Cooking without an instant-read thermometer is easy enough. Heck, people do it all the time, whether they’re grilling, frying, or making one-pot stews on a multicooker. However, it also leads to a lot of overcooked meat, leaving you with dishes that don’t taste quite as good as they could have. It’s why you get chicken that’s not quite as juicy and steaks that are not quite as flavorful. Same reason why you get porkchops that are way too dry for their own good, as well as shrimps and squids that are more rubbery than tender.
The best instant-read thermometers offer the easiest way to avoid both overcooking and undercooking your meats. All you have to do is stick it deep into whatever you’re cooking, wait a few seconds, and see the temperature reading right in the onboard display. It’s important to note that it’s not restricted to testing meats directly while they cook in a pan or the kamado grill in the back, as many people also use instant-read thermometers when baking on ovens, poaching on stovetops, and deep frying in a pot full of oil, making it a truly useful tool for any home cook who wants to improve the quality of the food they prepare everyday.
Despite the name, the best instant-read thermometers aren’t actually instant. For the most part, you need to wait a few seconds (anywhere from three to 20 seconds) before a proper measurement can be gathered. However, that’s about as instant as temperature measurement can get anyway, which is why nobody gives a fuss about the “instant-read” label. Plus, the newer ones feel absolutely instantaneous with how little time they take.
The best instant-read thermometers are pretty compact, with many coming with a folding design that really minimizes the amount of space they take up. Even non-folding models aren’t that big, either, allowing you to stick them even inside crowded drawers. Some will have built-in magnets that let you stick them into fridges, too, further streamlining your storage options.
These are the best instant-read thermometers to add to your kitchen arsenal.
ThermoPro TP01A
Pros
- Very inexpensive
- Deep 5.3-inch probe
- Surprisingly fast readings for a low-cost option
Cons
- Longer than others
Probe length: 5.3 inches
Temperature range: -58 to 572 degrees Fahrenheit
Batteries: two LR44 (included)
If you just want an inexpensive instant-read thermometer with no regard for extra functions or compact size, you’ll definitely like this cheap offering from ThermoPro. It brings excellent function for its price. For instance, it can display the internal temperature of food in around five to six seconds, so it’s plenty fast, all while offering a long 5.3-inch probe to let you probe deep into large meats like hams and turkeys. The long probe also lets you keep a safer distance from hot food items, which is always a good thing. It even comes with common niceties like a Hold function to keep the reading onscreen, Fahrenheit and Celsius readings, and a handy backlight, so you don’t have to switch on the lights in the backyard when you’re grilling at night.
Venigo Digital Meat and Food Thermometer
Pros
- Very inexpensive
- Feature-packed
- Surprisingly well-built
Cons
- Screen is hard to read without backlighting
Probe length: 4.3 inches
Temperature range: -58 to 572 degrees Fahrenheit
Batteries: Lithium metal
Another cheap option, this instant-read thermometer costs just a few dollars more than our most inexpensive pick, while coming with a folding design that enables more compact storage. It provides readings pretty fast, too, giving you the readout in around six seconds, which we find so impressive in such an affordably-priced option. At this price, you don’t expect much in terms of features, but it comes with a good load of extra conveniences. For instance, it
automatically turns on as soon as you fold out the probe, then turns off when you put it back. It also has a Hold function for keeping the readout onscreen, a switch for different temperature units, a display backlight, a hanging hole, and a magnetic back for snapping onto fridge doors and hanging knife racks. If anything, the only thing you can complain about is the screen, which is a little hard to read without the backlighting. Heck, they even printed it with a guide for the doneness temperature of different meats that you can use as a quick reference.
Cuisinart CSG-200
Pros
- Combines probe and IR thermometer in one
- Fast readings for both probe and IR
- Affordably-priced
Cons
- Probe feels stiff when opening
Probe length: 3.75 inches
Temperature range: up to 572 degrees Fahrenheit (probe), up to 932 degrees Fahrenheit (IR)
Batteries: one AAA (not included)
This instant-read thermometer has a slightly shorter probe than most at just 3.75 inches, but it’s still long enough that you should be able to use it with most food items without any trouble. You might have to get a little creative when dealing thick with slabs of ham and whole turkeys, but it’s definitely workable. What makes us love this one is the fact that it’s actually two thermometers in one, coming with both probe and infrared modes. That’s right, you can use this to check the surface temperatures of your pan or grill grates by simply beaming an IR signal at them. The probe registers readings at around the same speed as other inexpensive thermometers, so it’s sufficiently fast, while the backlit display makes everything very easy to read. The IR thermometer does register incorrect readings at time, so you might have to do a couple of reads to be certain. We also found the probe to be a little stiff during opening, so we’re hoping we don’t up breaking it at any point.
