A digital meat thermometer is no longer used only by a professional chef.
More and more people are using this device in their every day cooking to ensure that their foods are cooked perfectly and also to ensure that they have no worries about food related illnesses.
There are five features that you should look for when purchasing a digital meat thermometer: Accuracy Many experts consider accuracy to be the most important feature.
A thermometer should register exactly 212 degrees in boiling water and 32 degrees in crushed ice and ice water.
The best digital meat thermometers will be accurate within plus or minus one or two degrees Fahrenheit.
If the thermometer comes up four or more degrees over or under, it is time to get a new one.
Response Time The response time when reading a digital meat thermometer should be fast.
When tested in boiling water it should take no more than twenty seconds (ten seconds is even better) to get to 212 degrees.
Many can take up to thirty seconds and that is a feature you do not want especially during times like busy holiday cooking, or when you are entertaining friends or professional acquaintances.
Readability The LCD display screen in a digital meat thermometer should display large, easy to read numbers.
The plastic lens should not fog up and prevent you from seeing the numbers.
Temperature Range Most of the time, you will need your thermometer for meats, poultry, seafood, egg dishes and casseroles, but on occasion you may want to know the temperature of hot oil before putting your food into it or of a freezing dessert to ascertain that it is will stay frozen until eaten.
This is when it is important to own a digital meat thermometer that is capable of taking very low (0 degrees and under) and very high (375 degrees and over) temperatures.
Design and Features You will find as you begin to use your digital meat thermometer that certain designs and features will make the gadget easier to use.
Some examples of this are the length of the stem.
You want one that is long enough to go deeply into a thick turkey breast, but not so long that it hits bone, which will give you an inaccurate reading.
Ease of cleaning is also important.
Can you toss it in the dishwasher or will you have to laboriously take it apart to ascertain proper cleaning? Does the thermometer have on and off switches or an automatic shut off? These features are important to many cooks.
There are many digital meat thermometers from which to choose and most of the manufacturers are dedicated to producing products that measure temperatures with accuracy and read temperatures with precision.
You can find an array of these thermometers online and if you spend a small amount of time reading over their various features, you are certain to find just the right digital meat thermometer to meet your exact needs!