Measuring the temperature of bread and pastry dough while mixing is difficult at best with conventional contact thermocouple probes, due to breakage and possible contamination of the food. However, the temperature is quite important since too high a temperature will cause too much rise, leading to holes in the baked product, and too low a temperature will not allow the dough to rise sufficiently, resulting in a product that is flat.
The IRt/c solves the problem by monitoring temperature without contact, completely eliminating breakage and possible contamination. Wired into a temperature controller, the information can be used to control mixing speed motors to maintain proper dough temperatures.
The recommended models are the IRt/c.3X and .5 since their built-in air purge keeps the lens clean even in the dusty interior of the mixer. Hermetically sealed, the IRt/c can be washed down during normal cleaning procedures. The recommended mounting location is the lid of the mixer, where the IRt/c has a clear view of the dough, and swings out of the way when loading and unloading.