Thermometer Know How

Be a GREAT cook. Be a SAFE cook. Use a food thermometer.

Take the guesswork out of cooking

An investment in safety – Cook foods to perfection, so they are tasty and juicy – not overdone. A food thermometer is an essential tool for a great cook.

Keep your family safe

Cook to safe internal temperatures. Be especially careful if you’re cooking for those at high risk of serious illness from foodborne bacteria – infants/young children, pregnant women, older adults or those with chronic illness. Using a food
thermometer or temperature indicator is the ONLY reliable way to test for safe internal temperatures

An investment in safety

Buy a digital instant-read or programmable thermometer. Look for these thermometers at houseware suppliers.

Cook like a pro: here are the 3 types of thermometers that will help you cook like a chef. The top left and middle thermometers are really all you need. (Image to the right)

It’s a modest investment to know when your foods are cooked just right.

Programmable Digital Thermometer (top left):
• Oven safe.
• Lets you monitor cooking without opening the oven AND it signals when your food is cooked to the doneness you select.
• Leave the thermometer stem inserted into the food while it cooks.
• Use for casseroles, roasts and meatloaves.

Digital Instant Read (middle):
•Not oven safe.
•Use to test temperature near end of cooking – insert thermometer stem into centre or thickest part of food to check.
•Ideal for thin or small pieces of meats such as steaks, burgers, and meatballs.

Oven Safe Dial Thermometer (bottom right):
• Oven safe.
• Lets you monitor cooking by checking.
• Leave the thermometer stem inserted into the food while it cooks.
• Not appropriate for use with thin cuts or pieces of meat such as steaks, burgers and meatballs.

Thermometer Know-How Rules of Thumb

Take temperatures of thin foods like burgers within 1 minute of removal from heat, larger cuts like roasts, after 5 to 10 minutes.
Insert thermometer stem/indicator into the thickest part of the food, away from bone, fat or gristle.
Leave thermometer in food for at least 30 seconds before reading temperature.
When food has an irregular shape, like some beef roasts, check the temperature in several places.
Wash the thermometer stem thoroughly in hot, soapy water after each use!
Review manufacturer’s guidelines specific to the use of your thermometer or temperature indicator.

Steaks:

Near end of cooking, remove from heat and insert instant-read thermometer stem sideways into the centre of steak or centre of thickest part of food. Insert to a depth of at least 1-1/2 inches (4 cm).

For medium-rare the temperature should read 145°F (63°C) at the least.

After cooking, let steaks rest before serving.

Click here for additional Grilling Know How tips.

Ground Beef:

Ground Beef should be thoroughly cooked to a safe and savory 160ºF (71° C). Colour is not a reliable indicator of Ground Beef doneness. Never eat ground beef raw.

Meatloaves and Meatballs: use oven safe or programmable digital thermometer: prior to cooking, insert thermometer stem into the centre of the thickest part of the meat, avoiding bottom of pan.

Click here for additional Ground Beef Know-How tips.

Burgers:

Ground Beef should be thoroughly cooked to a safe and savory 160ºF (71° C). Colour is not a reliable indicator of Ground Beef doneness. Never eat ground beef raw.

Use a digital instant read thermometer for burgers done best — cooking them to the right doneness — but not overdone — after all, we all want a juicy burger not a hockey puck on a bun! ‘Burgers Done at 71’ is the jingle to remember — cook your burgers to an internal temperature of 71°C (or 160°F).

Click here for additional Burger Know-How tips.

Roasts:

Take the guesswork out of cooking and use a thermometer to cook beef just the way you like it. There are two kinds to consider when cooking roasts: oven-safe or instant/rapid read.

OVEN SAFE

You leave the thermometer stem inserted into the meat while it cooks so you can monitor the cooking progress. They come with a dial face read or as a digital-read thermometer with cable and monitor.

The digital model lets you monitor cooking without opening the oven door – most models even send out a signal when your meat is cooked to the doneness you select.

DIGITAL INSTANT READ

These thermometers are NOT oven-safe so don’t insert before roasting. To use, remove roast from oven near end of cooking and insert thermometer stem to check meat temperature.

DONENESS

Medium-rare 145°F (63°C)
Beef Burgers/Medium 160°F (71°C)
Well-Done 170°F (77°C)

Click here for additional Oven Roast Know-How tips.