Why I Love My Instant-Read Thermometer + GIVEAWAY!

January 23, 2019 // 769 Comments »

When I talk about my essential kitchen tools or put together a gift guide for foodies, there are a few items that will always, always show up, and one of those is my instant-read thermometer.

A tray of cinnamon rolls with an instant-read thermometer inserted into one of them.

I started to enjoy baking when I was a young teenager, but kept to mostly simple recipes (chocolate chip scones, pecan pie bars, and peanut butter-chocolate chip cookie bars were my go-to’s) until I was in my mid-20s. At that point in time, I really wanted to start flexing my baking muscle and I joined a couple of monthly baking challenges via online forums (blogs weren’t quite what they are today!).

As I tackled one challenge after another, there were certain times that the use of an instant-read thermometer would be very helpful. For example:

Knowing the temperature of the water was exactly what it needed to be before adding yeast;
Checking the temperature of the inside of a loaf of bread to know if it was done *perfectly*;
Double-checking that the pulled pork has reached that all-important falling-apart-tender temperature;
Making sure your Thanksgiving turkey is not over- or underdone;
Ensuring that those homemade marshmallows turn out puffy and light;
Confirming that your eye test on the salted caramel sauce is right on;
Getting the perfect creamy consistency for your creme brûlée;
… and SO MUCH MORE.

Back when I was first starting to tackle more advanced recipes, I pined for a Thermapen. They were the highest-rated thermometer on Cook’s Illustrated and I could not WAIT to get one. I used birthday money one year and splurged on it, and I have never looked back. It ranks up there as one of the best workhorses of my kitchen.

(P.S. ThermoWorks, the company that makes the Thermapen, has this amazingly helpful temperature chart for everything from meats and poultries, dough, butter, and candy – absolutely perfect for printing and laminating to keep in your kitchen!)

I literally use my Thermapen on an almost-daily basis, and cannot wait to get one in your hands!