The Best Meat Thermometers for 2025 | Reviews by Wirecutter

Every cook should have a reliable meat thermometer both to ensure food safety and to help you achieve the best results. The more common kind is an instant-read thermometer, which you stick into food for a few seconds to quickly check its doneness. Another type is a probe thermometer, which is designed to remain in the meat while it cooks. A heat-safe cable attaches the probe to a digital unit outside the oven that displays the temperature reading.

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Most of the pros we spoke with recommended getting an instant-read thermometer over a probe thermometer. Probe thermometers are much slower to take an initial reading, so you can’t easily use one in place of an instant-read thermometer (our instant-read top pick takes 2 to 3 seconds, and our probe top pick takes 8 to 10). They also have a higher failure rate, because they’re constantly subjected to high heat.

The advantage of probe thermometers, however, is that you get an alert as soon as your meat reaches a set temperature, without having to open your oven door. This is especially useful for monitoring the doneness of a large cut of meat during a long roasting time, so you don’t accidentally overcook it. Just remember that different parts of a large cut of meat will cook at different rates, so even with a probe thermometer, it’s a good idea to use an instant-read thermometer to check your roast in a few different places. As barbecue and grilling expert Rick Browne told us, “The probe is sort of letting people know the temperature, and it’s a good guideline … then you can refine it with the instant-read and take multiple readings.”

If you’re a seasoned cook and you have great instincts, you don’t truly need an instant-read or probe thermometer. But even professional chefs like taking the guesswork out of dishes, especially meats. For beginners in the kitchen, a good thermometer is a necessity to avoid overcooking steaks or undercooking fish or chicken, and for learning the baseline timing of your stovetop and oven.

If you have only a slow, analog (dial) thermometer, you need to upgrade. Analog thermometers are harder to read accurately, and they contain mercury, which is harmful to you and the environment. These old-school tools also tend to have thicker probes than their digital cousins. That means you lose more juice each time you pierce a roast with an analog thermometer than you do with a digital one.

For this guide, we tested the following types of thermometers, ranging from about $10 to $105:

• Digital instant-read thermometers for quick readings
• Basic probe thermometers with a single probe that stays in food as it cooks while displaying readings on a digital unit
• Dual-channel probe thermometers with two probes, one for taking the internal temperature of the meat as it cooks and another for reading the ambient cooking temperature, while displaying readings on a digital unit
• Remote probe thermometers that display readings on battery-operated wireless receivers or through smartphone apps via Bluetooth

Ultimately, we found that the digital instant-read and basic probe thermometers were by far the easiest to read and operate. Dual-channel thermometers are designed for grilling and smoker enthusiasts who want to monitor the temperature of their grill or multiple cuts of meat at the same time. Remote probe thermometers are for checking the progress of meat on a grill from inside your home. But we don’t think these extra features are useful for most people.

After testing 37 meat thermometers since and speaking with numerous experts, we’ve made a list of the most important features to look for when choosing a good instant-read or probe thermometer:

Speedy and accurate temperature readings: What matters most in a good kitchen thermometer is speed and clarity—how quickly you can turn it on and see a steady reading of the temperature inside your dish. A thermometer that can quickly jump toward the final temperature is much better than one that leaves you guessing as it slowly rises. Instant-read thermometers typically reach temperatures a few seconds faster than probe thermometers. In our tests, our top pick instant-read thermometer, the ThermoPop 2, reached temperatures in about 2 to 3 seconds, while our top pick probe thermometer, the Dot, took anywhere from 5 to 8 seconds. A good thermometer should also cover the whole temperature range of home cooking, from below freezing (32 °F) up past very hot frying oil (400 °F).

Sufficient probe length: The probe on a thermometer should be thin at its point to minimize juice-leaking punctures, and long enough to reach the center of large roasts or deep pots. A longer probe also helps keep your hands a safe distance from heat and steam.

Durable: A thermometer’s durability depends on how well its electronics are protected from dust and water, as measured by its IP (ingress protection) rating. The IP rating consists of two numbers that indicate how much abuse an item can withstand. The first number (ranging from 0–6) pertains to solids, and the second one (ranging from 0–8) pertains to liquids. For instance, the ThermoPop 2 instant-read thermometer is rated IP67, which tells you that it’s “totally protected against dust” and “protected against the effects of temporary immersion” in water for up to 30 minutes. The Dot probe thermometer is rated IP65, which means the body of the unit is protected against the entry of dust and “low-pressure jets of water.”

Easy to read: We prefer thermometers that display large numbers on their digital screens to make it easier to read temperatures quickly. Backlit displays are also convenient when you’re cooking in a dimly lit kitchen or grilling outdoors at night.

Reasonable price: With rare exceptions, we’ve found that thermometers retailing for $20 or less are slow, of poor quality, and often barely distinguishable copies of one another, so over the years we’ve narrowed our focus to thermometers that cost from $30 to $105. You can find some perfectly good thermometers at around $30 that are much faster and more durable than the cheapies. We think paying the extra $10 or $15 is worth it for an accurate, high-quality instrument, but paying a lot more isn’t necessary for most people.

