Cooking is not as easy as it appears to be. There are several challenges that one can encounter while working in the kitchen. Sometimes, you run out of a specific ingredient; other times, you may not have a particular kitchen appliance or tool. One such tool that is not so common in our kitchens is a kitchen thermometer. It helps quickly measure the temperature of different foods and even oil. There are several recipes that require you to determine if the oil you’re using has the right temperature. But how can one do so if they do not have a kitchen thermometer? Don’t worry, you can do so with things you can easily find in your pantry. Read on to find out what they are.
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Cooking Hack: Here Are 4 Easy Ways To Check Oil Temperature Without A Thermometer:
1. Use a wooden spoon
Did you know you could use a wooden spoon to check the temperature of the oil? Yes, it’s possible, and the results are quite accurate too. All you have to do is take a wooden spoon and dip its handle into the oil. If the oil starts to bubble slowly, then that’s a good indicator that your oil is hot enough for frying. However, if it bubbles too vigorously, that means it’s too hot. And if it doesn’t bubble at all, then it’s not hot enough.
2. Drop a piece of dough
You can even use dough to check the oil temperature. Take a small portion and drop it into the oil. If the oil is at the right temperature, the dough piece will automatically come to the surface and start sizzling. But if it comes up and turns brown quickly, this means you need to reduce the temperature. Apart from dough, you can drop a slight amount of batter into the oil to check this.
3. Use a popcorn kernel
Another way to determine if your oil is hot enough is to drop a popcorn kernel in it. Just like how the piece of dough starts sizzling up, the popcorn kernel should too. It will pop just like it does in a kadhai or a pressure cooker. If it doesn’t, then that means the temperature of your oil is either too low or too high. If it doesn’t pop in the first go, you can drop another and check again.
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4. Use a piece of bread
Bread is something that most of us have in our kitchens. And guess what? You can use it to check the temperature of the oil while cooking as well. Just drop a small cube of bread into the oil and wait for it to brown. If the temperature is ideal, it wouldn’t take more than 60 seconds to brown. However, if it takes longer than that, it means your oil is not hot enough.
With our easy tips and tricks, you’ll be able to check your oil temperature with ease. Do share your experience with us in the comments below.
About Vaishali KapilaVaishali finds comfort in eating parathas and rajma chawal but is equally enthusiastic about exploring different cuisines. When she’s not eating or baking, you can often find her curled up on the couch watching her favourite TV show – FRIENDS.
