There are instant-read meat thermometers, and then there is the Thermapen One from ThermoWorks.
It’s in its own category, for both performance and price.
Performance: Almost the second its small, sharp tip is inserted into meat, the digital display shows the exact temperature – “exact” as within one degree. The thermometer comes with its own certification certificate to guarantee that accuracy.
Price: $105 from the company website (www.thermoworks.com) – where many other ThermoWorks models are offered.
If you don’t need one-degree accuracy, and can live with three degrees, the ThermoPop has large, back-lighted digits for $35.
The Thermapen One, however, has many features that others lack. First off, it takes one AAA battery, easily accessible by removing one screw on the water-resistant case’s backside. Some digital thermometers wind up being broken during the battery-changing effort.
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The digital display is also large, and a backlight automatically comes on when conditions merit. (The battery life is estimated at 2,000 hours if the backlight is not used.) The digits also rotate, so no matter what the orientation of the thermometer, the temperature is pointed in the right direction.
A third thing that sets the Thermapen One apart: It comes with not one, but two manuals. The smaller four-page one is like an “instant start” guide, covering the basics – how the pen automatically turns on when picked up and off when put down; how to change the battery; how to change the display from Fahrenheit to Celsius; the full five-year warranty and other general details.
The second manual gets into detail, covering in about 12 pages the care and use, the best way to take the temperature of foods, and how to test the thermometer for accuracy.
It a time when manuals are an afterthought, it’s nice to see some companies want to make things perfectly clear.
The display can be set to read the temperature to the nearest degree, or show the temperature in tenths of a degree.
Thermapen One’s users included food inspectors, chefs and professional barbeque teams. It is also America’s Test Kitchen’s No. 1 rated instant-read thermometer.
The ThermoWorks company not only makes a wide variety of thermometers, but also has a collection of kitchen times.
Lonnie Brown can be reached at LedgerDatabase@aol.com.
