One of the tools that Ms. Beranbaum recommended for baking was a good instant read thermometer–a Thermapen. It’s $85! That’s a lot of bread. Luckily on her blog I discovered she had found a thermometer for under $20 that worked almost as well–CDN Pro Accurate„ Quick Tip„ Digital Cooking Thermometer on a Rope Model Q2-450. Perfect.
I ordered it from Amazon–thank goodness for Amazon Prime it was there just a couple of days later. It looks like a pen. The “quick tip” feature means that the sensor is in the tip of the probe so you don’t have to immerse the entire probe to get an accurate reading.
Features include
- Temperature Range: -40 to +450°F/-40 to +230°
- Waterproof
- 5″ stem to let you keep your hands away from the heat
- Data-hold so that you can record the reading and read it in better light or position
- Recalibratable feature that allows you to recalibrate the thermometer by using a ice and water bath.
- Claims an accuracy ± 1/2° haven’t tested it
- Temperature guide on sheath–the sheath is also useful as an extender if you need to use the thermometer further from the heat.
- Rope, yep it’s got it if you really want to hang it around your neck. Never done it
- Auto-off in ten minutes–I do forget to switch the thing off.
So far I’ve used it for measuring the temperature of baking ingredients. Of course soon as grilling season starts back up I’m going to test it out on the grill. The probe might not be long enough for big roasts but it’ll be perfect for those pork chops, chicken breasts, and even tuna steaks. I’m also ordering a second thermometer for use in my darkroom (don’t want to mix those two up for sure!).
For more information on using this thermometer or how electronic thermometers work visit CDN’s website.
