I have three thermometers in my kitchen. Growing up we had none, but since we overcooked a lot of things, it was kinda unnecessary. Since I have grown up, I have moved past the supermarket thermometer that you buy on Thanksgiving morning because you got burned last year by the pop up thingy that came in the bird. You use it once and lose it in a drawer in your kitchen.
Now I have my everyday thermometer I use for all my meats and breads. This one is for everyday dinners; I use it at least once a week. I no longer guess if something is done to temperature; now I know. No undercooked chicken, no overcooked beef. It’s also great for bread: no undone centers. If you are moved to buy one, make it digital and spend $25 to $50.
The second thermometer is my really cool holiday thermometer which I use for long cooks like a prime rib roast and turkey. You can set the timer to alert you when the meat hits the proper temp. When you do a turkey, you will need two because the dark meat needs to be 175 and the white meat 165, so I put one in the breast and check the thigh meat with the hand held thermometer. This will allow you to cook the perfect turkey every time.
The second thermometer is my really cool holiday thermometer which I use for long cooks like a prime rib roast and turkey. You can set the timer to alert you when the meat hits the proper temp. When you do a turkey, you will need two because the dark meat needs to be 175 and the white meat 165, so I put one in the breast and check the thigh meat with the hand held thermometer. This will allow you to cook the perfect turkey every time.
The last thermometer is a candy thermometer which has more uses than just candy and fudge. I could never get a candy recipe to the whole “soft ball” or “hard ball” state. Instead of guessing that your boiling sugar is at 240 for fudge or 270 for brittle, you know exactly where you are in the cooking process. That should be enough, but it can also be used for testing water temps for yeast in baking and water for eggs.
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