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The Kitchen Table

Is there a good oven thermometer??

15 years ago

My oven temperature is out, and the only thermometer I can find is the el cheapo that sits on a rack. It has a little hook at the top to hang, but then it's too low to see.

It's always falling over and in the way, or I can't see it if I put it too far to side. It fell down onto the bottom of the oven and now the glass is all scorched. It was such a PIA to use anyway.

Is there a better invention out there?

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Comments (3)

maire_cate
15 years ago
In Jan. 2011 Cooks Illustrated

........"Recommended -Cooper-Atkins Oven Thermometer"

Basic, sturdy, accurate, and the least expensive model tested, this commercial-style thermometer (it provides food safety guidelines in small print on the face) rose to the top of our rankings. Designed to either sit on or hang from oven racks, it stayed safely out of our way as we baked and roasted. After six months of constant testing, the face was still easy to read and temperature readings remained spot-on...."

They also liked the CDN Pro Accurate Oven Thermometer ($12).
zeetera
15 years ago
Just recently I saw one that worked remotely. There was a piece that you hung on the inside of the oven (or stuck in the meat) and the temperature was recorded on a remote thing that you held in your hand.

Sorry I don't remember where I saw it, as usual. lol
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cynic
15 years ago
They're a pain but the ones that most pros still seem to use. The pit boys use them in the grill too. It shouldn't be that big a thing really. You probably wouldn't use it that often. I don't know of one that's easily visible. The remote ones and probe type are great for cooking food but they're not really made for checking the oven temps. I've seen some that clip on the front of the rack which helps for visibility but that's not really the place to check an oven's temperature. You want it in the middle or toward the back and you need to check different spots if you have a large oven because of hotspots.

I'd just check the thermometer at a few oven temps and see how it compares then put the thermometer back in the drawer. If you're doing something critical, dig it out again.

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