Cooking Thermometers Buying Guide

One of the most important parts of cooking is simply ensuring that your food is safe to eat.  Raw meats often house bacteria that can cause illness, and those bacteria can only be killed at a certain temperature.  In order to prepare food free of these nasty pathogens, a thermometer is needed in order to determine if the meat is heated to an acceptable level.  There are different types of thermometers  available on the market, some more suited toward grill cooking, some toward poultry over beef, and even some that are used specifically for preparing candies  and jellies rather than meat products.  To get a better feel for what's out there and how each model works, we've put together this simple buying guide.  Read on to heat up your cooking  skills in no time.

The Models

Ovenproof Cooking Thermometer  Microwave-Safe Thermometer  Both of these models are inserted into the food at the beginning of cooking. They often use a dial design and can be read fairly easily.	Instant-Read Cooking Thermometers  Digital Cooking Thermometers  One of the most important features of modern thermometers is speed of the read. With these models, you get a reading as soon as you insert them into the meat product. They can read different types of meat from pork chops to chicken and ground beef (if properly calibrated), but they are only to be inserted at the end of cooking--they are not designed to withstand heat for an entire cook time.	Deep Fry Thermometers  Candy Thermometers  When you're deep-frying food or making candies and jellies, the temperature of the liquid must be closely monitored. This means that you need a device that can withstand super-high temperatures--much higher than the average oven. These specially designed thermometers are much larger than their conventional counterparts, with a hook that can be used for safely attaching to the side of any cooking pot.	Pop-Up Cooking Thermometers  These thermometers pop out of the meat to let you know that it has reached an acceptable temperature. They are more commonly used for poultry products, and they are often not as accurate as digital models.	Grill Fork Thermometer  These thermometers are designed specifically for cooking on an outdoor grill. When you insert the fork into the meat, the temperature is digitally displayed on the handle. This design allows you to easily move your meat around on the grill while gauging how much cook time is left.

Major Manufactuers

It's always best to grab a name brand when dealing with cooking equipment,  because these companies have built reputations on high-quality, long lasting products.

• Cuisinart 
• Ducane 
• Maytag 
• Polder 
• Taylor 
• Weber 

Related Guides

Looking for more cooking gizmos, gadgets and tips?  We've got you covered.

Deep Fryers	Cookbooks	Barbecue Tools	Knife Storage	Kitchen Tools

External Links

• CookingForEngineers.com: Learn how cooking thermometers work.
• WhatsCookingAmerica.net: Tips on cooking thermometer calibration and testing.