U2PLT Posted July 28, 2008 Report Share Posted July 28, 2008 Harbor Freight has reduced price for their Cen-Tech Non Contact IR thermometer: Item # 96451-2AZB. It has a range of -70 to 972 *F. It is listed in Catalog 163-B Summer 2008. 1-800-423-2567 or www.harborfreight.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNakedWhiz Posted July 28, 2008 Report Share Posted July 28, 2008 Just be aware that it is set to a fixed emissivity, probably .95, so it won't give accurate readings on reflective surfaces. Not a problem unless you want to measure a shiny frying pan or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnyboy Posted July 29, 2008 Report Share Posted July 29, 2008 $39.99 not bad for another toy. Thanks for posting U2PLT. I may have to stop by Harbor Freight on my way home and pick one up. I'm just trying to figure out how I'd use it for cooking. Does it provide internal meat temps or just surface temps? And how would you find the oven temp (where do you point it) without it calculating the temp of the grate. Not that I'd use it for that. I'm thinking it would be neat for welding/brazing; or pointing it at an engine block/transmission/differential and getting the temp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNakedWhiz Posted July 29, 2008 Report Share Posted July 29, 2008 It only gives you surface temperatures. It assumes how much of the heat of the surface is being radiated as infrared radiation, measures the strength of the infrared radiation and then computes the temperature. So you need to be pointing it at a solid surface to measure a temperature. You can't measure the air temperature inside an oven, for example. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnnyboy Posted July 29, 2008 Report Share Posted July 29, 2008 Thanks TNW. Am I missing something; not sure I see it's usefullness for cooking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackie from Jersey Posted July 29, 2008 Report Share Posted July 29, 2008 ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdbower Posted July 29, 2008 Report Share Posted July 29, 2008 Another quirk of IR thermometers is that they can't see through glass. Still, they're fun toys to have around and it's a requirement that you use it to measure just about everything. I now know exactly how cold my wife's cat nose is and that my LCDs are a pretty constant 100F. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackie from Jersey Posted July 29, 2008 Report Share Posted July 29, 2008 .. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
U2PLT Posted July 29, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 29, 2008 IR Thermometer The Whiz is correct it is set to 95*, however I have one with same performance and I use it to check surface temp of searing steaks, rotto chicken, & pizza stone temp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNakedWhiz Posted July 29, 2008 Report Share Posted July 29, 2008 .95 will get you close for most things. The one cooking-related thing that would be totally messed up would be if you were measuring the temps of pans, such as AllClad. The emissivity of polished SS is something like .15. I have a chart out in the garage. (Really, LOL!) There is a chart somewhere on the Thermoworks web site if anyone is interested. But as for cooking, measuring the temp of your griddle for pancakes or your frying pan for crepes, etc. can be useful. AB on Good Eats used one I think to make crepes. But the real best use is what probably saved my marriage. (Yes, my marriage was saved by an IR thermometer. I know. Pathetic.) The wife is ALWAYS complaining of cold hands in the winter. My thought was "bloody woman, put on a pair of mittens!" Well, we went out to walk the dog one cold night. She wore mittens and I didn't. As soon as we got back in the house we checked the temp of our palms. Mine was 92 and hers was 82. Dang! She's been telling the truth all this time, LOL! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToastedMorsel Posted July 30, 2008 Report Share Posted July 30, 2008 check it see if your wife's hot.. The wife is ALWAYS complaining of cold hands in the winter. My thought was "bloody woman' date=' put on a pair of mittens!" Well, we went out to walk the dog one cold night. She wore mittens and I didn't. As soon as we got back in the house we checked the temp of our palms. Mine was 92 and hers was 82. Dang! She's been telling the truth all this time, LOL![/quote'] Ah, so that's how one checks to see if your wife's hot or cold.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
