All About Cooking Thermometers

Is it safe to bite?

We've all heard horror stories about food borne illnesses. And yet most people still rely on cooking by color, their experience and judgment, or recommended cooking times to decide whether food is done. This eyeballing method can be misleading and dangerous!

Using a food thermometer is the only reliable way to ensure safety and to determine if meat, poultry, and egg products are thoroughly cooked. To be safe, these foods must be cooked to an internal temperature high enough to destroy potentially dangerous pathogens.

No need to overcook

The temperature at which different pathogens are destroyed varies, and so does the "doneness" temperature for various cuts of meat and poultry. A roast or steak that is not pierced in any way during processing and reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees is safe to eat. Using only visual signs to test meat, you might think it looks too pink to be safe and overcook it. Using a food thermometer, you can cook food to your desired taste-rare, medium or well, after it has reached a safe temperature.

A few seconds please

Using food thermometers makes food safe to eat, plus they are simple and quick to use! Digital thermometers and infrared thermometers only take a few seconds. Using a thermometer is not complicated and it's worth the effort to check. Following is a list of different types of food thermometers and their features.

Digital thermometers

Of all the food thermometers, digital thermometers reach and display the final temperature the fastest. The temperature is indicated on an easy to read digital display. A digital thermometer is great for quickly checking thin foods like hamburger patties, pork chops and chicken breasts, and has many other features:

Digital thermometers give the fastest readings-within 2 to 5 seconds

Good for measuring temperatures of thick and thin food

Long thin probe to quickly check temperature in a number of locations

Check food near the end of cooking time

Not designed to stay in food while it's cooking

Can be calibrated

Digital oven cord thermometer

This digital thermometer allows you to check the temperature of food in the oven without opening the oven door. A base unit with a digital screen is attached to a food thermometer probe by a long metal cord. The probe is inserted into the food and the cord extends from the oven to the base unit. You program the thermometer for the desired temperature and it beeps when the food is done.

Digital fork thermometer

The fork thermometer is handy because it combines a cooking fork with a food thermometer. A temperature device is embedded in one of the tines of the fork. The food temperature is indicated on a digital display or by indicator lights on the handle within a few seconds and has these other features:

Great to use while grilling

Can be used to accurately measure even the thinnest foods

Indicator lights will tell if food has reached rare, medium, or well done

Oven safe thermometers

The bimetallic-coil food thermometer is designed to remain in the food while it is cooking in the oven. It is generally used when cooking large food items like roast or turkey. This kind of thermometer is convenient because it constantly shows the temperature of the food while it is cooking.

Candy thermometers

Candy, or sometimes called Deep Fry, thermometers are used to measure temperatures ranging from 100 to 400 degrees. A candy thermometer is used to measure the extra-high temperatures required to make candy or jelly, as well as frying with hot oil.

Appliance thermometers

For safety, it is important to verify the temperature of refrigerators or freezers. Frozen food will hold its quality for the longest possible time when the freezer maintains zero degrees. An appliance thermometer can be kept in the refrigerator or freezer to make sure food is cold enough to be safe.

More information on thermometers