How to Record a Temperature Probe Video for Your Food Safety Management System

Step 1: Set the scene and context

Temperature probes are one of the most important pieces of equipment in your kitchen, yet they're also one of the most misused. Your team needs to understand that in a HACCP-based food safety system, everything must be proven and verified—you can't rely on visual checks or personal judgement alone. A properly used and calibrated probe is the difference between "I think that chicken is cooked" and "I can prove that chicken reached 75°C."

Where to film this video:

Stand at your main food preparation area with your temperature probe, its case, and two containers ready—one for ice water and one you can fill with boiling water. Have your probe calibration record sheet visible or nearby so you can reference the documentation process. If you have multiple probes, have them all present so you can explain which ones are used where.

What to have ready:

• Your temperature probe(s) in their cases
• A container of ice water (ice and water mixed, not just cold water)
• A kettle or pot of boiling water
• Sanitiser wipes for probe cleaning
• Your probe calibration record sheet
• A pen for signing off records

Start your video by explaining:

"This video covers how to use and maintain our temperature probes correctly. Trained chefs can often tell when food is cooked by looking at it, but in a proper food safety management system, we need to prove and verify our temperatures—not guess. A well-maintained, calibrated probe gives us that proof. I'm going to show you exactly how to use the probe, how to check it's accurate, and what to do if something goes wrong."

Step 2: Plan what to record versus what to write down

Temperature probe training combines hands-on demonstration with precise technical specifications. Split your content strategically between video and written supporting text.

Best for video (on camera):

• Demonstrating how to insert the probe correctly into different foods
• Showing the ice water calibration test step by step
• Showing the boiling water calibration test step by step
• Demonstrating proper cleaning and sanitising technique
• Explaining why you wait for the reading to stabilise
• Showing where to store the probe when not in use
• Walking through what to do if a probe fails calibration

Best for supporting written text:

• The exact tolerance limits (±1°C)
• Expected readings: 0°C (±1°C) for ice water, 100°C (±1°C) for boiling water
• Weekly calibration schedule and which day it's done
• Step-by-step calibration checklist for quick reference
• Corrective action procedure if probe fails
• Who needs to sign off on calibration records (tester + head chef)
• Manufacturer's instructions specific to your probe model

Example written checklist to include:

Weekly Probe Calibration Checklist:
□ Prepare ice water (ice + water mixed)
□ Insert probe tip in centre of vessel
□ Wait at least 10 seconds for reading to stabilise
□ Record temperature (acceptable: -1°C to +1°C)
□ Repeat with boiling water (acceptable: 99°C to 101°C)
□ Sign and date the calibration record
□ Head chef to countersign
□ If reading outside tolerance: recheck, then remove from service if confirmed

Step 3: Core rules and requirements

Cover the essential knowledge your team needs about probe use, maintenance, and calibration. This is the foundation they need before you demonstrate the practical skills.

Using the probe correctly:

Explain that the probe tip must be inserted into the thickest part of the food—the centre of a chicken breast, the middle of a burger patty, the core of a reheated dish. The reading on the display means nothing if the probe isn't in the right place. If you're checking liquids like soup or sauce, the tip should be submerged in the middle of the liquid, not touching the bottom of the pan.

Tell your team: "The temperature shown on the probe is only accurate for the exact spot where the tip is sitting. If you probe the edge of a piece of meat, you might get 75°C while the centre is still at 60°C. Always go for the thickest part, the coldest part, the place most likely to be undercooked."

Maintaining the probe:

Cover the manufacturer's instructions as your primary guide, then add these critical rules:

• Never leave the probe in extreme temperatures—don't leave it in a fridge, freezer, on a hob, or in an oven. This will damage it.
• Don't immerse the probe body in liquids—only the tip goes into food or water.
• Don't drop it or knock it against surfaces. It's a sensitive piece of equipment and impacts will affect its accuracy.
• Always store it in its protective case when not in use.
• Replace batteries regularly—low batteries can cause false readings, which is dangerous.
• Clean and sanitise the probe before and after each use to prevent cross-contamination. Use sanitiser wipes or your standard probe sanitising solution.

Calibration requirements:

Explain that calibration checks must happen weekly on a designated day. This isn't optional—it's how you verify your probe is working correctly. An inaccurate probe is worse than no probe at all because it gives you false confidence.

The tolerance is ±1°C. For ice water, an acceptable reading is anywhere from -1°C to +1°C. For boiling water, acceptable is 99°C to 101°C. Any reading outside this range means the probe needs to be rechecked by the head chef and potentially removed from service.

