By Bill McGrath
The Maverick PT-51 Instant Read thermometer is a folding hand-held unit that responds quickly, has excellent accuracy, and is designed for both left- and right-handed users.
The thermometer utilizes a thermocouple sensor for quick response. The probe opens up 90° past center so that it can be used in either hand. The display rotates by pressing the on-screen button so that it can be read from either orientation; it does not rotate the display automatically like some higher-priced units. The same button that rotates the display also activates a Hold function to capture the instantaneous temperature. The Hold mode can sometimes be activated accidentally due to the sensitivity of the button's touch. The display reads in either Fahrenheit or Celsius, selectable via a recessed button on the rear of the unit.
The unit I tested required a bit more force to extend the probe than I think is wise; I thought I might break it off while opening or closing the probe. The unit is claimed to be waterproof to 3 feet (0.91m). I placed it in a large pot of room-temperature water; it didn't leak. The thermometer is powered by a single CR2032 battery which is included. Battery life is not specified.
The unit comes with a one-year limited warranty. The manufacturer's contact info, including a snail mail address, website, and telephone number are printed on the instruction sheet.
Great accuracy, good speed, waterproof and priced very competitively; we give it a Gold Medal.
Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price:
Where to buy (buying from these suppliers supports this website):
Included:
Thermometer, battery, instructions
Probes:
Length: 4.5" (115mm), diameter: 0.126" (3.2mm), tip: 0.070 (1.8mm)
Min / Max:
-4 to 482°F (-20 to 250°C)
Ambient operating temperatures:
At 32ºF it actually reads:
At 130°F it actually reads:
At 225°F it actually reads:
At 325°F it actually reads:
Speed from 32°F to 212°F:
Speed from 212°F to 32°F:
Size of numbers in display:
Other features:
Rotating display characters
If you help us, we’ll pay you back bigtime with an ad free experience and much more!
Millions come to AmazingRibs.com every month for quality tested recipes, tips on technique, science, mythbusting, product reviews, and inspiration. But it is expensive to run a website with more than 4,000 pages and we don’t have a big corporate partner like TV network or a magazine publisher to subsidize us.
Our most important source of sustenance is people who join our Pitmaster Club, but please don’t think of it as a donation. Members get 21 great benefits. We block all third party ads, we give members free ebooks, magazines, interviews, webinars, more recipes, a monthly sweepstakes with prizes worth up to $2,000, discounts on products, and best of all a community of like-minded cooks free of flame wars. Click below to see all the benefits, take a free 30 day trial membership, and help keep this site alive.
Post comments and questions below
1) Try to post your question to the appropriate page.
2) Tell us everything we need to know to help such as the type of cooker and thermometer.
3) If you are a member of the Pitmaster Club, your comments login is probably different than your membership login.
Moderators