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.

Kitchen Thermometer: Which is the Best of 2020?

 Kitchen Thermometer: Which is the Best of 2020?

Welcome back, cooks! You find yourself on the hunt for a kitchen thermometer, right? It does not matter if you have come here because you already knew them or if it is the first time you hear about them, the truth is that you have been right. Today we will tell you all about these wonderful culinary complements.

Despite the fact that, until relatively recently, we only found thermometers in the kitchens of professionals, more and more households have been made with one of them. And it is that these small devices can offer us many advantages. Do you want to know them? Keep reading!

- Kitchen Thermometer: Which is the Best of 2020 and Instant-Read Thermometers Product

The most important
If you have already embarked on the exciting world of cooking, you will know that getting the desired "point" in food is not an easy task. However, to achieve this, a kitchen thermometer can become your best ally.
And not only for meats, fish or roasts, the truth is that a kitchen thermometer will also be very practical for preparing whipped cream, hot chocolate or caramel. What would the kitchen be if we didn't innovate?
Fortunately, there are many kitchen thermometers. But, if we want to get the one that best suits our needs, it is highly recommended to take into account purchasing factors such as temperature ranges, materials or functions.

The best kitchen thermometers on the market: our recommendations
We know that buying a kitchen thermometer is not something you do on a daily basis. Therefore, the recommendations will be more than welcome so that, finally, we choose the one that we will get the most out of. Here we show you ours, based on the best thermometers on the market. Check out!

• The favorite kitchen thermometer of online users
• The best kitchen thermometer for meat
• Best oven thermometer
• The most sophisticated kitchen thermometer

The favorite kitchen thermometer of online users
- Bonsenkitchen Digital Kitchen Thermometer for Meat Barbecue Food Liquids Oil, Food Thermomete
It is not surprising that users have rated it as their favorite, since it is a very complete kitchen thermometer that, in addition, has a very compact size. The response time of this thermometer is three or four seconds, so you will have information at the moment.

It features an LCD display and a long, sensitive probe tip to detect well even the deepest temperature of food. Its temperature range goes from -50 ºC to 300 ºC.

The best kitchen thermometer for meat
- Meat Thermometer, Digital Kitchen Thermometer Instant Read Probe Food Thermometer, BBQ, Liquid
This instant-read meat thermometer takes a temperature that only needs two to three seconds and is accurate to +/- 1 degrees, with a wide range from -50 ℃ to 300 ℃. What's more, what makes this kitchen thermometer ideal for barbecues is its design with a bottle opener function. Novel, right?

Its sensitive probe is made of food-grade stainless steel and rotates 240 ºC for greater comfort of use. It is waterproof, which also makes it easy to clean.

Best oven thermometer
- SPICE - Thermometer probe Stainless Steel Oven Temperature indicator Read immediately
If you are looking to control the oven temperature, this is the ideal kitchen thermometer for you. It is made of stainless steel and has a perfect design to hang or rest on the oven.

Its use is very intuitive and allows a simple display of temperature in real time. The measurement is done in both degrees Celsius and Fahrenheit.

The most sophisticated kitchen thermometer
- Helect (Not for Humans) Non-Contact Digital Laser Infrared Thermometer, Temperature Gun -50 ℃ to 550 ℃
Do you want to go one step further? Then you must know the kitchen thermometers with laser technology. This thermometer works by infrared and can be used for both domestic and industrial use. Its red laser aims precisely at food and offers a temperature range between -50ºC and 550ºC (also measured in Fahrenheit).

In addition, it is capable of storing the collected data and its operation is very easy and intuitive thanks to its large LCD screen. Its ergonomic handle guarantees safety during use.


Shopping Guide: Everything You Should Know About Kitchen Thermometers

You have already been able to get more or less an idea of ​​everything that kitchen thermometers can offer you with the models that we have just shown you. However, it is very possible that you still have doubts in the inkwell. It is time to ask all those questions, we are here to answer them.

What are the advantages of having a kitchen thermometer?
We know that incorporating a new appliance into our kitchen doesn't always seem like a good idea. Especially because, in many cases, we doubt its true usefulness. In the case of kitchen thermometers, their multiple advantages give us a clear answer in this regard. So much so that, with a culinary thermometer we can:

• Cook each recipe to its exact point without having to look at other less reliable factors such as appearance or aroma.
• Control the temperature when we cook large quantities, since in these cases it is possible that the heat is not distributed evenly.
• Make sure we are cooking to a safe temperature. By this we mean that the food has reached the ideal temperature at which microorganisms that can be harmful to health are destroyed ( 1 ) .
• Achieve energy savings by not spending the cooking time of each recipe.

What types of kitchen thermometer are there?

• Far from what we may think at first, there is a wide variety of types of kitchen thermometers. Each of them has its own characteristics and knowing them gives us the possibility to choose the one that will best satisfy our needs for use. Thus, we can distinguish between:
• Analog kitchen thermometers: Although they are not used much today, we can still find them. They work in an analog way and are less accurate than digital ones.
• Thermocouple (thermocouple) kitchen thermometers: they are the fastest in measuring temperature. They have two fine wires at the tip of the probe that indicate the temperature.
• Thermistor-type kitchen thermometers: in this case, the measurement takes place through a sensor with thermal resistance.
• Oven thermometer (with or without cable): they allow us to control the temperature of the oven without having to open it. They can also be used on pans.
• Two-Prong Kitchen Thermometers - With a very fork-like design, these thermometers feature a temperature sensor on both ends. They are very practical and easy to use.
• Laser kitchen thermometers: they have an infrared light that is what performs the measurement. They are very fast and accurate.
• Disposable kitchen thermometers: the most innovative. They are designed to notify us when the food has reached its exact point. They are placed when we are finishing cooking, since they cannot be left embedded for long.

