Best Meat Thermometers (top digital probes)

To accurately know when meat is cooked to perfection, you need a meat thermometer. Nobody can tell when their joint of beef is medium-rare just by looking at it. 

Plus using a meat thermometer takes the guesswork out of whether the Christmas turkey is cooked to a point where it’s safe to eat but still tender and moist.

We’ve looked at all of the best digital meat thermometers currently on the market and this is our findings.

Top Recommended Meat Thermometers

Here are our picks for the top meat thermometers you can buy:

What Are The Advantages Of A Digital Meat Thermometer

If you want to be a successful chef or just cook good food for your family, you need a decent meat thermometer. Many recipes actually advise on the exact temperature that the meat should reach. The advantages of using a meat thermometer are;

• Prevents Illness
  Many meats carry germs that can cause illness. Getting the meat above a certain temperature kills these germs and using a meat thermometer ensures the meat has achieved those temperatures.
• Simple To Use
  Digital meat probes are extremely easy to use. They can be used to check the temperature of the meat as it cooks. With many having two probes, one which takes the temperature of the meat, while the other is used to take an accurate temperature of the oven/grill.
• Fast Readings
  Digital meat thermometers give fast, accurate readings which allow you to keep on top of the correct cooking time for your piece of meat without allowing the food to cool in the process.
• Prevents Foods From Being Under Or Overcooked
  No two joints of meat are identical, which means every joint of meat will cook differently. You cannot rely on timings to accurately tell when a piece of meat is cooked perfectly and safely. You need to check the internal temperature of the meat.
• Saves Money
  Unless you’re prepared to waste food, by overcooking it to the point of ruin, you need a meat thermometer. It will save you money in no time at all.
• Helps Maintain Food At A Safe Temperature
  It’s a well known fact that some foods breed harmful bacteria and germs. This not only happens with food that’s undercooked, it can happen with cooked food that’s been cooled and allowed to get too warm again. For example, taking cooked ham from the fridge and placing it on a table in the garden on a hot day. How long before harmful bacteria begin to breed? Using a meat thermometer takes the guesswork out of food preparation and keeps you and your family safe.

What Are The Disadvantages Of A Digital Meat Thermometer

The main disadvantage of some digital meat thermometers is you cannot leave them in the meat as it is cooking. There is also the fact that a digital meat thermometer probe needs to be inserted at least ½ inch (1.2 cm) into the meat. This means it cannot really be used on sliced meats like salami etc.

How To Use A Digital Meat Thermometer

To get a correct and accurate reading using a digital meat thermometer, you need to insert the probe into the middle of the thickest part of the meat.

If you don’t insert the probe far enough, or you insert it too far, the probe will detect the temperature of the outer edge of the meat and not the core.

For whole birds or joints of beef with a bone in, take care to not touch the bone with the probe as this will give an incorrect reading of the actual meat.

The best place to place the probe when checking the temperature of whole birds is the thickest part of the thigh.

If you’re using the probe on barbecued meat, you should always remove the meat from the barbecue to get an accurate reading.

Once you are sure that you have the probe in the correct part of the joint (or bird) allow the display to stop fluctuating before you take the reading.

Meat Thermometer Buyers Guide

Before you go out and buy the first digital meat thermometer you see, you should consider the following points;

Temperature Range

You need to consider what you intend to cook on a regular basis. You will then need to find a thermometer that can work at those temperatures and beyond.

Thermometers with a wider range are better for larger joints with longer cooking times. However thermometers with a narrower range, can give a more accurate reading in a shorter space of time.

Temperature Accuracy

Look for a thermometer with an accuracy reading of +/- 2 degrees. This is the industry standard that all good thermometers should be able to achieve.

This will help to ensure that your food is safe to eat and cooked to your desired state (medium, rare, well done, etc).

Many measure in degrees or tenths of a degree, you need to check exactly how accurate you need your thermometer to be, as not every model is accurate down to a tenth of a degree.

Calibration

Some models allow you to calibrate the thermometer with something in the home. For example a glass of ice water should read 0 C (32 F) . 

By placing the probe in that glass you can adjust the reading until it is completely accurate. This allows you to use the thermometer confident that its readings will be accurate.

Size Of The Probe

Think of the types of meat you cook regularly, you will need a probe that is long enough to access the thickest part of that meat. The probe should also be thin enough that it doesn’t damage the meat.

A short probe is OK for probing a chicken breast or piece of fish, but you’ll need a longer probe for thick steaks or beef or pork joints.

Battery Life

Depending on the make or model of meat thermometer you buy, some are rechargeable while others will need to have the battery replaced periodically.

Check the specs to get some idea on how long the probe can be used per session and how often the battery will potentially need replacing.

Display Screen

There are several designs of digital meat thermometers available, some have a digital display actually on the thermometer while others are accessed via an app.

Either way, you want a clear, easy to read display to determine whether your meat is cooked or not. If you can, find an online video to get an idea of the display.

Instant Read Display screens are a feature of many meat thermometers however, they vary in what they actually display. Some will just display the temperature, while others will show the required temperature for different meats which give an instant display on whether your joints of pork or turkey are cooked safely.

Most show the temperature in both Centigrade and Fahrenheit and allow you to switch between the two.

Smart Connectivity

There are many digital meat thermometers that rely on smart technology and work via an app on your mobile phone. 

Most smart meat thermometers have two probes which can be used to check the temperature of two pieces of meat at the same time. Or maybe, you want to check the temperature of the meat you’re cooking as well as the temperature of the oven at the same time.

Each of the probes connect to the thermometer using a dedicated port. Some of the more expensive models carry as many as six ports but extra probes usually need to be purchased separately.

Using a smart meat thermometer is a great way of determining an accurate temperature for the type of meat you’re cooking. You can select the type of meat, the way you prefer it to be cooked (rare, medium or well done) and include an alarm to notify you when the meat is done.

Many smart digital meat thermometers have separate displays actually on the thermometer which is handy if your phone battery dies.

Holders

Many digital meat thermometers come with clips to keep the probe in the right position whilst you’re cooking.

Some have magnets that allow you to attach them to the front or side of your oven or barbecue.

Style

Like everything nowadays, when it comes to digital meat thermometers, you are spoilt for choice. The best way to decide which type suits you best is to think about what meats you cook regularly.

If you regularly cook joints of beef or whole chickens and you want a digital probe, a digital remote probe style thermometer might suit you best.

These have a cable with a probe attached at one end, and the other end is attached to the digital display unit which is usually attached to the front or side of the oven via a clip or magnet.

Or there’s the smart thermometers we mentioned above.

Other than these there are the analog thermometers which are typically cheaper to buy but are harder to read, and take longer to detect the temperature.

Price

The cost of a digital meat thermometer ranges from around £10 to £250 pounds depending on the make and model you choose. As well as whether it has smart capability or not. 

Extra probes can also hike up the price. However, not all cheap digital meat thermometers are bad and not all of the expensive models do a better job. 

Which is why we recommend doing your homework and getting the best model in your budget that has all of the features you need.

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Frequently Asked Questions