How accurate is that meat thermometer?(Up front)(Product/service evaluation)(Table)

A meat thermometer doesn't cost much, but it can save hundreds of dollars in medical bills by ensuring that food is cooked enough to kill disease-causing salmonella, E. coli, and other bugs. We tested 11 thermometers you either leave in food as it cooks or poke in and read instantly.

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If you're picturing a dial-topped metal skewer, you should know that many meat thermometers have grown far fancier: Many are wired probes that connect to digital displays. Some speak to you ("lamb, medium"), then automatically set the correct temperature; beep when they reach a required temperature; retain a reading so you don't need to wrestle a roast from the oven in 1 second flat; even track temperatures on two different foods. The Weber has a wireless probe that lets you check the temperature of a food from 300 feet away. (There's a remote component you can clip to a belt.) But that thermometer didn't perform as well as others overall.

How we tested. In addition to testing temperature accuracy (see photo), we measured how quickly each thermometer adjusted to temperature changes. The fastest took 10 seconds or less; the slowest, more than 30 seconds. And we checked the temperature range each thermometer could read. The widest was 0 to 450[degrees] F, which makes it more useful for tasks such as deep frying. The narrowest range was up to only 180[degrees].

Bottom line. If you want to insert the thermometer before cooking, try the digital Polder THM-360, whose two probes can track the temperature of two different foods. If you prefer to check the temperature of cooking meat instantly, try the digital Taylor Weekend Warrior, which costs about half as much as the Polder and is especially easy to use. It has a "hold" button that freezes the displayed temperature until you can remove the dish from the oven, and a "max" button to show the highest temperature the probe has reached.

For leftovers, use a refrigerator thermometer to make sure food is kept cool enough. We recently tested five. Best overall was the digital Taylor Commercial 1448. It was extremely accurate and cost just $9.

 
Ratings 
 
In performance order, within types. 
 
                       Brand &    Digital   Price  Overall 
                        model                       score 
 
Recommendation  Rank                                        Accuracy 
 
                  A   LEAVE-IN THERMOMETERS 
 
Recommended       1   Polder          *       $30     92    Excellent 
                      ...