Documentation requirements:

Every calibration test must be recorded on the appropriate record sheet. The person conducting the test signs it, and the head chef must also sign to confirm the checks have been completed. If a probe fails, this must be recorded in the corrective actions log along with what was done—probe removed from service, replacement probe put into use, failed probe sent for repair or replacement.

Step 4: Demonstrate or walk through

This is where you show your team exactly how to do it. Work through each process clearly on camera with detailed narration so staff can replicate exactly what you're showing.

Preparing equipment for calibration

Start by showing everything you need laid out:

"Before I begin calibration, I've got everything ready. My probe in its case, a container with ice water that I've just prepared, a kettle of freshly boiled water, sanitiser wipes for cleaning the probe, my calibration record sheet, and a pen. Having everything ready means I can work through this efficiently."

"Let me show you how to prepare the ice water properly. I'm filling this container about two-thirds with ice—actual ice cubes, not just cold water. Now I'm adding water until it just covers the ice. The key is that you can still see ice floating—if there's no visible ice, your water isn't at 0°C anymore."

"I'm giving this a good stir to make sure the temperature is consistent throughout. If I just dumped ice in and didn't stir, I might have warmer pockets of water that would give me a false reading."

Demonstrating the ice water calibration test

Show the complete test with detailed narration:

"I'm taking the probe from its case. First, I'm wiping the tip with a sanitiser wipe—the probe should always be clean before use."

"Now I'm inserting the probe tip into the centre of the ice water. Watch my positioning: I'm not letting the tip touch the sides of the container, and I'm not resting it on the ice cubes at the bottom. The tip is suspended in the middle of the water, surrounded by the ice-water mixture."

"The display is showing the temperature changing as it adjusts. It started at room temperature, now it's dropping... 15°C... 8°C... 3°C... 1°C... It's starting to stabilise."

"I need to wait at least ten seconds once it stops changing significantly. I'm counting in my head... the display has held at 0°C for ten seconds now. That's my reading: 0°C."

"Our acceptable range is -1°C to +1°C. Zero is right in the middle of that range, so this probe passes the ice water test."

"I'm recording this on my calibration sheet now: date, time, ice water reading 0°C, pass."

Demonstrating the boiling water calibration test

Show the second part of calibration:

"Now I need to test the other end of the scale. I've just boiled this kettle, so the water is at 100°C or very close to it."

"I'm pouring some into this heat-proof container. I'm being careful—this is boiling water and I don't want to burn myself or splash anyone nearby."

"I'm inserting the probe into the boiling water. Same principle as before—tip in the centre, not touching the bottom or sides of the container. The steam is hot, so I'm keeping my hand away from the surface."

"The reading is climbing... 85°C... 92°C... 97°C... 99°C... 100°C. It's stabilising. I'm holding for ten seconds to confirm... the display is steady at 100°C."

"Our acceptable range for boiling water is 99°C to 101°C. 100°C is perfect, so this probe passes both tests."

"I'm completing my calibration record: boiling water reading 100°C, pass. Now I sign it, and the head chef will countersign when they review the records."

Demonstrating proper probing technique on food

Use different example foods to show correct technique in various situations:

"Now I'm going to show you how to probe actual food items. The key is always the same: find the thickest part, the coldest part, the part most likely to be undercooked."

Probing a chicken breast:

"This chicken breast has come off the grill. The thickest part is here in the centre. I'm inserting the probe at an angle so the tip reaches the middle of the meat—about here."

"I push it in until I can feel I'm in the centre. If I just poke the surface, I'll get the surface temperature, which is always hotter than the core. I need the core temperature."

"I'm waiting for the reading to stabilise... it's showing 78°C. That's well above our 75°C minimum for chicken, so this is safe to serve."

Probing a burger patty:

"Burgers are different because they're thinner. I'm inserting the probe from the side, horizontally into the centre of the patty. If I went in from the top, I might push right through and hit the pan or plate underneath."

"The reading is 74°C... still climbing... 76°C. That's above our 75°C minimum, so this burger is cooked through."

Probing a roast joint:

"For a large joint like this roast beef, I need to find the geometric centre—the point furthest from all the exterior surfaces. That's here, in the middle."

"I'm pushing the probe right into the centre. This is a thick piece of meat, so I'm going deep. Watch the reading as I push in... it actually drops slightly as I go deeper, which tells me the centre is cooler than the outer layers. That's expected."

"The centre reading is 62°C. For beef that's being served pink, that's appropriate. If this was a chicken joint, 62°C would not be safe—chicken needs 75°C minimum."

Probing reheated food:

"This lasagne has been reheated. I need to check the centre—the last part to heat up. I'm pushing the probe through the pasta layers into the middle."

