I used to think Meat thermometers were just for the overly cautious but to make a great tasting piece of meat a thermometer is essential. Getting the perfect medium steak is hard, unless you know the right temperature, then it's easier than pie. Check out our list of the best meat thermometers around.
This excellent value proposition can be used as a handheld solution, but its 6.5-inch probe and 40-inch stainless steel mesh cable can also go in the oven, BBQ or smoker. At the same time, the LCD display unit attaches via a magnetic back. In "Cook Mode," it has USDA preset temperatures for poultry, ham, pork, fish, and three beef settings. It also boasts a handy countdown or count-up timer.
This multi-tasking marvel can not only measure the temperature of your meat but help you move it too. You simply stick the food-safe fork prongs into whatever it is your cooking, and the temperature will be displayed on the clear and easy to read built-in LCD display in Celsius or Fahrenheit. There presents for different types of meat so you can set an alert for when you're done.
This rugged option is shatter-resistant and waterproof to IP67 rating, making for a straightforward cleanup process. It can give you a temperature reading in a little as two seconds and is accurate to +/-1 degrees with a range of -58 to 572 degrees Fahrenheit. The ergonomic shape is comfortable to hold, the large back-lit display is easy-to-read, and it has a handy meat temperature guide printed on the front.
This old school option is an excellent lo-fi way to monitoring meat in the oven. You simply insert it into your protein before you stick it in the oven, and this can stay inserted into the meat throughout the entire cooking process. Made of premium stainless steel, it has a large, easy-to-read dial face with useful target cooking temperatures printed on it.
Another two-in-one option, this clever tool, can be used as a standard metal spatula for both indoor and outdoor cooking but has a built-in meat probe to monitor the temperature of what you're cooking. There are five preprogrammed meat types with four doneness levels, and the temperature is displayed on the LCD screen in Celsius or Fahrenheit.
Steak is notoriously hard to get right, and as it's something generally everyone has a strong preference about, investing in a set of specialist thermometers is recommended. This set of four from Cuisinart measures two inches long and registers rare, medium, and well cooking levels quickly and accurately. It's pretty awesome they're dishwasher safe too.
The heat is on
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Our overall staff pick, the ThermoPro TP-16 Digital Thermometer with Timer, comes highly recommended. For its affordable price, you're getting an oven-friendly, accurate probe style thermometer that can also be used as a handheld version and has handy preset meat cooking times built-in.
If you're only going to be using a meat thermometer for the likes of steaks, chicken breasts, and chops, then save yourself some money and grab the simple but effective Cuisinart CSG-603 Steak Thermometers that lets you monitor four pieces of protein at once. We'd steer clear of the "rare" area for chicken, mind...