February 19, 2007 - 9:48am
Thermapen
I have a friend who needs a lot of par baked bread on hand but I have been having difficulty getting the bread out at 90% baked, usually 180 F. My thermometer takes about 20 seconds or longer to show the temperature and with differing temperatures in the kitchens it's all across the scale unfortunately.
So I am looking at a Thermapen, it is expensive (120.00 CAD) but it measures temp in 4 seconds and has a good range too, -50 to +570 F.
Anyone use this item or a similar thermometer with a short temp measurement?
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I just bought one as my holiday present to myself. It seems to work as stated, with a one second or less response time. I haven't done any structured testing yet, but the individually-signed calibration sticker on the back and the instructions on how to send it in for recalibration are usually good signs for any measuring instrument.
sPh
I have had my Thermapen for about a year and a half now. Very accurate. I would recommend it to anyone wanting a accurate and fast instant read thermometer. It is expensive though. One other source:
http://www.thermoworks.com/products/thermapen/tpen_home.html
Wayne
pumpkinpapa- I have a thermapen, and the only thing negative about it is its price. I paid about $85 for it from KA flour, and I could not find it discounted any where. It does work great- registers in seconds, and feel it is very accurate. But maybe someone else has had success with a less expensive instrument.
Why do you need "par" baked bread? I think it makes more sense to fully bake, and freeze leftover bread.
My friend wants to have fresh baked bread in his deli whenever he or a customer demands it. Now personally I like to freeze and warm but he's paying so....
I agree that the Thermapen is expensive, but I have had 3 inexpensive thermometers now: 2 worked slowly and one broke altogether.
I'm very happy with my Thermapen because it's so fast and accurate. The only difficulty is making sure the tip is in the exact center of the loaf; it registers so fast that it picks up the changes in temperature as it moves through the loaf, and it would be easy to get the right temperature at the wrong spot.
Thank you for your post. Now I understand why I have been having difficulty gauging the temperature of my bread with the Thermapen. Have you figured out a way to get it to accurately read the center of the loaf? Am I better off just buying a cheapie probe thermometer for this task?
I got my Thermapen this past Tuesday, I turned 40 so my in-laws figured I need a good thermometer. And the shop gave me a great discount of $18.00!
Merrybaker, I found that out about the sensitivity too, easing it down into the center of a loaf. A really dense loaf taught me how the temperature flows through the loaf.
I'm looking into the Cooper model as well, thanks for the pointer.
Thinking about this situation got me curious. I know that meat will continue to cook after removing from the heat - about 10 degrees for a roast, less for a thinner cut. Does bread do this as well?
How do you like your Thermapen?
I hear there are two models. One is quicker with a dainty tip, and the old standard. CI preferred the old. Any comparisons?
Thanks
I have a thermometer for roasts. I insert the probe in the center of the meat, and set it to the desired temp. A narrow cord connects the probe to the thermometer on the counter. It beeps when the temperature is met. Is there some reason you couldn't insert this when your bread is about 2/3's done? It seems to function as an instant read when I use it that way, and it only cost about $30.
Just that the Thermapen is more portable. See my post on taking it camping, but even in the kitchen I have used it for water, bread, the grill (outside), and bread again within a few minutes (OK, my family thinks I am nuts). And in my experience the flexible-lead thermometers you describe are neither very accurate nor very durable until you hit the low end of the lab equipment range ($300 - $500 US). But I have been damaged by working in industrial laboratories so don't trust me on that ;-)
sPh
I have been using my instant read thermapen for a few months now, and I love it. It's rugged, reads in a second or two, and can take the temp in a 1/4 inch of liquid. Just put the tip where you want it. The new instant reads have a thicker - needle tip. No problems breaking through a tough crust with a solid push.
Used it last night for caramel and chocolate.
It is one my most used kitchen tools. I use it on bread all the time. Highly recommended. Can be purchased at the company website or King Arther. I am aware of no other vendors.
SD Baker