Lakeland, £19.99
This combined thermometer, timer and clock is surprisingly simple to use: drive the probe into the centre of the meat and it gives the temperature. A metal string attached to the probe means you can keep it in during cooking, leaving the digital handset outside the oven. And you can set it to beep when the meat reaches the right temperature. Plus, it’s precise enough for jam and sweet-making. Photograph: Sarah Lee/Guardian
House of Fraser, £7.60 (was £10)
This chunky model is easy to handle when wearing oven gloves, and it’s ovenproof, so it can stay in the meat while it cooks. The animal pictures, clearly marking the minimum core temperatures for safe eating, are large enough to be visible through an oven door (assuming it’s clean).
Photograph: Sarah Lee/Guardian
Robert Dyas, £9.99
You can’t put this one in the oven – you just stick it in the meat when it comes out and it gives you a quick reading. It can switch easily between fahrenheit and centigrade, and has silicone panels on each side so you don’t burn your fingers when it heats up. As with all the thermometers, the reading depends on where you place it in the meat, so you might want to have a few goes before promising a perfectly medium-rare joint to guests. Photograph: Sarah Lee/Guardian
