What is wrong with my thermometer?

[TLee4]

I have one of those digital meat thermometers (which I love). It's the one with the display that can sit on the counter while the line runs into the oven. Yesterday when I tried to use it, the place where the cooking temp usually displays read "Auto" instead. I tried turning it off and on, taking the batteries out, etc. Has this ever happened to anyone else?

TIA!
Terri

[TLee4]

BUMPING!!!

Anyone?....

[sneezles]

I've never had that happen but will tell you that I've gone through about 4 of them (on my 5th right now). The timer works just fine on all of them but the probe part goes wacko on me. One registers no temp, one always read 79º, one started at 210º and the other always appeared to work (and did when I first got it) but after many uses it just wasn't accurate.

[funnybone]

Mine is Pampered Chef and I haven't had this happen. Not sure what could be the problem. Can you contact the manufacturer and ask. Just a thought.

Sometimes these things correct themselves. If you you put it away in the drawer for a while, it just might work next time. :p ;)

[TLee4]

Thanks to both of you for the thoughts.

Originally posted by funnybone
Sometimes these things correct themselves. If you you put it away in the drawer for a while, it just might work next time. :p ;)


This is what I was kind of hoping for, too!
:)

[sneezles]

Originally posted by funnybone
Sometimes these things correct themselves. If you you put it away in the drawer for a while, it just might work next time. :p ;)

Does this work for "evil twins"? :p

[BarbaraL]

Something like this has happened to me. I have an old Brookstone thermometer; it has a base unit (probably about 3 inches square) that reads out the temp you set and the actual temp of the food; there's also an alarm feature that can be turned on or off. After using it for a while, the actual temp would just read "Lo" and nothing I did fixed it. Then I bought a new Polder (looks just like my old one, so I assume Polder manufactured it for Brookstone). I used it a few times and a similar thing happened (can't remember what the readout said). I put the new probe on the old base and now it works. So I assume the probe went bad on the old one, and something broke on the base part of the new one. I did use the old one on the grill, so I wonder if the lid of the grill damaged the probe. I did try to close the lid gently rather than drop the lid on the probe cable. I've been meaning to send the newer unit back to Polder (I only used it a few times and it broke within a few months of buying it) but I forgot about it. May be these things just have a limited life, but they should last longer than my Polder did.

[swquilts]

Ours is all whacked too, it's a Polder. We're going to replace the batteries and see what happens.

Gee, could it be that DH almost burned it up along with the smoker? Sheesh..... :rolleyes:

[Tizzylish]

Yes to me twice. Once my wire fried out because I cooked with it at 500 degrees, it is only supposed to be in a 450 degree oven max. So I dumped it. Now the one I have occassionally says "low" for the temp reading, but if I move the wire it shoots back up to the right temp, don't know what happened with this one since I took special care of it, maybe its just a bad wire?

[CindyWeightWatcher]

Mine is Polder too and all of a sudden the hr/mins do
not work. I cannot set it, e.g., for 7 minutes. Also,
previously, I could press the hour and minute button
and it would reset. It doesn't now. I might contact
the manufacturer but instead of going through all that
I'll probably just buy another thermometer. Any suggestions?

[TLee4]

I was interested to see this bumped back up. (Although I have no suggestions for you, Cindy. Sorry!) Since I started this thread I have gone through SEVERAL of the same model of thermometer. I kept returning it to the store for a new one. I know you all might be thinking "she must be doing SOMETHING to ruin it", but I've read all the directions (multiple times!) and I'm NOT! So the last time I just got my money back. I am going to go to Wm. Sonoma and get their model and hope it works better. This really stinks because it is a GREAT kitchen tool to have.

When it works...

Terri

[Deanna]

Well add me to the list of people who thought the Taylor Digital Thermometer was the bee's knees the first time I used it. Christmas Day, used my new probe thermometer for the ham and it came out wonderfully.

Today, the second time I'm trying to use it, I'm cooking a beef brisket. Put the probe into the meat and wa-laa...nothing. The temp readout says "Lo°"

I'm really disappointed, but was prepared for this to happen due to all the input from this thread (and others on the subject.)

tks to everyone for sharing their experience!

d

[Beth]

I was at Amazon last night thinking about ordering a Taylor Waterprof Digital thermometer because I had one go out from the steam around it -- then another apparently got put away in the on position and there was no way to replace the battery without damaging the contacts. I think I'm going to stick to the old fashioned kind until they figure out a better way. .

[Deanna]

Updating to say...I just fiddled around with it for a while, took the battery out, put it back in, removed the probe from the meat, put it back in...and wa-laa, it works again!

Very, very testy piece of equipment!

d