Pro tip: Thermometer calibration made me toss 60 steaks last month

I checked my probe thermometers last month after a slow service night in Chicago. Found all three were off by 12 to 18 degrees. Been searing steaks to what I thought was 130F but they were really at 148F for months. My chef never caught it, but the waste cost us about $400 in meat that week. Has anyone else tested their thermometers lately or just trust the factory settings?

2 comments

2 Comments

max80819d ago

Honestly never thought about it until I saw this post but now I gotta check my gear. Factory settings are a joke, I learned that the hard way with a sous vide circulator that was reading 10 degrees high. Bought a cheap ice bath kit off Amazon and spent an hour fixing everything. What gets me is that most places don't even train staff on this stuff. You'd think calibrating thermometers would be basic in a kitchen but it's never mentioned. I'd bet half the steaks served in this city are overcooked because nobody checks.

matthew_baker18d ago

Factory settings are a joke" yeah maybe but also maybe we're overthinking this. I've been cooking steaks for 15 years and never once calibrated a thermometer. If the meat looks right and feels right when I poke it, that's good enough. Half the time I'm just guessing on temps anyway - 130 vs 135 doesn't matter that much when you pull it early and let it rest. You're telling me your mouth can tell the difference between 130F and 140F? I doubt it. And if your chef didn't notice in months, maybe it's not actually a real problem.