Your ideal temperatures will vary, depending on the plastisol that you are using. The plastic that I use will push through the the gel stage at about 330 degrees. I set the temperature control boxes at 340 degrees to start, when they reach that temperature and cycle twice [red light off-red light on] I cut them back to 300 degrees and then purge the injector a few times to help circulate the plastic in the pots. I have an infrared thermometer and also a digital core prode, but to be honest, I can tell more by just looking at the plastic as it heats and the way it feels when I am filling the injector. There are some things to watch for, such as an air conditioner vent that might be blowing more on one pot. [Learned this the hard way} I suggest that you work with dark colors until you have the feel of the unit, it will come to you pretty fast.