If you want one that will let you know what's happening while the oven door is closed, you might consider a remote thermometer. The probe stays in the meat, a cable runs from it out the oven door to a display unit which sticks to the oven door with a magnet.I have one like the one at the link. Works fine, it's a reasonable deal for $25. I think Polder makes a similar model.

I got this as a special deal when I bought a Thermapen. I find, though, that I use the Thermapen about ten times more often than I use the remote probe thermometer; if you can scrape up the $90 or so for a Thermapen, it really is a worthwhile purchase; I'm spoiled by it, and now can roast chickens to perfection. It reads quickly, so you can open the oven door and have a temp reading in just a few seconds.

Here is a link that might be useful: remote probe thermometer

Thank you, arley, I ordered the one from the link!

I don't remember the brand of mine, but I wouldn't recommend it. It has a really poorly designed interface, that makes what should be a dead-simple-to-use device an annoyance. My biggest complaint is that the device tries to "help" you by allowing (forcing) you to select the meat you are cooking, and then automatically selecting the temperature it thinks is appropriate, which for some of the meats cannot even be overridden.

The setting for pork, automatically sets the temperature to 165 deg F which would ruin a pork tenderloin, where my recipe calls for removing it from the oven at an internal temp of 140 deg F . So for that I need to change the mode to selecting meat, scroll through: beef, chicken, pork, lamb, fish, custom, then select temperature and scroll down until it reads 140, and if you hit one wrong button you then needs to repeat the entire sequence.

I find the cables break down after a couple of years. Don't kink or fold the cable and it may last longer.

I've gone through several remote probe thermometers. They last 1-2 years even with careful usage. Like arley, I have a thermopen which is my go-to for just about everything in the kitchen, not just roasting in the oven. I use to check custards, all baked goods (breads, cakes), the temperature of food being reheated. It's fast and accurate.

Cheryl

Just got a thermoworks pen for Christmas - it is amazing - I use it to check everything also - especially nuked food - you know - is the center still frozen...
I also have an All Clad probe and it is great and is now about 5 years old.

A remote read non-contact IR thermoeter can be very useful also.

Quick spot check every corner in the refrigerator and freezer to make sure you know if your refrigerator is safe.

Quick check every spot of your oven.

Quick check your frying pan.

dcarch

Gave up all others when I got my first Thermopen. Just got another one to use downstairs with the BBQ and smoker. Will never have any other.....they are amazing for absolutely everything.

My Thermopen has been useless. The temperature reading jumps around and takes forever to settle on a temperature, which is not accurate. There are so many raves about this device that I'm wondering if I should try purchasing another one.

My First Thermopen acted flaky too. Even though I had had it for over a year I returned it for testing and repairs and they sent me be back a brand new one ...no questions asked. It works like a charm!

There should be no fluctuation with thermopen readings, and they give temps almost instantly. If it's not working correctly, ask about repair. I checked mine when I first got it with freezing water/ice and boiling water and it was accurate and steady.

Cheryl

This post was edited by jadeite on Fri, Jan 11, 13 at 9:26

I would not want to be without either a Thermopen or a Probe Thermometer.

My bff and I both cooked Prime Rib for Christmas. My probe alerted me when the roast reached the desired temperature and it was perfect. My bff on the other hand, relied only on her Thermopen and missed the temperature she wanted. Her roast was over done. But I know what to get her for her birthday! :-)

I'm no where near an professional cook, but honestly, I can't see how anyone could know when to pull such a roast without in internal probe - ovens, thickness of meat, temperature of meat when placed into the oven - all of these variables (and more) will have a direct impact on how much time it will take to cook.

I've used a couple of internal probes and I like this very simple one. I want to set the temperature and have it alert me when it has been reached - nothing more.

Here is a link that might be useful: Polder Probe Thermometer

Chase, jadeite,
My post disappeared. I wanted to thank you in re: Thermopen. I called CS and they had me do a hard reset, which had no effect on the device. Temp still fluctuates and fails to settle. So, I just sent it to Thermoworks for evaluation. We'll see what happens.

kitchendetective - I hope they fix or replace it. It really is a wonderful tool. You'll see!

Cheryl

I have two really cheap ones, less than $3.50 (battery included, shipping included) each on eBay for about four years. It takes about 30 seconds to give me a reading that�s about one degree F accurate. I bought two in case one fails. But they both are going strong.

Digital thermometer is not a very sophisticated device. Basically a probe of a thermocouple or a thermister sensor, an amplifier to read the probe, a compensation circuit to assure lineal response, and a liquid crystal numeric display. All the electronic can be done on a few very inexpensive IC chips.

If you view the video of the ThermoWorks factory, you will understand the reason why the Thermapen is so expensive. Because they use expensive labor to do the final assembly. I doubt very much they actually manufacture the parts.