Aside from the essential criteria outlined above, we also sought out a number of other features that we think good instant-read and probe thermometers should have.

For instant-read, thermometers we looked for:

• Adjustable probes that make it easier to insert the thermometer at various angles.
• Rotating screens (either manual or automatic) that let you easily see the temperature reading from different angles.
• A strong magnet for storing the thermometer on the fridge. Note, however, that even though this is a nice feature, it’s not essential.

For probe thermometers, we looked for:

• Heat-resistant cables (up to 700 °F) that are long enough so they won’t snag on an oven door or grill lid when closed.
• A strong magnet for attaching the digital unit to the oven door.
• Useful accessories, such as probe clips, which attach the thermometer to a saucepan when you’re frying oil or making candy.

To test and calibrate a thermometer, ThermoWorks and CDN both suggest filling a thick ceramic mug with ice, topping it off with water, and then checking the temperature. So we did just that and timed how quickly each instant-read and probe thermometer reached within 1 degree of the ice water’s 32 °F, from a starting temperature of around 65 °F. We did this four times and averaged out three of the results after we discarded the most uncommon timing (whether fast or slow).

We also timed how long each thermometer took to measure the temperature of canola oil heated in a cast-iron pot to 365 °F. Those timings were far slower and more unpredictable (10 to 20 seconds, instead of 2 to 5) for the instant-read thermometers we tested, but measuring hot oil did give us a sense of which thermometer best protected our hands.

The most useful test involved water that was heated with a sous vide circulator in a stock pot and kept to 130 °F. A good circulator keeps an entire pot of water at one consistent temperature—no hot or cold spots—so it’s an excellent tool to control accuracy. Precise temperature and circulation also seem to create the ideal environment for fast readings, because in our tests all the thermometers reached their target much quicker than they did in ice water or frying oil. Note: For our update, we did not test the ThermoWorks Thermapen One using a sous vide circulator since we were working from home during the pandemic.

We used each thermometer to either monitor or check the temperature (depending on the type of thermometer) of oven-baked chicken pieces, to get a feel for each one’s usability. For our original guide, we also used the instant-read thermometers to find the internal temperature of pork chops cooked sous vide and to measure the temperature of water inside an electric tea kettle. However, because neither of those tests gave us much additional insight, we opted not to repeat them for our subsequent updates.

We performed two additional tests for probe thermometers. To test their cables at high temperatures, we used our finalists in a screaming-hot, 650 °F to 700 °F grill. We also evaluated the strength of the magnets on the back of the digital receivers to see how well they could stay attached to the side of an oven or grill. Finally, we measured the distance at which remote probe thermometers could still function before losing their wireless connection.

Top pick

No other thermometer under $50 can match the ThermoPop 2's combination of speed, reach, reliability, and easy-to-read display.

The ThermoWorks ThermoPop 2 reads temperatures quickly and accurately, is simple to use, and comes at an excellent price. It’s an updated version of the original ThermoPop, which we recommended from to , and it comes with a number of meaningful improvements, like a bigger screen, a thinner probe, and a screen that rotates automatically. In our tests, it took the ThermoPop 2 less than 4 seconds to land within 1 degree of most cooking temperatures. The large, backlit display is legible from almost any angle, and it rotates as you change the angle of the thermometer. The thin 4.5-inch probe gets into most roasts and liquids without exposing your hands to heat. In addition, the ThermoPop 2 has a huge range (-58 °F to 572 °F), a completely waterproof body, and one-button switching between Fahrenheit and Celsius.

In our tests, the ThermoPop 2 measured the temperature of 130-degree water in an average of 2.47 seconds (about a second faster than the original ThermoPop), and it was usually within a few degrees of that temperature in 2 seconds or less. Measuring oil heated to 365 °F took longer (as it did with all the thermometers we tested), but we got a reading in an average of 11.43 seconds, faster than with many of the other thermometers we tried. For most people who just want to safely and properly prepare meats and delicate dishes without overcooking them, the ThermoPop 2 does the job; getting a reading 1 to 2 seconds faster from our more expensive picks isn’t worth the extra money.

Besides speed, the ThermoPop 2’s screen is this thermometer’s strongest feature. It’s bigger than the (already clear) screen on the original ThermoPop, displaying a reading in large numbers to the tenth of a degree. Like with our upgrade pick, the ThermoWorks Thermapen One, the number rotates automatically in four directions as you change the angle of the thermometer, which helps when the probe is inserted sideways or diagonally into a hot or spattering dish. The rotating screen also makes the ThermoPop 2 equally suitable for left- and right-handed use; this is not the case with many side-reading units, which favor the right-handed. The screen’s backlight, which you can easily activate with the press of a button, is handy for grilling at night or taking a reading in a dark corner of the stove.

The ThermoPop 2's 4.5-inch-long probe is relatively generous compared with those of most of the thermometers we tested (you can also get a version with an 8-inch probe, but that reads a second or two slower, and will probably feel unwieldy for any task that doesn’t require you to keep your hand far from whatever you’re cooking). The round head is also easy to hold and lets you get a secure grip. Even though you can’t adjust the angle of the probe, we found that it’s long enough to stab into many sections of a roast or dish without risking burning your fingertips.

