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Most food enthusiasts have a few tools in the kitchen that they can’t cook without. Some live and die by the crockpot. Others love to grill, and can’t host the perfect backyard party without the perfect barbecue.
All of these chefs should have one thing in common – a great food thermometer. A ThermoPro Meat Thermometer is a staple in the kitchen, as it allows cooks to create food that is delicious and safely prepared.
To make sure your thermometer is accurate, it must be calibrated, and that’s where ice bath temperature calibration comes in. You might be asking, how do you calibrate a thermometer with ice water?
This article is here to help. Below, you’ll find five easy steps for calibrating your food thermometer using an ice bath. An accurately calibrated food thermometer is one of the keys to cooking, and we’re here to help you get there.
Ice Bath Calibration Preparations
To prepare your ice bath, you’ll need a few materials:
- a tall clear glass
- cooled water
- ice cubes
- a spatula or spoon
- a ThermoPro Food Thermometer
Once you’ve collected these materials, you can begin preparing your ice bath.
Ice Bath Thermometer Calibration Steps
First, you’ll fill your clear glass to the top with ice. The ratio of ice to water is important when creating an ice bath, and starting with ice can help you regulate that ratio more easily.
Crushed ice is recommended for this step, as pieces of crushed ice can sit closer together in the glass. If you don’t have access to crushed ice, cubed ice is perfectly acceptable as well. Make sure your glass is filled to the top with ice.
After you have a glass full of ice, you’ll begin to slowly add your cooled water. Cooled water is necessary during this step to avoid melting of the ice. You’ll want to leave a little space at the top, filling the glass so about ½ inch of ice is uncovered.
Once the glass is full, let the mixture sit for one to two minutes. If the ice at the bottom begins to float, you should pour out some of the water and add more ice to the glass.
Once your mixture is complete, you can insert your ThermoPro Food Thermometer and find out: What temperature is an ice bath? When inserting your thermometer, it should be put in the middle of the ice bath and stirred, to avoid the thermometer resting on an ice cube and getting an inaccurate reading. Similarly, avoid letting your thermometer rest against the sides of the glass, or on the bottom of the glass.
Now, check the temperature to check calibration. With your thermometer calibrated in a cup of ice properly, it should read 32°F. It’s important to check the manufacturer’s accuracy guidelines at this point as well, as it might account for a few degrees of variation. On ThermoPro Food Thermometers (specifically, the 01S model), the accuracy range is ±0.9°F (±0.5°C).
If the temperature displayed is higher or lower than 32°F (keeping accuracy in mind), it’s time to calibrate your thermometer. Check your thermometer’s manual or operating instructions for information on calibrating your specific thermometer. Many thermometers have a calibrate button that is easily identifiable, but others may have another button that doubles as the calibrate button.
Read: How to calibrate Infrared Thermometer
Ice Bath Calibration Tips:
Calibrate thermometer with ice water often! Depending on how often you use your thermometer, calibration is recommended as often as once a week. Keeping your thermometer accurate will keep your food tasty.
Stirring while calibrating your thermometer: It will allow you to get a more accurate reading, and avoid your thermometer sitting in a warmer or cooler part of the ice bath. Make sure to stir while getting a reading, but be gentle, as some probes can be fragile. Stirring also ensures that the temperature is even throughout your ice bath.
Thermometers that aren’t digital often have a calibration nut! You may need a wrench or another tool to adjust these thermometers. Helpful visuals can be found at this link: Thermometer Ice Bath Calibration Help Visual
Operating manuals for ThermoPro Food Thermometers can be found and downloaded at this link: ThermoPro Meat Thermometer Operation Manuals. By visiting this website, you can choose the specific model of ThermoPro Thermometer you own and find the operating instructions for it. If you misplace your manual or prefer it digitally, you can download it and keep it as an easy reference.
Cooking tools are the most important part of the kitchen (aside from food, of course!). Just like you keep your knives sharpened and your pans clean, it’s important to keep your thermometer calibrated. Food thermometers help your kitchen run smoothly, from checking the internal temperature of meat to seeing how hot sugar is for a candy maker! Cooking the best food for yourself and your guests truly comes down to temperature, which comes down to an accurate food thermometer.
