I couldn't begin to list how many items I've overcooked or undercooked in my life. You put something on the wrong spot on the grill, you think a piece of meat is completely defrosted when it's not, the oven didn't maintain the same temp, etc., etc., etc. And how many times has your Thanksgiving turkey come out really dry because the tender timer didn't pop? I HATE tender timers! They rarely work right. Sometimes they won't pop no matter how hot the bird gets. All those crappy pieces of plastic do is turn your kitchen into a den of LIES!!! Anyway, trust me, it's really easy to miscook meat without taking out a little bit of insurance.
And you do that by getting yourself a good cooking thermometer. Having this one small piece of equipment will save you a ton of grief and actually make you a better cook. As you use the thermometer, you'll start gauging how long it really takes to cook things with the cookware, grill and oven you have. No matter how hard the manufacturers try, no two pieces of cooking equipment is identical, or perfectly calibrated. Your oven can vary 15-20 degrees in temperature from what it says on the gauges. And when it comes to barbecuing, you know that your grill has definite hot spots. So when you dry out your turkey or undercook that burger, it may not be your fault.
There are a number of different digital thermometers and each have their advantages and disadvantages. I'll show you a few and then show you my favorite.
Thermometer Comparison
Laser Thermometer
A very high tech way to take the temperature of any surface. Just point it at the surface you want to test, pull the trigger and you can get the temperature of that surface immediately. Good: Fast way to check the surface temperature without touching the meat, pan or liquid. Bad: You're testing the SURFACE of the item. If you haven't been stirring the liquid, the surface can be colder than the liquid beneath. And just because the surface of the meat is hot, the inside could still be chilly. And they can be PRICEY! You can find inexpensive models for around $25, but the good ones are around $90. Best for: Checking the surface temp of a cooking surface or grill, or a liquid that has been stirred or is rolling, or a quick test of cooking candy.
Candy Thermometer
A special thermometer that is submerged in a liquid to constantly test the temperature. Good: They are very accurate and are extremely useful for monitoring candy temps, since a few degree difference can change the texture of the sugar. Also good for measuring fry oil temperature. Bad: Only really works for these two purposes. Best for: Candy making and Frying
Meat and Barbecue Thermometers
These are your classic spring-based thermometers. The thermometer is inserted into the meat and left there to monitor the internal temperature throughout the cooking process. Good: They can be good ways to monitor meat temperatures over a period of time, definitely better than a tender timer. Bad: They are not instant, and they only measure temperatures up to about 220 degrees. They cannot be used for frying or candy making. Best for: Long term meat cooking.
Quick Read Digital Thermometer
A digital read thermometer that will read the temperature of any food quickly and accurately. Just place the sensor in the meat, oil or liquid, give it a couple seconds and you have a fast and accurate temperature. Good: They're fast, just a couple of seconds for an accurate read. Thanks to the electronics and the configuration, the temperatures are extremely accurate. Most models are inexpensive, less than $20. Finally, they can usually read temperatures up to 400+ degrees, which means you can use it for frying and candy making. Bad: Not much. Some are not built to be clipped to the side of the pan to constantly test the temperature. Some are not built to stay in the over over the long cooking time of a roast or turkey. And each time you poke the meat and pull out the thermometer, you create an alleyway for all the meat juices to leak out, leaving it dry. Good for: Almost everything.
And my personal favorite...
Digital Thermometer (with clip)
So why is this my favorite? Well, it has the best features of many of the thermometers all in one economical package. It can read temperatures almost instantly. It usually will show temperatures up to 400+ degrees. They are built to be stuck inside of a cut or meat, a roast, or a turkey throughout the cooking times, so no leaking juices. The unit's display is large, easy to read, and the whole base is usually magnetic. So it can stick to the side of the fridge or the front of the oven while it cooks. It usually has a clip on the thermometer, so you can clip it to the side of a pan and constantly monitor the temperature of oil or candy without having to hold it in place. (Tip: Stir the oil occasionally, just to make sure the oil stays about the same temperature throughout) And best of all... it has an alert! I'm inherently lazy and hate getting off the couch to check the temp of the bird every 10 minutes near the end of cooking. So I just set the alert to go off when it hits my desired temperature and sit my lazy butt in front of a Mythbuster Marathon until the food is done. And the price is inexpensive, about $25. The one downfall is that there is a cord that can get in your way. But if you can stand the cable, and you only have enough cash to get one, this is your huckleberry.
Now if you have LOTS of money, buy as many different thermometers as you want. You could even get this wonderful little number, which combines the laser and quick read thermometers into one. It'll set you back over $100, but it's really cool. But for us po' folk, I'd still go with the digital thermometer with the clip and alarm.
So spend $25 to prevent dry birds, scorched steaks and taffy accidentally turning into burned hard-tack candy. Get yourself a high quality thermometer today!
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