Checking Temperature

You may or may not have seen the posts concerning Polder thermometers. These are probes that can be place into the center of the meat you are smoking and the wire that is attached to the probe can be run through the vent hole, or as I do, just shut the door on the wire, it doesnt hurt it. On the other end of the wire is the unit which can be set for any temp. An alarm will sound when it reaches the desired or set temp....

These are fool proof...., well ok, a "fool" would screw it up...

I don't see a reason to place a probe in each piece of meat, unless cooking different types or sizes....

As far as opening the door during cooking, try not to do this. You will lose smoke and heat!! Depending upon the temp, you can lose an hour of cook time for each time you open the door for more than 10 seconds....

My advise is DOUBLE check yourself when setting the temps and occasionally take a look at the thermometer on the outside for piece of mind.. They are battery operated. Batteries fail, but can be replaced without disturbing the cooking process....

Good Luck.

CaterGreat

Hey CaterGreat,

Thanks for the quick response.
Are Polders sold at most large retailers?Are other brands suitable,or is this the only one worth using?Are they long lasting? Do they come ready to use,or do they need some sort of preperation before using?
Any information from you or the other greats will always be respected and appriciated.

Rocky

I got my "Accurite" remote thermometer at Home Depot for 19.95 each. They have lasted 6 weeks so far... I can't see why they wouldn't last.... All you have to do is put in the battery and follow instructions to set... very simple...

Good Luck

I bought my Polder Preprogrammed Cooking Thermometer http://www.amazon.com for $29.99. Took about three days to receive it. This was purchased last week and used on my first Chicken in the Smokette II. The Polder is easy to use. Just unpack it, put in the battery and connect the probe and you are ready to go. I can't imagine anything easier to use. For me the hardest part is knowing where to stick the probe

Got a Polder for about $25, then picked up a couple of units branded by Pyrex... basically exactly the same, for 19.95 each. Very easy to use... no prep involved. As long as the probes don't get into real high heat, they'll last.

However, if you place a unit up on the handle of a Weber kettle (because the metal dome is too hot to rest the plastic unit), and attach it with some scotch tape, and then the cheesy tape fails and the unit falls onto the kettle dome... and sits there for a while... well... then you will have melted Polder. Very ugly. But now I have a spare probe!

Finer points of a Polder.

Have to tell this story again, sorry. Found polders on sale at Tuesday Morning Mall about a year ago. Bought every unit they had $5.95 with 2 probes each.

I just multiple probes while I cook, but only have to use one main temp unit.

I would test them. Test the temp by inserting the probe tip into ice water, yes! Guess what the temp will be?

And let's not forget "seasoning" a polder. Some people have had issues with them stopping to work because water gets into the probe. The lastest fad is to "season" them in oil so that the water can't get into the probe.

That's not all I know about Polders...I know how you hate my long posts.

Smokin'

Hey,Rocky.I use polders because I had them for years.I also have Taylors' and Sunbeams'.I use them interchangably and I no longer know what part goes with which.There are lots of posts in the forum ,but I suggest buy the good deal at the moment and pay attention to the instrument and as Catergreat said"it is virtually foolproof".Hope this helps.

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Good Q 2 Ya,Tom.

We all use the term "Polder" generically. Polder is a particular brand of digital thermometer. I have seen some off brands that are exactly the same as a Polder and some pretty simliar and some functionally similar.

I got a "pretty similar" one (per Smokin' Okie's suggestion) at Tuesday Morning last year for about $10. Then I picked up a few "functionally" similar Sunbeams at Lowe's last year for about $5 each.

All of these units come with the digital base and a detachable probe with cable (about 2-3 feet or so). I have found that my probes are interchangeable with different brands.

A word of caution when checking the probes for accuracy:

1. If testing via boiling water, be careful to adjust for altitude (I live at 7,000 feet). Here water boils at less than 200 F.

2. If testing via ice water, my "Polders" do not read below 33F.

Here are some websites that have different "Polders" and such.

http://doitbest.com/shop/product.asp?dept_id=3202&sku=672289
http://www.qvc.com/asp/frameset.asp?aol_r efer=false&nest=http://www.qvc.com/scripts/detail.dll?item=K78568!tpl=DETAIL!ref=IST&ref=IST
http://store.yahoo.com/comfort/cookther.html

I have found (and most everyone here will agree) that it is very nice to have a couple or 5 sitting around for use.

I'm a little late jumping in here, but thems are my thoughts. Good Luck.


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Happy Qin' - AAHH

Forgot to say that I have seen "Polders" and their kin at:

Walmart
Target
Bed, Bath and Beyond
Kohls Department Stores
Menards
etc., etc.

Most of these are in the $20-30 range. Last year someone on the forum said that Lowe's had them for $5. I checked my local Lowe's and could not find them. But I called the Lowe's where this guy said they were and I ordered Qty (5) and had them shipped to me with no problem.

[This message has been edited by AAHH (edited May 22, 2001).]