A procedure is described for monitoring the temperature in the reaction cuvettes of analytical systems that use photometers. The method employs the temperature-dependent change in absorbance of solutions of either 3,5-dinitrosalicylic acid or cresol red. The procedure is simple to perform and is especially useful in monitoring the temperature in instruments such as centrifugal analysers where the reaction cuvette is inaccessible. In some of the instruments studied, methodological changes were required to ensure that reactions were carried out at the selected temperature.