If you're cooking this holiday season, a good meat thermometer can come in very handy. That's the only tool that's going to be able to tell you when your meat and poultry are completely cooked.
Consumer Reports tested 11 meat thermometers for accuracy and for how well they respond to temperature changes. There were thermometers you insert and read immediately, and others that you leave in food as it cooks.
Today's meat thermometers have gotten fancy. Many have wired probes that connect to digital displays. Some actually speak to you. The Weber is a wireless probe that lets you check the food's temperature from 300 feet away, using a remote unit you can clip to your belt. But, unfortunately, the thermometer didn't perform as well overall as others that were tested.
Some thermometers let you track temperatures on two different meats at the same time, which is great for a big holiday meal. One of the top-rated thermometers, the Polder THM-360 that costs $30, offers that feature. It's one you leave in while cooking. If you want to save some money, consider the $16 Taylor Weekend Warrior digital thermometer. It's one you insert in order to get the temperature reading.
When it comes to thermometers,
Consumer Reports says a thermometer for your refrigerator can be handy, too. It can help you make sure your food is being kept cool enough. Food refrigerators should be set to 37° F. Testers found that the digital Taylor Commercial 1448, which goes for about $10, was extremely accurate.
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