I just busted my latest digital thermometer tonight and was going to ask a similiar question. Thanks for the recommendation everyone. I am looking forward to having a reliable digital thermometer for probably the first time ever!

washington post food editors love thermapen too.

Is the thermapen the one they use on Americas test kitchen? I love the look of theirs and it is so fast.

For those looking for a less expensive option than the thermapen, we like this one a lot:

http://www.amazon.com/Rosle-16245-R%C3%B6sle-Digital-Thermometer/dp/B000PKD5A2

OP here, thank you! Sounds like thermapen is the way to go. I know what I'm putting on my Christmas list this year. Thank you all!

OP, I completely sympathize. I've held off for years on getting a meat thermometer because I don't want to become dependent on one. However, recipes now have started saying "Cook until a thermometer reads 160" instead of "cook for 50-60 minutes" which makes things hard. I have to use my old tricks (pad of thumb texture to test beef, juices running clear in chicken) which aren't fool-proof.

Love the look of the thermapen...and I really like KA as a company.

Thermapen

Another vote for thermapen. In the last couple years I have become totally dependent on it and my fish and pork (and chicken) has never been better.

You can also use it for baking and I think even candy making (I've never tried).

No cord, but Thermapen is hands down the best. Fast, accurate and very portable.

Anonymous wrote:This one is awesome:

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/thermapen-digital-thermometer#4322#

The reviews are great, and I've been using it for a few months and find it very accurate. The tip is almost needle-sharp and narrow, so you don't have to poke huge holes in things to get a reading.

I also have the one with the cord, and I love that feature, but it's functioning has gotten a little screwy lately. Not the accuracy, but trying to adjust the alarm temp., etc. my mom's is the same way. Too bad!

*its. Hate autocorrect sometimes.

This one is awesome:

http://www.kingarthurflour.com/shop/items/thermapen-digital-thermometer#4322#

The reviews are great, and I've been using it for a few months and find it very accurate. The tip is almost needle-sharp and narrow, so you don't have to poke huge holes in things to get a reading.

I also have the one with the cord, and I love that feature, but it's functioning has gotten a little screwy lately. Not the accuracy, but trying to adjust the alarm temp., etc. my mom's is the same way. Too bad!

Mine went kaput about a month ago, and I'm surprised just how dependent I am on it. Our dinners are usually too well done now, for fear of undercooking. I loved mine (which had a cord that allowed the thermometer to stay inside the meat while cooking) so I went to Amazon to repurchase it and found that 1) it's no longer available and 2) it had terrible reviews. This makes me worry about trusting the reviews on the other models/brands now, so I wondered if DCUM'ers could recommend theirs.

TIA!