Infrared thermometers?

Are any of the cooks on this forum using the infrared cooking thermometers that allow you to determine surface temperatures? If so, how do you like them and what one are you using?

They're a really fun toy. I don't use it much now, but when I first got it, I measured the temps of everything. After a few days, it got to the point where I could tell by look, feel, smell, and sound about how hot things were in degrees, so my calibration tool went back in the drawer.

It's a no-name unit I got from McMaster-Carr.

Greg, my experience was similar to Stuart's -- it's great fun but after you use it for awhile, you pretty much know everything you need to know -- my pizza stone will get to 900F after an hour with all burners on full for example.

Harold McGee had a short note in the "NYTimes" yesterday you may find useful:

"By HAROLD McGEE

THE most important step in mastering heat is to get into the habit of using a thermometer to keep track of temperature — that of the food itself, and of the surface or space in which it is cooked or stored.

There are two kinds of thermometers that can help. I use both all the time to keep tabs on heat flow in my kitchen.

The common instant-read thermometer has a metal shaft that can be inserted into foods to measure inner temperature. Despite its name, this thermometer takes 10 seconds or more to give a reading that is sometimes lower than it should be because the shaft cools the food. (Warm the shaft before inserting it.) It can be useful in checking the inner temperatures of meats, fish, stews and sauces.

A more recent arrival in the kitchen is the pistol-shaped infrared thermometer. Point it at an object from an inch or two away, pull the trigger, and it instantly measures the infrared heat energy (even cold objects radiate some), converting that measurement to a reading of the surface temperature. It is instant gratification, and makes it fun to explore the thermal world.

The infrared thermometer is useful for checking the readiness of a cooking surface, like a frying pan or a pizza stone. It can also be trained on the various compartments of refrigerators and freezers, where the temperature determines how long foods will keep before spoiling. Most home refrigerators average 40 to 45 degrees, but they’d do a better job if they were kept colder. Drop the temperature to 32, and fresh ocean fish will last twice as long — for as long as a week."

I have the La Crosse Technology IR-101 Infrared Thermometer, which is a really neat little device. The biggest bitch: it uses four LR44 watch batteries which are a little tough to replace.

The folks at La Crosse are really good guys, with lots of fun toys: http://www.lacrossetechnology.com/

I use my thermometer quite a bit to measure the water temps in our outdoor koi pond, primarily to double check the in water temps.

If you get one, you'll have a ball.

Thanks Stuart and Bob,

I was thinking of using it to get some uniformity of temperature when I initiate cooking. For instance, heating up a saute pan adding oil and then before I add the item to saute, I usually sprinkle a drop of water and see how fast it disappears/sizzles. Works, but is not very reproducible. To get good browning, I would like to have some more control over knowing the temp when I add the food. The IRs aren't too expensive, so maybe this is a reasonable way to go.

I have heard that they don't measure temps of stainless steel as well as other surfaces. Have you found this to be true? Thanks.

G

Greg, I don't remember any problems with mine but I don't really have a way to validate temps. I used it on my grill which is stainless, and the temps looked like they were in the ball park, based on touch.

I forgot to mention that they are great devices to check for heat loss. I found several areas in our walls last winter where the electrician failed to re-insulate after wiring.

Do you have a source for the stainless concern? I suppose you could validate with a contact thermometer; I'll try that next time I crank up the Viking.

I had great fun with mine at first, aiming at people's body parts, but from a cook's standpoint, it brings little to the table for me.
Mine's a Cooper. I got it as a sample. It came on a long red cord that can hang around the neck. The first few days I had it, I wore it on all my sales calls, and everyone who saw it, had to have one. I sold a bunch.
It's a nice way to make sure the grill is hot enough, but I can't think of too many other uses for it.

I've used ours to check temperatures within the oven (we have a really crappy oven) and to check the temps in our basement where the wine is. Best use was to figure out that the reason our house was so cold was because I was inadvertently heating the wall the thermostat was on.