How do I clean my Predictive Thermometer?Updated 6 days ago

The short version: let it cool, then wash it like a good knife. The ceramic handle is solid ceramic, not plastic, and the seal that keeps water out also keeps out cooking oil, drippings, and marinade.

Everyday cleaning

Hand-washing with warm water, dish soap, and a sponge is all it normally needs. You can also spray it down in the sink or run it under the tap.

The dishwasher is fine. Hand-washing generally works better, but the dishwasher will not hurt it. The 2nd Generation is rated IP69K and the 1st Generation IP68.

Soaking to lift stuck-on food is fine once the thermometer is cool.

Let it cool first

Never put a hot thermometer straight into cold water. The thermal shock can crack or shatter the ceramic handle, the same way it would a Pyrex dish, and a cracked handle is the one thing that genuinely compromises the seal.

Let it cool to room temperature before soaking or washing. Putting it in the fridge after a cook is fine, because the heat transfer is far slower.

Also, do not pick the handle up straight off the heat. It burns.

The charging contact, if it has stopped charging

There is one spot worth cleaning deliberately: the metal contact at the base of the handle. Cooking oil builds up there invisibly and stops the thermometer from charging.

Clean it with a cotton swab and isopropyl alcohol, or give it a gentle scrub with steel wool. Either is fine, and neither will hurt the contact. Let it dry before putting the thermometer back in its charger or Booster.

This is the first thing to try if your thermometer will not take a charge. See Predictive Thermometer: Troubleshooting Guide for the rest of that sequence.

The ceramic handle

The yellow handle is tough. It shrugs off flare-ups, drops, and the dishwasher. Abrasives will not damage it, so scrub away at baked-on residue if you need to.

One exception: after an overheat alarm

If your thermometer has ever set off an overheat alarm at the handle end, the seal inside may be compromised even though the thermometer still works. From then on:

• Hand-wash only; no dishwasher
• Do not immerse or submerge it while cooking or while cleaning

Seal damage is cumulative, and there is no way to inspect a seal without destroying the thermometer, so this is the safe assumption. See Overheat Alarm: Display Flashing Red and Screeching.

Still have a question?

If your thermometer will not charge after cleaning the contact, or you are unsure whether it is still sealed, email [email protected] and tell us which generation you have and whether it has ever set off an overheat alarm.

Is it totally waterproof? covers submersion, sous vide, and vacuum sealing. Warnings and Watchouts covers everything that will damage it.

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