Temperature probes for cakes

[Lee_C]

Sorry for the late reply! Thanks J13, yes I'm loving the blue and you're quite right, it's not intended as a candy thermometer to lean against pans.

NCB, haha, that's awesome. The french were clearly so jealous they couldn't bring themselves to accept that the Napa Valley won out! I hardly drink so probably couldn't discern a good from an average wine, but I do prefer red and rosee.

Given that the barometric pressure for your zip is telling you 211f, do you think the Thermapop is more accurate than your Thermapen?

I was speaking to someone from ETI quality control this morning who was very helpful. He said I can try holding the probe over the kettle spout after it's boiled to catch the temperature of the steam. So I'll try that later.

I made an ice bath today as well. I crushed ice cubes in my blender and followed the instructions in the manual. Very accurate, was giving me 0.5c then 0.2c and eventually a straight zero.

Yeah I need to consider sanitizing the probe properly, I've only been rinsing it under water and drying it off.

I'm not sure the magnetic sleeve actually encloses the probe, I think it's still exposed so that it can be used without removing the sleeve. But they do sell a leather looking wallet to keep it in, that might be worth considering.

I'm glad your backlight is working as intended. I discussed the manual backlight override with him today and although he told me that it needs a couple of seconds or so for the processor to turn it on again, I tested it while speaking to him and it still wasn't coming on after several seconds. While other times it was fine. He said it does sound like a possible fault and has given me the benefit of the doubt and a freepost address to return it and they're sending a replacement. 3rd time lucky?!

He said even if they find there's nothing actually wrong with it, that's fine as they want happy customers. Great company to deal with.

Nevertheless, I hope they don't say there was nothing wrong with it, that'll be a little embarrassing!

 

[Norcalbaker59]

Sorry for the late reply! Thanks J13, yes I'm loving the blue and you're quite right, it's not intended as a candy thermometer to lean against pans.

NCB, haha, that's awesome. The french were clearly so jealous they couldn't bring themselves to accept that the Napa Valley won out! I hardly drink so probably couldn't discern a good from an average wine, but I do prefer red and rosee.

Given that the barometric pressure for your zip is telling you 211f, do you think the Thermapop is more accurate than your Thermapen?

I was speaking to someone from ETI quality control this morning who was very helpful. He said I can try holding the probe over the kettle spout after it's boiled to catch the temperature of the steam. So I'll try that later.

I made an ice bath today as well. I crushed ice cubes in my blender and followed the instructions in the manual. Very accurate, was giving me 0.5c then 0.2c and eventually a straight zero.

Yeah I need to consider sanitizing the probe properly, I've only been rinsing it under water and drying it off.

I'm not sure the magnetic sleeve actually encloses the probe, I think it's still exposed so that it can be used without removing the sleeve. But they do sell a leather looking wallet to keep it in, that might be worth considering.

I'm glad your backlight is working as intended. I discussed the manual backlight override with him today and although he told me that it needs a couple of seconds or so for the processor to turn it on again, I tested it while speaking to him and it still wasn't coming on after several seconds. While other times it was fine. He said it does sound like a possible fault and has given me the benefit of the doubt and a freepost address to return it and they're sending a replacement. 3rd time lucky?!

He said even if they find there's nothing actually wrong with it, that's fine as they want happy customers. Great company to deal with.

Nevertheless, I hope they don't say there was nothing wrong with it, that'll be a little embarrassing!

Sorry for the delay in responding. We had a power outage all day yesterday, so I did no want to drain the battery on my phone and computer by going online. Power was not restored until after midnight so all the food in my refrigerator and freezer was lost. I spent the morning cleaning it all out. Glass and plastic cannot be recycled with food in them so I had to empty and rinse everything. It was a chore.

I think the thermopen works fine. I boiled water in a small all-clad saucepan. I think it was picking up the intense heat from the side of the saucepan as the diameter of the pan was quite small. And since it is a three ply metal pan it conducts heat very well

I should do the ice water test. It’s more accurate than the boiling water test.

