When it comes to recipe testing, precision is everything. However, when I cook for myself on a daily basis, I am far from precise. I rarely measure, preferring to add a pinch here and a spoonful there, and rely on taste. My casual approach works wonders for a rustic fruit tart or a hearty stew, but there is one thing I dare not guess: the temperature.
Whether you want to roast a perfect whole chicken or a medium-rare steak, a reliable cooking thermometer is a must. I never take chances with raw meat, especially chicken.
My journey to finding the perfect thermometer began when I was honing my skills on the grill. Feeding my friends is a lot less stressful when I'm not worried about serving them undercooked chicken. Not all kitchen thermometers are created equal, and I want to make sure my thermometer is the most accurate one. So I reached out to three seasoned food writers to talk about their trusted tools. Without hesitation, each of them proclaimed their brand loyalty.
The Food Editors Committee
- Breana Killeen, MPH, Registered Dietitian: Food & Wine food writer, recipe developer, farmer and dietitian
- Megan Scott:News and Features Editor at Simply Recipes and co-author of the 2019 edition of The joy of cooking
- Laurel Randolph: Senior Recipe Editor for Simply Recipes and Award-Winning Baker
Simple recipes / Thermoworks
The Best Kitchen Thermometer, According to Food Editors
The food writers I spoke with are as passionate about finding the right kitchen thermometers as I am. All three of the writers I spoke with said that the best brand of kitchen thermometers is ThermoworksThey like the various Thermoworks kitchen thermometers for their size, accuracy, speed and durability.
Megan says: “I have been using the Thermoworks Thermapen for almost 15 years and will never buy a kitchen thermometer again. They are a little pricey, but they last for years and years. They are very accurate and very fast. I use them for everything from cooking meat to baking to making homemade caramel sauce. I even bought the little magnetic sleeve that Thermoworks sells because I stick it to the side of the fridge so I have it handy when I need it.”
Breana adds: “I'm a big fan of the Thermapop because of its size.”
Laurel says: “I’m a huge Thermoworks fan. I still have my original Thermapen which works great for super fast and accurate measurements on meat, liquids and even cakes. I especially like my Thermoworks Square Dot which has custom alarms and can handle two probes at once, which is great for measuring the temperature of your chicken and grill, for example.”
