If you store, prepare, cook, transport, or sell food, you need to maintain the correct temperature for your product to ensure food safety and quality. The only way to do this is using a food thermometer.

This article outlines the five main types of food thermometers and provides examples of each type so that you can find the best for your application.

What Are Food Thermometers

A food thermometer is a temperature measuring tool specifically designed to measure the temperature of food and food-related products.

Why Use a Food Thermometer?

A food thermometer is a crucial tool for applications in the food sector. Using a food thermometer has two key benefits:

1. Ensure food safety: By helping you confirm that potentially hazardous food is sufficiently cooked and stored safely.
2. Achieve desired food quality: Numerous food production tasks require specific temperatures to achieve desired outcomes, e.g., bread baking and chocolate tempering.

What to Look For When Purchasing a Food Thermometer

What to look for in a food thermometer depends on your desired outcomes. Key considerations include:

1. Temperature Range: Consider the temperature range you need to measure. Ensure the thermometer purchased can measure the desired range accurately.
2. Accuracy: The higher the accuracy, the higher the cost. If your organisation prepares, handles or sells any potentially hazardous food, it must have an accurate thermometer to ±1°C.
3. Waterproof Rating: For thermometers used in heavy kitchen environments, you might want to consider a waterproof or water-resistant option.
4. Other Functions: HACCP compliance, data logging, calibration, and data hold are examples of common and useful features found in more advanced food thermometer types.

Types of Food Thermometer

To make finding the most suitable food thermometer for your application straightforward, we have organised them into their five main groups below, along with excellent product examples. If you have any questions after reviewing the list of food thermometer types below, speak with an Instrument Choice Scientist! 

1. Lollipop/Stem Thermometers

Known as lollipop or stem thermometers, these devices are the most affordable food thermometers for assessing the temperature of liquids and semi-solid foods. They consist of a small LCD screen and a metal shaft thermometer.

Flashcheck Waterproof, Lollipop Thermometer With Reduced Tip Product Code: IC-11040 We recommend this waterproof thermometer with a reduced tip probe as a food safety tool. Specifications: Range: -40°C to 155°C Accuracy: ±1°C (-40°C to -20°C) ±0.5°C (-20°C to 55°C) ±1°C (55°C to 155°C); or ±1%, whichever is greatest Waterproof Rating: IP65 Noteworthy Features: Automatic calibration button Automatically records minimum and maximum recorded temperatures for each review.

2. Folding Thermometers

Folding thermometers have a probe that folds up against the thermometer body. The folding mechanism ensures probe protection when not used and facilitates safe transport.

Product Example:

FlashCheck Waterproof Min/Max Folding Probe Thermometer Product Code: IC-15051 The IC-15051 Min/Max Folding Probe Thermometer is waterproof, sanitisable, dirt and grease resistant, making it a robust kitchen all-rounder. The unit provides rapid temperature measurements and features a foldable probe for safe handling. Specifications: Range: -50 to 300°C Accuracy:  ±1°C (-20 to 200°C) Waterproof Rating: IP67 Noteworthy Features: Automatic calibration button Min/Max memory stores lowest/highest readings Hold feature locks temperature reading

3. Probe Thermometers

Probe type food thermometers feature a temperature probe located on the end of a cable. This design is beneficial for operators who need to monitor the LCD constantly or when an application requires a custom probe. Further, in the event of accidental damage to the temperature probe, most models have replacement probes that are a fraction of the cost of a new meter.

Product Example:

HACCP Thermometer Product code: IC-800042 The HACCP thermometer is a waterproof thermometer designed for food safety compliance with HACCP principles in mind. It features a red/green temperature alarm display which means you’ll know if you have a problem immediately. Specifications: Range: -100 to 300°C Accuracy: ±0.5°C Waterproof Rating: IP67 Noteworthy Features: High accuracy PT100 temperature probe Records 99-time stamped temperature data points LCD flashes red to indicate the temperature range. Between 4-60°C, the screen flashes red. Below 4°C and above 60°C, the screen backlight is green.

4. Infrared Thermometers

Infrared type thermometers play a key role in the food industry. However, IR type thermometers will only measure the surface temperature of the foods, not the internal temperature. To measure internal food temperature, you will need a probe thermometer.

IR type thermometers are beneficial for quick temperature checks like sampling the temperature of incoming goods and scanning the surface temperature of skillets and pans.

Product Example:

Testo 805 Mini IR Thermometer with Topsafe Product code: 0563-8051 The HACCP certified Testo 805 is a convenient mini-infrared thermometer suitable for quickly checking surface temperatures. For example, you will find them used in supermarkets to record the temperature of incoming goods or to measure food during cooking and cooling. Specifications: Range: -25 to +250°C   Accuracy: ±3°C (-25 to -21°C) ± 2 C (-20 to -2.1°C) ±1°C (-2 to +40°C) ±1.5°C (+40.1 to +150°C) ±2% of mv (+150.1 to +250°C) Waterproof Rating: IP65 (with optional top safe case) Noteworthy Features: Display of minimum and maximum values Scan mode for permanent measurement 1:1 optics system makes it suitable for close-up temperature measurements.

5. Dual IR and Probe Thermometers

Dual IR and probe type thermometers offer the best of both worlds. These two-in-one thermometers allow quick surface temperature checks and accurate core temperature checks. Professionals consider dual IR and probe thermometers the gold standard for measuring food temperature in any situation.

Product Example:

Waterproof Infrared & Probe Thermometer Product Code: IC-0560-1040 The IC-0560-1040 combines an Infrared non-contact temperature measurement with a fold-out probe for core temperature measurements. This featureful food thermometer is ideal for use in all sorts of applications within the food sector. Being HACCP Compliant makes it the perfect two-in-one food safety thermometer. Specifications: Range: Probe: -50 to 250 °C Infrared: -30 to 250 °C Accuracy: Probe: ±1.0 °C (50.0 to 30.1 °C) ±0.5 °C (30.0 to +99.9 °C) ±1 % of the measuring range (+100.0 to +250.0 °C) Infrared:  ±2.5 °C (30.0 to 20.1 °C) ±2.0 °C (20.0 to 0.01 °C) ±1.5 °C or ±1.5 % of the measuring value (+0.0 to +250.0 °C) Waterproof Rating: IP65 Noteworthy Features: HACCP Compliant MIN/MAX feature: display minimum and maximum recorded temperatures. Measurement hold: With a press of a button, the device can hold a measurement for easy recording of results

Conclusion

Temperature maintenance is the key to preparing, storing, moving, and selling food that’s safe, delicious, and of high quality. The best way to ensure safe temperatures is to monitor the temperature of products using a food thermometer.

Need more information or assistance finding the right food thermometer type for your application? Speak with an Instrument Choice Scientist: Call 1300 737 871 or email [email protected].