Instant read thermometers

[TessCooks]

I am looking for a instant read thermometer like they use on america's test kitchen. Chefs catalog had in there before christmas,but not available now. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

[bnemes3343]

They use a Thermapen. Check out this recent thread:

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/471798

[Kelli2006]

Thermapen is very good, but the price can be a bit much for many home cooks. I recently bought a Polder digital thermo at Bed Bath and Beyond with the small tip for $15.00.

The King Arthur baking catalog sells Thermapens.

[renov8r]

Polder is not a bad deal at $15, but is not nearly as small as the best of the Thermapen offerings. The size of the "needle" is very import for several reasons:

Small tip leaves tiny hole so that delicate foods are far less marred/lose less juices.

Smaller tip has less mass to cool down food, reads MUCH more quickly.

Smaller tip is more accurate, as less "averaging" is going on inside the sensor.

Personally I love to have the Thermapen offering that is combined with the IR (non-contact) thermometer. Great way to check the surface temperature of cooking surfaces (grills, ovens, griddles, woks) as well as cooling units (fridges, freezes, drink machines.

Of course all this fun is a bit pricey, but it is WAY more flexible :
http://www.thermoworks.com/products/i...

[Pampatz]

Love my Thermapen, too. Left it in Mexico when we came north for the holidays and my New Years Prime Rib suffered as a result. Highly recommend the Thermapen over the Polder.