If there’s one simple thing you can do to alleviate the stress of cooking the Christmas dinner, it’s investing in a meat thermometer. While burnt potatoes, soggy carrots and lumpy gravy is sure to earn you some frowns, your family won’t let you forget giving them a bout of festive food poisoning.
Meat thermometers take the guesswork out of cooking large roasts, ensuring your turkey, chicken or ham is perfectly cooked. Enter Thermapen’s one thermometer, the nifty kitchen accessory that’s lauded by chefs and home cooks alike.
We’ve all been there: serving a dry or overdone centrepiece to disappointed friends and family. But at worst, meat can be dangerously undercooked, failing to reach temperatures that kill bacteria. That’s where a meat thermometer, like Thermapen’s, comes in.
Not all meat thermometers are made equal – some can cost upwards of £200 (yes, really), while others are as cheap as £4. Thermapen’s sits nicely in the middle at £63, securing the top spot in our expert tester Joanne Gould’s guide to the best models.
Praised as versatile, fast and accurate, and boasting a colourful design that won’t get lost in the back of your kitchen drawers, the Thermapen meat thermometer has the potential to save any Christmas dinner disasters. Here’s everything you need to know.
Thermapen one thermometer: £63, Amazon.co.uk
According to our expert tester, chefs are big fans of Thermapen and for good reason. “There’s no time-consuming setup, no need to charge before use and no wires dipping in your food – it’s just a temperature probe” Gould said. “Housed in a colourful plastic case that is chunky enough not to be lost in a drawer, the probe pulls away from the main body and is ready to use.”
She also praised the easy-to-read backlit, rotating display and how it takes just one second to provide an accurate temperature reading. “It’s good for testing if your meat is cooked, of course, but the speed and accuracy of this probe also suits bakers looking for precision,” Gould added. “It can even be used when you want to safely reheat food.”
Easing at least some of the stress surrounding Christmas dinner, the thermometer is a must-have for ensuring your turkey is nicely roasted (and your guests are happy).
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