How often should a food thermometer be calibrated?

Calibrating a food thermometer before each use is essential to ensure accurate temperature readings, which is crucial for food safety. The calibration process helps to verify that the thermometer provides correct measurements, allowing for proper cooking, holding, and refrigeration temperatures to be maintained. Since even minor deviations can lead to foodborne illnesses or improperly cooked food, frequent calibration, especially before each use, helps to guarantee that food is being handled safely.

Other options suggest varying frequencies for calibration, such as once a month or every week, which are not sufficient for ensuring accuracy during food preparation. Calibrating only when the thermometer appears broken is also inadequate because it does not account for potential shifts in accuracy that can occur from everyday use, exposure to temperature changes, or other factors that may not be readily visible. Therefore, calibrating before each use is the best practice for maintaining reliable thermometer performance.