Meat thermometer - do you have one? Advise me please, do I need one, or not?

I finally got one a few months ago and I love it. The one I have is digital and rather small with a cover so it doesn't take up much space.

After getting one I learned that I needn't worry about undercooking meat. I was overcooking meat.

We have one. Invaluable. Especially with poultry, better safe than sorry.

I don't use mine for joints of meat because I know when they are cooked enough. I do use mine to poke into homemade burgers and homemade fishcakes because they are quite dense in the middle. Mine is digital.

Raymond Blanc always uses one for all sorts of things!

I recently bought a quick read meat thermometer. I didn't think I needed one either, but now I use it regularly. It has a probe with a lead that you can insert into your meat while it's in the oven. You can then see how it's doing without opening the door.

Not got one. Poke a knife into the meat & watch the juices as they run out. I’ve been cooking for 50y and never needed a gadget. Mind you we did get food poisoning one time ...

JOKE‼️

We have one. Takes the worry out of meat being cooked or not. It is one piece of equipment which is in use regularly.

I've had several over the years, and wouldn't be without one now. I think the biggest advantage is not over cooking meat. As I used to cook for someone with a very compromised immune system I was a bit too cautious about serving poultry or pork that was under cooked, consequently it was sometimes on the dry side from too much cooking Copious amounts of gravy would be used to rectify the situation!

Yes, I have one and it's nothing fancy.
It's just a spike with a dial showing medium, perfect turkey, well-done etc.

I bought it from the butcher at the local farm shop years ago, it's similar to this one.
Other retailers available eg my local farm shop ?

www.johnlewis.com/john-lewis-partners-stainless-steel-kitchen-meat-thermometer/p3459335?sku=237058719&s_ppc=2dx92700055674825610&tmad=c&tmcampid=2&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIlpaP28eE9QIVDdPtCh0hmgBSEAQYBCABEgLK1vD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

I've got one - and I'm vegan. It's very handy and it's been in regular use, for about a decade, as I do cook meat for the carnivores. I have oven and fridge thermometers, too, just love gadgets!

I need an oven thermometer but I like our new fridge/freezer thermometers ?

I have a probe thermometer, which I mainly use to check the temperature of microwave food, especially for the minded children. It's something I'm required by the council environmental health inspector to have (and use).
Basically if food is 75c or higher at its thickest part it's safe to eat.
We actually prefer our meats to be cooked for longer but that's a matter of choice.

Yes, I have a few. One is a long skewer with a digital head, you can choose your meat, how you like it done, and it is very fast reading the temp. but you can't keep that one in the meat or oven.

We bought another one on recommendation. It's expensive, but wonderful! It's called the Meater (haha), it's a small spike that you put in the meat while it cooks, and you get a digital read out on your phone. You can set up the warning for 30 minutes away from finished, in time to put on veg to boil, etc.

I don't usually have an issue with poultry, but have issues getting beef just right. This really helps.

Oh wow CanadianGran, now I have food thermometer envy ?
The only household gadget I have that sends an alert to my phone is my washing machine. It's more useful than I expected haha!

OH bought one a few years ago, I wasn't bothered but since we've had a new fan oven I'm glad we have one.

The new oven cooks quicker than the old one and we can check everything from meat, lasagne, burgers, fish pie, bread putting.

I'm a convert, we did get a new one with a larger digital read out so I can read it :-)

I have two…..both still in the packaging.

I’ve never had one and no ones had food poisoning in 50+ yrs I’ve been cooking.

I have a digital probe one. Didn't used to use it but it has come in handy since getting a Ninja as things cook so much faster in the Ninja. I use it for air frying chicken and ham joints to get them nice and crispy. I seem to remember using it once or twice for the slow cooker too when I first got it.

DH has a 'Meater' which he uses for the bbq. I trued it but it seemed to be at temperature really quickly. I have used a digital fork (called the pokey thing) for years which I find good.

I was given one a couple of years ago. I was shown to have been over-doing chicken all my life, but now it is perfectly cooked and never dry. The thermometer was so useful that for that Christmas I bought one each of the same model (a Thermapen) for each for three relatives Two of them now use it regularly, after (they confessed) thinking at first that it was a trendy gadget that would get used once then put away for ever. One uses it to judge the temperature of rising bread dough - I would never have thought of that. I haven't yet asked the third person how they got on with it.

It wasn't the cheapest on the market by a long way, but it is very quick to give a read-out, and has a large screen.

We only got one recently and I wouldn’t be without one now. DH was hospitalised with food poisoning from a cooked chicken we bought from a famous store and since then used to insist all food was cooked until dry! Now with the thermometer it gives him the assurance that meat is safe to eat whilst still moist. Came in useful on Christmas Day...no dry turkey for us!

This is mine and I absolutely love it. Not being a very good cook I rely on it totally. Burgers, joints, re heating food. It’s brilliant so easy and quick to use, clear LED screen. I wouldn’t be without mine. I did have one previously that you left in the joint but I had trouble reading and couldn’t get on with it. I prefer this one with its instant reading.

Doodle that's the one I've got!
I agree it's very easy to read.
I tried to share the link earlier but it wouldn't work for some reason.

Thank you all - on balance it seems that they are more useful than perhaps I’d realised so I’ll give it a go and add one to my list. The ‘top of the range’ prices are eye watering though, so I’ll be buying something in the lower price bracket. ?‍?

Try Lakeland grannyactivist, that’s where I got mine (not expensive) from.