ISO: A great thermometer

[Robyncz]

I've decided I want one of those nifty digital cooking thermometers that has a probe that goes into the food being cooked and a display that sits on the counter. Pampered Chef has one ($39.99) that looks like it would work in the oven (for meats, etc.) as well as on the stovetop (for candy and the like). There's one in the Chef's Catalogue made by BonJour for $29.99 and another on Amazon.com made by Polder? for $19.99. Does anyone have one of these contraptions that they either love or hate? Is it worth the money? Can I use it as an oven thermometer, too, to find out if my oven temps are accurate?

Can't wait to hear what you have to say!!

Robyn

[Mamasue]

I have the digital one from Pampered Chef and love it! It is not an oven thermometer though. You should be able to pick up an oven thermometer pretty cheap. :)

[Leonard]

My DH bought me the Polder thermometer 4 years ago. I love it! I stick it in the meat and clip the thermometer on the side of my refrigerator next to the stove. The temperature of the meat is constantly displayed. I also use the timer setting. I has a feature when the desired temperature is reached an alarm will beep. Great investment! Happy Turkey Day!!

Patti

[funnybone]

Originally posted by Mamasue
I have the digital one from Pampered Chef and love it! It is not an oven thermometer though. You should be able to pick up an oven thermometer pretty cheap. :)

I have the digital one from PC and it IS and oven thermometer. You put the probe in the oven, and the thermometer part stays out. You tell it what meat you are cooking, and it beeps when it gets to the right temp. I've only had it since the beginning of the year and love it whenever I use it. I even use it to measure water temp for yeast. I got it for half price for hosting a show. There are similar ones out there. They are worth the expense.

[Robyncz]

I guess what I mean by oven thermometer is something you use to measure the temperature of the actual oven--to see if it is heating to the same temperature it says it is. Then there's a meat thermometer and a candy thermometer and a yeast thermometer. I'd like a product that does all of these things. Am I asking for too much?? Does the Pampered Chef product claim to be all of these things?

Again, thanks!

[funnybone]

An oven thermometer is totally different. It's not very expensive, from what I have seen, and you keep it in the oven. The PC product is not one of these, although is is for everything else, including candy (although I don't make candy).

[Molli526]

I have one from Target and it is the same as the PC but only $19.99, the barn is Taylor. It has the timer feature etc.

[Melman]

All these thermometers aren't created equal. There is a Polder thermometer that's closer to the PC version that cost a tiny bit more. There's also the Polder version that you mentioned that's closer to $20. I have the PC version. I don't have an opportunity to use it often, but I really like it!! One of the benefits of the higher-dollar thermometers is that they have more bells and whistles. Last T'giving, I used an Alton Brown idea where I thawed my turkey by using the thermometer to check for when the bird reached 38 degrees. (At 40, it's time to really start worrying about germs and getting it in the oven.) I put the bird in a cooler, stuck the probe inside the cooler (not in the solidly frozen turkey), and let it beep when the temp had risen enough to work with it.

The PC one (and I think the Polder as well) have preset temps for various foods...like poultry, meat, etc. It seems like it has a setting for candy but I might be wrong.

By the way, I'm pretty sure Cooks Illustrated rated kitchen thermometers at some point in the past 2 or 3 years. Maybe someone has the article? Or at least the rankings???

[Molli526]

The one I have doesn't have the preset temps for Pork, Beef etc. You program what temp you want your meat to be at and it will beep when the meat is at that temp. I have used this a couple of times and it works great. Definitely worth it. The one I have goes up to 392 degrees- so high enough for candy.

[SusanT]

I have the Polder probe thermometer and paid about $24 for it. It doesn't have the preset settings - I prefer to pick my own temperatures.

[Jewel]

I also have the Polder that doesn't have pre-set settings. I pick a temperature and hit the 'alert' button, and it beeps when the meat hits that temperature! I always set it 5-7* lower that what I want the final inside temp to be since meat 'cooks' about 5* more as it rests outside the oven. It's also a digital timer, and I use that daily! :) I keep it on the side of my fridge with the cable wrapped up alongside of it! I paid $29.99.

[Melman]

I like the pre-sets because I don't have to worry about looking up the appropriate temperature. Each food grouping also has variations...well done, well, rare, etc...or possibly high/low, depending on the item. PLUS...you're not stuck using their settings...they're just there if you want them.

