Thermometer Calibration Log (Free Printable PDF)

Quick answer: this free printable log records each thermometer check: the method, what it should read, what it read, and whether it was adjusted or replaced. In ice water, a thermometer should read 32°F, and food thermometers must be accurate to within 2°F. Many kitchens check daily or weekly, and always after a drop.

Every other log in a kitchen depends on this one. A fridge log full of 38°F readings means nothing if the thermometer reads 6 degrees low, and a cooling log can show a batch hitting 70°F on time when it didn't. A calibration log records that each thermometer was checked against a known temperature, what it read, and whether it was adjusted or replaced. This sheet has room for 16 checks.

Preview. The PDF has 16 rows on a single landscape page.

How to Fill It In

• Give each thermometer a name or number, such as "grill probe #2" or "walk-in dial," with a piece of tape or a label, so the log tracks the same tool over time.
• Write the method and what it should read: 32°F for an ice bath. If you use boiling water, write your local boiling point, not 212°F; it's lower at altitude.
• Write what it actually read before you touch the adjustment. That first number shows whether it had drifted.
• If you adjusted it, write the reading after the adjustment. If it can't be brought within range, mark it replaced or removed, and take it off the line.
• Check on a schedule. Many kitchens check probe thermometers daily or weekly, and always after a drop, a big temperature swing, or a reading that looks wrong.

What the Food Code Requires

• Food thermometers must be accurate to within 2°F (or 1°C for Celsius and dual-scale thermometers) in the range you use them (§4-203.11).
• Air and water thermometers, such as the ones in coolers and on dish machines, must be accurate to within 3°F, or 1.5°C (§4-203.12).
• Food thermometers have to be calibrated following the manufacturer's instructions as often as needed to keep them accurate (§4-502.11(B)).
• The person in charge oversees cooking temperatures using thermometers that are "properly scaled and calibrated" (§2-103.11(G)).

The Food Code doesn't spell out a method or say how often; that's left to the manufacturer and your food safety plan. FDA's guide for operators lists calibration records as one of the five types of records that support a food safety system.

The Ice-Point Method

This is the method most manufacturers and food safety courses teach, because ice water sits at 32°F at any altitude:

1. Fill a glass to the top with crushed or cubed ice.
2. Add cold water until the ice is just covered, and stir.
3. Wait a minute or two for the temperature to settle.
4. Put the probe in the center of the glass, at least 2 inches deep for a dial thermometer, without touching the sides or bottom.
5. Wait for the reading to stop moving. It should read 32°F.
6. If it doesn't, adjust it: turn the nut under the head of a dial thermometer, or use the reset button or screw on a digital one. If it can't be adjusted, replace it.

Our thermometer calibration guide covers the boiling-point method, which thermometers can be adjusted, and how to check an infrared gun.

Thermometers You Can Calibrate

The classic dial thermometer with a calibration nut and a sleeve that doubles as the wrench. Pros: no batteries, cheap, and it can always be adjusted. Cons: slow to read and needs 2 inches of insertion. Best for: a backup on every station, and training staff on the ice-point method.

A fast digital probe that ships with the small screwdriver its calibration needs. Pros: quick readings, and it can be corrected instead of thrown away when it drifts. Cons: batteries. Best for: an everyday digital thermometer that stays accurate.

Before buying any digital thermometer for a kitchen, check that it can be calibrated. A thermometer that can't be adjusted has to be replaced the first time it fails an ice-bath check. More picks in our best food thermometers guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should a food thermometer be calibrated?

The Food Code says as often as needed to keep it accurate, following the manufacturer. Many kitchens check daily or weekly, and always after a thermometer is dropped or moves between very hot and very cold foods.

How accurate does a food thermometer have to be?

Within 2°F (or 1°C) under the FDA Food Code. Thermometers that measure air or water, such as refrigerator thermometers, must be within 3°F (1.5°C).

What should a thermometer read in ice water?

32°F (0°C), once the ice and water have been stirred and given a minute or two to settle.

Can you calibrate a refrigerator thermometer?

Most hanging dial refrigerator thermometers can't be adjusted. Check one by placing it next to a calibrated probe in a glass of ice water or in the cooler, and replace it if it's more than 3°F off.

Do inspectors check thermometer calibration?

Often, yes. An inspector may ask you to show how you calibrate, check your thermometer against theirs, or look at your calibration records. A log with dates and readings answers all three.

Bottom Line

Number your thermometers, check them in ice water on a schedule, and write down what they read. The other logs in our free log set are only as good as the thermometers behind them.

Free checklist

Is your restaurant ready for the 2026 Food Code?

Get our one-page checklist of what the 2026 FDA Food Code adds for restaurants, free. We'll also email you when the Food Code or your state's food rules change, a few times a year; unsubscribe anytime.

Email addressLeave this empty Get the checklist

We keep your address with Resend, our email service, and use it only for the checklist and these emails. Privacy.

Sources