The best kitchen thermometers

 The best kitchen thermometers

Looking for a reliable and durable kitchen thermometer? Bingo! Don't be fooled, here are the best of the year. Digital and analog, for all kinds of uses.

I have had several kitchen thermometers to monitor the cooking of food. I use them in the typical barbecue with friends, to control the temperature of the oil before frying or to see the exact point of the caramel (among many other uses).

- The best kitchen thermometers and Instant-Read Thermometers Product

But my experience with these utensils has NOT always been positive .

I start with the bad.

The thermometer you should NEVER buy
It sounds weird that before starting I tell you which one you should NOT buy under any circumstances, right?

A couple of years ago I bought the Chinese thermometer in the picture below. It is sold under different brand names through Amazon. My experience with this thermometer has been abysmal . It only cost me € 4 including shipping, but it ended up in the trash.

It turned off and on during measurement. The materials were of very low quality. I was not able to measure the temperature even on the first day of use.

Disastrous, it has reminded me again that cheap is expensive.

Digital kitchen thermometers
Now yes, these are the best cooking thermometers I've been lucky enough to try to date.

The best thermometer for liquids
WMF Profi Plus is perfect for controlling the temperature of liquids (water, oil, milk, caramel…). The best kitchen thermometer I've ever had, or the one I liked the most, perhaps because of its simplicity and manageability.

The quality of WMF is always one notch above average. Profi Plus has a Cromargan 18/10 stainless steel body, it is durable and reliable.

The measuring range of this digital kitchen thermometer ranges from -40ºC to 200ºC. It takes 5 or 6 seconds to display the temperature and has a deviation of only 1ºC. It works with three “button-type” batteries (1.5V LR44).

It cannot be used with the oven closed. You can measure the temperature of meat and fish, but always out of the oven. It is a very versatile and recommended option. Ideal for pastries, liquids, quick measurements of meats, etc.

The best probe thermometer
If you are looking for a specific model to control roasts, breads, cakes or cakes, it is best to bet on an oven thermometer.

I recommend the one that markets the Lacor brand.

It allows measurements from 0º to 300ºC . Its operation is simple, you just have to insert the probe inside the food and take the cable outside. You will know the temperature at all times without having to open the oven.

You can select the "target temperature", set an alarm, and forget about it until the thermometer alert sounds.

It is also valid for measuring the temperature of hot liquids, creams and other preparations . Easy and comfortable It works with two AA batteries and has an accuracy of + - 1ºC.

The best cheap alternative is the ThermoPro TP04 ( available on Amazon ). Less quality of materials than Lacor and only measures up to 250ºC. If you bet on ThermoPro buy the stainless steel version.

The best laser thermometer for cooking
An option that gains followers year after year: the laser kitchen thermometer.

It allows controlling the temperature of many solid foods (from -50ºC to 350ºC), with liquids it works worse.

The main advantage of the laser thermometer is that you don't need to get too close to food. You can also easily control the temperature of the pan or barbecue before grilling meat, vegetables or fish.

Its biggest drawback is precision. The model that I recommend works with a margin of +/- 2ºC, too much in many preparations. And it only measures the outside temperature, it does not serve to check where the inside of the meat is.

Recommended for barbecues.

Analog kitchen thermometers (without batteries)
From digital kitchen thermometers we went to analog, without batteries.

Best meat and roast thermometer
The advantage of these models is that you can put them in the oven (they support baking up to 250ºC). Their main drawback is that they only measure the temperature inside the food and reach just over 100ºC, therefore they are not used to measure liquids at high temperatures.

The most recommended is the WMF roast thermometer. Its simple illustrations allow you to see, at a quick glance, the temperature of the meat. Zero complications. Pinch it and place it facing outwards.

Best oven thermometer
Why control the actual oven temperature?

Unfortunately the ovens are very inaccurate showing the temperature. This is not a problem for baking meat, but it is a problem for making bread, biscuits, cakes and other delicate preparations.

Measuring the interior temperature is easy and within everyone's reach. Put an analog thermometer inside and forget about the rest. No batteries, cheap and hassle-free.

I recommend the best-selling model, Master Class brand. It can be placed on the base or on a side flange of the oven. It measures from 50 to 300ºC.