OT: Meat Thermometer

[Tony Falotico]

I do a lot of of outdoor cooking in my gas smoker, nothing like slow cooked meat with a light smoke taste.........

anyway, I'm looking for a GOOD and ACCURATE meat thermometer, preferably digital (other options will be considered). The standard meat thermometers you get in the grocery stores don't seem to stay accurate after a few uses...... I've looked at several digitals on amazon, reviews are very mixed from Love it to Hate it.....

Anybody have any experience / advise, good or bad ??

Also, any sources for apple, cherry, and pecan wood chips ? All I can get locally is Mesquite and Hickory, good on beef and ribs, but I prefer the lighter sweeter woods on pork and poultry.

[Jim Becker]

Although I mostly use it indoors with the range, the Pyrex Professional we have works great at the grill, too. The braded steel probe cord is flexible and long enough to do the job. I don't know if we bought locally from BBB or on the net from Cooking.com or another retailer.

[Joe Pelonio]

Most places that sell the Luhr-Jensen smokers have 6 or more varieties of their wood chips. I get them locally at sporting goods stores. Cabela's has them, but I have gotten them too at places like Target, Fred Myer, and even some hardware stores.

We also have the Pyrex, we use it in both the oven and gas grill. It has alarm for either time or temperature. I set it 2-3 degrees below what I want and when it sounds let it sit to reach the max. It's lasted many years and never failed us.

[Frank Fusco]

Check your yellow pages for an industrial or restaurant supply store. They will have pro type thermometers and probably reasonably priced.

[Greg Narozniak]

I have the older version of this one.

http://www.chefscatalog.com/catalog/product.aspx?scommand=page&search=thermometer&qstateid=1e7f54a5-6083-43f8-9585-7234eae2912d&sp=2&item=21421

I have a good friend who is a chef and I know he swears by Taylor. They are the industry standard that you will find at most of the restaurant supplys you may check.

I have had mine for a few years and it has never failed me. just make sure you never put it in the dishwasher damhikt :)

[Dan Mages]

Go to your local kitchen and bath store and pick up a remote probe thermometer. I know the two big players carry Polder and Pyrex models that are top notch and will only cost you $20ish. You can get fancy and pick up a wireless job so you can monitor the temprature while watching the game.

For wood chips. Try Bass Pro.

Dan

[Kevin Brown]

The standard meat thermometers you get in the grocery stores don't seem to stay accurate after a few uses

If your talking about the little instant read ones, most all are meant to be "re-calibrated" every so often by sticking them in boiling water and adjusting them to 212deg by holding the little nut and turning the top to the correct point (if you want or need to be super accurate you'll need to adjust for your location) [URL="http://www.biggreenegg.com/boilingPoint.htm"]

but the nice digital ones with the braided cable are nice because you don't need to open your smoker to check temps :) I have a Polder unit that is 2deg off that works like a charm!

[John Shuk]

Go to your local kitchen and bath store and pick up a remote probe thermometer. I know the two big players carry Polder and Pyrex models that are top notch and will only cost you $20ish. You can get fancy and pick up a wireless job so you can monitor the temprature while watching the game.

For wood chips. Try Bass Pro.

Dan
I second that. I have made huge strides using one of these. As far as wireless goes I had a weber and it never worked very well. Hard wired has been great.