Dash Precision Thermometer
Pros
- Fastest sub-$40 option we’ve used
- Uncluttered design
- Screen automatically changes orientation
Cons
- No backlighting
- No extra features
Probe length: 4 inches
Temperature range: -40 to 482 degrees Fahrenheit
Batteries: one AAA
Of the sub-$40 instant-read thermometers in the list, this one registers the fastest readings, displaying the temperature onscreen in as little as three seconds (although it also took up to five seconds in some occasions). Either way, it’s really fast. It has a relatively uncluttered design, with just the screen on the body, which we actually like. We also like the automatic rotation of the display, which makes it easy to read whether you hold it in your right or left hand, although it doesn’t have any backlighting, so it’s not as easy to read in low-light. Other nice features include an auto-off function, the ability to fold the probe out up to 180 degrees, and a water-resistant build, so you can wash it down to clean. There’s also a hole at the end for hanging it on a hook.
ThermoWorks ThermoPop 2
Pros
- Impressively fast readings
- Large round display
- Display automatically changes orientation
- Long probe
Cons
- Lone button is hard to press
Probe length: 4.5 inches
Temperature range: -58 to 572 degrees Fahrenheit
Batteries: 3V lithium coin battery
While it’s not exactly cheap, this instant-read thermometer offers an abundance of more advanced features at a relatively good price. For one, it’s fast, taking just over two three seconds for a reading nearly every time we use it, while the large round screen displays clear readings that automatically rotate to ensure easy readability at all times. There’s backlighting, too, which you can activate in low-light settings, while the display itself is easily readable from any angle. It’s also IP67 water-resistant and offers switching from Fahrenheit to Celsius, although doing the latter requires you to press the power button for three seconds, which you wouldn’t know unless you read the manual. This is a non-folding design, by the way, so it will take up a bit more room than other options.
Lavatools Javelin Pro Duo
Pros
- Intuitive design
- Largely automated functions
- Fast and precise readings
Cons
- Maxes out at 482 degrees Fahrenheit
Probe length: 4.5 inches
Temperature range: -40 to 482 degrees Fahrenheit
Batteries: Lithium metal
Our favorite part of this instant-read thermometer? The precision of the readings, which it shows down to the first decimal place. Granted, we don’t know anyone who actually cares about that, but it’s cool to have all the same. This model returns readings at about the same speed as the ThermoWorks above, maybe a couple of milliseconds longer, all while coming in a folding design, so it might be more appealing to those who prefer a more compact option. We like the automatic backlight, which spares you from having to press a button every time you need the illumination, as well as the rotating screen orientation that ensures you can read it easily in any position. Unlike other thermometers that require you to press a Hold button to keep the temperature onscreen, this one can immediately do so when it detects the stabilized reading, after which it will beep to let you know. It also turns automatically, so it’s very intuitive to use overall. They even throw in a magnet in the back and a hanging hole at the end for added storage options, while the IP65 resistance rating ensures no damage when you expose it to water.
OXO Good Grips Thermocouple Thermometer
Pros
- Fast readings
- Unique dial closes the probe without touching it
- Probe rotates 225 degrees for left handed cooks
Cons
- Pricier than most
Probe length: 4.2 inches
Temperature range: -58 to 572 degrees Fahrenheit
Batteries: two AAA
While OXO claims its instant-read thermometer can get readings in two to three seconds, our tests had it finishing in around three to five. Either way, it’s fast, allowing you to check temperatures in short order. We love the white on black screen, which makes the numbers so easy to read, with backlighting ensure legibility even in low light. The display also changes orientation 180 degrees, depending on how it’s positioned, like many of the pricier options in the list, while the probe can rotate up to 225 degrees, which is a great angle for left-handed cooks. Our favorite feature, though, is the large round button at the top, which is actually a dial for rotating the probe back into the thermometer’s body. That way, you don’t have to touch the hot and grease-covered probe after pulling it out of your meats, which is a really nice touch. We don’t know if that extra bit is worth the extra price, but that will be up to you.
ThermoWorks Thermapen ONE
Pros
- Fastest temperature readings
- Automated functions
- Very easy to use
Cons
- Expensive
Probe length: 4.3 inches
Temperature range: -58 to 572 degrees Fahrenheit
Batteries: one AAA
Easily the gold standard in instant-read thermometers, this ThermoWorks model is also the most expensive. Seriously, it’s over twice the price of the excellent Lavatools one above. Why is it so much more expensive? Basically, it’s the fastest instant-read thermometer there’s ever been, often registering its readings in just over two seconds (sometimes, it even finishes in under two). It also has mostly automatic functions, from powering up and changing orientation to activating the backlight, all of which it performs automatically as it detects various actions. We particularly like the screen orientation changes here, which goes in four directions instead of the usual two (only the other Thermoworks model above offered this), as well as the non-slip rubber strip around the body that made it easy to grip even when with wet or greasy hands. The thermometer has an IP67 rating, too, so you can wash it in the sink with no trouble.
