Digital Temperature Reader uses, comments...

[Moimoi]

Canadian Tire has a great deal on a digital temperature reader... Get a reading on the cat, the wall, gaps in windows, grills... Just wondering if anyone has any comments on getting such a device for cooking. I would imagine its only true use would be for measuring surface temperature... Looking forward to comments and whether I will be giving CT my $40 before this sale ends...

http://www.canadiantire.ca/browse/pro...

[knusprig]

I too was looking for less expensive one that ended wasting money on other products. I finally bought thermapen from Degrees Kitchen store and regretted not buying it sooner.

[petek]

@Moimoi..I highly recommend the Thermapen I use it at work and home.I got mine from(believe it or not) Ace Bakery's Facebook page.

$70.00 all in(GST and delivery),not cheap but the cheapest I've seen anywhere,keep an eye out on their FB page.

[DuffyH]

Thermoworks also runs sales from time to time, but restricts it to unpopular or discontinued colors. If you're not picky about color, it's a good way to get one. Check their SPECIALS tab. I paid the same, about $70.00, for my son's Christmas gift. I think it was gray.

http://thermoworks.com/specials/

[John Francis]

I've seen Alton Brown use it in the TV show "Good Eats," mainly to measure the surface temperature of a skillet. Might have been before searing a steak or something. He doesn't usually do this but he has a thing about gadgets. I got one out of curiosity and after figuring out how it works, I've never used it.

[paulj]

One of the more enlightening things I've done with mine is measure temperatures outside on a cold clear night. Surfaces like the pavement and cars were noticeably colder than the air - due to radiation cooling (IR out into space).

And a swollen ankle was a few degrees warmer than surrounding skin.

[paulj]

It measures the infrared radiation emitted from the surface. It's similar to one I got for Christmas. The instructions for mine said it is calibrated to work with most organic surfaces (wood, food, etc). It's also ok on painted and coated metals, but readings from a shiny or reflective metals surface will be off. So it gives a better reading from a nonstick or cast iron pan than from a stainless steel one.

It is not a substitute for a probe thermometer. But can be complement.

[dave_c]

This would be fine for measuring surface temps - temperature of in an oven, in the grill, pan temperature, even the refrigerator. I don't think you can read the freezer. I believe the range on the reader is 4 to 500F.

As to testing for doneness of meat, this won't work.

[Apprentice]

For the home cook, a cooking thermometer is an absolute must, especially if you have young children. It lowers the risk of food borne illness while maintaining juiciness/texture for a variety of meats.

This particular reader is useless as it only measures surface temp, whereas the real risk lies within the flesh. I suggest something like this: http://www.thermoworks.com/products/t... though expensive it is very accurate and will last near a lifetime.

[Moimoi]

Thanks all... I know about the probe thermometer, I was hoping this would be a cheap solution, but I guess not... Perhaps as Paulj said, a nice "complement"...