The whole thermometer is rated IP67 resistant: completely impervious to dust and able to withstand being submerged in water for up to 30 minutes. That means you don’t need to worry about getting the probe wet when you wash it, which you should do—just don't go so far as to stick it in the dishwasher. Automatic shut-offs on both the backlight and the thermometer itself help extend its battery life, which ThermoWorks says should last for 4,000 hours.

The ThermoPop 2 covers temperatures from -58 °F to 572 °F (-50 °C to 300 °C), which is the widest range of any instant-read thermometer below $50 that we’ve found. You can choose from nine colors, and each one comes with a single-page guide to cooking temperatures that covers not only food-safety temperatures but also sugar stages for candy making, as well as every level of doneness for beef and pork (you can grab the PDF at ThermoWorks’ site). It’s a handy thing to stick on your fridge or to keep in a drawer.

Unlike the original ThermoPop, the ThermoPop 2 is NSF certified and comes with a certificate of calibration from ThermoWorks’ NIST-traceable lab, which means it meets certain industrial standards of accuracy. The ThermoPop 2 comes with a two-year warranty on the digital unit and a six-month warranty on the probe (the probes can be replaced if damaged). Keep in mind that the warranty is valid only if the product is purchased from ThermoWorks directly or from an authorized reseller (which does not include Amazon).

Flaws but not dealbreakers

You can’t adjust the angle of the ThermoPop 2’s stick-style probe as you can with a fold-out thermometer like the Thermapen One. Although we don’t think this design is a dealbreaker, we’ve encountered certain instances—such as taking the temperature of meat on a scorching-hot grill—where we’ve wished we could angle it to get our hands a little farther away from the heat.

On the device itself, the water-resistant power/backlight button is a little small and hard to press, especially for people with big fingertips. Sometimes we had to press the button twice to be sure it activated.

Unlike the Javelin Pro Duo, the ThermoPop 2 lacks a magnet to keep it stuck to metal surfaces or appliances. Although this is a feature many people won’t miss, without it you’ll need to keep the thermometer in a drawer, where it might be trickier to find.

Switching from Fahrenheit to Celsius is less intuitive than on the original (which had a dedicated button). To switch, you hold down the power/backlight button for 3 seconds when turning the thermometer on, a trick we had to look up in the manual. Also, possibly to make the new version more waterproof, you now need a small screwdriver to access the battery, whereas you could open the original ThermoPop with just a coin.

Top pick

The Dot probe thermometer stays in your meat while it cooks, allowing you to easily monitor doneness. It also has a strong magnet that keeps it securely attached to an oven door.

If you want to monitor the doneness of a piece of meat as it cooks, we recommend the affordable ThermoWorks Dot probe thermometer for its impressive accuracy and ability to read temperatures quickly. Compared with the other probe thermometers we tested, it was the easiest to use, thanks to its simple, intuitive design and large digital display. The Dot’s wide temperature range makes it ideal for both oven and grill use, and its backlit screen makes it easy to read in any light.

In our tests, the Dot was the fastest probe thermometer to read temperatures accurately. On average, it was able to read 32 °F in about 8.5 seconds and 212 °F in about 5.5 seconds. Its thermistor sensor has an impressive temperature range of -58 °F to 572 °F (and a cable that can withstand 700 °F for short periods of time), which is a wider range than many other probe thermometers cover. In a stockpot of 130 °F water maintained by a sous vide circulator, the Dot was accurate to the degree.

The Dot also had one of the longest cables—about 48 inches—of the probe models we tested. The cable became slightly discolored and stiff when we subjected it to the high heat of a grill. But that had no effect on the thermometer’s performance (however, ThermoWorks states that the Dot should not be used when broiling in the oven). Also, the Dot’s 4.5-inch probe will have no problem reaching the center of large roasts.

The Dot’s simple design and straightforward controls made it easier to use than the competition. This model has an on/off switch on the back of the unit, with arrow buttons on the side of the digital screen that allow you to set your desired temperature. After you insert the probe into your food, the alarm beeps to let you know when the set temperature has been reached. You can press any button on the interface to stop the alarm; to disable the alarm altogether, simply hold the two arrows down at the same time. You can also switch from Fahrenheit to Celsius by holding the power button for 6 seconds while turning on the unit. And among the probe thermometers we tested, the Dot has some of the strongest magnets, which kept it securely attached to the side of our oven.

The ThermoWorks Dot boasts an Ingress Protection rating of IP65, which means the body of the unit is protected against the entry of dust and “low-pressure jets of water.” Like the ThermoPop 2, the Dot is available in a variety of colors. It also comes with a two-year warranty, and the probe is replaceable.

This model is also available with Bluetooth, sold under the name BlueDot, for about $25 more. It has all of the same controls as the regular Dot thermometer, but it can also connect to an app on your , which allows you to monitor the food you’re cooking from a short distance. It’s a nice added feature, but we think most people will be happy without it.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

We’ve received feedback from a few readers saying the Dot began to malfunction after only several months of use, though we haven’t experienced this with the two models we’ve been long-term testing for two years. If you notice the Dot has become glitchy or less responsive, we’d recommend reaching out to ThermoWorks as soon as the problem arises. Probe thermometer wires take a beating, so if you’re experiencing issues, it may be that the wire is damaged and needs to be replaced. Improper readings may also be caused by a low battery charge, so we’d try replacing them to see if it solves the issue (it takes two AAA batteries).

