I've read several thermometer posts, and it seems that the digital thermometers with probes are highly recommended, so I called around to Home Depot, Lowes, Wal Mart, etc. to see which ones they carried and how much they cost. Prices ranged from $15-$60 or so. Of course the features varied across the price range, but I was mostly interested in a single probe, non-wireless thermometer. I read another thread about a $9.99 thermometer at Lowes (AccuRite I belive)... seems that price varies across the country, as they were advertised at $19.97 here. They also had the Taylor Weekend Warrior for the same price, but I just liked the reports and looks of the AccuRite, so I picked one up.
Here are a few more detailed specs...
Make: AccuRite (sold under another name, I forget what, but says AccuRite on the instrument)
Model: 00648SB - Programmable digital thermometer/timer/clock
Includes: Temp unit, probe with 3' stainless braided wire, magnet, instructions
Ok... so I got it home, installed 2 AAA batteries and turned it on. It powered on fine and the controls were fairly simple to use. I placed the probe in a glass of ice water and stirred for about 30-45 seconds... the temp came down fairly quickly (refreshed every few seconds) and bounced back and forth between 32-33*. Next I did the boiling water test... just as the water began to boil I placed the probe into the water (not touching anything). Again, it rose pretty quick with a 2 or 3 second refresh rate as I swirled it around in the water until it reached a rapid boil. Mine stabilized at 208* and held that for about a minute, when I removed it... close enough I guess. My elevation is ~750' ASL, so maybe that has an impact on my experiment. Overall I like the little gizmo, and I plan to try it out on a pork shoulder this weekend. Just wanted to report on my initial impression of this particular (popular) instrument. I can't speak for the unit's durability as of yet, but for anywhere from $10 to $20, this looks like a nice basic unit for measuring internal meat temp.
Here are a few more detailed specs...
Make: AccuRite (sold under another name, I forget what, but says AccuRite on the instrument)
Model: 00648SB - Programmable digital thermometer/timer/clock
Includes: Temp unit, probe with 3' stainless braided wire, magnet, instructions
Ok... so I got it home, installed 2 AAA batteries and turned it on. It powered on fine and the controls were fairly simple to use. I placed the probe in a glass of ice water and stirred for about 30-45 seconds... the temp came down fairly quickly (refreshed every few seconds) and bounced back and forth between 32-33*. Next I did the boiling water test... just as the water began to boil I placed the probe into the water (not touching anything). Again, it rose pretty quick with a 2 or 3 second refresh rate as I swirled it around in the water until it reached a rapid boil. Mine stabilized at 208* and held that for about a minute, when I removed it... close enough I guess. My elevation is ~750' ASL, so maybe that has an impact on my experiment. Overall I like the little gizmo, and I plan to try it out on a pork shoulder this weekend. Just wanted to report on my initial impression of this particular (popular) instrument. I can't speak for the unit's durability as of yet, but for anywhere from $10 to $20, this looks like a nice basic unit for measuring internal meat temp.