Effective restaurant food safety hinges on versatility

No matter whether you're in the back of a food truck or the kitchen in a five star restaurant – cooking is always a little hectic.

Balancing the timing of appetisers with main courses, preparing ingredients on the fly and fielding constant questions are all part of the daily routine. Throughout it all, sweltering conditions in the kitchen can skew the internal temperatures of soups, uncooked meats and frozen foods.

Unfortunately, food safety can sometimes fall to the back of a chef's mind with everything else going on. With compliance and the health of the public being major priorities, cooking staff need versatile tools that are portable, can be used quickly and still provide accurate temperature readings.

Testing on-the-go

Time is of the essence in any well run kitchen. Take your eye off of the steak on the iron skillet for a few extra seconds and the customer's order will quickly go from medium-rare to well done. It's the very reason why cumbersome thermometers are seldom used.

The testo 103 mini-folding thermometer is the smallest of its type at just over 11 centimetres in length. Able to be easily stored in the front pocket of a chefs jacket or pants, the testo 103 can accurately measure at a slim angle of only 30°. It's HACCP certified and is ideal for quick testing of all types of solid and liquid foods.

Always be sure

An overlooked aspect of food safety is the delivery of the products itself. While storage and transport are often closely monitored in terms of maintaining acceptable temperature levels, the food can sit outside for extended periods of time as the order is accounted and signed for.

The testo 104-IR infrared and probe thermometer is ideal for spot checking temperatures of incoming goods. Its infrared laser allows for quick and reliable non-contact testing – it serves as an easy-to-use safety valve to ensure the food you're bringing into the restaurant won't go bad or get a customer ill.

The testo 104-IR is immediately activated as soon as its probe is extended, and it can also be used to measure the internal core temperatures of all types of foods. It's truly the hallmark of a versatile tool for the food and beverage industry. Don't spend another second guessing whether the food in your kitchen is at the right temperature for storage. Contact a Testo representative today to learn more about our food thermometers.