Always worthwhile to check your fridge on occasion
Thermoworks stuff is So Much Fun.
Just picked up their fridge/freezer temperature unit for no good reason whatsoever, other than "why not, it's on sale!"
Our freezer is set to -2 on the control panel. I *think* we're in range. (fridge temp looks reasonable)
I'm thinking of casually bringing this along to dinner parties just to play the "guess the actual temperature of the host's fridge/freezer at the end of the evening" game.
on the other hand, should I be concerned about the -9? Just monitor it over a period of time, perhaps?
Ice seems okay, nothing overly frosted over.... We're in and out of the freezer a few times a day for ice and whatnot, so it's a bit different than a chest freezer temp would be.
Speaking of, what temp should a stand-up freezer in a garage be set to? That'll be my next test.
Same here. Setpoints are 0 F for freezer and 34 F for fridge. It should be noted, of course, that temps inside the fridge/freezer will vary. The lower third is roughly where my unit hits its target temps, whereas near the top shelfs it will be a few degrees higher.
I would love my freezer to be -4F. That way you can "pasteurize" fish for sashimi and sushi. But I don't think most domestic freezers will reliably stay that cold, especially if you go in them often.
Smokin-It 3D
Weber Kettle with an SNS
Masterbuilt kettle that I call the $30 wonder grill
Bullet by Bull Grills gasser
Anova WiFi sous vide machine
Thermoworks Thermapen and Chef Alarm
Panhead John The FDA recommends 40 for fridge temps, and ServSafe backs that up with their "keep under 41 degrees" documentation. By no means am I suggesting your personal target is incorrect; merely pointing out the FDA value as one source of guidance.
That was just a snapshot of my temps at that moment. Over the course of the day, we saw temps closer to the -2 in the freezer section, and closer to 38 in the fridge. I'm going to guess something something is cycling the temps. As long as we don't see 45 or higher....
Bright side: temps are at least in the officially recommended zones, so that's good.
The problem is if things get sideways, you are already at 40, and you don't want food over 40 for more than 2 hours. But yeah, you good. Check out Bruce Tomkins.
Actually, the FDA recommendation says to keep your refrigerator "at or below 40F". I try to keep mine around 35-36F. That way if things do warm up when the door is open for a couple of minutes, the food still stays below 40.
The freezer should be below zero and the fridge needs to be below 41. Anything over 41 is unsafe. You’re a bit too close to the danger zone in my opinion. I wouldn’t want my fridge to be anything over 40, preferably below 38.
ComfortablyNumb Good beer is better served cool and not cold.
For ice-cold beer, I stick my finger in it until it reaches the correct temp.
"And away we go!"
WillTravelForFood How do you like that thermo? Thinking about getting one, but the reviews on Thermoworks sight have a lot of people complaining about the probe cable being too short. You? I did a quick chat with Thermoworks to ask if the unit itself can live in the fridge and was told it's supposed to be on the outside. However, in the Q/A section someone asked that and the Thermoworks response was that it can be inside or outside.
It's designed for industrial/professional kitchens, I'm sure. For home use, I could see the cables being a bit problematic for a permanent installation.
I think on my fridge(s), the 3 foot cables would make it hard to reach the fridge AND the freezer, since my fridge in the house is a side-by-side. On the top or bottom freezer models, I can see it working well if you are able to run the 3 foot probe wires under the door gasket, and hang the unit on one side of the fridge.
@jfmorris: exactly, the cords are about 3ft. If you can reach both the fridge and freezer section from one side of the unit, then the cables will be fine. For a side by side unit, well.... I guess you'd put the unit on top of the unit and string the cords down the left or right side as needed? Not exactly practical for long-term use, but perfectly usable for an overnight check.
If not cooking outdoors, I am cooking on the stovetop with my 14" carbon steel wok, 12" CI skillet, or in the oven with my two Lodge CI pizza pans, or two dutch ovens. I've also got a nifty Lodge carbon steel grill pan that rocks for veggies outdoors.
I'm debating that one too. I'd want to get two of them though as I'm interested in seeing temps in multiple locations of the fridge only. That's why I was asking about whether or not you can put the unit RT8100 in the fridge in case the cables are too short.
Rod - you can put both sensors wherever you need to. If both are in the fridge section, you could monitor for those different temps. (I didn't read the instructions to pay attention if one probe was intended for freezer-specifically or not)
About all the 'fridge too warm comments' - keep in mind a few things... a) fridges cycle, b) temps vary inside the fridge. The lower shelves of mine are closer to 35 than 40. The upper? not so much, they're closer to 40. Same for doors vs close to the sides.
While the digital thing is nice, you can get cheap stick on analog thermometers which I have in a couple of places.
If not cooking outdoors, I am cooking on the stovetop with my 14" carbon steel wok, 12" CI skillet, or in the oven with my two Lodge CI pizza pans, or two dutch ovens. I've also got a nifty Lodge carbon steel grill pan that rocks for veggies outdoors.
Rod if you just want to check your fridge and freezer with a couple of probes, but don't need a permanent setup, I just checked, and my Smoke has a working range down to -55F. That thing runs for years on a set of AA batteries, and has magnets. If you have something like that, and aren't cooking with it, it would be a good way to check the temps for a few days on your fridge and freezer. In fact, I may do that now, as I have 3 fridges, and have been wondering where they are sitting, temp-wise.
jfmorris I do have a Smoke and that's a good idea. However, I do want it to be permanent. Too bad you didn't mention this earlier as I already ordered 2 of the RT615s. Your tardy response is my excuse.
