Meat thermometers?

[PHXeater]

Amazon has about a million options when it comes to thermometers - any suggestions?

Back story which may help guide suggestions is that I'm teaching the boyfriend how to grill since he's completely clueless when it comes to cooking anything. I'm trying not to hover (apparently that's annoying) but he really needs some help so I'm not eating rare chicken or fully cooked ahi. I only have the very basic $5 metal thermometer that I stick in a turkey but want to get him something a little more hi-tech and quicker until he gets used to cooking times.

Quick read seems like a necessary feature, the fork ones for grilling seem like you could lose a lot of juice, then there's the ones where you just point it at the meat? Definitely lost here since I rarely use one so any suggestions would be appreciated.

[azhotdish]

The de facto standard is the Thermapen.
http://www.thermoworks.com/products/thermapen/

That said, I've had the CDN probe for a couple of years and been happy with it. It has a shielded wire so you put in the probe when you start cooking, set the desired temp or time and you're good to go.
http://www.amazon.com/CDN-Digital-Programmable-Probe-Thermometer/dp/B00046YFHE

[Lunchbox]

+1 for the Thermapen...

I bought one last year and it has literally changed my cooking... My food comes out better... I was actually going to start a thread about this...

Every guy who grills, every person who makes candy, everyone who cooks should own one... I've had mine for about a year and it's been 100% accurate and worry free. I love it and won't cook without it... They run about $80-$100.

I also use the iGrill but it's not as accurate and I've burned through a couple of probes. It's pretty cool though how it integrates with iPhone/iPad via Bluetooth. The app was a little wonky at first but it seems better with the latest iterations. I mostly use the iGrill when I'm doing something like a long smoke. But even then I spot check with my Thermapen and then I know when things are ready to come off.

LBX

[Skillet Doux]

...then there's the ones where you just point it at the meat?

If you're talking about the infrared thermometers, those are awesome for reading surface temps -- which has a lot of cool uses -- but obviously that isn't going to help you with internal temp.

+2 for the Thermapen. I finally got one last Christmas, and I flipping adore the thing. If I'm roasting something, I can pull it out, get pinpoint readings from four or five different spots and have it back in the over in under 15 seconds. And it's so quick and precise that one of the really cool (and sometimes quite useful) things you can do is insert it into a large piece of meat very slowly and watch the temperature change with each half centimeter. You do that in a few places and it's like getting a topographical temperature map of a roast. It's really cool.

That said, I've often wished that Thermapen also had some kind of a remote probe option like the second one azhotdish mentioned. If they sold one of those long wire probes that could plug into the base unit, that'd be amazing. And incidentally, if you're interested in an infrared thermometer, there's a Thermapen version that's a combo probe/infrared, though I think the probe might not be quite as sensitive/quick as the dedicated probe unit. I haven't looked at them in a while.

[PHXeater]

Thanks for the replies. Thermapen isn't cheap compared to other options - $89 on Amazon, but sounds like it might be worth the investment. If it's as good as advertised I would start using it as well so it definitely would get some mileage.

And yes, I realized after posting that the point and shoot options were for surface temp, oops!

[Lunchbox]

They are expensive but I don't think you'll be disappointed...

This would be a great PHX Food Nerds group buy if you could get 5 or more people together to buy with you they are $80/each on the Thermapen website.

http://www.thermoworks.com/products/thermapen/

[artvandelay]

Now I'm just piling on but yeah the thermapen. It also changed the way I cook for the better.

[M_L]

ECHOoooooooo

I too really like my Thermapen. They frequently have sales on their site, if you sign up for the mailing list you should be able to come across one.

[PHXeater]

Looks like I'm going to have to suck it up and buy the thermapen after all the rave reviews. That and an immersion blender are definitely my next kitchen purchases.

Again, thanks for the input!

[Dapuma]

Ill throw in on a thermapen order if we can get a few more

not really sure if it is worth saving $9 to wait for anyone...i won't need it until late november

[PHXeater]

Mine just arrived today! It's bigger than I thought it would be and I am being a complete nerd testing the temperature of the air, water out of my faucet, you name it

Unfortunately I put chicken in the slow cooker before it got delivered so I won't get to play with it on red meat or pork yet.

[Lunchbox]

Mine just arrived today! It's bigger than I thought it would be and I am being a complete nerd testing the temperature of the air, water out of my faucet, you name it

Yeah I'm pretty sure everyone does that when they get one... I sure did...

This is a helpful/fun video to test the Thermapen...

[PHXeater]

Update now that I've cooked a few items with this: you were all so right, it is easily worth the $86.

I've literally cooked the best pork and chicken of my life over the past two weeks, and am amazed because I originally requested this for my boyfriend but I'm the one addicted. This makes cooking all meats insanely easy. I could rave about it for another 2 paragraphs but will stop now since most of you already own one

[Skillet Doux]

Always happy to help induct another into the cult

[CelticBellaAZ]

I'm glad I came across this! I am adding this to my "honey I need this or I will die" list that he gets about once a week. (no I don't always get them) Though when it comes to computer gadgets he seems to be more inclined to "surprise" me.

[Lunchbox]

FYI - I got an email from Thermapen the other day saying that they're having an open box sale... Looks like they're only $69 each so it'll save about $20-30 which isn't too shabby. And as long as you aren't uber picky about the color or that it might be a refurb, it sounds like a good deal...

http://www.thermoworks.com/products/the ... _2013.html

[MyLifeOnVacatio]

Had been wanting to get one of these. This looks like a great time to pull the trigger. Thanks for the link!

[wee_eats]

Definitely. I got mine last year on an open box sale and my life hasn't been the same since. I **LOVE** these thermometers!