"Reading is 76°C. Our minimum for reheated food is 75°C, so this is safe to serve. If this had read 70°C, I'd need to continue heating it until it reached at least 75°C."

Probing chilled food:

"For checking fridge temperatures, I use food items rather than the air temperature. This is a tray of sliced ham that's been in the fridge. I'm probing the centre of the stack."

"Reading is 4°C. Our fridges should keep food below 5°C, and ideally below 3°C. 4°C is acceptable but tells me this fridge is running slightly warm—something to keep an eye on."

Cleaning the probe between uses

Demonstrate the hygiene requirement:

"I've just probed raw chicken. Before I probe anything else—especially ready-to-eat food—I must clean and sanitise the probe."

"I'm wiping the entire probe tip with a sanitiser wipe. I'm making sure to clean the whole metal section, not just the very tip. Any part that contacted the chicken or its juices needs sanitising."

"Now the probe is safe to use on cooked food without risking cross-contamination."

Demonstrating corrective action

Walk through what happens when something goes wrong:

"Let's say my ice water test showed +3°C. That's outside our ±1°C tolerance—this probe is reading too warm."

"First, I'd recheck my setup. Is my ice water properly prepared? Is there still ice visible? Is the probe positioned correctly? Let me test again... still reading +3°C."

"Now I call the head chef over. They need to verify this independently. The head chef tests... same result, +3°C."

"This probe has failed calibration. Here's what happens next:"

"I'm immediately taking this probe out of service. It goes back in its case with a label that says 'DO NOT USE - FAILED CALIBRATION' and today's date."

"I'm getting our backup probe and calibrating that instead. We need a working, accurate probe for service."

"I'm recording this in the corrective actions log: date, which probe failed, what the readings were, what action was taken—removed from service, backup probe now in use."

"The failed probe either goes for repair or replacement depending on your policy. Some operations have probes professionally calibrated; others just replace them. Either way, it doesn't come back into service until it's been fixed and passes calibration."

"We never continue using a probe that's failed calibration. Even if we're busy, even if it's 'only a bit off.' A probe reading 3°C too warm means when you think you're measuring 75°C, you're actually at 72°C—and that chicken isn't safely cooked."

Probing multiple items in a batch

Batch cooking scenario:

"I've cooked a tray of 20 chicken breasts. Do I probe every single one? Let me show you the practical approach."

"I identify the thickest pieces—these are the ones most likely to be undercooked. I'm selecting three pieces from different parts of the tray: one from the edge, one from the middle, one from the opposite edge."

"I probe each one in the thickest part. First piece: 78°c. Second piece: 76°c. Third piece: 79°c. All above 75°c minimum."

"By sampling the thickest pieces from different locations, I'm verifying the whole batch. If the thick pieces in the coldest parts of the oven are cooked, the thinner pieces in the hottest parts definitely are."

"But here's the critical point: if ANY of those readings is below 75°c, the whole batch goes back for more cooking. I don't serve the ones that passed and pull the one that failed. I continue cooking until all probed items reach temperature."

Probing liquids correctly

Soup and sauce technique:

"Probing liquids requires different technique from solid foods. Let me show you."

"This is a pot of soup that's been reheated. The surface is bubbling—but bubbling doesn't mean 75°c throughout. Watch what happens when I probe."

"I'm stirring first—this mixes the cooler liquid from the centre with the hotter liquid from the edges. Without stirring, I might probe a hot spot and miss a cooler area."

"Now I'm inserting the probe into the middle of the liquid. The tip is submerged but not touching the bottom of the pan—touching the pan would give me the pan temperature, not the liquid temperature."

"Reading: 72°c. Even though the surface was bubbling, the core temperature hasn't reached 75°c yet. This needs more heating."

"I stir again, continue heating, and recheck in two minutes. Now: 78°c. The soup is safely reheated throughout."

When readings seem wrong

Trusting your probe:

"Sometimes you'll get a reading that seems wrong. The chicken looks cooked, it feels done, but the probe says 68°c. What do you do?"

"First, check your probe positioning. Am I in the thickest part? Have I pushed deep enough? Let me reposition and try again."

"Second reading, different position: 67°c. Same result. The probe is telling me this chicken isn't ready, even though it looks done."

"Trust the probe. Our eyes can't see bacteria; our fingers can't feel temperature accurately. The probe is objective measurement. If it says 67°c, the chicken needs more cooking—regardless of how done it looks."

"Continue cooking, recheck in a few minutes. Now: 76°c. Now it's safe. The appearance was deceiving, but the probe wasn't."

