"Leave 'em in" meat thermometers


 
Charles Howse

Charles Howse

TVWBB Wizard
Yo,
How can I tell if it's alright to leave a meat thermometer in the meat for the entire cook?

Stainless probe?
Something printed on the thermometer?
No one dies after eating the meat? ;-)
 
All meat thermometers are safe to leave in the entire cook. With digital thermometer probes, however, most are not rated for oven or cooker temperatures above 392°F.
 
And I woudn't recommend leaving in many instant-read digital thermometers (I'm speaking if the ones with the read-out and on-off switch on the probe, not the probes with leads like Polder, etc.). The cases and switch easily get damaged or gunked up. Forgot one once--I think it was a low-end Taylor--and it was shot after that.
 
Yeah, plastic inside the smoker WILL warp / melt / burn / or just gunk up. Some of the cheap dial thermometers have a plastic face that will suffer the same effect.
 
Even if the thermometer is made to be left in the meat, cooking in a smoker (as opposed to an oven) may result in a smoked-up dial that you can't read. And, since reading the thermometer means opening the lid (and losing heat), I'd recommend a Polder-type probe thermometer. I've seen them for as little as $5 at Big Lots (a closeout store, for those who aren't familiar with them).
 
Larrys right. You don't want to open the lid to check your meat temps. Look into a probe type of thermometer. There are plenty mentioned in threads on this site.
 
Charles, the quick read electronic thermos like the Taylor are good-I enjoy mine. I have not tried the Thermopen-Instant read-($70)but folks who have em seem to rave about them. Both these types are to be removed...
The ET-73 has been very consistent and reliable. It of course is a leave in place with remote monitoring!
Not bad for $30.
 
I thought it was standard to put one probe thru a block of wood properly drilled to accept the probe and place that probe on the top grill, then placing the other probe into the meat itself.

Mark
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