The Best Instant-Read Thermometers

The newest instant-read thermometer by ThermoWorks is the best we’ve tested yet. It has all the features we loved in our previous favorite: a large, grippy handle; a rotating screen with large, highly legible numbers; and a backlight that goes on when viewing conditions are dim. It’s waterproof to a water depth of 39 inches for 30 minutes, it goes to sleep when not in use, and the display wakes up automatically when you pick up the entire unit. The ONE improves on its predecessor, though: As its name indicates, it takes just 1 second to measure a temperature. The backlight is brighter, and you can now use the thermometer when cooking on induction burners—the engineers at ThermoWorks have taken measures to eliminate the electromagnetic interference that sometimes occurs when you use digital thermometers with induction cooktops.

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This midpriced thermometer wasn’t quite as lightning fast as our favorite, but it was still pretty darn quick—and accurate too. We liked the grippy rubber around its large handle, which made it easy to hold, and the bright illuminated digits on its rotating screen were particularly easy to read, even in the dark. And it had many of the extra features we appreciate, including a sleep mode that engaged after 90 seconds of inactivity; it also turned on automatically when we pulled out the thermometer’s folding probe. Our one quibble? It’s sometimes tricky to grab the probe itself when it’s folded in, as it nestles into the handle a little closely.

This thermometer was accurate and relatively fast. It had two unique features that we really liked. First, in addition to having a rotating display like other models, it has a probe that opens 225 degrees instead of the typical 180 degrees. This meant we could hold it at an offset angle in both our right and left hands, keeping us even farther away from the heat. It was also the only model with a display that featured white digits on a black screen, negating the need for a backlight; we could see this thermometer's readout in any lighting. There were a few downsides, though. The probe is a bit stiff, so it took more effort to open and close. It also comes with a dial that's meant as a hands-free way to access the probe, but it was slippery and too stiff to be convenient. Lastly, while it had a large, comfortable handle, it was a bit too slick, especially when we were frying greasy steaks.

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This thermometer wasn't quite as good as the Mk4 or the OXO model, but it gave them a real run for their money. It was fast and accurate and had a large handle that kept us safely away from the heat; the handle was slightly slicker and less roomy than we'd like but better than those of most models we tested. The big, clear display rotates two ways, and the long probe worked great at various angles. It turned on automatically when we opened the probe and turned off when we closed it. It also automatically wakes up with a touch if you leave the probe open. Its backlight turns on with a vigorous shake. Its one button operates a hold feature and min/max functions; we found the latter unnecessary, but the former is quite useful. The button wasn't perfectly responsive, and loading three functions on one button was a bit confusing, but overall the design was pleasantly minimalist, and you can ignore the functions you don't need.

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This thermometer is relatively fast and accurate. Though it weighs a bit more than most thermometers we’ve tested, we didn’t mind its heft since we didn’t have to hold it for long, thanks to its speediness. We liked its large backlit display screen, which rotated as we moved; it allowed us to see the readings in an easy and comfortable manner. Besides the thermometer’s weight, the only quibble we had was with its handle, which felt a bit bulkier than the broad and flat style we’d liked in other models. This thermometer also come with a port for a leave-in probe thermometer, which can be purchased separately, and can transmit temperature data to your phone via an app. These extra features are handy if you're thinking about buying both an instant-read and a clip-on probe thermometer and would like a single cost-effective unit that performs both functions.

This thermometer is reasonably fast, accurate, and a breeze to use. Its broad handle was comfortable to hold and easy to maneuver. The display automatically turns on when the probe is unfolded and shuts off when it’s folded. It was easy to read and rotated two ways, a great feature that let us temp from different angles. The only issue we had was the lack of backlight, which made it harder to see the temperature in dark conditions.

The ThermoPop 2 is just as accurate and a hair faster than its predecessor, the ThermoPop. And it improves on the previous ThermoPop with a larger, clearer, auto-rotating display and greater waterpoofing. (A backlight can be turned on manually.) We wish its handle was just a tad larger and that its long probe folded out, but this is still a great bargain option for folks who don’t want to sink too much money into an instant-read thermometer. 

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Our former inexpensive winner had another strong showing. It was dead accurate and extremely fast. Compared with fancier models, this model felt like driving a standard car. The display does rotate and has a backlight, but you have to stop and press a button for both functions. You have to be more careful when holding its small lollipop-shaped head, but it makes the best of its size with a grippy, ergonomic design that's reasonably secure and easy to push and pull out of dense foods. Because the head is so small, this model did put our hands a little closer to the heat.

This thermometer is accurate and has some useful features that we liked, including an automatic rotating screen and a backlight. These features made it easy to read results. The display also turns on and off automatically as you unfold and refold the probe. But its probe fell short of the 4-inch length that we prefer, making it hard to get to the center of large pieces of food, and it was a bit slower to read. The handle was on the narrow side, so it was a little harder to grip.

