How to Use an Infrared Surface Thermometer to Cook the Perfect Pizza

Cooking the perfect Neapolitan-style pizza is an art and a science. It starts with temperature control. This is the key to achieving the ideal crispy crust, melty cheese, and evenly baked toppings pizza enthusiasts know and love.

Different thermometers serve specific purposes in the culinary world, and choosing the right one can make all the difference when it comes to the art of pizza creation.

An oven chamber thermometer, for example, measures ambient internal air temperature, while a probe thermometer is an indispensable tool for checking the internal temperature of food—especially meat.

But when it comes to perfecting pizza, the most critical tool is an infrared surface thermometer, sometimes called a heat thermometer gun or digital laser thermometer gun. This device is designed specifically to measure surface temperatures, which is why it is the ultimate pizza stone thermometer.

Why is this so important? The pizza stone temperature often differs from the ambient oven temperature. Getting the stone temperature just right—anywhere between 650°F and 900°F, depending on the style of pizza you’re making—is crucial for a perfect bake.

In this article, we’ll explore how to use a laser food thermometer effectively, answer common questions like “Are infrared thermometers accurate for cooking?” and help you choose the best infrared thermometer for food.

Whether you’re a seasoned chef or a home cook, mastering the use of a temperature gun will help you cook up mouth-watering pizzas every time, so you can get the most out of your high-heat pizza oven. Keep reading to learn how to use a laser food thermometer.

What Is an Infrared Thermometer?

An infrared thermometer takes temperatures by measuring infrared light through a built-in lens. Foods, ovens, and other objects give off a certain amount of invisible infrared light, depending on how hot or cold they are. By concentrating this light onto a detector known as a “thermopile,” infrared thermometers can instantly measure the temperature of any object with a high degree of accuracy.

Thankfully, you don’t need an engineering degree to enjoy the benefits of using an infrared thermometer for cooking! Since they detect temperatures through light rather than direct contact with heat, infrared thermometers allow you to measure hot temperatures without getting close to hot objects. This benefit has made infrared thermometers the perfect solution for pizza ovens and other high-temperature applications.

Why Are Infrared Thermometers Ideal for Cooking Pizza?

You might be thinking, “Everyone knows how to use a thermometer, so why do I need a special infrared device?” The short answer is that getting an accurate temperature reading in a high-heat pizza oven is essential, and it’s trickier than you might think.

That’s because the pizza stone isn’t necessarily the same temperature as the air inside the oven. Yet, getting the pizza stone temperature right is key to cooking a perfect Neapolitan-style pizza.

Every Fontana Forni pizza oven contains a built-in thermometer that accurately measures the ambient air temperature inside the oven. However, this thermometer does not accurately reflect the temperature of the pizza stone. For that, you need an infrared device.

Not only does an infrared cooking thermometer gun accurately measure the temperature of your pizza stone (when used correctly), but you can use it from a distance. That means no reaching into a scalding oven to get an accurate temperature reading.

What Are the Benefits of Using a Pizza Stone?

At this point you’ve heard a lot of talk about using a pizza stone, and you might be wondering whether you really need one. It all comes down to your preferences. If you like pizza with a crispy crust and a soft, chewy interior, a pizza stone is a must. But not just any stone will do. It’s worth investing in the real deal—a Saputo Biscotto pizza stone.

Handmade by Italian artisans in Naples, Italy, Saputo ‘Biscotto’ stones are the only ones of their kind, able to cook a pizza at 850°F for 60-90 seconds—without burning the bottom of the pizza. This is thanks to the unique mineral content of the alluvial clay used to construct the stone.

Still not convinced? Read this post about whether pizza stones really do make a better crust.

Using an Infrared Thermometer for Cooking

Though the name might sound complicated, infrared thermometers are incredibly easy to use: Simply point the thermometer at the object you’d like to measure, pull the trigger, and the exact temperature will be instantly displayed on a built-in screen.

Depending on what you’re measuring, however, you may need to be careful where you’re pointing! Since infrared thermometers only measure surface temperatures, getting an accurate read on oven and cookware temperatures requires a little creativity.

Measuring Oven and Grill Temperatures

1. Place a pizza stone, barbeque grate, or cast-iron skillet into your oven or grill as it heats up.
2. Point the infrared thermometer at the pizza stone or another object once your oven or grill’s built-in thermometer reaches the desired temperature.
3. Make sure that the infrared thermometer is pointed at the object and not an interior or surrounding surface, such as the area below the barbeque grates.
4. Continue holding the thermometer trigger while pointing at the object until the temperature reading stabilizes.
5. If using a cast iron skillet, apply cooking oil or non-stick spray to increase the accuracy of the reading.

Measuring Cookware Temperatures

1. Begin heating your pan, skillet, or pot as you normally would.
2. If measuring cookware without liquid, apply cooking oil or a non-stick spray to the inside surface before measuring. Point the infrared thermometer at the oil (not the dry surface!) and hold the trigger until the temperature reading stabilizes.
3. If measuring cookware with liquid, stir the liquid before measuring and measure only a small sample in a ladle if possible. Point the infrared thermometer at the liquid and hold the trigger until the temperature reading stabilizes.

Infrared Thermometer Tips and Other Uses

Your infrared thermometer isn’t just for cooking! Since all objects give off infrared light, your infrared thermometer can also measure fridge temperatures, body temperatures, and more.

Note, however, that infrared thermometers only measure surface temperatures and not internal temperatures. As a result, if you want to measure temperatures inside an oven or fridge, you’ll need to measure an interior surface, such as a pizza stone. Similarly, infrared thermometers can’t measure internal temperatures of food, so you should still use a probe thermometer for steaks and similar foods.

Buying an Infrared Thermometer

Though infrared thermometers are often a bit more expensive than most conventional thermometers, they’re an indispensable tool for the pizza cook—especially when pizza oven temperatures start to exceed 800 degrees!

The Fontana Forni infrared cooking thermometer can quickly measure surface temperatures up to 986 degrees Fahrenheit on your oven’s pizza stone. Our thermometers also run on a single 9-volt battery and come backed with a one-year warranty.

High-Temperature Pizza Ovens: The Ultimate Upgrade

Where most home ovens rarely exceed 500 degrees Fahrenheit, pizza ovens often reach or exceed 900! But why bother with such high temperatures, especially when they require specialized infrared thermometers to safely measure?

The answer is that while you can get away with cooking pizza at lower temperatures, nothing compares to the results you get with a high-temperature pizza oven.

By cooking pizza between 700- and 900-degrees Fahrenheit, the crust develops a crunchy, flaky exterior while keeping the interior soft and chewy. High temperatures also allow toppings and sauce to cook through, all while reducing cooking time to under 10 minutes!

If you’re looking to make upscale restaurant-quality pizza at home, a high-temperature pizza oven is a worthwhile investment.

For more information on our pizza ovens,pizza oven accessories, and convenient monthly payment plans, explore our product line or call the Fontana Forni team at 877-842-9822.