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Cooking Thermometer Uses Across the Kitchen

Cooking thermometers do more than check steaks. The right contact probe can verify poultry, reheated food, baked goods, oil, candy syrup and cooking-chamber temperature.

Cooking thermometer uses range from verifying a roast to controlling hot sugar. Common meat thermometer uses include spot-checking steaks and burgers, following a turkey during roasting and watching both food and pit temperature in a smoker. Food thermometer uses also extend to leftovers, casseroles, bread, frying oil and candy when the instrument's range and probe suit the job.

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Common questions

Questions before you buy

What are the main uses of a meat thermometer?

Use it to measure the center of meat and poultry, follow large cuts during cooking and verify several locations before serving.

Can a food thermometer be used for leftovers?

Yes. A suitable clean probe can check reheated food; compare the reading with current FoodSafety.gov guidance.

Which thermometer is used for frying oil?

Use a contact probe or clip-on frying thermometer whose published range and construction suit hot oil. Keep the sensor off the pan bottom.

Can a meat thermometer be used for bread?

A clean instant-read probe can check the interior of bread, but the target depends on the recipe and desired result rather than a universal safety number.

What is an infrared cooking thermometer used for?

It measures surface temperature from a distance. It cannot directly tell you the internal temperature of meat or a deep liquid.

Why use an air probe in an oven or smoker?

An air probe measures the cooking environment near the food, which may differ from a built-in dial located elsewhere in the cooker.