While the digital thing is nice, you can get cheap stick on analog thermometers which I have in a couple of places.
Perhaps, but they're not nearly as much fun.
(have one sitting in the back of the fridge, and I wasn't happy with what it was showing - hence the discount double-check with something I trust is more accurate)
My toys:
Weber Summit Charcoal Grilling Center (WSCGC) aka Mr. Fancypants
Pit Barrel Cooker (which rocks), named Pretty Baby
Weber Summit S650 Gas Grill, named Hot 'n Fast (used mostly for searing and griddling)
Weber Kettle Premium 22" named Kettle Kid, eager to horn in with more cooks in the future
Camp Chef Somerset IV 4-burner outdoor gas range named AfterBurner due to its 30kBTU burners
Adrenaline BBQ Company Gear:
SnS Low Profile, DnG, and Large Charcoal Basket, for WSCGC
SnS Deluxe for 22" Kettle
Elevated SS Rack for WSCGC
SS Rack for DnG
Cast Iron Griddle
Grill Grate for SnS
Grill Grates: five 17.375 sections (retired to storage)
Grill Grates: six 19.25 panels for exact fit for Summit S650
gasser
Grill Grates for 22" Kettle
2 Grill Grate Griddles
Steelmade Griddle for Summit gas grill
Fireboard Gear:
Extreme BBQ Thermometer Package
Additional control unit
Additional probes: Competition Probes 1" (3) and 4" (1), 3 additional Ambient Probes. 1 additional Food Probe
2 Driver Cables
Pit Viper Fan (to pair with Fireboard Fan Driver Cable)
Pit Viper Fan new design (to pair with Fireboard Fan Driver Cable)
Thermoworks Gear:
Thermapen MK4 (pink)
Thermapen Classic (pink too)
Thermoworks MK4 orange
Temp Test 2 Smart Thermometer
Extra Big and Loud Timer
Timestick Trio
Maverick ET 73 a little workhorse with limited range
Maverick ET 733
Maverick (Ivation) ET 732
Grill Pinz
Vortex (two of them)
18" drip pan for WSCGC
Ceramic Spacers for WSCGC in Kamado Mode: 2 sets each 1/2", 1", 2". The 2" spacers work best with the 18" drip pan. The 1+1/2 inch spacers work best with the 14 inch cake pan.
Two Joule Sous Vide devices
3 Lipavi Sous Vide Tubs with Lids: 12, 18 and 26 quarts
Avid Armor Ultra Pro V32 Chamber Sealer
Instant Pot 6 Quart Electric Pressure Cooker
Instant Pot 10 Quart Electric Pressure Cooker
Charcoal Companion TurboQue
A-Maze-N tube 12 inch tube smoker accessory for use with pellets
BBQ Dragon and Dragon Chimney
Shun Classic Series:
8" Chef Knife
6" Chef's Knife
Gokujo Boning and Fillet Knife
3 1/2 inch Paring Knife
I have that Thermoworks model that you have, WillTravelForFood . I purchased it after Huskee recommended it on another topic.
It works just fine. I only use it on my freezer, though. It's an upright standalone freezer and typically runs at -7 to -9 deg most of the time.
On my analog freezer thermometers, the "safe" zone is noted as 0° to -20°. I use analog thermometers in my fridges and side-by-side freezer. I check them every time I open the door. Two per unit, placed on the upper and lower shelves. Both fridges are kept at 34 to 36 degrees.
Since I'm not opening the big standalone freezer as much, the Thermoworks thermometer is great for me to check without having to open the door.
That freezer is packed pretty tight, no matter how much food I take out of it and cook. I cook the food and freeze the leftovers. Or I cook the leftovers, rejoice at the space that has opened up, then buy more meat. Hence the consistently jammed-full situation.
I've reached a steady state with it, foodwise.
Anyway, that thermometer gives me great peace of mind.
Kathryn
Last edited by fzxdoc; September 1, 2021, 07:06 AM.
I have come so close to getting one of these.....and came very close after the Big Freeze this February. One of these models Thermoworks makes will tell you the time that a unit was above where you wanted it to be.
My hesitation is that I'm concerned that the probe wire will get in the way and/or not work with the door seal correctly.
Scotch: Current favorite- The Arran (anything by them), Glenmorangie 12yr Lasanta, sherry cask finished. The Balvenie Double Wood, also like Oban 18yr, and The Glenlivet Nadurra (Oloroso sherry cask finished) among others. Neat please.
About meReal name: Aaron
Location: Farwell, Michigan - near Clare (dead center of lower peninsula).
Occupation:
Healthcare- Licensed & Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) at MyMichigan Health, a University of Michigan Health System.
As fzxdoc mentioned I use the same one and I love it. It beeps if you get out of bounds in your temps, which is useful in the event of a failure that you're unaware of, or as happened to me last summer w/ my spare fridge, the frost gets out of hand and it clogs the vent and the fridge temp starts skyrocketing while the freezer temp plummets to -double digits. I also have a single-probe one on my regular fridge, just can't be too cautious I guess.
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