Can you use a meat thermometer for liquids? A meat thermometer is a common tool for cooks who strive for accuracy in their meals.
No matter what you are cooking, these thermometers are an excellent tool for checking the internal temperature to ensure proper cooking.
Usually, these thermometers are considered a reliable tool for measuring the internal temperature of meat, hence the name.
But, can you use a meat thermometer for water or other liquids? Yes, it is possible to use your meat thermometer to check water temperature simply by inserting the probe into the liquid.
Improving Cooking Skills with a Meat Thermometer
A meat thermometer is a common tool for cooks who strive for accuracy in their meals, whether broiling steaks or baking sweets.
If you want to know your meat is cooked properly and ready to eat, a digital meat thermometer is an even better tool to have.
Simply insert it into your chicken or roast and check the digital display to see when it is done cooking.
Tip: A meat thermometer can give you a reading up to 200F, which means it works perfectly well when cooking homemade bread.
Getting Up Close and Personal with Your Meat Thermometer
A meat thermometer is a special type with a long probe that may be put into the meat itself to determine its internal temperature.
Digital and analog meat thermometers are also readily available. More high-end models contain temperature settings that indicate when specific cuts of meat are safe to eat.
Some are designed to be placed into a roasting turkey or other meat and then pop up when the food is ready.
It is nice to have fancy features, but a simple meat thermometer can do the trick for determining when food is done cooking.
Using the Meat Thermometer for Proper Cooking
Meat thermometers are the standard tool used by chefs to determine whether a particularly substantial piece of meat is done cooking.
People can get quite sick from eating undercooked meat; therefore, it is important to prepare it to the proper temperature for the sort of meat you are using.
Some individuals use the meat’s color as a gauge of doneness. But, it is not always reliable.
The meat seems to be cooked properly if it looks brown. But, then again, the browning could result from many other factors.
For instance, the meat may look brown if:
- It has been sitting in the fridge for too long
- There were problems with its storage
In such a situation, the meat looks cooked but is in fact still a little bit raw.
Meat Thermometer to the Rescue
When the color fails to tell you if the meat has been cooked properly, you need a plan B.
And that is when you can make use of your meat thermometer.
All you have to do is to insert the probe into the thickest muscle and allow a few seconds for the reading to stabilize.
The thermometer reading will then indicate whether or not more cooking time is required.
Meat thermometers that can remain in the meat the entire cooking time are also available for purchase.
Thereafter, all that is required is periodic temperature checks until the food achieves the ideal cooking temperature.
Can You Use a Meat Thermometer for Liquids or Not?
Even if you assumed that the finest meat thermometer is only good for one thing, you would be wrong.
Thankfully, a digital meat thermometer’s applications go beyond only checking the internal temperature of the meat.
So, can a meat thermometer be used for water? Well, it can be.
The truth is despite its common usage for checking the internal temperature of meat, this multipurpose kitchen gadget has a more accurate name: food thermometer.
Therefore, it always helps you ensure your leftovers are properly reheated.
And it can be just as effective in confirming if your water is hot enough for certain recipes.
You simply need to place the probe in the water and get an accurate reading within a few seconds.
Tip: You can use a meat temperature to measure the water temperature when cooking poached eggs, but ensure that it can go up to 180F.
Using Meat Thermometer for Liquids
Whether or not a meat thermometer can be used to determine the temperature of liquids is dependent on the intended use and the specific model of the thermometer.
Glass tubes containing a heat-resistant liquid are used to construct water temperature thermometers.
But a meat thermometer comes with a small probe tip and a highly sensitive sensor chip.
The precise 1.8°F error range offered by the chip’s sensitive sensor is impressive.
Similarly, water’s boiling and freezing points can be determined with a liquid-specific Celsius thermometer.
If you have a thermometer calibrated in Fahrenheit, you know that the boiling point is 212 degrees and the freezing point is 32 degrees.
Nevertheless, for quick temperature measurements of meals, semi-solids, and liquids, probe thermometers are commonly employed.
The sharp end of a probe can easily pierce through something or be submerged.
The Role of Candy Thermometers for Liquids
It is possible to use your regular meat thermometer for liquids, but sometimes, it is better to go with a candy thermometer.
A candy thermometer is made of a glass thermometer and is used to determine the exact temperature of sugar syrup.
It can be clipped to the edge of a pan so that it floats above the liquid, rather than touching the bottom.
Both these thermometers usually work the same but can measure different temperature ranges.
For instance:
- Your meat thermometer can measure temperature from 0F to 220F.
- Your candy thermometer can measure temperature from 40F to 400F.
Tip: It is possible to use your meat thermometer to check the temperature of an ice cream base, which has to be around 175F to 180F.
Which One to Use for Liquids?
Choosing between the two types depends mainly on what you are cooking.
When one is at hand, a candy thermometer is the tool of choice for determining the temperature of a liquid.
The boiling point of a liquid must be lower than 220F for a meat thermometer to be able to accurately determine its temperature.
But if you are mainly concerned about measuring the temperature of meat, you will have to stick to your regular meat thermometer.
The reason is that candy thermometers are harder to insert into the meat due to their larger construction.
Using Meat Thermometer for Oil
There is no doubt that not every thermometer can accurately read the temperature of heated oil.
The oil temperature can get very high very quickly. Because of this, thermometers come in a wide variety of forms, each best suited to a particular task.
When temperatures get very high, you need a thermometer that can handle at least 400F.
With older meat thermometers, you might not be able to cover such a high range, as they can only handle a temperature up to 200F.
A Better Option to Consider
No matter what you are measuring, an infrared thermometer, oil thermometer, or candy thermometer will never let you down.
These thermometers are made specifically for use in high temperature settings. They even work just fine while deep-frying.
Keeping an eye on the temperature of the oil in the fryer will ensure even cooking and prevent the food from soaking up too much oil and getting greasy.
The Right Way of Using a Meat Thermometer for Oils
First, test the accuracy of your meat thermometer before proceeding to check the oil temperature.
The meat thermometer can be chilled by dipping it into ice water, which should be collected in a suitable container.
Once the thermometer reads 32F, you know it is functioning properly. Those readings indicate that your thermometer is accurate and ready for usage with oil.
To determine the temperature of the oil, just dip your thermometer into the oil. Give it around 30 seconds to get data on the oil’s temperature.
An Important Consideration
It is important to remember that meat thermometers from different brands can read somewhat differently.
Check the instructions for your device before using it on anything, but especially hot substances like cooking oil.
Tip: If using a glass meat thermometer to check the oil's temperature, be sure to leave it in for at least three minutes.
Read Next: What to Do with Oil After Deep Frying?
Takeaway
Can you use a meat thermometer for liquids? In most cases, yes, you can. At least, you can use it to measure the temperature of the water.
But in the case of hot oil and other liquids that have a high boiling point, you will be better off investing in a high-tech meat thermometer or going with an infrared or candy thermometer.