Cooking Thermometers
Cooking thermometers are a handy appliance for the serious chef indoors and out. It will let you know the exact internal temperature of chicken, turkey, pot roasts, beef, and any other meat during cooking. Now you can have juicy, uncharred meat without worrying about foodborne illnesses! They're also useful for bringing breads, chocolate and candy to culinary perfection.
Check out this
safe food temperature chart.
Pop-up and disposable thermometers are not mentioned here because they are not very accurate, and they usually come with a certain type of food (such as a turkey).
Types of Thermometers
Different thermometer types have different uses.
How to Choose
Much of the world is switching over to digital everything, and kitchen tools are no exception to this phenomenon. Whether or not you choose to go the digital route is really a matter of convenience. Price may be a concern, but hardly likely, considering that basic meat thermometers usually cost less than $20 while high-tech insta read types still are fairly inexpensive, maxing out at $40 depending on the model.
* First consider what you plan to use the thermometer for. Do you primarily cook meats and poultry? Are you into deep frying and making candy? Thermometers are not all made the same, and only certain types can handle extremely high heat conditions. For basic kitchen duties, a standard
candy/deep fry thermometer is best for high heat tasks.
* Do you want to be able to walk away from the grill or kitchen to do other tasks while the food takes care of cooking itself? Opt for a
digital timer with wireless remote that allows you up to 100 ft. of distance between you and dinner.
How it Works
Insert the steel probe into the meat and program the device to the preferred temperature. It will alert you when you have reached that desired temperature. Some models have a wireless digital monitor that allow you to roam around the house or yard, so you don't have to feel tethered to your kitchen. The timer and clock can also be used as a normal
kitchen timer.
Things to Keep in Mind
Thermometer probes tend to be very delicate. Don't subject it to food temperatures of much higher than 350 degrees. This is internal food temperatures only, as cooking thermometers are not intended to be oven thermometers. Also, most probes are not waterproof, so don't subject them to liquids, either. Liquids and extreme heat will result in melting or malfunction. You may consider getting a few backup probes just in case this happens.
Top Brands
*
Taylor (This brand was recommended by
Alton Brown and that's good enough for me! Several Cook's Illustrated recommendations are Taylor as well.)
*
Polder
*
Weber
*
Thermoworks
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