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Does price matter when buying an instant read digital thermometer?


 
To answer the OP's question, I think it's important to decide on what features you need and then shop accordingly. You should also adjust your expectations based on price...you have a right to have higher expectations from a more expensive product than an inexpensive product. I have several instant read and non-instant read thermos, but this is my current favorite:

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Why? Because its high contrast display is so easy to read under any lighting condition, it's magnetic so it sticks on the side of the microwave, and it reads temps very quickly. The black color makes it stand out from the others for me, too, so it's easy to find and grab when I forget to take it out with me, and I like the way the probe opens and closes smoothly. You can probably find the same features from a lower-priced product, if a low price is your objective. I should note that I bought this during a special sale and paid $27 for it.

Like many people, I use an instant read to verify the reading of another, in-dwelling thermometer that I use for my "cook to" temperature. I think it is a "good enough" product for what I use it for.
 
Yes my primary use of my current fav Lightning is to verify readings from either the wired ones on the Z Grill or my (now useless) Chef IQ wireless, and my still working just fine TempSpike ones. Or to verify temp of a pan on the stove, what have you. I rarely use it anymore for doing actual "cook to" temps, But of course I still do occasionally
 
timothy said:
I need to get some of those, I hate when they " kink "
Did you buy from Thermoworks?
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That was my main annoyance with the braided cables too!
I bought mine from a company called ETI (UK). << (interesting info).
In the late 90s Thermoworks became their distribution partner in the US. I never knew the Thermapen was originally invented by ETI. 🇬🇧

And yes, Thermoworks sell the Pro-Series Needle Probe. Grate value at $21, & no more kinkage, crimpage or tangleage. 😀
https://www.thermoworks.com/tx-1002x-np/

(I wish ETI would make an ambient probe with a silicone cable).

Edit: Apologies to the OP for going off at a tangent. It happens a lot here. Buy what you can afford. I bought a Thermoworks DASH pocket therm Grate little unit. On sale now at TW for $19.50, (down from $39)! 😲 You can't beat that with a big stick! Available from TW Here.
 
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There are some inexpensive products out there that do a good job. If you're looking at them, be sure to read as many reviews as possible. While there are always a few nit pickers and idiots writing reviews, they're usually pretty easy to pick out and disregard. It's also good to watch for sales on popular brands.
 
While searching for alternative therms I found a Klein. Klein is primarily a manufacture of tools for Electricians so I was surprised in seeing one, because it looks like something we would use.
Then I noticed that it's geared for the mechanical field like checking air duct temps.
Funny tho. When my HVAC tech was doing our annual check up he used a Thermopen to check the supply's.
 
timothy said:
While searching for alternative therms I found a Klein. Klein is primarily a manufacture of tools for Electricians so I was surprised in seeing one, because it looks like something we would use.
Then I noticed that it's geared for the mechanical field like checking air duct temps.
Funny tho. When my HVAC tech was doing our annual check up he used a Thermopen to check the supply's.
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That is a nice tool as it's both IR and probe. I would not use a food thermometer for mechanical work
 
LMichaels said:
That is a nice tool as it's both IR and probe. I would not use a food thermometer for mechanical work
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I assume you mean like in the context of using the same thermo for both applications...but if there is something else, I'd like to hear your opinion.

Seems to me that I wanted to use a ThermoWorks thermapen to measure air temp in a pizza oven and TW customer support advised against it because that was not its intended application...not that there is anything wrong with doing it, just that it may not be accurate. But that was a while ago and I've slept since then.
 
They make one for measuring air temp. I think this is the one he used.
We had a brief conversation about it.
www.thermoworks.com

Air Thermapen®

Explore ThermoWorks, the trusted leader in precision thermometers. From the kitchen to the grill, ThermoWorks meat thermometers ensure culinary perfection.
www.thermoworks.com www.thermoworks.com

I was at Menards earlier and they had these on the endcap.
 
Ed P said:
I assume you mean like in the context of using the same thermo for both applications...but if there is something else, I'd like to hear your opinion.

Seems to me that I wanted to use a ThermoWorks thermapen to measure air temp in a pizza oven and TW customer support advised against it because that was not its intended application...not that there is anything wrong with doing it, just that it may not be accurate. But that was a while ago and I've slept since then.
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Yes, for the $$$ that Klein looks like a nice tool to have. (wish I would have had that back when working on automotive AC). Also My thinking process seems to lean that a thermo meant for food service use may not be as accurate as one might like for simple air temps (especially lower) air temps as they're engineered more for accuracy on "contact" or "insertion" than for ambient readings. But, again it's just me "thinking" out loud
 
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