I thought the silicone cover was a storage case. I definitely want a storage case even though I keep it in its own space in a drawer organizer.

Well hopefully your replacement will work well. Other than testing mine I haven’t had a chance to use it since I haven’t cooked or baked But July 4th is coming up so I will be baking pies for the holiday.

It’s funny that I grew up in wine country; I live in the middle of a vineyard, but I only drink wine a few times a year. I cannot drink beer because of the gluten. And I’m not a fan of hard alcohol. I like red wine, but I’m allergic to the sulfites. So I only have wine on the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. And maybe once or twice throughout the year when I have friends over
for a nice dinner. I always offer wine and good beer and ale to my guests, but I do not indulge.

 

[Lee_C]

Hi Norcalbaker. Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry to read about your food loss! Can you claim from your energy supplier? It might be worth a shot. At the end of the day, you're paying them for a reliable service, so surely they should compensate you as it's expensive replacing food, and it's their fault!

Re proper Thermapen storage, this dedicated wallet looks really nice and it's real leather apparently! Might be worth considering

https://www.thermoworks.com/Thermapen-Leather-Wallet

I'm not particularly a beer fan. I bought 4 small bottles last year and they're still in my fridge. Probably gone flat by now! But yeah, the occasional glass of red wine I enjoy.

When is your Thanksgiving by the way, has it gone or is it to come? I believe it's quite a big celebration in the US. When I got my recipe for my pear frangipane tart, the youtube lady said she usually makes it for her husband for Thanksgiving. But yay, your American Independence day is on Thursday so you'll be baking up some tasty treats!

I received another Thermapen yesterday, they sent it out really fast. And I had returned mine on friday so hopefully they received it. It would seem there was nothing wrong with it because this one responds the same and I know they checked it before sending to me.

What I've found is that the light doesn't come straight back on if I cover the sensor, but, if I give it a little shake or flick when the light goes off and then touch the sensor, it always comes back on.

So I guess the previous one would have done the same. Anyway, I called them to apologise for messing them around and they were so nice, saying no need to apologise . I think they don't mind when they know customers are genuine and friendly to them. I'll definitely do an Amazon review and give a glowing report on their after sales service!

 

[Norcalbaker59]

Hi Norcalbaker. Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry to read about your food loss! Can you claim from your energy supplier? It might be worth a shot. At the end of the day, you're paying them for a reliable service, so surely they should compensate you as it's expensive replacing food, and it's their fault!

Re proper Thermapen storage, this dedicated wallet looks really nice and it's real leather apparently! Might be worth considering

https://www.thermoworks.com/Thermapen-Leather-Wallet

I'm not particularly a beer fan. I bought 4 small bottles last year and they're still in my fridge. Probably gone flat by now! But yeah, the occasional glass of red wine I enjoy.

When is your Thanksgiving by the way, has it gone or is it to come? I believe it's quite a big celebration in the US. When I got my recipe for my pear frangipane tart, the youtube lady said she usually makes it for her husband for Thanksgiving. But yay, your American Independence day is on Thursday so you'll be baking up some tasty treats!

I received another Thermapen yesterday, they sent it out really fast. And I had returned mine on friday so hopefully they received it. It would seem there was nothing wrong with it because this one responds the same and I know they checked it before sending to me.

What I've found is that the light doesn't come straight back on if I cover the sensor, but, if I give it a little shake or flick when the light goes off and then touch the sensor, it always comes back on.

So I guess the previous one would have done the same. Anyway, I called them to apologise for messing them around and they were so nice, saying no need to apologise . I think they don't mind when they know customers are genuine and friendly to them. I'll definitely do an Amazon review and give a glowing report on their after sales service!

Hi Lee, Apparently somebody ran into a power pole and knocked out a transformer. Not the power company‘s fault this time. It was a considerable amount of food that I had to throw out. I was certainly not happy about. Plus the work in cleaning out the jars to put in recycle.

A couple years ago the power company caused a horrific fire storm. The powerlines came in contact with trees during a high wind conditions. In other areas of the county the powerlines were not maintained and toppled over. So we had a fire storm that burned all around us. The fires caused billions of dollars worth of property loss. Thousands of people lost their homes. The fire came very very close to my house. I evacuated for a week. And of course this state government let them off the hook for damages. It really upset the community.

