Cheap Amazon temp strips read 20 degrees off, check yours

I taped one of those stick-on thermometer strips to my steam wand and it said 160F when my cheap probe read 180F, that's a huge gap for milk texture. I tested 3 strips from the same pack against boiling water and they were ALL off by at least 15 degrees. Has anyone else caught these reading wrong before ruining a pitcher?

1 comments

1 Comment

charliew9910d ago

Man, you gotta remember these strips are like 2 bucks for a pack of 10. They're for telling you if your milk is vaguely warm, not for precision. If you're relying on a stick on thermometer to make perfect microfoam, the problem isn't the strip, it's your technique. Honestly, as long as you're using your hand on the pitcher and timing things right, 15 degrees off doesn't mean ruined milk, it just means you need to adjust your target temp. Boiling water test is also pretty unfair, since most cheap probes are also off near the top range. Just get one decent probe and stop fussing over the strips, they're fine for a rough guide.