What planet manufactures meat thermometers?

I just received a gift of Taylor button-type meat thermometers which at first glance I thought would be good for spit cooking since they can be left in and they don't have cords. The temperature scale is ridiculous, however. The beef thermometers' scales start at rare which they have as 145, with medium at 160, and well at 170. Where in the universe would you take beef off the heat at 145 for rare? At the very minimum of residual cooking, you would end up with medium well. Why do the thermometer makers want people to overcook everything? I understand that they want to reduce liability for undercooked meat, but this is ridiculous. Think about all the money lost in ruined meat due to their misinformation.

2 thoughts come to mind:

1) The item is leftover from the 1950's

2) It's designed to minimize the manufacturer's liability.

Sheesh!

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The FDA and USDA still recommend whole cuts of beef be cooked to at least 145F.

gleam wrote:The FDA and USDA still recommend whole cuts of beef be cooked to at least 145F.

The problem is that the thermometer calls 145F Rare! If the USDA recommendation is followed and the meat is removed from the heat after reaching 145, it is, at the very least, medium-well. What they should do is remove the designations of rare, medium-rare, and medium from the thermometers so as to conform with the USDA guidelines. It might help too if the USDA would admit that they recommend that no one should be consuming raw meat or meat that is cooked less than medium well. No pink whatsoever.

The other problem is that these thermometers don't even have a scale for temperatures less than 145. The dial is blank in the areas most people would be using. What will the manufacturers do to absolve themselves of liability when the medium-rarers add markings at forbidden temperatures on their thermometers, or even more diabolically, start estimating temperatures when the dial is in the unmarked forbidden zone? Will all the meat thermometers be recalled and replaced with popup thermometers that give the cook no clue about the cooking progress until our meat is cooked to their mandated temperature?

Just give me a thermometer that has a scale from 80 to 220 and I'll be happy. If you want to put medium well and well in their proper places, that's fine too.

I think I was given the same thermometer as a gift a few years ago. In the one I got, picked your meat (beef, pork, etc.) and then you had 1-3 choices about temperature, as you described. Amazing. I know the thing only cost a few bucks.

A couple days ago I saw another set of meat thermometers and looked at the dial which had no temperature scale at all. Just rare, medium and well.

On the other hand I just took delivery today of a couple of remote probe thermometers from Thermoworks, both with an extra probe and a plastic card listing reality based temerature charts, such as 120F for rare beef and instructions to remove the meat from the heat 5-10 degrees before the desired finished temp. They also advise that the USDA temps are much higher.

the cheapass no actual numerical markings thermometers can still be useful. If you took them and used a probe thermometer alongside of them once and check what the temps really are.

imsscott wrote:On the other hand I just took delivery today of a couple of remote probe thermometers from Thermoworks

What a coincidence...so did I. I noticed they even have a reminder in the instruction manual that temps will continue to rise after the meat is taken off of the heat, so users should plan accordingly if they're shooting for a particular temp.

chgoeditor wrote:

imsscott wrote:On the other hand I just took delivery today of a couple of remote probe thermometers from Thermoworks

What a coincidence...so did I. I noticed they even have a reminder in the instruction manual that temps will continue to rise after the meat is taken off of the heat, so users should plan accordingly if they're shooting for a particular temp.

Yes, carry-over is quite real and you get a feel for it after a while.

I love my Thermoworks products and now after using them for a number of years, I cannot imagine culinary life without them. In fact, I routinely give them as gifts to friends and relatives who I feel can benefit from having them, if you know what I mean.

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ronnie_suburban wrote:

chgoeditor wrote:

imsscott wrote:On the other hand I just took delivery today of a couple of remote probe thermometers from Thermoworks

What a coincidence...so did I. I noticed they even have a reminder in the instruction manual that temps will continue to rise after the meat is taken off of the heat, so users should plan accordingly if they're shooting for a particular temp.

Yes, carry-over is quite real and you get a feel for it after a while.

I love my Thermoworks products and now after using them for a number of years, I cannot imagine culinary life without them. In fact, I routinely give them as gifts to friends and relatives who I feel can benefit from having them, if you know what I mean.

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Always good to hear an endorsement! I don't do a lot of candymaking, but have always struggled with thermometers that either a) are the dial type that can be tough to read precisely or b) are digital but have plastic components so they can't easily be attached to the side of the pan (I've melted at least one this way). I love the fact that the Thermoworks can also be stuck into something in the oven & I'll be able to take the temp without having to open and close the oven door repeatedly.

chgoeditor wrote:Always good to hear an endorsement! I don't do a lot of candymaking, but have always struggled with thermometers that either a) are the dial type that can be tough to read precisely or b) are digital but have plastic components so they can't easily be attached to the side of the pan (I've melted at least one this way). I love the fact that the Thermoworks can also be stuck into something in the oven & I'll be able to take the temp without having to open and close the oven door repeatedly.

I love that item, which I use often with oven cooking but I also have the hand-held, which is great for spot-checking meats, etc. My knowledge of the company actually came through the business at which I work, where we use several of their products.

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