The Best Meat Thermometers, According to Our Tests
A must-have tool for safe, perfectly cooked foods.
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If you love to grill pork, burgers and steak; roast turkey around the holidays; cook chicken on the regular or even bake bread, you need a meat thermometer. It’s the easiest way to monitor the internal temperature of different types of food like meat, poultry, fish, bread and egg-based dishes so you can avoid overcooking them — or, worse, undercooking them, which could result in illness. (Always follow the USDA's guidelines for food safety.)
Our experts in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab test thousands of products each year, including grill thermometers and electric knives for cooking and carving your perfectly cooked meats. To find the best meat thermometers, we tested more than 30 options by roasting chicken and grilling steak. We also put them through controlled temperature tests and evaluated the readability and response time of each.
Our top picks:
You can read more about how we test meat thermometers — plus expert tips on how to shop for one — at the end of this guide. And if you need a tutorial, check out our guide on how to use a meat thermometer.
Thermoworks Thermapen One
Pros
- Water-resistant so you can wash it
- Accurate readings in one second
Cons
- No hanging loop or clip
The Thermoworks meat thermometer is our overall top performer and a past Kitchen Gear Award winner. It turns on the moment you unfold it, and the tapered probe easily pierces thin and thick meats to deliver accurate results in one second. The screen is very easy to read — including in low-light situations, thanks to its backlighting — and it offers readings to the tenth of a degree.
It has an auto-sleep mode that will help conserve the battery, or you can simply fold it back up to turn it off. We like that the large body offers a comfortable grip and provides enough length to protect your hands from heat.
The housing is also water-resistant, so you can wash it after use, and it comes in 10 fun colors that make it easy to find in your drawer. Take note that while it's compact and easy to store, it does not have a hanging loop or clip.
| Accuracy claim | ± 0.5°F (± 0.3°C) |
| Temperature range | -58.0°F (-49.9˚C) to 572.0°F (299.9°C) |
| Power source | 1.5-volt AAA battery |
| Battery life claim | 2,000 hours (without backlight) |
Char-Broil Instant-Read Digital Thermometer
Pros
- Auto shutoff
- Can choose from seven languages
Cons
- Temperature readings can take up to 10 seconds
This compact digital instant-read thermometer performed well in our tests, giving accurate temperature readings in less than 10 seconds, which is slower than our other picks but still gives you time to adjust your heat or remove the food at the desired doneness.
Even with its affordable price, it has a few high-end tricks up its sleeve, like auto-off and seven selectable meat types along with their suggested doneness levels — and it offers readouts in seven languages! It also features an alarm to let you know you've hit the desired temp; it can't be left in the meat, but this is handy when checking during cooking or when resting the meat.
| Accuracy claim | Not provided |
| Temperature range | 32°F (0˚C) to 392°F (200°C) |
| Power source | Two AAA batteries |
| Battery life claim | Not provided |
OXO Good Grips Chef's Precision Digital Leave-In Thermometer
Pros
- Durable, extra-long stainless steel cord
- Large screen that is easy to read
Cons
- Doesn’t shut off automatically
While most digital thermometers aren't safe to leave in the oven or smoker (typically the plastic housing can melt and its screen can deform), this digital pick has an extra-long cord so the probe can stay in your meat throughout the cooking process while the base rests on your counter. The probe stores safely and securely inside the thermometer's housing, and there's a built-in spot to snugly wrap up the long cord.
We like that the nearly full-width screen is easy to read and makes it simple to program our desired doneness temperatures. It also provides a timer, which makes keeping an eye on your meat even easier. Once you're done, be sure to turn it off, because it does not shut off automatically. One caveat: It performed well, but was not the highest score in our accuracy tests.
| Accuracy claim | Not provided |
| Temperature range | Not provided |
| Power source | Two AAA batteries |
| Battery life claim | Not provided |
ThermoPro TP19H Digital Meat Thermometer
Pros
- Has backlight option for reading temps in low-light conditions
- Magnetic and hanging loop storage
Cons
- Not yet tested in the Lab
A top Amazon pick, it has more than 29,000 five-star reviews. The probe tapers to a fine point, which helps prevent damage to foods. It also rotates 180 degrees so you can access what you're cooking, regardless of positioning, and the display itself autorotates (though you can choose to lock it) so it's easy to read for right- and left-handed users. The thermometer also includes a button you can push to back-light the display so you can read it inside a grill or in low-light conditions.
We like that the comfortable handle is magnetic — great for storing on the fridge, oven or grill — and that it has a hanging loop. The manufacturer claims a response time of three to four seconds with an accuracy of ±0.9 degrees, though we haven't tested those claims in the Lab.
| Accuracy claim | ±0.9°F (±0.5°F) |
| Temperature range | 58˚F (-49.9˚C) to 572°F (299.9°C) |
| Power source | One AAA battery |
| Battery life claim | Up to 3,000 hours |
Meater Plus
Pros
- App guides you to the perfect doneness with estimated cooking time and indicators for removing and resting meat
- No cord and improved range for Bluetooth tracking
Cons
- Must insert to specific depth, so might be challenging for smaller foods
You can keep an eye on your steak's temperature from your phone since this wireless thermometer pairs with an app via Bluetooth. The friendly interface lets you tell the app what type of protein you're cooking and select your desired doneness; then Meater will calculate the estimated cooking time. It tells you when to remove the meat from the heat and how long to rest it. The probe comes with a storage case that doubles as its charging station, and it will alert you when it's fully charged. It scored well in our accuracy tests, and our pros appreciated not having to work around any cords.
