Real Cooks Take Their Temperature

If you have done any cooking at all you know the importance of temperature.  It controls just about everything we do in the kitchen or out at the BBQ. So,obviously it is very important to keep an eye on the temperature of the stuff we’re cooking.  But what’s the best, most accurate way to do that?

Two Key Criteria

Well, just about any thermometer that is well built and accurate will work but there are two key things I look for in my BBQ thermometers (and most other items in my life):

1. Flexibility- I want my thermometer to be able to do a wide variety of things well.  That means I want it to have a wide range of temperature measuring ability as well as other little “gadgets” such as weather resistance, quick readout, and “set it and forget it ” things like temperature alarms and timers.
2. Price-  I’m a fairly thrifty guy, at least when it comes to these things.  I’d rather spend my disposable $$’s on meat for the BBQ, beer, or other fun stuff than on a thermometer.  But, I also realize that you often get what you pay for so I want things that offer a good price/performance ratio.

Ok, now that you know what I look for in cooking accessory items things like these you’re probably wondering what I use.  Here you go:

Taylor Digital Cooking Thermometer/Timer
This is my “go to” thermometer. I’ve got two of these and they work very well. They are fairly inexpensive and they have a temperature alarm and timer making them a good multi-tasker. I’ve used mine for BBQ, oven cooking, and even brewing beer.

Taylor Digital Instant-Read Pocket Thermometer This is a basic, quick read thermometer and nothing else. It works well and is inexpensive. I have one and use it a lot, especially when I’m using the BBQ.

The Thermometer Dream Team

Now, if I had some extra $$’s lying around and wanted to have the best thermometer on the block, these next ones might just be what I’d get:

The Original Super-Fast Thermapen Instant Read Thermometer (Red) by Thermoworks This thing looks cool and “professional”. It is very high quality and super fast in reading temperature.

Infrared Thermometer Non Contact Laser Sight Digital Pyrometer, Automotive Diagnostic Equipment, Temperature Max. 968°F (520°C) Just the description gets me going! A laser sighted thermometer? Sign me up! Seriously, this thing would be great to use while cooking outdoors. The price is kind of high but not out of this world high. I’ve heard they work well. Heck, Alton Brown uses one so it must work well. Anyone want to buy me one? Christmas is coming up…

Whichever thermometer you get make sure to use it. There’s no need to risk ruining good food by guessing about the temperature. You spend enough time and money on your food, use a thermometer to make sure it comes out tasty and delicious