Hi,

I'm finally breaking down and buying a thermometer - any recomendations
for an good (that is, accurate) one and where to buy it?

Thanks!

Sally

I'm also looking for this... I bought a Cuisipro some weeks ago. It's
not accurate at all... According to what I read on some espresso group,
the dial (see
http://www.tabletools.com/tabletools...ermometer.html)
thermometers are never accurate, and the Taylor digital thermometers
(http://www.wholelattelove.com/itemIm...1019XLarge.gif) are
better.

I have also read that (from
http://www.coffeegeek.com/forums/espresso/general/53870) :
==============
A couple of general comments on thermometers IIM--

Most manufacturers have more than one product line. Taylor is a well
respected product but has
an economy line which you're likely to find at a housewares store.

Calibration is a good feature if you have a good standard to calibrate
with. Ice water and boiling water are handy but not always accurate.
One good standard is a lab grade mercury filled thermometer with 0.1
degree C accuracy. These are hard to come by (even before 9/11). Lab
supply companies are reluctant to sell to individuals for obvious
reasons.

Another is to buy your thermometer from a vendor who can supply a NIST
certificate (extra cost). This certificate ensures that a qualified
metrologist has calibrated your thermometer and it should be good for a
year.

There's no inherent difference in accuracy between a digital and analog
thermometer. Fast response time is a function of construction and CAN
be achieved with either.

A supplier of good dial thermometers for milk frothing and other
coffeegeek applications is Mannix
(http://www.mannix-inst.com/index.php)
==============

I'm also looking for this... I bought a Cuisipro some weeks ago. It's
not accurate at all... According to what I read on some espresso group,
the dial (see
http://www.tabletools.com/tabletools...ermometer.html)
thermometers are never accurate, and the Taylor digital thermometers
(http://www.wholelattelove.com/itemIm...1019XLarge.gif) are
better.

I have also read that (from
http://www.coffeegeek.com/forums/espresso/general/53870) :
==============
A couple of general comments on thermometers IIM--

Most manufacturers have more than one product line. Taylor is a well
respected product but has
an economy line which you're likely to find at a housewares store.

Calibration is a good feature if you have a good standard to calibrate
with. Ice water and boiling water are handy but not always accurate.
One good standard is a lab grade mercury filled thermometer with 0.1
degree C accuracy. These are hard to come by (even before 9/11). Lab
supply companies are reluctant to sell to individuals for obvious
reasons.

Another is to buy your thermometer from a vendor who can supply a NIST
certificate (extra cost). This certificate ensures that a qualified
metrologist has calibrated your thermometer and it should be good for a
year.

There's no inherent difference in accuracy between a digital and analog
thermometer. Fast response time is a function of construction and CAN
be achieved with either.

A supplier of good dial thermometers for milk frothing and other
coffeegeek applications is Mannix
(http://www.mannix-inst.com/index.php)
==============

Ummm...OK. call me ignorant, but why should that matter that it's within a
tenth of a degree for national security purposes? Wouldn't a thermometer
like that be useful for candymaking too or somethng? Sorry if I'm dense but
I don't get it, seems a bit silly to me. Or do you mean the "lab grade"
part?

Melinda


"BenoitF" wrote in message
ups.com..

snip

\
Calibration is a good feature if you have a good standard to calibrate
with. Ice water and boiling water are handy but not always accurate.
One good standard is a lab grade mercury filled thermometer with 0.1
degree C accuracy. These are hard to come by (even before 9/11). Lab
supply companies are reluctant to sell to individuals for obvious
reasons.


snip



A supplier of good dial thermometers for milk frothing and other
coffeegeek applications is Mannix
(http://www.mannix-inst.com/index.php)
==============

Actually, the 0.1 degree accuracy is not important at all... The point
of the one who wrote this on coffeegeek.com is that those thermometers
are accurate (they will not indicate 80 degrees if the water is at 95
degree, which is, believe me, quite common with a lot of those dial
thermometers, even the one that aren't cheap). And as you know, the
difference in brewing tea at 80 degrees vs. at 95 degrees is quite
important...

Ummm...OK. call me ignorant, but why should that matter that it's within a
tenth of a degree for national security purposes? Wouldn't a thermometer
like that be useful for candymaking too or somethng? Sorry if I'm dense
but I don't get it, seems a bit silly to me. Or do you mean the "lab
grade" part?

Melinda

I think the national security issue is the "lab grade" mercury.

different teas call for different temps; especially some of your
greens. depending on how tender the leaves are, it could ruin the
batch entirely if the temp is too hot.


Mydnight

--------------------
thus then i turn me from my countries light, to dwell in the solemn shades of an endless night.

BenoitF wrote:

Calibration is a good feature if you have a good standard to
calibrate
with. Ice water and boiling water are handy but not always accurate.
One good standard is a lab grade mercury filled thermometer with 0.1
degree C accuracy. These are hard to come by (even before 9/11). Lab
supply companies are reluctant to sell to individuals for obvious
reasons.

i don't see any reason to be concerned with calibration. you'll have to
play around with your teas' steeping temps regardless. you'll have to
figure out that you like a particular tea steeped at temperature x and
this other tea at temperature x+20; it doesn't really matter then if
x=140. the thermometer needs to be accurate, but it doesn't seem to
matter much if it's calibrated.

cheers!
chuck

BenoitF wrote:

Calibration is a good feature if you have a good standard to
calibrate
with. Ice water and boiling water are handy but not always accurate.
One good standard is a lab grade mercury filled thermometer with 0.1
degree C accuracy. These are hard to come by (even before 9/11). Lab
supply companies are reluctant to sell to individuals for obvious
reasons.

i don't see any reason to be concerned with calibration. you'll have to
play around with your teas' steeping temps regardless. you'll have to
figure out that you like a particular tea steeped at temperature x and
this other tea at temperature x+20; it doesn't really matter then if
x=140. the thermometer needs to be accurate, but it doesn't seem to
matter much if it's calibrated.

cheers!
chuck

Very simple to check these things -
two tests:
1. Put ice approx 50/50 in water and let it stabilize for several minutes
measute the WATER (not ice) temperature. It must be exactly 0 C (32 F)
2. Measure the temperatiure of boiling water. It mut be exactly 100C (212
F). That is if you live approx at sea level. If not - its should be less 2
deg F or every 1000 feet of elevation.