The ThermoWorks Dot doesn’t come with a metal clip to attach the probe to the side of a saucepan for tasks such as frying or candy making, but all ThermoWorks accessories (including probe clips, grate clips, and air probes) are sold separately.

ThermoWorks offers some sort of warranty for all their products; probe models come with a six month warranty.

The Dot also lacks a timer and preprogrammed temperature settings for certain types of meat. However, since the pros we spoke with don’t recommend using preset temperatures anyway, we don’t think this omission is a dealbreaker.

Upgrade pick

This was the fastest and most accurate instant-read thermometer we tested. It also offers a rotating screen with a bright backlight, a huge temperature range, and serious waterproofing.

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What makes the ThermoWorks Thermapen One worth a cool $105 plus shipping? Mainly, it’s the fastest instant-read thermometer we’ve ever tested. The Thermapen One replaced the now-discontinued Thermapen Mk4, which was our long-time upgrade pick and a favorite of culinary pros. The Thermapen One is very similar to the Mk4, with a few improvements. Its needle-sharp probe is even faster and more accurate at reading temperatures (averaging about 1.5 seconds in our tests), and it is thin enough to slide easily into the thinnest of fish fillets or pounded chicken breasts. Its backlit screen is also noticeably brighter and easier to read than that of its predecessor. The display automatically turns on when you pick the thermometer up (if the probe is extended), and it rotates in four directions as you change the angle of the thermometer. The Thermapen One is by no means necessary for most cooks, but it’s an indispensable tool for those who love the science of cooking or the pursuit of kitchen perfection.

What’s most impressive about the Thermapen One is how much closer it gets to the final temperature in the early stages of its reading. Almost instantly, it knows that your 160 °F chicken is at least 150 °F. Within 2 seconds, it has a reading that's 1 or 2 degrees away. That kind of speed means you can get food off the heat quicker if you know it’s going too far, or you can be certain to turn down your frying oil. The Thermapen One’s range is -58 °F to 572 °F (about -50 °C to 300 °C), the same as the ThermoPop 2’s.

The Thermapen’s fold-out probe is 4.5 inches long, just like the ThermoPop 2’s. But the thermometer body is larger, so when fully extended, it puts you a good 10.5 inches from anything hot. The Thermapen’s IP67 rating is the same as the ThermoPop 2’s, which means it’s totally protected against dust, and it can withstand a dunk in water for up to 30 minutes, as long as you don’t twist it around while it’s submerged. It can certainly survive some splashed barbecue sauce or spilled drinks.

Inside the Thermapen One there’s a single AAA battery, which lasts for a very long time (the Mk4 also used a AAA battery and it lasted at least a year in our kitchen). The biggest visible difference between the Thermapen One and the Mk4 is the new battery compartment, which is larger and easier to access. The compartment still contains switches that let you disable the automatic shutoff or screen rotation, switch between Fahrenheit and Celsius, and choose whether the Thermapen shows a decimal point.

Having those switches inside the battery compartment is something of an inconvenience if you need to change between Celsius and Fahrenheit frequently. While it’s easier to do so than it used to be on the Mk4, you still need to unscrew the battery cover to access the menu and set buttons.

On top of that, it would be an improvement if the thermometer had a magnet for hanging it on something like a fridge. But for $15 you can buy a glow-in-the-dark, silicone case with a lanyard and a magnet on the back. ThermoWorks also sells screw-in wall brackets for the Thermapen in plastic and stainless steel.

The major technology difference between the Thermapen and its competitors is its thermocouple sensor. The majority of instant-read thermometers (including the Lavatools Javelin Pro Duo, our mid-level upgrade) use a thermistor, a small, relatively cheap but accurate resistor bundle stored in the tip of the probe. The Thermapen’s thermocouple has a thin sensor wire running down its whole probe, and the thermometer also keeps a more extensive set of reading and calibration electronics inside its sizable body. Because the wire has less mass than a thermistor module, it registers changes in temperature more quickly. That thin wire also allows for a thinner probe, which is helpful for piercing thin fish fillets and reducing the size of juice-releasing punctures.

ThermoWorks has made improvements to the Thermapen One’s construction that allow it to read faster than previous models, giving it an increased accuracy of ± 0.5 °F (compared with the Mk4’s ± 0.7 °F). The Thermapen One comes with a certificate of calibration from ThermoWorks’s NIST-traceable lab, which means it meets certain industrial regulations and standards of performance. It’s unlikely that you’ll ever need to recalibrate the Thermapen One. But according to the representative we spoke to, you can press and hold the menu button (located in the battery compartment) while the thermometer is turned on, and adjust ± 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit using the set button. When you have the desired value selected, the menu button will save it. You can also send it back to ThermoWorks to be recalibrated for an additional cost.

