Review on Rubbermaid FGR80DC Refrigerator Freezer Cooler Fridge Thermometer - Large Mechanical Dial for Accurate Monitoring and Control by Stacey Woodard

There are two factors to consider when purchasing a fridge/freezer thermometer: temperature accuracy (performance) and design (construction). Performance is measured to 2 degrees Fahrenheit, but it has some design limitations that make it difficult to install or prominently place the unit in many fridges or freezers without wire shelving. Ideally, all fridges should have built-in and accurate thermometers - one for the freezer and one for the fridge. Unfortunately, unless you are spending significant amounts, you often have to "pump up" your unit by buying thermometers to ensure your unit will support safe freezing/refrigeration. I bought this "commercial" Rubbermaid FGR80DC thermometer along with a DayMark thermometer, IT115410, each for the same price of $5, and then compared the temperature readings of both devices to one of the scientific reference standard liquid thermometers (HB Tools 5 /2210 Durac all-glass thermometer for organic liquids). it's a Rubbermaid FGR80DC and has an error of 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit on the high end compared to the HB standard for the Day Mark IT115410 thermometer. ADVANTAGES: 1. Extremely well made for a $5 thermometer. Solid stainless steel case and bezel.2. The large, easy-to-read 2.25-inch tempered shatterproof glass face is condensation-resistant. 3. Clear, unobstructed readings and dial calibration with HACCP red "safe” tape. 4. NSF rated 5. Great value for the build quality. : 1. In many refrigerators and/or freezers with glass shelves, the built-in hook designed to hang from the wire mesh shelves can be difficult to properly attach or hang, but it can be invisible or inconvenient if the thermometer becomes blocked Visibility due to a full fridge or freezer. Some units are not spaced correctly for the thermometer to hang properly and may affect shelf storage. or velcro (see photo) If you want to attach the thermometer to the back of the fridge or freezer like I did, forget about that too. The back of the thermometer is not intended for mounting, which limits its design freedom.3. Made in China. I suspect quality control might not be as strict on these inexpensive devices and apparently some users are reporting some accuracy differences. Bimetal thermometers use a coil spring as the sensing element and are much cheaper than other types of thermometers (glass rod, liquid crystal, gas, electronic/digital, infrared, RTD). RECOMMENDATIONS:1. This can be a very good choice if you need a fairly accurate and high quality bimetal thermometer for fridge freezers on a budget. However, design limitations (which can easily be remedied) make this a 4.0 star product. For the accuracy of a pointer bimetal thermometer I recommend the Day Mark above for the same price with a slightly larger dial; however, the same design restrictions apply to both units.2. I suggest using a stand and attaching a piece of Velcro or other heat-resistant mounting tape to the fridge/freezer shelf if you can't hang the thermometer in a conspicuous place on the fridge/freezer wire shelf.3. Always compare the temperature to an appropriate reference standard to assess accuracy over time. The relatively inexpensive HB Instruments 5/2210 or 5/0220 Durac Organic Liquid-Glass Total Submersible Thermometer should give you an excellent standard for testing the accuracy of most dial thermometers. Here is the link: http://www. amazon.com/Instrument-Organic-Immersion-Thermometer-Accuracy/dp/B00551NSFI/ref=sr_1_5?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1445106988&sr=1-5&keywords=hb+thermometersOn health.