no batteries to replace.

[TheTInCook]

I was making a bunch of candy yesterday for a fundraiser, and it was a pretty miserable experience temperature taking wise. I was not happy at all with the bi metallic and glass thermometers I had, and the heat the stove was putting off from cooking three batches of stuff at once made using the digital instant read thermometer painful. I didn't trust the wire from my remote probe digital to be safe from the burner heat, but that's a model specific issue.

An IR thermometer seems like it might be an ideal solution, but I got no idea if it can get a good read on the syrup temp.

[Chris Hennes]

I've had good luck with chocolate, and bad luck with syrup. Something about the color, I think: IR thermometers have to make some assumptions about the material they are measuring, and they seem to be pretty far off for sugar syrups, in my experience.

[TheTInCook]

Hmm, do you know what the emissivity setting is on yours? Some models have adjustable emissivity settings, too.

For the candy syrups, do you think it might have been a surface temp v interior temp issue? Have you tried it with deep frying oil?

I was looking at amazon after I started this topic, and this was the first review that popped up. http://www.amazon.com/review/R199QRXIN61CX7/ref=cm_cr_dp_cmt?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B000TM7HXC&nodeID=15684181&tag=&linkCode=#wasThisHelpful

In it, he says there was an ~10 deg F differential between the IR and instant read temps when making candy. Also, he says if stirred just before taking the reading, he gets a better reading.

[Kerry Beal]

I've also never been successful with an IR and boiling stuff. Fine for chocolate. I use a pyrex probe thermometer with a stainless cable and that works a treat.

[Marmalade]

I use an IR/Laser thermometer all the time with success. I'm also at 9,000 feet. I know water boils here at 90C or about 191, and so adjust all my sugar temps down appropriately. I get perfect chewy caramels every time using an IR thermometer and pulling off the heat right around 220F. Of course, this is not a clear product like a syrup is. I wouldn't trust it on a plain sugar syrup-though I do use the IR for cooking fondant and have good results too.

[lebowits]

I've used IR thermometers for a variety of candy making projects, but I've read that these do not do well with "clear" liquids (e.g. water, clear sugars).

[BadRabbit]

Nearly all IR thermometers are calibrated using "black bodies" which means they are not very accurate with clear substances. This is why it works fine on chocolate and not well on clear substances (I'd imagine you'd also have trouble with cocoa butter or something else nearly white).

[Lisa Shock]

Nearly all IR thermometers are calibrated using "black bodies" which means they are not very accurate with clear substances. This is why it works fine on chocolate and not well on clear substances (I'd imagine you'd also have trouble with cocoa butter or something else nearly white).

Honestly, I use the probe type with the long cord for sugar and haven't found anything better. I like the alarm feature, it means I can step away from the pot for a few minutes without worry.

[tmriga]

Did you test the precision of your thermometers before using them with boiling water prior to use?

In the classes I took, the chef taught us two things -

1 - always test your thermometer to measure the temperature of boiling water, prior to use, and

2 - use a thermometer that registers internal temperature, not surface temperature, when making chocolates and candy, as heat rises, and the surface temperature will be hotter than the internal temperature.

Theresa

[tikidoc]

I tried infrared for making toffee once in the past, checking with an instant read at the same time, and the infrared was all over the place - I checked maybe two or three times with the infrared, then put it back in the drawer. Maybe it's the steam issue noted above. I'm sticking with the instant read for sugar.

At the recent eGullet chocolate workshop, the infrared thermometers were very popular with the experienced folks for things like tempering, and results seemed good. Rising steam should not be an issue when tempering chocolate since the temps are nowhere near that high. And using the infrared here keeps the kitchen much neater, so I'll be using infrared here. I do stir just before taking the temp to eliminate hot spots and minimize the issue of surface cooling.

Jess

Edited March 28, 2012 by tikidoc (log)

[TheTInCook]

Thanks guys!

I've decided against getting an infrared thermometer for now.

Since I'm putting together a sv rig anyway, I'm ordering a temp probe for it that can handle candy making and has a long protected cable.

[rajoress]

Hello all,

Can anyone recommend a good candy thermometer other than the usual glass tube kind? I temper my chocolate by machine (I know, lazy..!) and use my thermometer for caramels and brittles only. I'd like to get a digital one as my eyes can't read those tiny lines anymore and was wondering if the probe type is good. I typically make my caramel in a deep pot so not sure how the probe attaches.

Thanks for your help!

Ruth

[TdeV]

Hi Ruth, try this one:

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/thermapen-digital-thermometer#4322#

[Keith_W]

I second that recommendation for the Thermapen. I have one, and it is by far the best digital thermometer. Nice, big numbers and it takes readings much faster than any other thermometer on the market.

Welcome to eG, TdeV!

[Kerry Beal]

I prefer to leave the probe in the whole time the candy is cooking - which I find challenging with the Thermopen.

I use a Pyrex brand probe thermometer that I've found to be quite reliable.

[Edward J]

I dunno....

I much prefer the red alcohol type, yes it is a pain in the but to read, but I prefer it over digital versions, especially for caramels, and sugar work.

Why?

The probe on a digital thermometer is very small, you can get 5 or 6 different readings in a pot of caramel by simply moving it to different places. With the alcohol type, the probe (bulb, I guess) is much bigger, and you only get two or three different readings.

Chocolate is different, I prefer the digital thermometer for this. I don't get 6 different readings in a pot of melted couverture,and the digital themometers are cheap--I get them at the drugstore--the very same ones you would use for taking your body temperature. The temp. zone range is pretty much the same.....

[DianaM]

I use a Polder probe thermometer, that looks very much like the Pyrex Kerry has linked to.

I'm happy with it so far, always use it to cook caramel. It has a pan-clip attachment that holds it parallel to the side of the pan, so the probe is not touching the bottom, and I can stir the caramel unencumbered.

[Lisa Shock]

I like ones similar to what Kerry has linked to. Some of them have temperature alarms built in so you can walk away, knowing the alarm will sound when it gets to a where you want it to be.

[Chocolot]

I like the Thermopen too, but they also make several other styles. http://www.thermoworks.com. I have a thermocouple unit with changeable probes. It is a scientific instrument, not a kitchen gadget. They are pricey, but worth it. I also use an infrared gun for chocolate work and to get close in cooked syrups. The people at Thermoworks are very helpful if you call.

[rajoress]

Thanks all for the tips! I also like to keep my thermometer in during the cooking process so I know how much time I have until it hits the mark. I'll check out the above links. Thanks again!

[dhardy123]

I use this one for caramel and am very happy with it:

http://www.amazon.com/Maverick-CT-03-Digital-Candy-Thermomter/dp/B0000AQL25

Edited October 3, 2012 by dhardy123 (log)