How Frequently should a Thermometer be Calibrated for accuracy?

In a professional kitchen, maintaining your kitchen tools and equipment is an essential part of your routine. You keep your knives sharp and your food surfaces clean.

Another key element is the calibration of your food thermometers.

Using an inaccurate or poorly calibrated thermometer presents a food quality problem and, more importantly, a food safety threat.

What we ask ourselves is: How Frequently should a Thermometer be Calibrated for accuracy?

The exact calibration schedule depends on the type of thermometer you use and how you use it. The following are some guidelines on when you should recalibrate your thermometers.

In general, you should calibrate bimetal thermometers before every single shift.
Calibrate digital thermometers every week or month.
Always calibrate new thermometers or a thermometer that has been dropped.
It’s also a good idea to calibrate a thermometer after using it to measure significantly different temperatures.

For best results, follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

How to calibrate a thermometer?

To calibrate a thermometer, you must first test its accuracy on a substance with a known temperature. It will then adjust the thermometer to match that temperature.

There are two common methods for calibrating thermometers in food service: the boiling point method and the freezing point method.