A meat thermometer is an essential kitchen tool.
And useful in so many ways.
With a meat thermometer it's easy to cook your meat to the exact level of doneness you want.
There's no guess work.
You get consistent results and avoid under or overcooking expensive cuts of beef.
Food safety is also important – with a thermometer you can be confident that your food is safe to eat. And that's crucial for food like poultry, seafood or mince.
But accuracy is key.
You need a thermometer that’ll give you an accurate reading to the closest one degree centigrade. Across a wide temperature range... 32-100°C.
There are three types to choose from:
Traditional – These are mechanical ones that work like a thermometer with a little dial on top. They're cheap and cheerful, but not great for making accurate readings.
Digital – You get a degree by degree reading with these. But some are much quicker than others. Ideally you want one that gives you an instant read (1 second).
In-oven thermometer – These are the most accurate and are heat proof. You insert the thermometer probe into the core of the meat. It's attached by a heat proof cable to the readout which is not in the oven. Some will ring an alarm – or send a message to your phone – to tell you when the meat's ready.
Note Some inexpensive, slow cookers have a built-in heat probe. They switch off automatically when the meat reaches the core temperature you set it to. And they double as sous vide cookers.