The best overall
Formerly known as the "Thermowand," the Lavatools Javelin thermometer is designed to produce readings within four seconds with an accuracy of ±0.9 degrees Fahrenheit or better with a range of -40 to 482 degrees. The accuracy improves the closer the item you are measuring is to room temperature. The food-grade tapered probe is 2.75 inches long and made of 18/8 stainless steel. The device is covered with an anti-microbial coating to prevent bacterial growth.
The Javelin is available in six colors, including chipotle, butter, sesame, and indigo. It runs on one CR2032 3V battery for at least 4,000 hours of continuous use. Lavatools backs this product with a lifetime warranty.
Wired found it takes only 4-6 seconds to return a stable temperature and the reviewers liked that it is inexpensive. However, the testers didn't like the short probe length and that the range topped out at 482 degrees. Serious Eats compared this thermometer to the ThermoPop from ThermoWorks and found the Lavatools thermometer has the edge when it comes to cooking thinner cuts of meat but can't reach the center of large roasts like the ThermoPop can.
The Lavatools PT12 Javelin Digital Instant Read Meat Thermometer has mainly positive reviews on Amazon. The most helpful review came from a customer who found the Lavatools thermometer was very accurate and the design kept him from burning his fingers while checking his food's temperature.
Other buyers appreciated the accuracy of the readings and that the thermometer is magnetized so you can attach it to your refrigerator or oven for easy access.
Pros: Inexpensive, accurate readings, magnetized for convenient storage, lifetime warranty
Cons: Short probe
Buy the Lavatools PT12 Javelin Digital Instant Read Meat Thermometer on Amazon for $26.99The best budget thermometer
The Polder Stable-Read thermometer provides accurate readings in as little as four seconds. You insert the probe into your roast, press the button, and once you hear the beep, you know a stable temperature is available. The large, easy-to-read screen holds the reading until you reset it. It measures temperatures ranging from -49 to 392 degrees Fahrenheit and runs on one CR2032 3V battery.
On Amazon, the Polder thermometer has a 3.9-star rating based on nearly 200 reviews. Buyers appreciated how accurate the readings are and liked that it made it easier to cook flavorful meat. Others mentioned that the readings are quite fast. The main complaint was that you must be careful when washing the probe. You do not want the electrical components to be exposed to moisture, or they may fail.
Note: For the small price difference, we recommend spending slightly more for our top pick, the Lavatools Javelin thermometer.
Pros: Accurate, fast, inexpensive
Cons: Questionable water resistance
Buy the Polder THM-389-90 Stable-Read Digital Kitchen Thermometer on Amazon for $19.99The best high-end thermometer
If you are used to having to open up the oven or grill to measure the temperature of your meats, the ThermoPro Wireless Meat Thermometer has the potential to revolutionize your cooking experience.
You simply put one or both probes into your slab of meat and let the transmitter know the temperature you want your food to reach. An alarm will go off once the meat gets to the right temperature. The remote has a range of up to 300 feet and measures temperatures between 32 and 572 degrees Fahrenheit. You can also set a timer for up to 100 hours. Each probe has 40-inch stainless steel mesh cables, so you can reach from afar.
This is the meat thermometer I use for everything: roasting flavorful turkeys, smoking pork butts, and making everything from candy to candles. I usually put both probes into different parts of the meat I'm cooking because I'm not always the best at finding the deepest, most centrally-located part of the roast, which is ideally where you should be taking your temperature readings.
You may find it more useful to use one of the probes to monitor the internal temperature of your oven or smoker. Once everything is set up, you just affix the transmitter to your belt and go about other tasks around the house until the alarm goes off.
The ThermoPro TP20 is the top pick in Kitchen Sanity's look at the best meat thermometers. The tester rated it so highly because of the lifetime sensor probe warranty, it reads temperatures up to 572 degrees, and it notifies you when your food is at the right temperature. The reviewer does note that the transmitter uses up batteries quickly.
Of the near 5,500 Amazon buyers who left reviews, 77% gave it a five-star rating. The company's customer service is also excellent. One buyer originally rated the device as 2 stars because he couldn't get the probes to engage. ThermoPro reached out to the reviewer immediately and helped him fix the issue by pushing the probes into the device harder. The buyer then changed his review to 5 stars and has been impressed with the strong signal, easy setup, and accuracy.
Other buyers also were impressed with how intuitive the functions are. Yet, some wished there was a low-temperature alarm, which would be helpful when smoking meats.
Pros: Lifetime probe warranty, alerts you when your food is at temp, can handle extreme heat
Cons: Runs through batteries relatively quickly, expensive
Buy the ThermoPro TP20 Wireless Remote Digital Cooking Food Meat Thermometer on Amazon for $59.99The best for fast readings
The Lavatools Javelin Pro Duo costs twice as much as the Lavatools PT12, but there are several extra features that justify the additional price. First of all, temperature readings are delivered about a second faster. And at 4.5 inches, the probe is about 1.5-inches longer.
Other benefits include 3D motion wake, anti-fog display, stabilization alert, and backlighting. Also, the ambidextrous display rotates based on how the screen is positioned, which makes it easier for you to read the temperature. The Pro Duo comes in eight colors, including chipotle, indigo, sesame, and stealth ink.
The Wirecutter recommended the Lavatools Javelin Pro Duo because of its fold-up design, temperature holding, stabilization alerts, and speedy readings. Morning Chores also liked its accuracy, readings within three seconds, stabilization alerts, and energy-efficient battery life. But, the reviewer noted the probe is relatively short and it can be tough to open and close.
Around 82% of the buyers who reviewed the Lavatools Javelin Pro Duo on Amazon gave it 5 stars. One reviewer compared this thermometer to the highly rated Thermapen from ThermoWorks, which costs twice as much. He had used the Thermapen for three years and found the Pro Duo to be faster and just as accurate.
Other buyers mentioned that they liked the backlit display and how easy it is to clean the probe.
Pros: Reads temps in under three seconds, stabilization alerts, folds up and has magnet for easy storage
Cons: Hard to open and close probe with one hand
Buy the Lavatools Javelin PRO Duo Ambidextrous Backlit Instant Read Digital Meat Thermometer on Amazon for $53.99The best smart thermometer
The iDevices Kitchen Thermometer comes with an app and two probes so you can track two separate pieces of meat, different areas of a large roast, or your grill's ambient temperature on your smartphone from up to 150 feet away via Bluetooth.
The thermometer magnetically mounts to your grill or oven, and when your phone is more than 30 feet away, the display goes blank to conserve battery life. It runs on two AA batteries and has a temperature range of -22 to 572 degrees Fahrenheit.
CNET gave the iDevices Kitchen Thermometer an 8.3 rating out of 10. The reviewer was impressed with how the app alerts you when your meat reaches the ideal temperature, but found the app wasn't particularly well-designed. The thermometer won an "Editors' Choice" award on PCMag because of the accurate temperature readings and the helpful alerts.
Since we last looked at this gadget, reviewers have dropped the average rating to 3.5 stars; 63% gave it 5 stars. Positive reviewers like the magnetic base that makes it easy to stick to the oven. Other buyers appreciated that the app displays a graph of the food's temperature over time.
Note: iDevices sold its kitchen thermometer business to Weber in 2016, which markets the digital thermometer products as iGrill, such as the comparable iGrill 2. Although the iDevices Kitchen Thermometer is still available and supported by Weber, we believe it's being phased out. We will update this recommendation once we find a suitable replacement.
Pros: Comes with an app that tracks temperatures and alerts you when your food is ready, two probes
Cons: Unappealing app design, short warranty
Buy the iDevices Kitchen Thermometer on Amazon for $79.99