The unique feature of the Thermapen is the very tiny tip of the probe. The smaller the tip, the quicker the temperature read because there is less metal thermal mass for the meat to have to reach equilibrium with. I can see the making of the tip can be more expensive because of greater manufacturing precision is required to install the thermocouple sensor into a very tiny tip and insulate the thermocouple from the casing all the way to the internal electronics.

One thing I have not seen people discuss much when the problem of fluctuating reading is occurring. Thermocouples (TYPE K devices) can be highly susceptible to electrical interferences. If you use it never a power line or a heating electrical element, you may get false readings from EMI,/RFI interferences.

Those of you who have the Thermapen should find out if you can use them near an induction cooktop.

dcarch

Let's see - in my thermometer collection I currently have 1 freezer, 3 or 4 instant read, 2 wireless Oregon scientific (both dead), 2 oven, 3 candy. I've discarded about 6-10 Taylors, Polders and various others - some basic, some fancy, some wireless, some wired. None of them is worth a d*mn. They are inaccurate, take too long to come to equilibrium, fail unpredictably and fatally. The only thermometer which I have found to be reliable is the thermopen. Having typed this I am afraid that it's going to die tomorrow when I have to smoke a huge load of ribs and chicken.

I had high hopes for the Oregon Scientific units which are very nice wireless thermometers. They have silly presets which can be ignored. The first one lasted the longest of all this sad lot - perhaps 3 years? Then it failed Thanksgiving eve and I was forced to use the instant (not!) thermometers to roast my turkey. The replacement Oregon Scientific lasted a year. I kept all the pieces thinking I would get a third, but I can only be suckered so many times!

As I understand it, the problem is the thermocouple, the most expensive part of the thermometer. Making one that can stand up to regular abuse in home kitchens just isn't that reliable. The maddening part is that once in a while someone gets a gem and tells the world how wonderful it is.

Perhaps you can tell this is a fetish with me. I am a scientist by training and nature. I like my data to be precise, accurate and repeatable. Right now I have a probe thermometer which is a feature of the Electrolux oven. It plugs into a socket inside the oven at the top so can't be kinked, twisted or otherwise mishandled. So far (8 months) it's been reliable and reasonably accurate. I check on it with the thermopen because I'm obsessive.

BTW dcarch, the thermopen works perfectly well when used in a pan over induction. I used it to check how long the cooktop took to bring water to a boil. It's pretty cool (sorry to sound so geeky) to watch the rate of temperature change as the water heated (2 minutes and change to bring 1 quart of water to full rolling boil).

Cheryl

I agree with you precision is the foundation of all sciences. If you are not obsessed with exactitude, then you are not a scientist.

However, for a cook, a variation of a few degrees is of not much significance. A bi-metal dial face thermometer is still useful even they can be way off.

Actually my concern with a Themapen near an induction cook top is also for possible damage.

The induction unit generates a very strong high frequency electromagnetic wave and can induce an electric current in any metallic object near by, not just ferrous/magnetic metals as in cookware. This is similar to how a transformer works. The induction coil is the primary winding and the metal thermocouple is the secondary winding of the transformer. Secondary winding of a transformer can be any metal, aluminum, for instance. An electric current/voltage can be generated which can be damaging to sensitive components.

dcarch

This has been an interesting thread as I cook meat all the time and have only used a basic (Taylor?) thermometer ever. The main thing I have learned is that touch, time, heat distance, cooking pan, all determine when the meat is ready.
I also tend to hover when cooking meat and always rely on less time than more. Something underdone can always go a few more minutes. For meat that needs to fall apart (brisket, bbq, chuck roast) a fork works wonders.

I would be afraid to rely completely on anything that might be inaccurate (and overcook something) after all, centuries of cooks did manage fine without one.

But I still think I might get a thermopen one day.

The induction coils induce current over about 1/2" from the surface. At least this is the way the specs read. I'm fairly sure the current falls off fairly sharply even within that 1/2", probably the inverse square law. I've tried using a 1/4" metal plate with a pot on top, and the amount of heat coming through the pot base is a lot smaller than without the plate. So I think the current that could be induced in the thermapen is fairly small.

The thermometers I discarded weren't only a few degrees off, they were wildly erratic. Sometimes they read high, sometimes low, by 10s of degrees. It's unpredictable so you can't make a sensible adjustment. I have an oven thermometer where a bubble has formed inside the dial, so the temperature can be almost anything, depending on where the bubble moves!

As you say, it shouldn't be expensive or difficult to get this right. That's what's so irritating.

Cheryl

This post was edited by jadeite on Fri, Jan 11, 13 at 23:05

"----The thermometers I discarded weren't only a few degrees off, they were wildly erratic.---"

Type K thermocuple is a voltage generating device which means water can cause problems if it gets in the casing. Not all probes are water proof.

Thermister temperature sensor is a resistance based sensing device which is also more accurate than thermocouple and easier to waterproof, however, it can't be subjected to very high heat. A thermocouple is much more heat resistant (over a thousand degrees C). The Thermapen can measure up to 300 C ( I think) therefore it needs to use a thermocouple sensor.

dcarch