But, hey, my PC version was free when I had a terrific turnout at a party. I like just about anything better when it's free.

[Robyncz]

Now I see there's a Pyrex version out there, too. Anyone have that one? I'm having trouble spotting any kind of trend in your opinions. Still don't know what to do. Feeling helpless. Aggghhh!

[CindyWeightWatcher]

I have the Polder one. I bought it after reading the recommendation of the editor of Cooks Illustrated, author
of the Yellow Farmhouse Cookbook recommended it.
It has been great to me! King Arthur also sells it.

[aggie94]

I recently bought the PC digital thermometer and used it for the first time last week on a pork tenderloin. I am thrilled with it! It was so easy, and such a convenience not to keep running back to the oven to check on my meat. I never can count on the cooking time in a recipe because my oven has problems with the temperature (and unfortunately, the oven thermometer I bought to check the temperature is clearly broken, because I know for certain that my oven is not always 300 degrees), so this is a really handy way for me to know for sure how long to cook something.

[funnybone]

Originally posted by aggie94
I recently bought the PC digital thermometer and used it for the first time last week on a pork tenderloin. I am thrilled with it! It was so easy, and such a convenience not to keep running back to the oven to check on my meat. I never can count on the cooking time in a recipe because my oven has problems with the temperature (and unfortunately, the oven thermometer I bought to check the temperature is clearly broken, because I know for certain that my oven is not always 300 degrees), so this is a really handy way for me to know for sure how long to cook something.

I remember you asking about this thermometer a while back. Glad to see you like it as much as I do.

[claire797]

I just bought a Polder thermometer with the presets for $35.00 because it looked like the one Alton Brown used to make his prime rib. I can't wait to try it out tonight on chicken breasts. I really like knowing if meat is cooked through without having to slice it open.

[Robyncz]

Claire797,

Does the Polder have a clip so you can use it stove-top (like for candy?) or is it only for use in the oven. I think the PC version goes both ways :D but I don't know if any of the others do.

Let us know how it works. Also, where did you get it?

Robyn

[Gracie]

Another vote for the PC one! I got mine free from hosting a high-sales party, but it has more bells and whistles (as was mentioned earlier) and I love bells and whistles! PC has great quality too.

[claire797]

Originally posted by Robyncz
Claire797,

Does the Polder have a clip so you can use it stove-top (like for candy?) or is it only for use in the oven. I think the PC version goes both ways :D but I don't know if any of the others do.

Let us know how it works. Also, where did you get it?

Robyn

I found this one at Breed and Company. It has no clip and the manual says not to let the probe get exposed to too much moisture or it will affect temperature readings. It does not say anything about candy whatsoever and I'm assuming that you are not supposed to use it with candy making.

I tried it out with grilled chicken breasts and it worked beautifully. I stuck the probe in the thickest part of a chicken breast while I grilled the chicken breast on a grill pan on the stove. It took the guess work out of when the meat was ready.

[Grace]

I have the Polder, and it does not have a clip for the side of the pot. However, it is capable of reading temperatures up to 400º or something like that, so it can be used for candy. Since it is an instant digital thermometer, you don't have to leave it in there the whole time. I have used it for candy and it worked fine. The instructions say not to let the cord get wet, not the probe. The probe is solid metal, and therefore is unaffected by moisture. The cord is a metal mesh that water apparently can get through, and that can affect the temperature readings.

[claire797]

Originally posted by Grace
I have the Polder, and it does not have a clip for the side of the pot. However, it is capable of reading temperatures up to 400º or something like that, so it can be used for candy. Since it is an instant digital thermometer, you don't have to leave it in there the whole time. I have used it for candy and it worked fine. The instructions say not to let the cord get wet, not the probe. The probe is solid metal, and therefore is unaffected by moisture. The cord is a metal mesh that water apparently can get through, and that can affect the temperature readings.

I may have a different Polder than Grace. Mine specifically states "Do not submerge PROBE in water. Moisture inside the probe clogs the probe and might cause and incorrect temperature reading".

Also, my Polder has NO CLIP.

Mine is pre-programmed for meats and also has a feature that lets you program in your own temperatures.