If you wanted to save about $20, you could buy the “classic” Thermapen. It’s not as fast at reading temperatures, it lacks the rotation and display upgrades, and it sticks to a coin battery. We think the Thermapen One’s conveniences are worth the full cost. It also comes with an impressive five-year warranty, which is an improvement over the Thermapen Mk4’s two-year warranty.

Instant-read thermometers

The Lavatools Javelin was previously our runner-up pick, but after some consideration we concluded that it didn’t hold a candle to the ThermoWorks ThermoPop 2 in terms of the most useful features. The Javelin has a notably shorter probe, and it’s not as waterproof as the ThermoPop 2. Also, its display does not rotate or light up.

The OXO Good Grips Thermocouple Thermometer, which costs about the same as the Thermapen One, did very well in our tests and read temperatures in about 2 seconds. Because its digital screen always stays illuminated, it’s especially easy to read, but the digits rotate in only two directions (whereas the digits on the ThermoPop 2 and the Thermapen rotate in four directions). At 4.13 inches, the OXO’s probe is slightly shorter than those of the ThermoPop 2 and the Thermapen, so it can’t reach quite as deep into large cuts of meat. The OXO is rated IP66 (versus the Thermapen One’s rating of IP67). If you’re willing to spend $100 on a thermometer, we think you’re better off getting the Thermapen One over the OXO because the Thermapen performed better in our tests overall and has an excellent track record.

The factory-calibrated, Thermapen-like Maverick PT-100 was glacial in testing ice water (taking nearly 11 seconds), and it read lower than all of the other thermometers in our sous vide test. Readings aside, the Maverick PT-100 doesn’t offer a lot of helpful features, and it’s strangely less dustproof and waterproof (IP44) than most of the thermometers we’ve tested.

Taylor’s Digital Folding Probe Thermometer has an interesting design, but it landed in the middle between our picks and cheaper models. Its display is bright, and its probe tip, at 1.5 millimeters, is thinner than the Thermapen’s. It’s not a bad thermometer, but its digital screen doesn’t rotate. We think it’s worth spending a couple of dollars more on the ThermoPop 2 for the convenience that feature provides.

The CDN TCT572-W ProAccurate Folding Thermocouple Thermometer, a Thermapen-style model, was pretty fast in our first chicken-broiling test, but still half a second behind the Thermapen. In a second test, the CDN finished behind all of our picks.

Our prior runner-up pick, the Polder Stable-Read, kept pace with our picks in an early test. It issued a helpful beep when it reached a stable reading (or at least when it determined that it had), and is a bit cheaper than the ThermoPop 2. But it’s not often in stock on Amazon. If you like a stick-style thermometer, it’s a decent pick, but the ThermoPop 2 suits more people.

The CDN DTQ450X ProAccurate Thermometer, our original pick for the best instant-read thermometer, remains an accurate thermometer with a wide range. It has one of the thinnest probes, at 1.5 millimeters, as well as a calibration option and a number of handy temperature-holding and alert functions for a relatively low price. But newer thermometers in a reasonably close price range do the job much faster.

The CDN DTW450L ProAccurate Waterproof Thermometer had a little over a 6-second response time—two seconds slower than our slowest instant-read pick—and we feared its long 8-inch probe would snap.”

The Taylor Commercial Waterproof Digital Thermometer has a good range (-40 °F to 450 °F), essentially mediocre speed ratings (although notably slower on ice water), and a calibration screw. It’s the best thermometer you can get for about $10, but that’s not what most people are looking for.

The AcuRite E Digital Instant Read Thermometer is an inexpensive thermometer in the fold-out style of the Thermapen. It felt cheap to use—the buttons seemed to require mashing, and the probe was not particularly thin. And this thermometer always took at least 10 seconds to get hot or cold temperatures—sometimes up to 19 seconds.

Basic probe thermometers

The Lavatools Element was very slow at reading temperatures, taking up to 15 seconds in some instances. The temperature readings don’t gradually increase, either, jumping from number to number, which makes it difficult to anticipate temperature changes. Its digital controls aren’t as intuitive to use as our picks’, and the buttons are very difficult to press.

We found the receiver of the ThermoPro TP20 difficult to read because it alternated the display of both probe temperatures, which we found confusing. The membrane-sealed push button on the receiver also became worn after only a few uses.

Since the ThermoPro TP16 is so light and the cable is so stiff, the unit moved around the counter when we opened and closed the oven door. We also found that the stand put the digital screen at an awkward angle for reading.

Although the Taylor -21 Digital Cooking Thermometer has intuitive buttons and a simple design, it’s slow at reading temperatures. It also can’t work on a hot grill because the cable and probe are heat-resistant to only 392 °F.

Good (but pricey) probe thermometers with wireless capability

The ThermoWorks Signals 4-Channel BBQ Alarm Thermometer is essentially the next step up from the ThermoWorks Smoke. It comes with four probes (one is an air probe) instead of two, all of which you can use simultaneously. It can also connect to an app on your via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, which is nice if you’re smoking meat and you want to monitor its progress from inside. But at $230, this four-channel thermometer is overkill unless you’re on a competitive barbecue team, or if you regularly cook several cuts of meat at once.

The ThermoWorks BlueDot is the same as the ThermoWorks Dot we recommend, except it can connect to an app on your via Bluetooth, which allows you to monitor the food you’re cooking from a distance. ThermoWorks advertising says the BlueDot can stay connected for an unobstructed distance of 95 feet, but in our tests it lost the connection at around 75 feet. We think most people will be happy with the Dot, which currently costs about $20 less.

Not-so-good probe thermometers with wireless capability

The Weber iGrill 2 was very slow to read temperatures and had the shortest probes of all the models we tested. We found that it began to lose its wireless connection at around 125 feet.

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Designed specifically for the Weber Genesis II and Genesis II LX gas grills, the Weber iGrill 3 is not appropriate for most people. Also, since this model lacks a digital display on the unit, you can can only view the thermometer’s temperature readings via an app on your .

We didn’t test the Meater Probe thermometer because it can read a maximum internal temperature of only 212 °F, which means it’s not suitable for high-temperature cooking. Also, its probe is so egregiously thick, it would be like sticking a Sharpie into your meat.

This article was edited by Marilyn Ong and Marguerite Preston.

There is no shortage of Bon Appétit recipes that ask you to cook something to a particular temperature (165°F for chicken thighs or 130°F for medium-rare steak). And a lot of the recipes that don’t call for a specific temperature probably should. It is, without question, the most reliable way to ensure you don’t overcook or undercook your meal and nonnegotiable in our opinion if you have any BBQ aspirations at all. To pull this off, of course, you need a meat thermometer.

Our top picks

Best leave-in meat thermometer: ThermoWorks RFX
An awesome predictive thermometer: Combustion Predicitive Thermometer
Best instant-read meat thermometer: Thermapen One
A great budget meat thermometer: Kizen Instant-Read Thermometer

The first question you need to answer in your meat thermometer journey is whether you want a leave-in thermometer or an instant-read. Like the names suggest, a leave-in thermometer goes in whatever protein you’re cooking before you put it in the oven or on the grill and stays there throughout. Typically, they come equipped with alarms to let you know when your cook has hit the temperature you’re aiming for. An instant-read is what you use for spot-checks. It allows you to quickly check the temperature of different parts of the meat, like the breast and thigh of a roast chicken, which often cook at different rates. Both come in handy, and we think both are worth owning, but we’ve got a couple favorites in both categories below.

Best leave-in meat thermometer: ThermoWorks RFX

ThermoWorks RFX Thermometer

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Never drops signal
• Wi-Fi connection allows long-distance use
• Separate air probe for accurate ambient temp reading

Cons:

• No external display available

Specs

• Probe length: 4.75"
• Temperature range: 14°F–°F ambient
• Features: Companion app, cloud capability, separate air probe
• Warranty: 1 year for probe, 2 years for gateway

This wireless meat thermometer had the most reliable signal of any we tested, and it comes from the makers of our longtime favorite instant-read thermometer.

What we love: One of the most frustrating parts about using wireless probe thermometers is that they drop their signal, often right when you need to check on progress. The RFX is the first thermometer I’m aware of that uses a radio frequency for its transmission instead of the much more common Bluetooth or occasional Wi-Fi. That means we got a clear signal from the backyard into the house with no dropouts. The radio transmitter also comes with built-in magnets to stick to the side of a grill or oven, which makes it easy to keep it right where you need it.

ThermoWorks also solved another longstanding problem in the thermometer space: ambient temperature measurement. Lots of leave-in thermometers now have ambient temperature sensors on the exposed end of the probe to let you know if your oven or smoker is getting too hot or cold. The problem is, as moisture evaporates from, say, the brisket you stuck a probe in, the surrounding air will cool it down. That can cause the sensor to read lower than it should, leaving you second-guessing the actual temperature inside your oven or smoker. ThermoWorks provides a separate ambient temperature probe that connects to the radio transmitter. You can place it away from the meat to get a read on the chamber's true temperature.

Finally, there are a number of nice extras, like high and low temperature alerts for both the cook and the ambient probes, a real-time graph of the temperature so you can see if a project is progressing as you’d expect it to, and a Wi-Fi connection that lets you monitor a cook away from home.

What we’d leave: The only way to use the RFX is with the ThermoWorks app. The app works well, but an always-on external display would be nice so you don’t need to take your out (and run down its battery) every time you want to check progress. The RFX also doesn’t work well as an instant-read thermometer; it took four or five seconds longer than what we’d ideally like to see in our boiling water and ice bath tests. Perhaps that shouldn’t be a huge surprise from ThermoWorks though, because they make a number of specific thermometers for specific tasks. If you need instant-read capabilities you can just use one of their Thermapens.

Good to know: When I used the RFX the default transmission setting (how often it sends information to the cloud) was 15 seconds. That runs down the battery incredibly quickly. If you plan to do cooks longer than 90 minutes, you need to change that setting to transmit every 60 seconds.

An awesome predictive thermometer: Combustion Thermometer with Wi-Fi Booster

Combustion Predictive Thermometer

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• 8 sensors on temperature probe
• Regularly updated features via firmware
• Best prediction of doneness

Cons:

• Occasional issues without Wi-Fi booster

Specs

• Probe length: 5"
• Temperature range: Lower sensors -5°F–220°F, upper sensors (including ambient sensor) -5°F–900°F
• Features: Stand-alone display (available to purchase separately), predictive algorithm, companion app
• Warranty: 2 years

That this unmissable bright yellow thermometer is one of the best in its class is not surprising. It came from one of the minds behind ChefSteps, one of the great culinary technology innovators and makers of amazing techy gear like the Joule Sous Vide and Joule Oven.

What we love: This may be the most technologically advanced thermometer we tested, which makes sense. Combustion’s founder, Chris Young, had previous stints at ChefSteps (where he developed the Joule Sous Vide circulator) and Modernist Cuisine. It has eight sensors running through the probe and you can isolate any one of them to see what is happening with a particular part of a cook.

The thing that sets the Combustion Thermometer apart from almost everything else on the market is the way it uses its readings to track the cooking process and predict when your food will be ready. You can set a target temperature, and the thermometer tracks how quickly your food is heating up, along with the ambient temperature. It then uses that data in a built-in algorithm to estimate how much cooking time is left. It’s not perfect for particularly long cooks (it struggled to deal with a brisket stall in our tests), but for shorter- or medium-length cooks, like when we roasted a whole chicken, it proved quite accurate. It can also alert you when enough of your food reaches the USDA’s minimum internal cooking temperatures for food safety.

Unlike the RFX, the Combustion really could be your only cooking thermometer, as it also works as an instant-read, registering readings in our boiling and freezing water tests in about two seconds. It also has a wide temperature range—the entire upper half of the probe can withstand temperatures up to 900°F, making this versatile enough to use when deep frying or in a pizza oven.

Finally, while you can just use the probe with the Combustion app, you can also get a digital display that shows both temperature and predicted finish time for an added layer of visibility.

What we’d leave: The reason we recommend getting the (slightly more expensive) version of the Combustion with the Wi-Fi booster is because we did have signal issues with the standard version. When using it in the backyard I had to stand outside in order to get a reading.

Best instant-read meat thermometer: ThermoWorks Thermapen One

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Fast read
• Automatically rotating display and backlight

Cons:

• A little pricey

Specs

• Probe length: 4.25"
• Temperature range: -58.0°F–572.0°F
• Features: Automatic on-off, automatic backlight, rotating display
• Warranty: 5 years

Instant-read thermometers do not come faster or easier to use than the ThermoWorks Thermapen One.

What we love: The two most important features of an instant-read thermometer are its accuracy and its speed, and the Thermapen One excels with both. It took one second to produce an accurate reading in our water boiling test and two seconds in our freezing water test. The focus on speed might seem excessive, but remember, whenever you go to check temperature, you’re opening the oven or grill and the longer it’s open the more the temperature inside will drop.

Besides its quick read capability, the Thermapen has a few other nice features. It turns on automatically when opened, goes to sleep if not used (you can set the sleep function to kick in anywhere between 10 seconds and three minutes), has an LCD display that rotates so you can read the thermometer easily at whatever angle you’re holding it. And while the battery life is not an issue (we used one for over a year without changing the battery), the Thermapen One has an easier to open battery compartment than the original Thermapen and uses a AAA battery instead of two of those annoying to find circular batteries.

What we’d leave: This is the ideal instant-read food thermometer in our opinion. The only downside is price—it retails for over $100. However, it’s frequently on sale for less.

Best budget meat thermometer: Kizen Instant-Read Meat Thermometer

Kizen Instant Read Meat Thermometer

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Very affordable
• Has backlight

Cons:

• Slower to read than more expensive instant thermometers

Specs

• Probe length: 4.4"
• Temperature range: -58.0°F–572.0°F
• Features: Backlight button, automatic on-off, hold temperature setting
• Warranty: Limited lifetime

What you sacrifice in speed and features when dropping down from the Thermapen you make up for in a price tag of under $15.

What we love: During our tests, the Kizen proved to be a powerful thermometer for the money. It did take four seconds to read during the water boiling test, but it has a number of other nice features that make it user friendly. A button turns on a backlight for use in dark settings, another toggles between Fahrenheit and Celsius. The display automatically turns on when you unfold it and a magnet lets you stick it on to the door of your range or fridge so it’s easy to keep track of.

What we’d leave: It does take four times as long as the Thermapen to provide a reading, but that is the kind of compromise you should expect to make if you’re spending under $20. The sleep function also takes 10 minutes to turn on and isn’t adjustable.

How we tested meat thermometers

To find the best meat thermometers, we put a range of leave-in and instant-read models through hands-on testing both in the kitchen and on a grill and smoker. We evaluated accuracy, response time, ease of use, and additional features to determine which tools were the most reliable, intuitive, and helpful for optimal cooking performance. Here’s how we tested:

Boiling water and ice water tests

To test accuracy, we used each thermometer to measure boiling water heated with an electric kettle equipped with a thermostat and then into a bowl of ice water to see how close they came to hitting 212°F and 32°F.

Response time

We also noted how long it took the thermometers to reach their final reading. While the difference between a one-second and two-second response time isn’t all that relevant, if a thermometer takes too long to register a reading it can be uncomfortable to use over a hot grill or oven.

Ease of use

For instant-read thermometers we used them repeatedly to check the internal temperature of chicken breasts baked in the oven and burgers on the grill to get a sense of how comfortable and easy they were to use in real life.

Consistency and features

For leave-in digital meat thermometers, we used them to monitor doneness when roasting spatchcocked chickens, checking to see how consistent their signal was and utilizing any special features like predicted finish times or ambient temperature sensors.

What makes a good meat thermometer

We only tested digital meat thermometers here. You can use an analog thermometer like this, but it will be slower and more challenging to read. Here are the other things we looked for in our tests.

Accuracy

A thermometer is a measuring device—that’s it. If it can’t give an accurate reading, it’s of no use to anyone.

Speed

This is for any thermometer claiming instant-read capabilities. You should be able to get in and get out of a piece of meat quickly. It can be both uncomfortable to hold your hand over a heat source, and it can mess up the temperature inside your oven or grill if it takes too long.

Number of sensors

Makers of leave-in thermometers have started adding multiple sensors along their probes, which make it easy to see if part of what you’re cooking is getting done too quickly (and probably drying out).

Features

Some thermometers come with alarms, some use predictive algorithms to tell you when your meal will be ready, others connect to Wi-Fi so you can check a long cook if you need to step out of the house.

Other thermometers we tested and liked

These thermometers still performed well across our tests, and we think you’ll be happy if you pick one of them, but they lack some of the features of our top picks.

The Typhur Sync has a lot going for it. It comes with either two or four meat probes to handle multiple cooks at once, reads quickly, and didn’t have issues dropping its signal. The five sensors in the probes provide a robust picture of temperature changes and the base offers a clear display as well as a (very loud) alarm when a cook is done. If you don’t want to use the base, which is quite large, the Typhur app is straightforward and easy to navigate. There is a prediction feature, though it wasn’t as accurate as the Combustion prediction when we cooked chicken.

Of the three Meater thermometers we tested, the Pro series was by far our favorite. It read quickly and accurately during our water tests, and the improved high heat capabilities (up to °F) allows use in searing cooking temperatures like a pizza oven or an open fire. It also didn’t drop signal the way the original Meater Plus did during our tests. We tested the single probe Meater Pro, but we’d also recommend the Meater Pro Duo with an extra probe.

This wireless thermometer is more basic than the RFX or the Combustion (but it is much less expensive). It doesn’t have a separate display and only has a single sensor at the tip of the thermometer. Its charging case doubles as a Bluetooth booster, supposedly extending its range up to 500 feet; however, we found getting that kind of range outdoors required optimal conditions. The companion app is simple but useful, with temperature readings for both what you’re cooking and the ambient temperature as well as the ability to set high and low temperature alerts.

The Instaprobe was a close second to the Thermapen One in our testing. It was hard to notice any difference in its read time, and its rotating, bright OLED display is easy to read no matter the angle of insertion. A magnet on the back makes it easy to stick on the stove, so it’s always ready to use. Ultimately, the choice of the Thermapen was a subjective one; We thought the wider base was easier to hold and use compared to the slimmer, sleeker Instaprobe. This is still a terrific instant-read thermometer.

Lavatools Javelin Pro

For around half the price of the Thermapen One or the Typhur Instaprobe, the Javelin offers many of the same features, including an automatically rotating display and sleep function. The backlight requires pressing a touchpad, and it wasn’t quite as fast to read, but this is still a good, less expensive instant-read.

Thermometers we don’t recommend

Not every thermometer we tested earned a spot in our recommendations. Some were outclassed by newer models, others had usability issues, and a few just didn’t offer enough value for the price.

The original Meater has simply been outclassed by the newer model. We found the Bluetooth signal on this thermometer dropped occasionally, and, because it can only withstand a maximum temperature of 572°F, it isn’t as versatile as the newer Pro models.

The “Block” part of the Meater Block is an interface that is supposed to let you both monitor and set target temperatures. We found it a little small and slow to respond. We haven’t tested the Meater Pro XL, which is a version of the Meater Block updated with Meater Pro probes, and we’ll be interested to see if there are other improvements on the original design.

The probe on the Chef IQ is quite short, making insertion easy, but it still packs four sensors (three on the probe and an ambient sensor). It doesn’t come with a display, but has an app that, in addition to providing real time temperature updates no matter where you are, offers recipes with step-by-step instructions and an Instacart integration to order ingredients. But all of that felt a little fussy for something that should just have one job.

Yes, it’s inexpensive, but the ThermoWorks Thermopop offers much less than the Thermapen One. The Thermopop took five seconds to produce an accurate reading of 212°F in the water boiling; if you are looking for a budget thermometer, we think the Kizen offers much more for less money.

This thermometer has the capability of reading surface temperature using an infrared thermometer, but, even after reading the instructions, we found it confusing to use. Its price tag is also in the same ballpark as the Thermapen One and the Typhur Instaprobe and we’d suggest either of those as better alternatives.

If you are looking for more details, kindly visit Digital Meat Thermometer manufacturer.