Taylor Digital Instant-Read Pocket Thermometer
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Taylor Digital Instant-Read Pocket Thermometer
Customer Review: I'm not that happy with this thing...
Summary: 2 Stars
I bought one of these thermometers a few months ago as I was exasperated with metal meat thermometers taking too long to register a temperature,and then ultimately dying quickly.I was very pleased with this thermometer at first...Very quick read, compared to others that I have owned. Didn't have any problem with the tiny on/off switch (although be careful not to jam it under your fingernail! ouch!). Have noticed that the LCD is temporarily caput if you get it damp (hard not to do when you wash it by hand), but it always sprang back to normal by the next day.
However, after only a few months worth of occasional usage, it decided to die. Unfortunately it died right at the end of my cooking our Christmas dinner prime rib this evening!! Got up to 130.5 degrees and just stuck there.
Pulled out my roast, waited 15 minutes and then carved it. Barely a hint of pink anywhere. Not only had it died, but it was WAY off temperature-wise...
Needless to say, I was none too pleased with this puppy. Nothing like having something crap out right in the midst of holiday cooking (and of course, it was an expensive cut of beef)!! :( One minute it appeared to be fine, the next, it was frozen and unworkable. No hint that it was going prior to this either.
So although it performed well during it's tiny lifetime, it's not a long-term solution in my opinion. If you're going to buy one, I'd treat it like a disposable!
Need to buy another one now. I won't be buying this one.
Customer Review: #1 most essential kitchen tool for ANY cook, pro or not!
Summary: 4 Stars
An absolute must for any kitchen and any cook, either professional or not! I've owned several of these throughout my culinary career, and have found them to be one of my most reached for tools ever! The only reason why I've own so many of them is mainly due to the rigors and demands of a professional kitchen, and that the wiring on these thermometers are a bit thin, which makes replacing the battery a bit of a hassle.The only other down side to these guys is that they cannot be calibrated. In otherwords, you compare the reading of the thermometer against a known temperature of a control substance, i.e., boiling water, which boils at 212 at sea-level. If you know what temperature water boils at near you, then you know what temperature your thermometer *SHOULD* read when you check the boiling water. If it's off, then you can't adjust the thermometer on these guys. However, i've found that more often then not, that's not an issue with these guys!
The plus sides: Hyper-accurate readings, with no more then 1 - 2 degrees variable, very consistent, near instant temperature reading, and small, lightweight and reliable design!
A good reliable probe thermometer (either digital or analog) is absolutely ESSENTIAL for any kitchen, professional or not, for several reasons! The two fore-most reasons are: 1) food safety, you don't want to be serving under-cooked poultry right? and 2) to ensure perfectly cooked meals!
Salut et Bon Appetit!
Customer Review: Adequate, not great
Summary: 3 Stars
As others have said, this really can't be described as an "instant read" thermometer. Before I bought it, I was thinking that it would take a moment to calculate, then display the temperature right away. What it actually does is slowly climb. It does jump in the beginning, like from 0 to 100, but as it gets closer to the right temp, it definitely slows down. I don't know why that happens, but you can literally watch it tick up from 137.1 to 137.2, and so on and so forth. Usually by that point I just yank it out and say it's close enough, which is hardly instant. :)
That said, I don't think it takes two minutes to read, as another reviewer opined, though as I said it takes longer the higher it climbs, so maybe if you're cooking really hot stuff it might. For most of the normal temps I'd estimate it at about 30 seconds. It just feels longer because you have to stand and stare at it. :) Not a great product, but if you don't mind a little waiting, it's quite cheap, and it will get the job done eventually.
By the way, I agree the on/off switch is quite small, but I don't have a problem with it. If you have nails you might, though. Happy cooking!
Customer Review: Wish I'd never bought it
Summary: 1 Stars
I hate this thing. It worked fine at first, then started getting stuck on a '888.88 degrees' reading every time I turned it on. My dad (electrical engineer) took a look and declared this to be normal (I forget the term he used, but the gist was that it was just a sign the thing was getting power from the batteries before it actually started working) and said I should be more patient. Well... he didn't stick around to see how patient I'd have to be! If I just leave it alone, it sometimes switches to an actual temperature reading after several minutes (which I don't consider a reasonable time to wait) but most typically stays on that display permanently until it's turned off and on again. Or I can try fiddling with the off/on switch - if I can move it just slightly to the middle, I'll sometimes get my temperature reading. That's an extremely fiddly process though, most typically I end up nudging it too far and turning it off and having to wait (and wait) through that stupid test display again. MUCH too much hassle for a stupid thermometer. I only wish I wasn't so cheap that buying a new thermometer while this one is still technically working bothered me...Customer Review: Works for me . . .
Summary: 5 Stars
Although I have not checked mine lately (I have owned it for over a year and a half) to see if it is calibrated, it seems to be pretty darn close from having used it to cook meat on my BBQ. One thing that *is* annoying about it, you have to watch the temp climb for quite a while - even in the hottest heat, it only jumps 8 degrees or so at a time, taking so long to get up to 160 degrees that it is frustrating. Here is what I do though to get around that: if I am trying to get my meat to, let's say, 165 degrees, I will pre-heat this thing to somewhere around that temp via letting it sit on the stove or by placing the end of it into the grill and letting it sit there until it is around 165. Then, I open the grill and quickly stick this in the meat, and if it is ready, the temp will just stay where it's at, otherwise it will quickly start to drop if not ready. This is better than opening the grill and holding it for 30 seconds while you watch it climb, losing all of that heat.