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What Thermometer should I use for soap making?

Posted on 05-2910-04 by Tes

Thermometers for Soap Making

The best thermometers to use when making soap are either Candy thermometers or Digital infrared thermometers.

Getting an accurate temperature is a very important part in soap making.  It can mean the difference between having your soap turn out well, or having to throw it all away.



Here is a little information about the two different types of thermometers for soap making. 

Candy Thermometer
Candy Thermometer

The Candy Thermometer

The Candy Thermometer which is also known as a deep fry thermometer, will measure from 100F to 400F.

This variety is encased in a round glass and comes with a clip that will easily  attach  to the inside of your pot. (make sure it doesn’t touch the bottom of the pot)  Amazon has a great selection of these are relatively reasonable prices.

You should not have to measure any temperatures above 190F but you will need to monitor the temperatures of your oils to make sure they do not get to hot…..all oils have a flash-point, meaning a temperature at what point the oil will burst into flame.

Latest Food Thermometer, Patec 5 Second Digital Instant Read Kitchen Cooking Thermometer Food Meat Thermometer with Super Long Probe for Food,Meat,Candy,Milk,Grill,BBQ,Bath Water

You will find a flash-point listed on the containers your oil came in.

The inside of the candy thermometer is either mercury or alcohol, this rises giving the temperature.

I prefer the alcohol version over the mercury to eliminate myself from being exposed to the mercury should the thermometer ever break.

Be sure to keep your soap making thermometer separate from your kitchen thermometer.

Be sure if you are purchasing a candy or meat thermometer that it is long enough to place in the soap pot to record the temperature. 




Digital Infrared Thermometer

infared theremometer, digital thermometer
Laser Infared Digital Instant Read Thermometer


A digital infrared thermometer is a quick and safe way to check your soap oils and water/lye mix temperatures.

This thermometer uses infrared to detect temperatures and does so in seconds.

The infrared type of thermometer is extremely accurate, which will eliminate some of the variables that could ruin your batch of soap.

Cleaning is not needed with these types of thermometers as they never touch the liquids. For these reasons it is one of the best for soap making.

Most of these digital type thermometers are small and easy to use, have liquid crystal displays and will read in both Celsius and Fahrenheit.
MeasuPro Laser Infared Digital Instant Read Thermometer, Blue and Grey

If you are undecided on which to use, click on the pictures above for more information on each.  Below are other thermometers available that would work well in soapmaking


DOQAUS Food Thermometer, Digital Instant Read Meat Thermometer Cooking Thermometer Kitchen Thermometer with Long Foldable Probe, Backlit LCD Screen, Auto On/Off for BBQ, Grill, Suger, Milk, Deep Fry (Red)


ThermoPro TP01A Instant Read Digital Meat Thermometer with 5.35 Inch Long Probe for Grilling BBQ Smoker Grill Oven Thermometer


Infrared Thermometer, Digital IR Laser Thermometer Temperature Gun -26°F~1022°F (-32°C~550°C) Temperature Probe for Cooking/Air/Refrigerator – Meat Thermometer Included

You may also want to check out scales to weigh your ingredients Digital or Electronic scale for soap making?


Your may also want to read: Soap Making Safety





NATURA HAND SANITIZER- Antibacterial Hand Sanitizing Gel- 2 x 333ml bottles with pump + BONUS 60ml travel size

#handmadesoap #naturalsoap #makingsoapnaturally #soapmaking #soapmaking #soaps #artisansoap #bathandbody #cpsoap #coldprocesssoap #etsy #soapbase #soapcrafter #soapmaker #soaping #soapcrafting #soaphandmade #soap #giftidea #christmas #barsoap #handmadesoap #natural #organic #skincare #coldprocess #soapsupplies #thermometer #soapthermometer

© 2016 – 2020, Tes. All rights reserved.

4 thoughts on “What Thermometer should I use for soap making?”

  1. Liz says:
    06-12 at 10:01 am

    I imagine it would be very rewarding to make your own soap. Would also make great gifts for family and friends-especially given that they would know it was personally made by you which makes it all the more special.

    I would choose the alcohol thermometer over the mercury one too for the same reasons as you. However, I would probably prefer to use the infared one just because it looks like it is less hassle to measure the temperatures.

    Reply
  2. Daniella says:
    06-12 at 10:08 am

    Hi there,

    Very interesting and helpful article, I was absorbed by the reading as I always wanted to make natural soaps.
    The ones I buy contain chemicals and a few months ago I’ve had a skin infection so I went to the dermatology and he told me that the infection comes from the soaps I’ve used. Today I find myself buying very expensive natural soaps with almost no smell. Your post is just in time:)
    The thermometer I am interesting in is the digital infrared one because there is no need to clean it and it seems much easier to use:)
    Just a question if you don’t mind. Is the digital infrared can be used for other recipes like chocolate or caramel?
    If I can use it for both, soaps and baking then it is awesome!
    Thank you very much for this excellent review!

    Reply
    1. admin says:
      06-12 at 1:41 pm

      I’m sorry to hear about your problems with the other soaps, but I understand. My skin is so sensitive that is why I make my own soap. As for the digital infrared thermometer, although it is a good thermometer to use for both soap making and chocolate or caramel, you need to ALWAYS keep any soap making equipment separate and not use it for both food and soap.

      Reply
  3. Roger M Bunch says:
    11-19 at 1:42 pm

    Hello,
    I am finding a Thermometers for Soap Making, For this article help me to find out a perfect Thermometers for Soap Making, I am very happy to read this article, I hope that this writer will provide more information on it in future.

    Thanks

    Reply

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