Ann, i use a couple of large stainless steel nuts as spacers for my dome thermometer. others use a short piece of pipe. you only want to raise it about half the length of the stem at the most. you could just use some aluminum foil balled up around the stem if you had to. aluminium foil balls will work for the spacer between the plate setter and the pan as well; some people use three elbows of copper pipe as spaces.