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Before buying this product, I was looking for a thermometer that could easily measure the insides of meat quickly and efficiently without chopping the thing to shreds. Being a college student, I (yet again) opted for the less expensive products, which I thought were just as good--if not better--than the more expensive ones.And yet again, the sellers on Amazon prove me wrong.
Buying Price: $12.90
Not only is the thermometer slightly large for its intended purpose (it measures about 13 inches in length), but it also does a very poor job at *efficiently* measuring the temperature of meats. Granted, it will measure temperature within a wide range (it even read my indoor room temperature at 74°F), but it just takes a while for the thing to "warm up", so to speak. For me, while cooking chicken in a skillet, it took anywhere between 15 and 25 seconds for the thermometer to gauge an accurate reading, which I believe is definitely too long for any serious chef, especially if your prized poultry is burning on the stovetop or grill. The digital reading is a very nice feature to have at such a low price, but if it gives a reading slower than an analog thermometer, I'd rather take the analog's speed over the digital's accuracy.
In addition to this, the slow reading times are even more negatively affected in that the tips of the thermometer are slightly large for smaller cuts of meat. While they seem small in the picture, the tips are actually far bigger than I had hoped for, resembling the shape of a pencil. The tips are quite sharp (and the manufacturer was smart to include hard plastic protectors so you don't poke yourself), but they can leave somewhat large, unsightly holes in the meat you're trying to cook--defeating your attempts to make it look as normal as possible.
There are several pre-defined temperatures on the thermometer (Well-Done, Medium, Rare, and Very Rare), which are the same for different cuts of meat, but these temperatures can be listed directly below the average temperature for comparison, which is extremely helpful for meat novices like me who do not know that there isn't a "Rare" option for chicken (oops, time to fix that bad habit). However, this pro is downplayed by the fact that once again, it takes quite some time for the temperature to gauge an accurate reading. I cannot say for sure how accurate the reference temperatures are, but I am fairly certain that they correspond to, or exceed, the FDA's recommendations on the temperatures for cooking meat, which ensures that you have non of that yucky bacteria infesting your food and the stomachs of those you cook for.
Every time this thermometer shows a potential for a good feature, it is downplayed by the problematic nature of the other features. This digital thermometer has a blue LED backlight for the screen, in case you live by cooking meat inside a dark cave and accidentally run across this piece of technology. The feature was well thought-out, but poorly implemented by a lack of a power button. The LED light shuts itself off after about half a minute (and turns on again upon pushing a button), but the digital display remains running for a full couple of minutes before the entire thermometer turns off. It would have been nice to have a power button to conserve batteries, as this does use a couple AAA batteries.
This thermometer is very light, and can act as a spatula in a pinch (due to its thick metal tips), or a fork for moving that food onto your plate (if you don't mind small holes in your meat), which is how I primarily use it now.
Bottom line:
A well thought-out product, but poorly implemented and designed. Consider buying a more expensive thermometer that gives a faster reading time for those hard-core grillers or meat fans. It does its job, but if you are somewhat impatient and perfectionist regarding your food, opt for the smaller, faster thermometers.
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I received one of these as a gift, and have found it works just fine. I use it to be sure I'm cooking 'enough but not too much' when I have a nice piece of meat.Formerly, I'd cut nicks into the edge of a steak to see how the cooking was progressing. With this lil' guy, I just poke it into the 'work' occasionally, and get very good results without a tattered looking meal. I find I have to adjust my expectations slightly it tends to have you cook things a little more for any "preference" title (as in its "Medium" is my "Well Done"). As you use it, you'll get used to this and choose your done-ness accordingly. Great tool, safer cooking.
Honest reviews on Maverick Indust Bar-B-Fork Digital Probe Thermometer - ET-54
This has really worked well for me when bbq'ing. Handy to not have to put it down and pick up something else to turn the meat. I store it in my kitchen and admit to having used it there too.Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Maverick Indust Bar-B-Fork Digital Probe Thermometer - ET-54
After having had a temperature fork, which worked great and was very reliable for many years, we purchased this fork in December 2012. After 3 months of constant frustration and inaccurate reading, we are ditching this fork for good. The ditigal display turned itself on when stored in the drawer, only resort was to remove the batteries. We are saving the batteries and cut our losses on this fork. Hopefully our next one will be better, but definitely not this model!
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