When the probe seems faulty:

"But what if the probe itself seems wrong? What if you're getting readings that are wildly inconsistent or clearly impossible?"

"If I probe a piece of chicken that just came off a hot grill and the probe says 25°c, something is wrong with the probe, not the chicken."

"Stop using that probe immediately. Get a different probe and check the food. If the second probe gives sensible readings, the first probe is faulty."

"Report the faulty probe, get it recalibrated or replaced, and make sure it's clearly marked as out of service until fixed."

Probe hygiene in different scenarios

Raw to raw:

"I've just probed raw chicken to check it was stored at the correct temperature. Now I need to probe raw beef. What do I do?"

"Even though both are raw, I sanitise between them. Raw chicken bacteria shouldn't transfer to raw beef, and vice versa. It only takes a few seconds with a sanitiser wipe."

Raw to cooked:

"This is the critical transition. I've probed raw pork. Now I need to check cooked rice. If I don't sanitise, I'm transferring raw pork bacteria directly into ready-to-eat food."

"I thoroughly sanitise the probe. I'm not rushing this. The entire tip and shaft that might contact food gets wiped with sanitiser. Then I can safely probe the cooked rice."

Hot food probing:

"I'm probing this freshly cooked steak—it's very hot. The probe will heat up. After probing, before I sanitise, I need to let it cool enough that I can handle it safely and that the sanitiser will work effectively."

"I'm setting the probe aside for a moment, then wiping with sanitiser. If I tried to sanitise it while it's too hot, the sanitiser would evaporate before doing its job."

Step 5: Common mistakes to avoid

Cover the errors you've seen or that commonly occur with temperature probe use.

Mistake 1: Not waiting for the reading to stabilise

"One of the most common mistakes is taking a reading too quickly. The probe needs time to reach the actual temperature of the food. If you pull it out after two seconds, you're getting a transitional reading, not the true core temperature. Always wait at least ten seconds for the display to stop changing and hold steady. For thicker items, you might need to wait longer."

Mistake 2: Probing the wrong part of the food

"If you stick the probe in the thin edge of a chicken breast, you'll get a higher reading than the actual centre. Always probe the thickest part, the part most likely to be undercooked. For something like a lasagne or shepherd's pie, probe the centre—not the edges which cook faster."

Mistake 3: Leaving the probe in extreme conditions

"I've seen probes left on top of the pass under heat lamps, left in the walk-in fridge overnight, even dropped into the fryer. All of these will damage the probe or affect its accuracy. When you're done using it, clean it, sanitise it, put it back in its case, and store it properly."

Mistake 4: Ignoring low battery warnings

"A probe with dying batteries won't just stop working—it might give you readings that are slightly off. That's dangerous because you'll trust a number that isn't accurate. Replace batteries regularly, and if your probe starts behaving inconsistently, check the batteries first."

Mistake 5: Forgetting to clean between uses

"If you probe raw chicken and then immediately probe cooked rice, you've just cross-contaminated your rice. The probe must be cleaned and sanitised between every use, especially when moving between raw and ready-to-eat foods. It only takes a few seconds but prevents a serious food safety risk."

Mistake 6: Skipping calibration or falsifying records

"Weekly calibration isn't a suggestion—it's a requirement. If you skip it or just sign the sheet without actually doing the test, you have no idea if your probe is accurate. Every temperature check you've done that week could be wrong. And if there's an incident, the first thing an EHO will check is whether your probes were calibrated and whether the records are legitimate."

Step 6: Key takeaways

Finish your video by reinforcing what matters most.

"Let me recap the critical points from this video:

Why it matters: In our food safety system, we prove temperatures—we don't guess. Your probe is the tool that provides that proof, so it must be accurate and you must use it correctly.

Weekly calibration: Every week, on our designated day, we test all probes using ice water and boiling water. The acceptable tolerance is ±1°C. If a probe is outside tolerance, we remove it from service immediately.

Correct technique: Always probe the thickest part of the food, wait at least ten seconds for the reading to stabilise, and clean the probe between uses.

Maintenance: Follow manufacturer instructions, never expose to extreme temperatures, don't drop it, store it in its case, and replace batteries regularly.

Documentation: Every calibration test is recorded and signed off by both the tester and the head chef. Any failed probes are logged in the corrective actions record.

If in doubt: If something doesn't seem right with a reading, or if the probe is behaving inconsistently, stop using it and report it to the head chef. A dodgy probe is worse than no probe because it gives you false confidence.

Your temperature probe is one of the most important pieces of equipment in this kitchen. Treat it properly, test it regularly, and use it correctly—every single time."