Another installment from my brother Josh, the soon-to-be health inspector!

There are a few types of food thermometers that are commonly used in a household kitchen. The first is the basic “stick” thermometer. This is called a bi-metal thermometer, and records temperature through 1 of 2 metal ribbons inside shrinking due to heat, and the other expanding, which results in the dial at the top moving. These thermometers need to be calibrated (adjusted) often. If you are using one of these, keep in mind that the area on the thermometer that reads the temperature is the area from the pointed end until 1.5 inches up – so make sure to have the whole sensor in the food, or the temperature will be read wrong!

The second common thermometer is called an “oven-cord” thermometer. This one has a little box, and then a cord that you insert into the food, and it can go in to the oven. This is my favourite household thermometer. It is relatively cheap (~$20) and more accurate than the stick type.

When measuring temperatures of food, make sure to insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the food, and avoid touching the thermometer to the bottom or sides of the pan when recording.

Since I know that all of you reading this are so very enthralled by all of this food safety, I’ll give something a little bit more interesting to think about. A common misconception in the kitchen is the idea that colour (color) is an indication of how cooked a food is. This is not the case! One of my professors did a study to show how hamburgers that were cooked to the proper temperature still showed a red colour in the meat, and other hamburgers that were cooked until there was no more red, did not achieve the proper cooking temperatures and woud have been unsafe to consume. The colour of meat can be influenced by the pH (acidity) of the meat, or even how old the meat is (older meats tend to be a bit more brown).