Called the "Rolls Royce" of thermometers, it is "indestructable," "super accurate," and super fast - it takes a reading in 4 seconds.
If you're just learning how to cook or a seasoned veteran around your stove, it takes the guess work out of knowing when your food is done. Use it to check three or four different spots at once in what you're cooking and you can be sure your reading wasn't skewed by touching a bone.
It don't look too pretty up above, but it comes in a bunch of different colors, and is easy to buy online. (Thanks, John!) MGR
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I don't recommend the Thermapen for home use. You can't really use the Thermapen for candy or frying (picture of fried food on the Thermapen website notwithstanding!) as you can't rest it safely in a holster on the side of a pan, and despite what the description says, a 4.5" probe doesn't keep your hand far enough away from boiling oil to keep a continuous temperature reading.
It is the perfect tool for lab work or food safety testing, where you get a reading quickly and then move on. For home use IMHO it's much better to get a thermometer that has a probe with a long cord -- then you can stick it in your food right in the oven and leave it there until your roast reaches the desired temperature.
Cook's Illustrated (who I normally trust) inexplicably gave the Thermapen their Editor's Choice selection back in '97 despite the fact that it wasn't useful for frying, couldn't be used for candy making, and couldn't be used in the oven for cooking a roast. I don't really know what you'd use it for in the kitchen if not for one of those three tasks.
Their second choice was a Polder thermometer and timer, which is much more adept at the three most common tasks but tops off at 392 degrees (which isn't very high for frying). Personally, I use a Pyrex model that looks similar to the Polder and probably uses the same mechanism.
I think the jury is still out when it comes to the perfect digital kitchen thermometer.
I tend to disagree with the previous comment. I've been through 6 Polder probes before just giving up. They aren't oven safe over 400 deg, they aren't waterproof and they are hard to find (Bed and Bath no longer carries them). You can't use them on the grill (too hot) and they are _very_ slow to take a reading, at least 30 seconds often up to a minute. I know the idea is you just leave them in, but I can't tell you the frustration of having a turkey that reads 160 on the Polder and then to find out that it's not done because that section cooked differently. I have since switched to the thermapen and in the right applications, think it's great. I would never use it for oil or candy (get a standard candy thermometer that hooks on the side of the pan) but for checking burgers at that labor day picnic or a salmon steak under the broiler, it's perfect. I can literally check every single burger on the grill in the time the Polder could check one (also the Polder tip creates a much bigger hole for juices to escape). Just my two cents.
I'm a Thermopen fan. I agree it is not for all purposes. However it takes a reading so quickly, it's not like you need to leave it in. Most thermometers are useless for taking the temperature of a pork chop on the grill or in a pan -- the Thermopen is ideal for this. You can easily check the temperature of a chicken when you remove it from the oven to baste.
If you need to leave it in or clip it to a pan, get something else, but otherwise, it's easily worth the price.
It doesn't sound to me like brian w has a Thermapen. Every skeptic I know who's tried one eats his critical words (at the perfect temp), then praises the Thermapen. BTW you CAN test fried food just as shown on the Thermoworks website. Grab the food with tongs, lift it from the oil and test it in 2 or 3 seconds. Put it back if the center isn't done. AND, you can test the oil temp in a second or two so 4-1/2" is plenty long enough. You don't need to hold your hand there. True it isn't designed to clip to the side of the pan but they don't say it is. I've also seen the Thermapen on Alton Brown and in his book, in Burt Wolffs book, on NPR, and people rave about in on the BBQ forums. Also look at cookingforengineers.com. You've got to get one of these. A Polder or one of those $20 digitals are useless for checking 1/4" burger patties, veal cutlets, etc... Their sensors are too big and slow. The Thermapens miniature tip is not only fast, it gets an accurate temp in thin foods.
Candy? How many home cooks make candy any more? And those who do, buy a candy thermometer -- which also works great for pots of boiling oil. Special thermometers for candy & deep frying have always been required and no manufacturer can claim to have a thermometer that does _everything_.
Most people need a thermometer to check the temperature of meat and poultry as it cooks. I also use it to get the internal temperature of bread to dtermine if it's baked through. For these routine uses, the Thermapen's speed and accuracy is unbeatable.
Brian must have bumped his head on the way to the computer. The Thermapen is THE professional way to measure food temperatures. I wonder if he has ever even used one.
The post by Brian W totally confuses me. I used my thermapen several times a week, without fail, for four years until it finally stopped working--due to my carelessness while cleaning. (I dropped it in the sink a few too many times.)
It is an invaluable tool for cooking meat and the secret to perfect steak (every time!). I have used it on countless roasts. And recommended it to many happy and thankful cooking friends.
When mine recently stopped working my husband immediately ordered me a new one.
I've had my thermapen for 4 years now and not a lick of trouble. The thermapen is expensive but worth it. One thermapen is equal to about 3 or 4 cheapos but will last longer. My thermapen has saved at least as much as I paid in food that I don't have to throw out. No more post-nuke chicken breasts.
As for oil temps, it takes the temp fast enough that I use it to check my oil when I need to and I can count on it being accurate. Roasts and turkey always come out perfect. I just check it at the end. I don't really need to know that it is still cold after 20min in the overn.
I agree with the others. IÂ’m a Superfast Thermapen lover. Brian simply canÂ’t have a Thermapen. The Thermapen is great at home. I think the Thermapen is actually perfect for frying. I also use my Thermapen for grilling, BBQ, roasting, baking, re-heating foods, and for speedy tests of cream temperatures, water and yeast, etcÂ… When boiling sugar, I prefer a thermometer clipped to the pan and I agree thatÂ’s not really the best use of the Thermapen. I do use another ThermoWorks thermometer called the Ecotemp for that. The oven probe can be closed in an oven door and it can also be clipped to a pan for sugar. The alarm settings are simple and I can quickly set my sugar temps or a roasting target temp. The digits are BIG too. By the way, IÂ’ve given the Thermapen as gifts to all my family and friends and they simply LOVE it! IÂ’ve tried all kinds of cheaper thermometers looking for less costly gifts but they just donÂ’t come close to being as useful as my Thermapen. (It really is perfect for frying too. You can instantly get the oil temp and you can get the food temp while its in the oil. And because the probe is long enough and its fast, thereÂ’s less risk of burning your hand.)
Thank you all -- I was looking for Alton Brown's Thermometer and you gave me great advice!!!!! Time to get 2 as gifts for the holidays!
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