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March 10, 2006
212*
At what temperature does water boil and why would you want to know it?? Here's a tip from The General. To check the accuracy of your thermometer, boil a pan of water. Place the probe of the thermometer into the boiling water and see how close it gets to 212*. It should read 212* exactly.
Not only have you checked the accuracy of your thermometer, but you have cleansed it. Thermometers used on different meats can cause cross contamination. If you don't want to boil water every time you use your thermometer, buy some alcohol towelettes and keep them near your grill and stove.
I believe in the past we have lost BBQ contests because we did not check the accuracy of our thermometers. That is why when we do compete we always use more than one and do calibrate them beforehand.
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Comments
Ellison,
Thank you for pointing that out. I have used Denver as an example before, but neglected to do so this time.
Today was a perfect spring day in Savannah...wish you were here.
The General
Posted by: The General at March 10, 2006 06:00 PM
This works at sea level - like in Savannah - but at higher altitudes, water boils at a lower temperature. In Atlanta (elevation 1004 ft), the difference would be small (210 degrees), but in places like Denver (5433 ft elevation at the airport), it's 202 degrees - significantly lower.
It's good that you make mention of cross-contamination. Food safety is important! We don't want our guests to get sick. For that matter, we don't want to get sick! And this is an area in which most amateur chefs are not as knowledgeable as they should be.
Posted by: Elisson at March 10, 2006 04:09 PM
