The Best Instant-Read Thermometers are probably the most important tools in a cook’s arsenal. Forget old chefs’ tales of visual inspection or prodding with a finger. If you want to know precisely when your food is ready, the best option is to impale it with a fast and accurate temperature probe.
Speed is paramount. As you slowly insert the probe, the temperature drops as the tip nears the center of the meat, and that lowest reading tells you the state of the least cooked part. The best instant-read thermometers stabilize in a second or two. Accuracy matters too, but all but the cheapest models are within a degree or two.
Look for a unit sealed against moisture, like the ThermoWorks TempTest 1, so it survives an accidental dunk in the sink. Folding models, pioneered by the ThermoWorks Thermapen, are popular for their long probes that stow safely in your pocket. Other nice features include a rotating display, a backlight, and long battery life, because there are few more frustrating situations than having the battery croak just as you’re checking the Thanksgiving turkey.
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