A good infrared thermometer will allow you to stand away from the heat while still providing you with a quick reading of the temperature of whatever you point it at, making it a very helpful tool to have in your toolbox.
We’ve put together a comprehensive review of some of the top infrared thermometers on the market to ensure you’re working with the best possible equipment.
We suggest the ThermoWorks Industrial Infrared Temperature Gun for measuring the temperature of your griddle, grill surface, or pizza oven due to its high build quality and accuracy.
FAQ about Using an Infrared Thermometer Gun for Grilling & Cooking
Yes, even though the majority of grills have an integrated thermometer that measures the internal average temperature, the accuracy is frequently questionable. You can check the temperature of your grill with an infrared thermometer gun to make sure that it, as well as the grates, are exactly the right temperature for the food you are working with.
When determining the temperature of hot grill surfaces that you can’t make direct contact with, infrared thermometers are a great solution because they measure thermal radiation rather than internal temperatures. Knowing how hot your grill is will help you cook food and meats to perfection every time with less worry.
Here are three of the most common misconceptions about infrared thermometers:
This is just plain wrong. An infrared thermometer’s laser pointer serves as a guide to show you where to point the device. The laser helps to steady your aim and ensure that you are close to the area you are trying to temp when measuring the heat coming from an A/C duct, for example.
Depending on the make and model, an infrared thermometer is actually reading the temperature above, below or around where you see the laser. Some infrared thermometers, like the IR Pro Series and the IR-IND are equipped with two lasers. They provide an indication of the infrared radiation being measured between the laser points. And depending on your infrared’s optics, the diameter of the area being measured will change as you get farther away from your target. This is called the optical range.
(Hint: Accurate temperature measurements are greatly enhanced by being aware of optical range. Keep an eye out for a post in the future where we’ll examine optical range in greater detail and discuss how it affects temperature readings. ).
Reasons to Use an Infrared Thermometer for Grilling
When grilling, an infrared thermometer uses the thermal radiation that the meat emits to determine the meat’s temperature. It can produce an accurate reading without coming into contact with the meat.
To use a conventional grilling thermometer, you must pound a probe into the meat. To reach the meat’s center, the probe needs to be inserted deeply. While using this technique, you might get an accurate reading, the meat’s quality could be compromised. While grilling, poking the meat allows some of the juices to escape. The juice causes the flame to shoot up when it comes into contact with the charcoal, which can significantly raise the grilling temperature. The juice that escapes from the meat also indicates that the flavor of the meat is being lost.
A reading from an infrared thermometer is not just based on the temperature of the meat. It also takes into account other elements, like the surface temperature of the meat and the temperatures of the grill and skillet.