Well Equipped: Meat Thermometers
These may not seem like the most exciting tools on the kitchen shelf, but meat thermometers are the secret to keeping turkeys and roasts nice and juicy. Whether you're a cook who only uses it at Thanksgiving, or a master roaster who likes a play-by-play temperature reading, see our top five picks. Pretty hot, if you ask us.
For the family that only busts out the meat thermometer on Thanksgiving:
1) Polder 12454 In-Oven Meat Thermometer
$9, polder.com
UPSIDE Thermometer remains in meat during cooking; easy to use; great for checking temperatures of large items like turkey. (Hey, when is the turkey done? Find out cook times and more here.)
DOWNSIDE Leaves large holes in smaller meats.
For the college student with lots of roommates:
2) CDN ProAccurate Quick Tip Thermometer (DTQ450)
$18, amazon.com
UPSIDE Waterproof; easy to use.
DOWNSIDE Requires battery.
For coffee drinkers who prefer freshly ground beans:
3) Comark T220A 1" Pocket Dial Thermometer
$5, etundra.com
UPSIDE Inexpensive; great for checking temperatures of smaller items like chicken and cuts of pork.
DOWNSIDE Small dial can be difficult to read; takes a few minutes for the temperature to register.
For the master roaster who likes a play-by-play temperature reading:
4) Taylor 1470 Classic Remote Probe Digital Cooking Thermometer/Timer
$17, target.com
UPSIDE Reasonably priced digital probe thermometer features audible alerts and easy-to-use buttons.
DOWNSIDE Requires battery; electronic probes can short if exposed to water or direct heat.
For the multitasking gadget lover:
5) Maverick ET-72 Redi-Chek® Remote
$50, amazon.com
UPSIDE Wireless-remote probe thermometer has a receiver range up to 100 feet, audible alerts, preset and programmable temperatures, and is safe for use in grills set to medium heat or lower (perfect for barbecue).
DOWNSIDE Requires battery; electronic probes can short if exposed to water or direct heat above 410°.
By Vivian Jao | Photography by Edwin Ho
More like this:
