We Tested 42 Meat Thermometers — These 7 Stood Up to the Heat (2024)

The Thermapen ONE is about as easy to use as it gets. Extend the probe, stick the pointed end into whatever you want to temp, and read the display. Fold the probe back in for storage when you’re done. Too easy, right? So, why does such a simple thermometer come with such a high price tag? That answer lies in its speed, accuracy, and display. In our sous vide and boiling water tests, the Thermapen was within one degree of accuracy. Its response time is impressive, too, settling on a reading within about two seconds.

It’s an instant-read design, meaning you don’t leave it in for any length of time; you just examine where the food stands right now. In terms of aesthetics, readability, and how it fits in your hand, the Thermopen is functional and middle-of-the-road. The display is ample for the unit’s size and backlit for easier reading, and it rotates with the orientation of the handle so you don’t have to attempt to read it upside down.

• Probe Length: 4.3 inches
• Temperature Range: -58 to 572°F
• Bluetooth/Wi-Fi: No

The ChefAlarm is more of an appliance than a spot-checker like the Thermapen is. A temperature probe connects to a base unit for constant monitoring during the cook. Its accuracy is fantastic; for all of our static temperature tests, like measuring boiling or ice water, the ChefAlarm registered within a fraction of a degree. If there are downsides, they lie in the limitations of the control settings. The timer works in minutes and hours but not seconds, and setting the temperature can be frustrating due to the amount of time it takes to move the indicator via the up/down buttons.

The unit has a few useful features, like a count-up/count-down timer and a target temperature setting with low and high-temperature alarms. The alarm that indicates you’ve reached the target temperature or the end of your timer is reasonably clear and loud, ranging between 72 and 88 decibels. For reference, sirens on emergency vehicles operate at 110 to 120 decibels, so there’s a small chance of not noticing your alarm. In our tests, it was audible at a 50-foot distance, with some diminishment at 75 feet.

• Probe Length: 6 inches
• Temperature Range: -58 to 572°F
• Bluetooth/Wi-Fi: No

The DOT is the bare-bones little cousin of the ChefAlarm. That’s not to diminish either model, but for someone who doesn’t need or want the extra functionality of the ChefAlarm, the DOT could be the right choice. It shares the same accuracy, but the display only operates in whole numbers, so the tests showed spot-on for our sous vide and ice water tests and only one degree of variation in the boiling water test.

It’s a compact model with a circular design about three inches in diameter and a backlit display showing the current and target temperatures. With that, it has one function, which is limited to the target temperature but is simple and intuitive to use. The alarm is consistently audible at 80 decibels, loud enough to hear clearly at 50 feet. Like the ChefAlarm, the temperature control can be frustratingly slow to set, as the up/down pushbutton controls take five seconds to cover each 100-degree increment. If one changed the setting from 100 to 500°F, it would take at least 22 seconds to accomplish.

• Probe Length: 4.5 inches
• Temperature Range: -58 to 572°F
• Bluetooth/Wi-Fi: No

The TP25 lets you monitor up to four ranges simultaneously. It comes with two grill clips to enable monitoring of heat zones, or the probes can monitor individual pieces or types of food. Quadrants for each probe’s temperature dominate the display on the base unit, but the app gives more versatility and information. Among the app features is a heat graph for each probe to view the entire cooking process. One of the app's drawbacks is that while it comes with pre-set FDA-safe temperature levels for different foods, setting custom temperatures could be more intuitive.

The accuracy of the probes veered no more than two degrees in our static tests, which is quite acceptable. The Bluetooth range was good in open spaces, maintaining a connection for over 30 yards, but it dropped off when faced with interior walls as one would encounter going inside their house. The app, however, gives a warning when the connection is lost. The alarm is loud at 90 decibels, enough to hear in a crowded room, should that need arise.

• Probe Length: 8 inches
• Temperature Range: 14 to 572°F
• Bluetooth/Wi-Fi: Yes

The MEATER is unique in that it is a genuinely wireless thermometer. The probes connect via Bluetooth to the base unit, which then connects to the app, and you can extend the range by connecting the entire assembly to WiFi. In testing, we found the probes pretty accurate, either dead-on or within two degrees in our static tests, but it registered three degrees short on the boiling water test, which was approaching the upper limit of the probe’s range. The probes have two sensors each, one end to insert in food and the other to monitor the ambient temperature, so there is no need to dedicate a probe to monitoring the grill.

This is a set for the gadget person. All functionality for the collection is built into the app, as the block has no control functions at all. The app has useful features such as target temperature, ambient temperature, and estimated time remaining. Each setting is touch-responsive, with no need for drop-down menus for setting temperatures. The alarms leave a bit to be desired, as they depend on your phone’s volume, and there are pop-up notifications for various states that alert once with a short audible alarm.

• Probe Length: 5 inches
• Temperature Range: Up to 212°F (internal) and 527°F (external)
• Bluetooth/Wi-Fi: Yes

The Smoke is a two-piece unit consisting of the base, which houses the controls and the two probes connect to, and a receiver for monitoring. The setup was easy and intuitive, taking about 25 seconds to link the base and the receiver. The display is quite prominent, yielding acreage for the controls to provide a more robust view of the probes, including high/low-temperature alarms and min/max temperatures experienced during the cook. With the dual probe arrangement, one can monitor the pit while the other monitors the food or tracks two pieces of food, like a pork butt and a chicken, which require different temperatures.

Judging performance, there was a slight variation in our static tests, but in fractions of degrees between each probe and the control temperature. The base unit has individual alarms for each probe, so the user can differentiate between them. The base unit alarms have four volume settings, ranging from 80 to 90 decibels, while the remote has one set at 70 decibels, all loud enough to hear at a distance of 50 feet.

• Probe Length: 6 inches
• Temperature Range: -58 to 572°F
• Bluetooth/Wi-Fi: Yes

The TempSpike is another completely wireless thermometer system, with the probes connected to a base unit that connects to an app via Bluetooth or WiFi. The app is intuitive and easy to navigate, with a large display that feeds you the current, target, and ambient temperatures. It also has graphing capabilities to show your heat profile over the length of the cook. It has good alarm delivery, with clear sound at 84 decibels, vibration, and push notifications.

In testing, it was reasonably accurate, with a couple of degrees of variation in two of our scenarios. The manufacturer touts an impressive Bluetooth range, which we found to hold connection at 100 feet outdoors, but it fell off at around 30 feet when encountering walls and doors, and the app signals when the connection is lost and re-established.

• Probe Length: 5 inches
• Temperature Range: Up to 212°F (internal) and 572°F (external)
• Bluetooth/Wi-Fi: Yes

Watch Us Test Meat Thermometers

Frequently Asked Questions

• Which kind of thermometer can you leave in the oven or grill?

  Probe thermometers or oven-safe analog thermometers are suitable for leaving in the oven or grill. An instant-read thermometer is not intended for this purpose, and you would risk damaging your device.

• Is an instant-read meat thermometer or probe thermometer better?

  There is no “better” between the two types of thermometers. It depends on what you are trying to accomplish. An instant-read thermometer gives you a snapshot in time of the temperature of whatever you’re measuring. This is useful in pan roasting or open grilling, where you don’t have to open your oven or grill to take the temperature. A probe thermometer allows you to measure the temperature over time and is particularly useful in low-and-slow roasting, grilling, or smoking. You can view the current temperature of the food without opening the oven, grill, or smoker and losing ambient heat in the process, which requires recovery time before the cooking device is hot enough to start cooking your food again.

• Can you use a digital thermometer with an induction cooktop?

  Yes, with caveats. Induction cooktops utilize a magnetic field for conducting heat. That field can affect the operation of a digital thermometer, and most sources point to the magnet interfering with the thermocouple of the thermometer. ThermoWorks and equipment manufacturer Wolf both suggest these workarounds. The first option is to remove the pan from the cooktop before taking measurements with your thermometer. The other option is to briefly turn the power off on the induction device before temping your food.

• Can you use a digital thermometer with an induction cooktop?

  It's important to note that some induction cooktops can create temporary interference with digital thermometers, which can cause an inaccurate reading. The interference will not cause any damage to the thermometer or cooktop, but your temperature reading will be inaccurate. To take an accurate reading with a digital thermometer, simply turn the cooktop off briefly.