Thanksgiving is the last Thursday in November. So the end of the year is always a very busy time of year. We have Thanksgiving, Christmas, then New Year’s holidays within a 6 week period. Some of my family members are Christian so it’s a religious holiday season. But most of us do not practice a religion. When my youngest son was about 10 years old he asked about Hanukkah. Ethnically we are Ashkenazi Jew on my father’s side, but I have never practiced a religion. And I think he was curious since some of his friends are practicing Jews. On my mother side we are Japanese, so that side of the family is Zen Buddhist. One of my brother’s and his family attend temple on a regular basis. But for me the holidays are secular.

Are you happy with your Thermopen? Do you feel it is working properly? It was good of you to call them to apologize. I agree it’s important to let them know. Some people like to take advantage of the company’s good return policy. And I think in calling them to let them know where things stood conveys your goodwill and good intentions.

 

[J13]

When is your Thanksgiving by the way, has it gone or is it to come? I believe it's quite a big celebration in the US. When I got my recipe for my pear frangipane tart, the youtube lady said she usually makes it for her husband for Thanksgiving. But yay, your American Independence day is on Thursday so you'll be baking up some tasty treats!

Heh. Actually, I think Thanksgiving has become a bigger holiday than then 4th of July. I mean, there are plenty of parades and fireworks and people out picnicking and barbecuing on the 4th—lots of beautiful pies and cakes baked, too....but places do stay open on the 4th. Not so much on Thanksgiving; everyone closes up at least half the day so that everyone can go to that feast, wherever it is, and partake.

And I do love how welcoming Thanksgiving always feels. You might not invite an out-of-town friend to the 4th of July barbecue or Christmas dinner, but you will invite them for Thanksgiving. There are even "orphans Thanksgiving" where someone who hasn't any family nearby will host others who have family far away, so no one gets left out.

As NorCal said, it's the 3rd Thursday in November, which always confuses non-Americans because it's so close to Christmas...why have a big feast that close to another big feast? Well, since you asked the original "pilgrim-Native American" feast on which it's based took place in November, so that's when it kinda has to take place. Also, you have to remember that when Abe Lincoln agreed to create this holiday (originally on the last Thursday in November), Christmas wasn't celebrated in the U.S. the way it is now with big ornamented trees and illuminated houses and Santa Claus parades and toys. Back then, a lot of America was more Puritan minded and saw Christmas as a time for going to church and reading the bible. Even those who did feast and give gifts on Christmas were more subdued.

So, it didn't feel like Thanksgiving was competing with Christmas back in 1863. And Abe undoubtedly liked the propaganda aspect of Thanksgiving. Americans uniting for a feast and being thankful and all that.

Which I'm sure is way more than you wanted to know about the holiday. Anyway..it morphed from its Civil War days when some of America celebrated it and some didn't into an equal for the 4th of July in being very American. I think part of that is because it's not Thanksgiving if you don't include some native American foods like turkey, corn, sweet potatoes, cranberries, maple syrup, pumpkin, etc. Or maybe I just love it because it's such a baker's delight. The weather makes it so that you want to spend all day in the kitchen baking up pies and breads and muffins and cookies....

 

[J13]

Just used my Thermapen to check the temperature of the bread I baked. 211, which should be fine.

 

[Norcalbaker59]

Heh. Actually, I think Thanksgiving has become a bigger holiday than then 4th of July. I mean, there are plenty of parades and fireworks and people out picnicking and barbecuing on the 4th—lots of beautiful pies and cakes baked, too....but places do stay open on the 4th. Not so much on Thanksgiving; everyone closes up at least half the day so that everyone can go to that feast, wherever it is, and partake.

And I do love how welcoming Thanksgiving always feels. You might not invite an out-of-town friend to the 4th of July barbecue or Christmas dinner, but you will invite them for Thanksgiving. There are even "orphans Thanksgiving" where someone who hasn't any family nearby will host others who have family far away, so no one gets left out.