If your thermometer passes, most porobably its -OK one.
But there may be another test you want to go throu. Take as much water that
would take approx 2-3 min to get boiled on your stove. Put a thermometer in
it (not touching the vessel) and tart heating. Watch the thermometer and
throw it away if it moves even with a single jerky movement or acceleration.
It must be very smooth.

I use a computer digital thermometer (two for $25 at CompUSA). they have
almost zero mass sensor with a long wire. Zero mass makes it very fast and
sensitive and long wire allow me to sticj the thermometer above my stove and
just put the sensor inside a hole in the teapot lid (or under it).

Sasha.

"chuck marx" wrote in message
oups.com...
BenoitF wrote:

Calibration is a good feature if you have a good standard to
calibrate
with. Ice water and boiling water are handy but not always accurate.
One good standard is a lab grade mercury filled thermometer with 0.1
degree C accuracy. These are hard to come by (even before 9/11). Lab
supply companies are reluctant to sell to individuals for obvious
reasons.

i don't see any reason to be concerned with calibration. you'll have to
play around with your teas' steeping temps regardless. you'll have to
figure out that you like a particular tea steeped at temperature x and
this other tea at temperature x+20; it doesn't really matter then if
x=140. the thermometer needs to be accurate, but it doesn't seem to
matter much if it's calibrated.

cheers!
chuck

Very simple to check these things -
two tests:
1. Put ice approx 50/50 in water and let it stabilize for several minutes
measute the WATER (not ice) temperature. It must be exactly 0 C (32 F)
2. Measure the temperatiure of boiling water. It mut be exactly 100C (212
F). That is if you live approx at sea level. If not - its should be less 2
deg F or every 1000 feet of elevation.

If your thermometer passes, most porobably its -OK one.
But there may be another test you want to go throu. Take as much water that
would take approx 2-3 min to get boiled on your stove. Put a thermometer in
it (not touching the vessel) and tart heating. Watch the thermometer and
throw it away if it moves even with a single jerky movement or acceleration.
It must be very smooth.

I use a computer digital thermometer (two for $25 at CompUSA). they have
almost zero mass sensor with a long wire. Zero mass makes it very fast and
sensitive and long wire allow me to sticj the thermometer above my stove and
just put the sensor inside a hole in the teapot lid (or under it).

Sasha.

"chuck marx" wrote in message
oups.com...
BenoitF wrote:

Calibration is a good feature if you have a good standard to
calibrate
with. Ice water and boiling water are handy but not always accurate.
One good standard is a lab grade mercury filled thermometer with 0.1
degree C accuracy. These are hard to come by (even before 9/11). Lab
supply companies are reluctant to sell to individuals for obvious
reasons.

i don't see any reason to be concerned with calibration. you'll have to
play around with your teas' steeping temps regardless. you'll have to
figure out that you like a particular tea steeped at temperature x and
this other tea at temperature x+20; it doesn't really matter then if
x=140. the thermometer needs to be accurate, but it doesn't seem to
matter much if it's calibrated.

cheers!
chuck

chuck marx wrote:
BenoitF wrote:


Calibration is a good feature if you have a good standard to

calibrate

with. Ice water and boiling water are handy but not always accurate.
One good standard is a lab grade mercury filled thermometer with 0.1
degree C accuracy. These are hard to come by (even before 9/11). Lab
supply companies are reluctant to sell to individuals for obvious
reasons.


i don't see any reason to be concerned with calibration. you'll have to
play around with your teas' steeping temps regardless. you'll have to
figure out that you like a particular tea steeped at temperature x and
this other tea at temperature x+20; it doesn't really matter then if
x=140. the thermometer needs to be accurate, but it doesn't seem to
matter much if it's calibrated.

cheers!
chuck


Sure it does, if you want your tea knowledge to be connected to a
standard independent of a thermometer that may break tomorrow.

chuck marx wrote:
BenoitF wrote:


Calibration is a good feature if you have a good standard to

calibrate

with. Ice water and boiling water are handy but not always accurate.
One good standard is a lab grade mercury filled thermometer with 0.1
degree C accuracy. These are hard to come by (even before 9/11). Lab
supply companies are reluctant to sell to individuals for obvious
reasons.


i don't see any reason to be concerned with calibration. you'll have to
play around with your teas' steeping temps regardless. you'll have to
figure out that you like a particular tea steeped at temperature x and
this other tea at temperature x+20; it doesn't really matter then if
x=140. the thermometer needs to be accurate, but it doesn't seem to
matter much if it's calibrated.

cheers!
chuck


Sure it does, if you want your tea knowledge to be connected to a
standard independent of a thermometer that may break tomorrow.

You can see two pocket digital thermometers at:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...8563 206&rd=1
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...038049 7&rd=1

hth

wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi,

I'm finally breaking down and buying a thermometer - any recomendations
for an good (that is, accurate) one and where to buy it?

Thanks!

Sally

You can see two pocket digital thermometers at:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...8563 206&rd=1
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...038049 7&rd=1

hth

wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi,

I'm finally breaking down and buying a thermometer - any recomendations
for an good (that is, accurate) one and where to buy it?

Thanks!

Sally