Recently I have been shocked at the huge variation in temps you find when using an IR thermometer to check the stove top. Right now as I speak the front corners of my stove are 300 degrees and the hottest spot in the back left is 620 degrees! That is a HUGE difference. It seems that you could easily have one of those magnet thermometers in the wrong spot while your stove over fires. Any one else notice such extreme differences?
Stove top variations in temp
- Thread starter geoffm24
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Yup. If you want to do a really interesting experiment, place several magnet thermos in different locations on your stovetop and see how they react. The only reason i know this is I have a collection of them lying around (long story). It is amazing how much the temps can vary from one corner to another and from cast to cooktop.
I noticed this when I first got my magentic thermometer for the Oslo . . . recommended placement is at any one of the four corners . . . I soon noticed there was quite a discrepancy in temps in the various four corners . . . but I also noticed that for me personally the hottest corner was consistently the rear right corner . . . I believe the reason for this may be due to the fact that the way I load causes the coals to build up in that corner . . . and when I reload the wood tends to be higher in that corner unless I take the time to level out all the coals (which I often do not do.)
My own take . . . don't worry about it too much . . . just pick a place . . . and use the temps as a rough guideline.
My own take . . . don't worry about it too much . . . just pick a place . . . and use the temps as a rough guideline.
Since there can be such a variation in stove top temps, is it a better idea to have a thermometer in your flue?
boisblancboy said:
I like 'em in both places . . . I still keep one on the stove . . . gives me an idea if I'm getting close to over-firing the stove and if I'm around the right temp to have a good sustained secondary . . . although to be honest I tend to use my flue thermometer more often.
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