One of the most popular questions for beginners: Is it ok to leave meat thermometer in the oven?
An oven-safe meat thermometer can be left inside an oven throughout the cooking period. Most oven-safe meat thermometers have a heat-resistant wire probe that is designed to track the internal meat temperature within the high-temperature oven. Analog leave-in meat thermometer has a tempered glass lens and food-grade stainless probe which are durable and strong and able to stay in the oven through the entire cooking process.
How to know if the meat thermometer is oven-safe?
The meat thermometer will specify if it is oven safe in the user manual or on the thermometer itself. The two most popular types of oven-safe thermometers are the analog dial-type thermometers and the probe thermometers (only the probe can be left inside the oven).
Nowadays, you can find a digital wireless meat thermometer whereby the probe can be left inside the oven while you monitor the internal meat temperature from a distance.
When should you insert a meat thermometer?
Depending on the type of meat thermometer, you can insert an oven-safe meat thermometer before you put the meat into the oven for cooking or you can use a non-oven-safe meat thermometer outside when the meat is almost ready or cooked.
Oven-safe vs non-oven-safe meat thermometer?
The oven-safe thermometer is a better choice if you would like to monitor the internal temperature of the meat closely. With the capability of leaving the meat thermometer inside the oven, you don’t have to constantly open and close the lid of the oven in order to check the internal temperature of the meat. This will save time and avoid any unnecessary accidents due to the hot temperature of the oven.
Differences between oven thermometer and oven-safe meat thermometer
Oven thermometers and oven-safe meat thermometers are different things.
An oven thermometer is a small, stainless steel oven-safe thermometer with a clock face dial that allows you to take the most accurate temperature of the oven. The oven thermometer allows you to measure the exact internal temperature of your oven and test out hot spots within the oven.
An oven-safe meat thermometer, on the other hand, is a meat thermometer that measures the internal meat temperature while it is placed in the oven.
You can easily distinguish the two by the presence of the probe, meat thermometer has a probe (to be inserted into the meat) while the oven thermometer does not have one.
Where should you insert the meat thermometer?
To measure the internal temperature of the food accurately, the probe of the meat thermometer should be inserted at least 2 inches into the thickest part of the meat without touching fat or bone. You want to place the meat thermometer until it reaches the deepest part of the meat so that it reads the true internal temperature of the meat.
What should you do after using a meat thermometer?
You should always wash the probe of the meat thermometer with soap and hot water after using it so that food grease and oil do not build up. Maintaining the cleanliness of the meat thermometer is important for food safety.
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