How does a kitchen thermometer work?
The operation of kitchen thermometers is very simple, especially since more and more intuitive and faster models are being created. Even so, we must take into account two fundamental aspects. On the one hand, the calibration. To calibrate one of these meters, simply place it in boiling water and make sure that it shows 100 ºC.
On the other hand, it is essential that we place it in the right place so that the measurement is as accurate as possible. Depending on the model that we are going to use, we will have to place it in a different way. We show it to you in the following table:

Kitchen thermometer type    How is it placed?

Thermocouple thermometer    It is enough to introduce it less than one centimeter in the food
Thermistor type thermometer    It must be introduced a little more than one centimeter in the food
Oven thermometer    (Depending on the model) you have to introduce it a little more than one centimeter in the food. Some stay out and measure the temperature of the oven, not the food
Thermometer with two tips    It is enough to introduce it less than one centimeter in the food. Of course, always in the thickest part
Laser thermometers    Simply place them at a safe distance from food and the infrared light will perform the measurement

What maintenance does a kitchen thermometer need?
Kitchen thermometers are very durable and sturdy devices. In addition, they do not need any particular maintenance beyond the proper care of each use. The most important thing in this regard is to always keep the thermometer clean. Not so much for the durability of the thermometer, but for our own safety.
Of course, it is essential to always wash the thermometers after each use. To do this, it will be enough to clean the entire surface with plenty of soap and water. It is important that, except for the models that specify it, do not submerge it completely in water, as it could damage it.

Did you know that most of the pathogenic organisms are eliminated at a temperature between 60ºC and 73.9ºC?

Any tips to get more out of my kitchen thermometer?
As you use the kitchen thermometer, you will realize that it is a very practical accessory. In addition, if you want to get the most out of it, you can take into account the following tips:
Think carefully about the use that you are going to give the thermometer and make sure that the one you are going to use is suitable for it.
Read the manufacturer's instructions carefully. In addition to using it correctly, it may have a function that suits you and you do not know.
If the model allows, calibrate it regularly to ensure the most accurate measurement possible.
Check well both the point temperature of the food you are cooking and the correct placement of the thermometer.
Always keep the thermometer in the best hygienic conditions.

Purchase criteria
Now that you are sure that it is a good idea to get one of these kitchen thermometers, you should choose the one that best suits your needs. To help you with the choice, we have created this section in which we explain the main purchase criteria for these devices. Take note!

Temperature range and precision
materials
Specific uses
Temperature reading speed
Extra features

Temperature range and precision
For a kitchen thermometer to be really useful and practical, it must have a suitable temperature range for the use you are going to give it. Although most models have very wide temperature ranges (from -50 ºC to 550 ºC, for example), it is important that we check it.

materials
As it could not be otherwise, and more so if it is a device that we are going to use in contact with food, materials play a fundamental role.In addition, in the case of kitchen thermometers, we need quality materials to achieve the most reliable and accurate measurement possible.

In this sense, we must differentiate between thermometers that are in contact with food and those that are not (laser thermometers):

Type of thermometers    materials
Digital thermometers in contact with food    The part in contact with food is usually metallic (tempered aluminum or food grade stainless steel).
The remaining part is usually made of hard plastic, a very resistant and light material for a more comfortable use.

Remote thermometers    In this case, they are made entirely of hard plastic, as they should not be in contact with food.
There are more "traditional" models that are a thermometer with a metal holder that hangs inside the oven.


Specific uses
Also, as we have repeated several times during the guide, it is important that we think for what type of recipes we are going to use the thermometer. Depending on this, it will be more convenient to use one type or another. For example:

• For meat, it is important to choose a model that has the longest metal probe (about 10 centimeters), so that we can measure the interior temperature without difficulty.
• For pastries (for tempering chocolate, for example), analog thermometers with a mercury core are ideal.
• For frying, it is best to choose a thermometer that has a hook that we can easily place on the edge of the fryer or pan and control the temperature of the oil at all times.
• For the oven, we can choose between the models that calculate the temperature of the cavity or the food itself.
• Maite pelayo

Food safety expert
"Like other kitchen utensils, food thermometers can be vehicles for cross contamination, so they must be sanitized between uses."

Temperature reading speed
Another important factor is the speed at which the thermometer will give us the information we are looking for. It may sound silly, but finding the exact spot in a recipe is a matter of seconds. Therefore, the faster the thermometer, the better we can measure the temperature in real time. The speed also depends on the type.

Kitchen thermometer type    Reading speed
Thermocouple thermometer    Between 2 and 5 seconds
Thermistor type thermometer    Around 10 seconds
Oven thermometer    Around 10 seconds
Thermometer with two tips    Between 2 and 10 seconds
Laser thermometers    Less than 2 seconds

Extra features
Last but not least, we must pay attention to the extra functions. In this case, we refer to those characteristics of each model that will allow us to use the thermometer in a more comfortable way. For example, some laser thermometers can store data on collected temperatures.

Summary
No more chasing the exact point of our recipes! Now, thanks to kitchen thermometers, we will have temperature control in the palm of our hand. These devices are capable of measuring the temperature of food in real time and at a blazing speed.

Once you try them, you won't be able to live without them anymore, they are really practical. Of course, do not forget to take into account the use that you are going to give it, the temperature ranges and other purchase factors to choose the one that suits you best. What are you waiting for to enjoy authentic chef dishes?

If you found our guide to kitchen thermometers useful, share it on social media and leave us a comment. What is the first thing you will cook with your new thermometer?