<head><style>body{font-size:10pt;font-family:arial,sans-serif;background-color:#ffffff;color:black;}p{margin:0px;}</style><meta name="GENERATOR" content="MSHTML 10.00.9200.16494"></head><body><font color="#000000"><font size="2"><font face="Arial"><br>I concur with Dave. I have a number of thermometers I use for cooking. I have a little Cooper-Atkins infrared that I use a lot. It is small enough that it comes on a lanyard for around your neck. Great for checking the temp of frying pans. Also works for caramel, though is not particularly accurate for that. Has a 45 degree viewing angle, so it isn't good for spot measurements. The "gun" types that have lasers usually have much smaller viewing angles (But not always - check before you buy!). <br><br> <br><br>I have a number of inexpensive thermistor probe types. I find them for under 20 bucks, and they have digital timers too. They come with stainless cables and probes. You can stick them in meat before you put it in the oven, and monitor the internal temp as it cooks. Not particularly responsive. I also use them for caramel, though they aren't quite accurate enough for that job. To improve the accuracy of my measurements, I put the probes in a pot of boiling water, and get a reading for the boiling point for that day, and use that to "calibrate" my measurements.<br><br> <br><br>I also have one of these: http://www.amazon.com/Taylor-9842-Commercial-Waterproof-Thermometer/dp/B00009WE45/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1362415224&sr=8-3&keywords=taylor instant thermometer. It is a Taylor "instant" read probe type. Very good accuracy, though a little slow reach a stable reading. Slow is a problem for two reasons: 1. You are letting the heat out of the oven while making the reading. 2. Your hand is a few inches away from the hot food. This matters when checking the temperature of a large pot of boiling 240 degree caramel! This thermometer uses a thermistor, and can be calibrated. <br><br> <br><br>What I really want is a thermocouple thermometer. The Thermapen Dave eventually got apparently uses a thermocouple, though they don't really advertise it as such. Fast, accurate, puts a smaller hole in the meat. What's not to love? Oh, the price... Taylor also makes a thermocouple thermometer: http://www.amazon.com/Taylor-Professional-9306-Thermocouple-Thermometer/dp/B000XS7WTG Has built in infrared too... Turns out that some people are really opinionated about thermometers, particularly the thermocouple types. Google something like "best thermocouple thermometer" and see what you get.<br><br> <br><br>I also have a bunch of glass thermometers, including some very nice laboratory units. <br><br> <br><br>RSJ<br><br><br></font></font></font>-----Original Message-----<br>>From: Randy Kramer <rhkramer@gmail.com><br>>Sent: Mar 3, 2013 8:08 AM<br>>To: Build things for fun! <makelehighvalley@makelehighvalley.com><br>>Subject: Re: [MakeLV] Nice Shellshocker<br>><br>>Hmm, dumb question time (I know, there are none, but...)<br>><br>>Would something like this work as an instant read meat thermometer? Or, would <br>>the surface temperature not be a good indication of the inside temperature.<br>><br>>(I have one of those thermometers with the prongs, but it takes longer to read <br>>than I'd like. And, of course, I'm sure if I look around I could find <br>>something less expensive than this--I just thought I'd ask...)<br>><br>>Randy Kramer<br>><br>>On Saturday 02 March 2013 9:58:40 pm steckelj@jaredsroom.com wrote:<br>>> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Verdana;"><div>Nice Thermometer Shellshocker on Newegg: <a<br>>> href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16803008940">http<br>>>://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16803008940</a<br></div></span><br>>><br>><br>><br>><br>>_______________________________________________<br>>Makelehighvalley mailing list<br>>Makelehighvalley@makelehighvalley.com<br>>http://makelehighvalley.com/mailman/listinfo/makelehighvalley_makelehighvalley.com<br></makelehighvalley@makelehighvalley.com></rhkramer@gmail.com></body>