We were also impressed with the Meater Block, which earned a 2023 Kitchen Gear Award. It holds four probes and lets you monitor your food's progress on the app or directly on the storage block — no phone needed. We were excited to test the new Meater 2, and it also performed well when tracking the temperature of a steak. It has all the same bells and whistles as well as a higher temperature range, so you can use the probe over an open flame on a grill. And it has a wider range so you can step away a bit more (up to 250 feet versus 33 feet for the first generation model and 165 feet for the Plus).
Our one note is that the probe diameter can be larger than some others (though the Meater 2 is thinner), so it might not be well suited for smaller foods, as you have to insert it to certain depth.
| Accuracy claim | ±1°F |
| Temperature range | Maximum internal temperature for probe: 212°F (100˚C); maximum ambient temperature for external sensor: 527°F (275˚C) |
| Power source | One AAA battery for the charging station |
| Battery life claim | More than 24 hours for the probe; more than 100 charges for the charging station |
How we test meat thermometers
To determine the best meat thermometers you can buy, our experts in the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab tested more than 30 thermometers.
First, we conducted controlled temperature tests and used them to cook real meat. For our cooking tests, we either roasted a chicken and compared the temperature reading of the thermometers to the temperature reading of a scientific-grade thermocouple, or we probed a grilled steak to check the temperature against a calibrated thermometer.
For the first controlled-temperature test, we brought water to a boil and measured the temperature of the water with each thermometer. To ensure accuracy, we compared these numbers to the known boiling point for the elevation of the test site and the atmospheric pressure of the test day. The second controlled temperature test was similarly conducted with very icy water used to assess the thermometer's accuracy at measuring low temperatures, if it was capable of going that low.
In addition to performance, we evaluated ease of use by rating the readability of each model, evaluating the user guides and assessing special features when applicable, like automatic shut-off and the ease of changing the batteries.
The top-performing models were easy to use, had clear readings, quick response times and, most importantly, accurate readings.
What to look for when buying a meat thermometer
✔️ Type: When shopping for meat thermometers, there are four main types to consider: digital instant-read, analog, leave-in probes and wireless probes.
- Digital instant-read thermometers insert into the meat about ½ inch. They have a very quick response time and are reasonably priced. Be aware that you cannot leave them in the meat during cooking.
- Analog thermometers require a deep insertion (sometimes 2 to 2 ½ inches), so they work best for large cuts of meat, like a turkey. They can be harder to read than instant-read thermometers and may take one to two minutes to deliver a reading. But some can be left in the meat during cooking in the oven, and they are generally affordable.
- Leave-in probes are designed to be left in the meat during cooking. The probe is attached by a cord to a digital interface that sits outside the oven or grill. It allows you to monitor the internal temperature of the meet on the hub. They're fast and reliable and usually moderately priced.
- Wireless probes can also stay in the meat and monitor the temperature, but because there is no cord, the data is transmitted via WiFi to an app on your phone or to a cordless hub. These tend to be the most expensive option, but they are accurate and allow you to step away from your cook while still keeping an eye on it.
✔️ Temperature accuracy and range: Look for thermometers that are advertised as accurate within ±2˚F, which is a range of accuracy most good thermometers can promise. This will help you ensure food safety as well as preferred doneness.
✔️ Temperature range: Thermometers with a wide temperature range (the upper and lower limits of what temps it can report) are useful for larger foods with longer cook times. But a narrower range might deliver better accuracy or a faster response time. It's also important to read the manufacturer's instructions to determine the uppermost temperature that the thermometer itself can withstand to ensure the device can handle direct cooking as well as flare-ups.
✔️ Probe size: You want a probe that's long enough to reach the thickest part of the food so you can accurately determine doneness, but we like those that are also thin enough that they won't damage the meat. For small or thin items like fish or chicken breast, a shorter probe is fine, but for bigger foods like a brisket or a pork roast, a longer probe — around five inches — is better.
✔️ Interface: Whether your thermometer's interface is a simple screen or a connected app, you want it to be clear and intuitive. At-a-glance readability helps you know whether to adjust the heat or stop the cooking process. If you can't demo the product in a retail store, you can often find a sticker on the model that will replicate the readout. If you're shopping online, you can watch product videos or preview the app to see if you like the interface.
✔️ Battery life: Some grill thermometers will require you to replace the batteries periodically while others are rechargeable. Check the manufacturer's claims about battery life to get a sense of how long you can use it per session and the total battery life.
What is the best meat thermometer to leave in while cooking?
First and foremost, we prefer digital leave-in thermometers over analog ones. A digital leave-in thermometer – whether a corded model like our OXO pick or a wireless one, such as Meater — allows you to glance at a display outside of the food or at an app to quickly track the temperature. Though analog dials have improved over the years, they can still be difficult to read, and you have to open your oven or grill to see them.
For thinner or more delicate foods, like a chicken breast or a side of salmon, a leave-in thermometer with a cord can be a good choice. The probe for these models is often thinner than wireless models.
Wireless models, which tend to have a slightly thicker probe, are great for thicker cuts, like a pork shoulder or steak, that can stand up to a little more damage to the meat. They give you freedom of movement over long cook times (such as when you're cooking a brisket) because you can monitor the temperature remotely via your phone.
Why trust Good Housekeeping?
Sarah Wharton led the testing for this guide, and she continues to test the latest models. She has been cooking professionally and testing kitchen gear since 2016. She always uses a thermometer to hit the perfect temperature for her ideal steak and pork tenderloin.
Sarah (she/her) is a deputy editor in the Good Housekeeping Institute, where she tests products and covers the best picks across kitchen, tech, health and food. She has been cooking professionally since 2017 and has tested kitchen appliances and gear for Family Circle as well as developed recipes and food content for Simply Recipes, Martha Stewart Omnimedia, Oxo and Food52. She holds a certificate in professional culinary arts from the International Culinary Center (now the Institute of Culinary Education).
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