This little thermometer has a lot going for it. It was intuitive—simply swing open the probe and go. It was also fast, accurate, and easy to read. The bad news: Its 2.8-inch probe was so short that it couldn't reach the center of the thickest part of a large roast—a severe limitation. It also lacked features we preferred, such as a backlight and a rotating screen. Its handle was small, too; if we gripped it securely, our palms covered its screen. The combination of a short probe and a small handle put our hands dangerously close to the heat; we had to tilt our entire pot of caramel to the side to check the temperature without burning ourselves.

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This thermometer was quick and fairly accurate. Its screen rotates automatically, so we didn’t have to crane our necks to get readings. The manual backlight provided sufficient light in darker conditions. But the thermometer wasn’t easy to use. The handle was so tiny that we had to grab it by our thumbs and pointer fingers, which felt finicky. The screen was too small to let us see the readings easily, and readouts had decimal points, which we found unnecessary. The thermometer has a short 3-inch probe that made temping large cuts, such as a pot roast, more difficult.

With just one button, this thermometer was intuitive and reasonably accurate, but it took a long time to read. Its handle was smaller and thus slightly less secure to grip. Testers found the hold feature, which beeped when it settled on a temperature, “reassuring”; however, you do have to hit the power button to release the hold to take a new measurement (making it both a pro and a con). It shut down during the caramel test because it overheated, and although it did recover and function normally afterward, this made us question its long-term durability. It doesn't have a backlight or a rotating screen, which testers really missed.

This thermometer was mostly accurate, but it had a very small head with sloped sides that were nearly impossible to get a secure grip on; testers called it “precarious.” At just over 7 inches long overall, it put our hands too close to the heat, especially since it took a while to read the temperature. It requires two steps to turn on (remove case, press power button), and while it has just one button, said button has three tasks: power, backlight, and switching between Fahrenheit and Celsius, so we often engaged the wrong function. It also has spindly, hard-to-read digits.

This thermometer was fast but suffered from both accuracy and design problems. It was almost 2 degrees off during our sous vide test. It had an excessive number of buttons labeled with cryptic symbols and a two-step on and off process that testers found frustrating (especially when it often took up to three tries to engage the power button). The handle was bigger, which was nice, but it was awkward to hold, and to grasp it comfortably you have to put your hand right over the screen. It also fluctuated a lot and scrolled through a lot of numbers to reach its target, which testers found confusing. The plastic cover on its control panel started to peel back during testing; it still functioned but made us worry about long-term durability.

This thermometer was accurate but took too long to read, and the probe lacked tension so that it folded up on us when we exerted pressure on it and it didn't go where we aimed. It had a bigger handle, but most of it was taken up by a control panel with too many buttons, and our hands slid off its sloped butt. It felt really flimsy and didn't rotate or have a backlight. It took two steps to turn on, which testers didn't like.

This little thermometer was accurate but hard to use. The short 3-inch probe couldn't reach the thickest point of a large roast, and the handle was small and covered in buttons, so it was impossible to get a secure grip. It had a probe cover that attached to the handle to extend its reach, but it wasn't secure and fell off when we pushed the probe into denser meats. The control panel was too busy, with very similar-looking buttons labeled in small print, often for superfluous functions such as “max” or “set.” It took longer to read, and it malfunctioned from heat exposure when we were making caramel; while it did recover, we worry about its longevity.

This inexpensive thermometer was accurate, but it took a long time to read, felt “rickety,” and was annoying to use. It takes three steps to turn on: You have to press a button to unlock the probe, swing it out manually, and then press the power button. Multiple testers unfamiliar with it pulled the probe open without releasing it first and broke the housing mechanism. Its head was smaller, with a power button where you want to rest your thumb. The button to toggle between Fahrenheit and Celsius protrudes from the bottom, so if the thermometer is sitting on the counter and you bump it, you switch the unit of measurement. The door to its battery compartment also slid off multiple times during use. It had a recessed screen and smaller digits, which made it harder to read, and it lacked cushier features such as a backlight and a rotating display.

This thermometer was one of the slowest thermometers we’ve tested. It was also one of the least accurate and reliable thermometers we’ve tested, delivering results that were off by as much as 2 degrees. It was lightweight and felt flimsy. The probe was also loose, so we had to use a little more force and care to insert it securely.

Our old winner is still the best instant-read thermometer on the market. It's dead accurate, fast, and so streamlined and simple that it's a breeze to use. It does just what we want: “Tell me the temp; get out of my way,” as one tester put it. Its long handle gave us plenty of room to maneuver, allowing for multiple grips, and a ring of slightly tacky silicone kept our hands confidently secured. The automatic backlight meant we never had to stop and adjust in low light, and the rotating screen is handy for lefties and righties needing different angles. The auto wake-up function is extremely useful; you don't have to stop and turn the thermometer on again midtask. The digits were large and legible, and it's waterproof in up to 39 inches of water for up to 30 minutes. It's also calibratable, promising years of accuracy.