Every cook needs a lithium battery in the kitchen to power the electronic food thermometer. We’ll tell you how it works in a moment, but first a little cooking theory. When we hold a hot mug of coffee in our hands, heat transfers to our palms. Or rather, it makes the molecules in them vibrate a little faster.
That’s how cooking works. The process is similar whether we transfer the heat by conduction, convection, radiation, microwaving, or induction. It begins gradually, because we store most raw materials in the kitchen cooler. As it increases, it releases delicious flavors and transforms the product until it looks good on our plate on Christmas Day.
Why Cooking Thermometers are Such Important Devices
Overcooking is simply letting the food get too hot. When it does, it dries out and burns. Actually, the process continues after we remove the product from the heat.
You see, the molecules take a while to ease off and settle down again. Resting the food for ten minutes is thus the final step in cooking.
Therefore we must remember to slow the cooking down before the food reaches the desired temperature. That way, it is ‘finger licking good’ when it reaches the Christmas table. The earliest ‘food thermometers’ were cook’s fingers and the odd delicious tasting. Not that long ago, they still used bi-metal strips to manipulate the dial.
A Lithium Battery in the Kitchen for Cook’s Thermometer
Having a bi-metal strip is hardly an exact science. The best we can do is recalibrate the dial in our minds, so we know the beef is medium-rare at 11 o’clock.
Electronic thermometers measure the ease by which a small amount of current from a lithium battery flows through the probe. This varies with the amount of heat it encounters.
The correct depth to insert the probe depends on the cooking method. Microwaving cooks from the inside out, while baking follows the reverse process. Having an accurate food thermometer is really important. Remember to push the reset button before you use it. And make sure you have a spare lithium battery in the kitchen for emergencies. Bon Appetit!
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