Temperature probes that aren't terrible

I have been getting sick of malfunctioning temperature probes. I have had off-brands and Polder, wired and wireless, and all have met premature ends and/or had terrible interfaces (The Polder oven/meat thermometer with temperature up button but no temperature down button springs to mind on both counts). The replacement probes are $13 with shipping, and I seem to go through several in a year. The highest rated on Amazon is this one:, but even if you get the $50 All-Clad probe from Williams-Sonoma, but it's clear from the reviews (subsequently removed from the site) that it's a piece of junk as well.

I'm the first to admit that I'm not exactly easy on probes. I leave them in the 400F oven for long periods of time to check on the progress of a roast, leave them in the grill (shielded by the meat, but still) for a minute at a time, and make frequent use (roasts, fish, candy, what have you). Still, I haven't found one that didn't suck.

Gadget lover that I am, I asked my chemist wife to recommend a brand. Now I have recently ordered an Omega HH503 with thermocouple. The base unit is dust and splash resistant and armored in rubber to protect against falls. The probe can measure from -450 to 2500F, though the plastic parts can only tolerate 220C/420F.

HH503.jpg

Complete and total overkill, but I'm hoping for much greater durability for my $100. I will let you all know how it turns out, but in the meantime, is anyone really happy with a probe thermometer?

Walt

Walt,
I'm surprised by your troubles. We've had our digital meat thermometer (made by Taylor, similar in design to the Polder that you show) for probably 6 years now with no problems at all. I use it in the oven and on the grill, probably 20-30 times per year, so maybe yours is getting a lot more exercise than my own. Ours is the Taylor 1470 model, by the way, and if you read the reviews of it on Amazon you'll see that many other people seem to have your experience with them. Either we're lucky or just don't use ours as much as many of you. One other factor is that I mostly use it with birds, so the temperature of the probe rarely exceeds 200°F.

Mark Lipton

We also had a Polder that died after about three uses.

Walt - Is the cable connecting the probe to the unit capable of going above 420°?

Walt,

This might be overkill for a kitchen oven and regular cooking, but when I do a low and slow on my grill I use a bbq guru. It can and does hold the cooking chamber temperature at whatever temperature you select. when I do pulled pork I cook at 200F and for at least 15, usually 18 hours. It also will measure the internal temperature of the meat, and sound an alarm when that temp is reached. If you can't take the meat off, it will drop the cooking chamber to a "keep warm" level. I guess it really is overkill unless you grill a lot, but if you do, then it is a no brainer to own one.

Mark, I am shocked that you have gotten your unit to work for so long. I had a Taylor long ago and it died in similar fashion to all the others, so I didn't think to mention it.

Mike, I don't know about the cord. This is an experiment to see how the "pro" probes work.

Bob, I wouldn't mind buying a device that's overkill, assuming it's reliable. All I really need is the alarm.

Walt

This unit has worked very well for me. It is routinely left in the smoker for hours on end at 200-250 F.