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Temperature is one of the most important aspects of outdoor cooking.
The right temperature will ensure that your food is both safe and cooked to your desired doneness.
A meat thermometer is an essential grilling accessory that you can use for beef, pork, game, poultry, large BBQ cuts, and anything else that you’re cooking.
Traditional probe-style meat thermometers allow you to quickly check the temperature of food by penetrating it at the thickest part.
However, traditional thermometers require that you continuously re-check your food, and it’s often easy to overshoot your desired temperature.
Can you leave a meat thermometer in the meat while it’s cooking?
With the right solution, you definitely can.
Finding a Meat Thermometer to Handle the Heat
Not all meat thermometers are designed for outdoor cooking.
Some models that are designated as being “oven-safe” are best used in a home oven, rather than in a grill with the hood up or down.
Buyers have found that even some of the leave-in thermometers designed for ovens give inaccurate readings when left in meat on a hot grill.
For grilling, it’s best to look for a thermometer that has a separate probe.
This will keep all of the important components outside of the hot grill, so you’ll get the most accurate temperature readings.
Probes can use heat-resistant cables or wireless transmitters.
Wireless vs. Wired Leave-In Meat Thermometers
You can leave a meat thermometer in the meat while it’s cooking when you choose a device with a separate probe.
- Wired thermometers are affordable and reliable.
- Wireless meat thermometers are more expensive but add convenience and smart features.
Let’s take a look at two of the most popular models available today and find the one that’s best suited to your needs.
Gaisten 2-in-1 Instant Read Meat Thermometer
This thermometer can be used the traditional way using a built-in probe that will provide immediate temperature readings.
This is ideal when you want to quickly check your ingredients without leaving the thermometer in.
If you want continuous monitoring, this model also comes with a wired probe that can be left in meat while you’re cooking.
The unit has a temperature alarm so you’ll get an audible alert when the meat has reached your desired temperature.
MEATER 33ft Range Wireless Meat Thermometer
It offers continuous monitoring without the need for a cable on the probe.
It connects to a smartphone app that can provide the temperature as well as cooking times when you set your ingredients.
This thermometer reads the internal temperature of meat as well as the ambient temperature of your grill, so it’s perfect for a range of cooking styles.
You Can Leave a Meat Thermometer In While You’re Cooking
You’ve asked can you leave a meat thermometer in the meat while it’s cooking, and have found that it’s both possible and extremely convenient.
Whether you choose a wired or wireless meat thermometer, you’ll have more control over your cooking with perfectly cooked meat.