As NorCal said, it's the 3rd Thursday in November, which always confuses non-Americans because it's so close to Christmas...why have a big feast that close to another big feast? Well, since you asked the original "pilgrim-Native American" feast on which it's based took place in November, so that's when it kinda has to take place. Also, you have to remember that when Abe Lincoln agreed to create this holiday (originally on the last Thursday in November), Christmas wasn't celebrated in the U.S. the way it is now with big ornamented trees and illuminated houses and Santa Claus parades and toys. Back then, a lot of America was more Puritan minded and saw Christmas as a time for going to church and reading the bible. Even those who did feast and give gifts on Christmas were more subdued.

So, it didn't feel like Thanksgiving was competing with Christmas back in 1863. And Abe undoubtedly liked the propaganda aspect of Thanksgiving. Americans uniting for a feast and being thankful and all that.

Which I'm sure is way more than you wanted to know about the holiday. Anyway..it morphed from its Civil War days when some of America celebrated it and some didn't into an equal for the 4th of July in being very American. I think part of that is because it's not Thanksgiving if you don't include some native American foods like turkey, corn, sweet potatoes, cranberries, maple syrup, pumpkin, etc. Or maybe I just love it because it's such a baker's delight. The weather makes it so that you want to spend all day in the kitchen baking up pies and breads and muffins and cookies....

What I wrote:
“Thanksgiving is the last Thursday in November. So the end of the year is always a very busy time of year.”

 

[J13]

What I wrote:
“Thanksgiving is the last Thursday in November. So the end of the year is always a very busy time of year.”

Whoops! My bad! I was doing a quick re-read of Thanksgiving history and ended up thinking about how the date was changed, at one point, from the last Thursday to the one before-last. That bit of trivia was stuck in my head when I wrote up that line. The date, obviously, got changed back and you are absolutely right, last Thursday.

Sorry! I'd edit my original post, but the website won't let me.

 

[Norcalbaker59]

Whoops! My bad! I was doing a quick re-read of Thanksgiving history and ended up thinking about how the date was changed, at one point, from the last Thursday to the one before-last. That bit of trivia was stuck in my head when I wrote up that line. The date, obviously, got changed back and you are absolutely right, last Thursday.

Sorry! I'd edit my original post, but the website won't let me.

No worries. I was just aware it was the last Thursday since I used to coordinate payroll as the office manager and executive assistant to the director of a US presidential commission in Washington DC.

 

[Lee_C]

So sorry about the loss of your food, NCB. In the UK, our electricity boards mostly wouldn't get away with that, regardless of how the power went down. They'd get sued if they didn't offer compensation, plus there's a fair few competing energy companies here and people can swap very easily.

But that fire, oh my god, how awful. And extremely traumatic circumstance for you of course having to evacuate. I hope your home was unscathed when you returned?

Thanks to both you and J13 for educating me on Thanksgiving, very enlightening. Boy, that sure is a busy period for you guys! I'm not religious either. I got to 13 and had my barmitzvah, but after that I was never interested in any of it or keeping kosher. But I do love jewish food, particularly lokshen pudding!

Yes, the Thermapen seems great though I really haven't used it much yet. I intend to make the lemon bars soon, so the thermapen will be vital as I'll be following the instructions you gave me where I'll need to get the custard base to 180°F and then let it cool to 140°F.

 

[Norcalbaker59]

So sorry about the loss of your food, NCB. In the UK, our electricity boards mostly wouldn't get away with that, regardless of how the power went down. They'd get sued if they didn't offer compensation, plus there's a fair few competing energy companies here and people can swap very easily.

But that fire, oh my god, how awful. And extremely traumatic circumstance for you of course having to evacuate. I hope your home was unscathed when you returned?

Thanks to both you and J13 for educating me on Thanksgiving, very enlightening. Boy, that sure is a busy period for you guys! I'm not religious either. I got to 13 and had my barmitzvah, but after that I was never interested in any of it or keeping kosher. But I do love jewish food, particularly lokshen pudding!

