Infared Thermometers?

[H.Callahan]

Does anyone use those infrared thermometers for monitoring pot & mold temperatures? How well do they work?

[John Boy]

How well do they work? They only measure the surface temperature of the melt. Use a bi-metal that reads the melt temperature down in the pot

[theperfessor]

Not very well in my experience. Most have trouble reading shiny surfaces, and for accurate readings they have to be calibrated to match the emissivity of the material in question.

They're handy for a lot of other things, but there are better ways to measure mold and alloy temperatures.

[MrXrings]

I use one for checking mold temps when preheating, most of the affordable ones are calibrated for dark surfaces and only give you surface temps. anyhow. I already had one for other purposes.

[jmorris]

If the surface is reflective the two I have read low, in some cases by hundreds of degrees.