Yes, the Thermapen seems great though I really haven't used it much yet. I intend to make the lemon bars soon, so the thermapen will be vital as I'll be following the instructions you gave me where I'll need to get the custard base to 180°F and then let it cool to 140°F.

Glad to hear you’re Thermapen is working properly. I love mine. My brother is a coffee roaster and he mentioned he needed a good infrared thermometer because the one he has is crappy. I’m was like, “ThermoWorks dude!”

The fire got really close, it came up over the mountain and reach the valley floor about a mile down the road from us. But fortunately the firefighters were able to keep the fire on the mountain behind. Since the vineyards all have dirt roads all around them, it made it easier for firefighters to haul in heavy equipment and set up field operations. They set up an air tactical operation in the vineyard right behind my house. They had five helicopters cycling in non stop to load up and dump fire retardant below mountain ridge to keep the fire from reaching valley floor. It looked and sounded like a war zone with the helicopters coming in one after the other.

By the second day of the fires the air was so thick with smoke it was like looking through a heavy fog. And the ground was just covered in ash. The air quality was at very unhealthy levels, my brother insisted I go to his house two counties over. But by that evening the wind pushed all the smoke to his house so there was no escape.


This is taken from my back porch on day one. Fire burn across a significant portion of the mountain ridge by the time it was extinguished. Firefighters set up a helicopter air strike operation in that vineyard

 

[Lee_C]

Wow NCB, that is a very scary situation you were in! Thank goodness the fire didn't get any closer to your house. On the one hand it sounds exciting having an air tactical operation in sight, like something out of a movie, but the reality is no-one would ever want to be that close to the obvious danger you found yourself in. Must have been awful breathing in the fallout from the fire. I'm glad it all got put out though and your house survived.

That photo is a such a stunning view, must be amazing waking up to that every day. I can see why you chose to live there.

Good call on Thermoworks for an IR thermometer. I can also recommend Etekcity. Here's the one I have.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01AT9TON0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Norcalbaker59]

Wow NCB, that is a very scary situation you were in! Thank goodness the fire didn't get any closer to your house. On the one hand it sounds exciting having an air tactical operation in sight, like something out of a movie, but the reality is no-one would ever want to be that close to the obvious danger you found yourself in. Must have been awful breathing in the fallout from the fire. I'm glad it all got put out though and your house survived.

That photo is a such a stunning view, must be amazing waking up to that every day. I can see why you chose to live there.

Good call on Thermoworks for an IR thermometer. I can also recommend Etekcity. Here's the one I have.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01AT9TON0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

“On the one hand it sounds exciting having an air tactical operation in sight, like something out of a movie.”

Lol, how apropos, that vineyard is actually owned by the Coppola, director of Apocalypse Now. When the helicopters first started flying in it was so loud, and I was so scared. I open the back door to see what was happening and the first thing that came to my mind was that scene in the movie with the helicopters flying in for the air strike.

I’m very fortunate to be able to rent this cottage here. The valley is very beautiful. And it’s home. It’s where I grew up. I left for the City when I was 20. I never thought I would come back. But now I have a hard time driving into City and dealing with the parking and traffic. I really miss the things the City has to offer, especially the museums and music scene. But I can always go in for those things.

Thanks for the recommendation on the Etekcity. I’ll pass it on to my brother.

 

[Lee_C]

Hehe, amazing, you're surrounded by vineyards owned by Hollywood royalty.

Yep, there's a number of different Etekcity lasergrip models. I couldn't see my particular model on the USA Amazon, but they're all highly rated and not expensive either.

I've also got some Etekcity kitchen scales which are excellent and very accurate. It displays my kitchen temperature as well. I like that the screen is front facing at almost 90 degrees to the scale, it means if I put a large container or plate on the scales, I can still quite easily seen the screen.

This one. https://www.amazon.com/Etekcity-Multifunction-Removable-Temperature-Backlight/dp/B00UIVIXVO/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?crid=3H7BMLTI7X3VE&keywords=etekcity+digital+kitchen+food+scale&qid=1562870843&s=gateway&sprefix=etekcity,aps,224&sr=8-2-spons&psc=1

Their after sales service is first class. I bought mine in January and it's still working perfectly, but the little glass screen has developed some little marks that look like they should be able to scrape off but they don't. I can still see the backlit display perfectly but it looks like it's got dirt on it when viewed at certain angles in daylight when switched off.



I emailed Etekcity European support and asked them if there's a way to clean it and they emailed me the following day with a sincere apology, asking me where I keep it and what I've weighed with it and that I shouldn't worry, they'll help me. I explained where I keep it and that I weight the normal things like eggs, flour, pasta, sugar, mince beef, etc.

They said they would like to send me a replacement and it was shipped yesterday! I wasn't expecting a replacement, just wanted to know if there's something I can do to fix it. They recommended I keep it away from heat sources. I had sent them a photo of it in my kitchen which shows my hob to the left of it. I'm guessing they're saying that heat from the hob might have affected the screen, so maybe I'll move the new scales further away.

 

[Norcalbaker59]

Hehe, amazing, you're surrounded by vineyards owned by Hollywood royalty.

Yep, there's a number of different Etekcity lasergrip models. I couldn't see my particular model on the USA Amazon, but they're all highly rated and not expensive either.

I've also got some Etekcity kitchen scales which are excellent and very accurate. It displays my kitchen temperature as well. I like that the screen is front facing at almost 90 degrees to the scale, it means if I put a large container or plate on the scales, I can still quite easily seen the screen.

This one. https://www.amazon.com/Etekcity-Multifunction-Removable-Temperature-Backlight/dp/B00UIVIXVO/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?crid=3H7BMLTI7X3VE&keywords=etekcity+digital+kitchen+food+scale&qid=1562870843&s=gateway&sprefix=etekcity,aps,224&sr=8-2-spons&psc=1

Their after sales service is first class. I bought mine in January and it's still working perfectly, but the little glass screen has developed some little marks that look like they should be able to scrape off but they don't. I can still see the backlit display perfectly but it looks like it's got dirt on it when viewed at certain angles in daylight when switched off.

View attachment 2445

I emailed Etekcity European support and asked them if there's a way to clean it and they emailed me the following day with a sincere apology, asking me where I keep it and what I've weighed with it and that I shouldn't worry, they'll help me. I explained where I keep it and that I weight the normal things like eggs, flour, pasta, sugar, mince beef, etc.

They said they would like to send me a replacement and it was shipped yesterday! I wasn't expecting a replacement, just wanted to know if there's something I can do to fix it. They recommended I keep it away from heat sources. I had sent them a photo of it in my kitchen which shows my hob to the left of it. I'm guessing they're saying that heat from the hob might have affected the screen, so maybe I'll move the new scales further away.

I have to say that is pretty incredible customer service for them to offer to replace it without being asked is unheard of! So maybe the heat is causing de-lamination??

That’s pretty cool that your scale has a thermometer on it. I’ve been thinking about buying a temperature and humidity reader to use for bread making. Both are important for proofing dough. I use my oven. I leave the oven off; turn the oven light on, then a pan with some boiling water in there for steam. I don’t have a way to monitor the humidity, but I’ll put my thermometer in there to monitor the temperature. I need to monitor the humidity. ThermoWorks has humidity meter that has a thermometer for $39. We’ll see if it goes on sale.


I Purchased a new scale a few months ago, a KD 8000 by My Weigh. I really researched scaled before I purchase this time. Not that there was anything inherently bad with my last scale, but I there were functions I wanted in a scale that my current scale lacked.

This scale had everything I wanted.

Various modes

• grams
• ounces
• kilograms
• pounds
• pounds with ounces
• Baker’s percentages mode

Auto shut off override

Backlight and a backlight override

Battery and an optional ac plug

Removable platform

Removable splatter screen to protect the control buttons

One of the things I used to always worry about was spilling something on the control panel on my scale. So I really like having the splatter screen

 

[Lee_C]

I'll reply to this later today NCB, just gotta do some things first.

 

[Norcalbaker59]

I'll reply to this later today NCB, just gotta do some things first.

No worries

 

[Lee_C]

Yeah really good customer service, and I received the new one today.
I keep forgetting that my scales have the ambient room temperature display, I must start looking at that more. That's a good idea by proofing in the oven with some steam, I'll try that myself next time. I've just been proofing in a glass bowl with clingfilm or a thin towel covering.

Oh your scales are great and look very nice! I've just seen them on Amazon UK for £46, so definitely higher quality than mine and yours weigh up to 8kg, mine up to 5Kg. Yours have even more weight modes which is useful, and it also has the easy to read front facing display. Excellent. The splatter screen is a great idea.

"Purchased a new scale a few months ago, a KD 8000 by My Weigh. I really researched scaled before I purchase this time. "

That's good, it's the way I work too, I like to research as much as possible.

Now you can say to yourself, "I did it My Weigh"

 

[Norcalbaker59]

Yeah really good customer service, and I received the new one today.
I keep forgetting that my scales have the ambient room temperature display, I must start looking at that more. That's a good idea by proofing in the oven with some steam, I'll try that myself next time. I've just been proofing in a glass bowl with clingfilm or a thin towel covering.

Oh your scales are great and look very nice! I've just seen them on Amazon UK for £46, so definitely higher quality than mine and yours weigh up to 8kg, mine up to 5Kg. Yours have even more weight modes which is useful, and it also has the easy to read front facing display. Excellent. The splatter screen is a great idea.

"Purchased a new scale a few months ago, a KD 8000 by My Weigh. I really researched scaled before I purchase this time. "

That's good, it's the way I work too, I like to research as much as possible.

Now you can say to yourself, "I did it My Weigh"

Now you can say to yourself, "I did it My Weigh"

Lol. That’s a pun my BIL would have made. He’s like a stand up comic.

Yes I’ll research things to death. I’ve been looking at the My Weigh scales for three years. When the KD 8000 with baker’s percentages came out I knew I’d definitely buy it sometime before I died.

My old scale is still in good working condition. I’m giving it to my sister. Along with my Thermopop

I started using my oven to proof dough because the house is either extremely hot or cold. The inside of the oven seems to be less effected by the changes of temperature in the house. And by turning on the oven light and adding boiling water to the oven I’m able to control the temperature and humidity to some degree. So it works for me Certainly better than leaving dough on the counter.

 

[J13]

I keep forgetting that my scales have the ambient room temperature display, I must start looking at that more. That's a good idea by proofing in the oven with some steam.

Funny you should mention ambient temp, as I just got myself a $10 ambient temp device. One of those little ones that have magnets and can be stuck to the refrigerator. My baker friend up north advised me that if I’m going to keep making bread, I’m going to want to know the temp of the kitchen...so, now I know. Turns out my kitchen is a pretty constant 80° F! (27° C?)

I didn’t think it was that warm (I thought it was about 5 degrees cooler), but it makes total sense given that a quarter of my little galley kitchen is taken up by an big stove which has gas pilot lights on all the time—it’s a huge hunk of warm metal that keeps a pretty insular kitchen nice and toasty.

And it’s funny that NorCal should mention proofing in the oven, as I actually considered doing that last time around. But I don’t know the oven temp (I have an oven thermometer, but haven’t used it to check yet). I worry that with it’s constantly-on pilot light, the oven may actually be *too* hot (130° or more) and kill the yeast rather than helping it along. Guess that’s my next step. Check out the heat of my “cold” oven.

As for scales...I have a Drop scale. It uses an app on phones and tablets to show you weighs. It doesn’t do as much as I’d like it to do (bakers percentages would sure be nice!), but it does most everything else (lbs, kilograms, grams, oz). I like that the Drop’s measurements on phone/tablet are so big and easy to read and can be on the other side of the kitchen if I want so as not to get dripped on. And I like that the Drop scale is super easy to clean and can be stored away in a drawer. In a kitchen small as mine, the research for best “anything” always includes “can it be stored away rather than taking up counter space?”