Sorry for the Lord of the Rings reference but I really could not think of another way to put it. There are many, many reasons why I love my Thermapen splash proof thermometer which I will I will describe below. I have always heard about the greatness of the Thermapen and one issue always jumped out at me. Is a food thermometer really worth the almost $100 cost? Well, the answer is pretty simple. Yes it is. The bottom line is that if you are serious about the food you prepare the Thermapen needs to be in your arsenal.
Let’s talk a bit about what this thing does.
3-second readings
Splash-proof
o.1 resolution full range to 572F
Auto On/Off
1,500 hour Battery life
Comes in a variety of colors
The Thermapen comes dialed in from the factory. There is no set-up for you. It accurate to 10th of a percent up to 572 degrees. The other thing about the Thermapen is that is a a larger item. It feels sturdy in your hand and it opens like a pocket knife. There is no on or off button. When you close it shut it turns off. The battery is a lithium battery that is estimated to last 1,500 hours!! If you do run out of batteries you can easily find replacements at any electronics store. But, the best thing about the Thermopen is the fast readings. Within 3 seconds you have an accurate reading. That’s it. Basically stick in the probe and there you go.
Since I am all about BBQ the first food item to test my new Thermapen on was a brisket. In the past my old thermometer had been a huge pain. It look 30 to 45 seconds give a reading. The whole time I would have to hold open the pit door, letting the heat out until I had a reading. Any BBQ man knows that this significantly delay the cooking time but as much as 30 minutes for each time you open the door. This kept me in a guessing game with what was really going on with the temperate of a brisket. That is no longer a problem. Open the door a few seconds later I have my reading. Door is shut again and heat retention is maximized!
Another issue I have around my house is that my wife is a well done and I am medium rare. Over the years I have cooked enough to know about what I am looking for but again, Thermapen takes the guesswork out of the process. Here are some hamburgers we did inside on a grill. In Texas it is rare that we have to grill hamburgers inside, sometimes in the winter we cook inside when the weather is bad. Quickly insert the Thermapen and you have an instant reading.
Here are some meatballs. Meatballs can easily dry out. Not a problem with the Thermapen. In fact I usually made meatballs a lot bigger than I wanted to because I was so worried about them drying out. Again, the small probe just inserts into the center of the meatball and you get an instant reading with no guesswork. This is real important. The heat sensor on the Thermapen is right on the tip pf the probe. So you know exactly where you put the probe tip is where the reading temp is coming from. Again, no guesswork!
We love “smoked” hamburgers! These can take up to an hour to smoke and you can easily miss the temp target as well. Don’t want to dry out a juicy, smoked burger!! Not a problem with the Thermapen!
I find that I take temperature measurements a lot more now with my Thermapen than with my old thermometer. It is super easy and fast! In full disclosure I was sent a Thermapen from Thermoworks to test and blog about. Having used several really cheap digital thermometers over the years I have to say I am blown away by the Thermapen! If there was one issue that I have it is that the device does not have a light on the digital readout. This would be a very helpful addition. Many times you need to take a temperature when it is dark outside. I usually just use a headlamp if I am going to be out all night but having a light on the Thermapen would make things easier. That is the only negative. The Thermapen is sturdy device that fits nicely in your hand. The sensor pulls out like a pocket knife so you don’t have to worry about it being dangerous and accidentally poke somebody! Just fold it up when you are done using it and it is completely save. I think the Thermapen by Thermoworks is the best digital thermometer you can buy on the market and if you are serious about your BBQ or just a backyard hack, you will miss fewer temperature targets with the Thermapen in your arsenal.
You can get your Thermapen by clicking here.
How to win it… Contest ends 11:59pm EST. April 8th, 2011.
Leave a comment below with one feature you love about the Thermapen and please include some method for us to contact you in the comment (twitter or email).
You get 1 extra entry for tweeting about this contest (you can do this daily). Must contain the following information: @thermapen @latenightparent – http://go.lnp.tv/GTMGH0 and you must also comment with the link to your tweet.
Example: I want to win the best thermometer for cooking – the @thermapen from @latenightparent – http://go.lnp.tv/GTMGH0 #giveaway
You get 1 extra entry for following @latenightparent on twitter –www.twitter.com/latenightparent You must comment that you’re a follower.
You get 1 extra entry for following @thermapen on twitter –www.twitter.com/thermapen You must comment that you’re a follower.
You get 1 extra entry for becoming our FAN on facebook –www.facebook.com/latenightparents You must comment that you’re a fan.
You get 1 extra entry for becoming their FAN on facebook – https://www.facebook.com/Thermapen (and leave a note saying that www.dadarocks.com sent you) You must comment that you’re a fan.
You get 1 extra entry for liking this page on facebook (like button at the top of the post NOTE: you must be signed into facebook for it to work!)
You get 1 extra entry for suggesting and having 5 friends become fans of DaDa Rocks on facebook (and have them leave a note saying you sent them)
You get 1 extra entry for writing about this giveaway on your blog (with a link back to http://lnp.tv) you must also comment with the link to your post.
You get 1 extra entry for putting this on reddit, digg, or any other social bookmarking service.
You will have 24 hours to reply before we pick another winner!
Disclaimer: Thermapen supplied the thermapen for this giveaway. Limited to the USA
love that the thermapen gives you a reading in 3 seconds.
tweet https://twitter.com/#!/cjsorel/status/184720845577519105
following @latenightparent on twitter @cjsorel
following @thermapen on twitter @cjsorel
fan of late night parents on facebook
already a fan of thermapen on facebook
liking this page on facebook by button up top
I like that it is fast, I find things cooling down as I wait for my cheap old thermometer to work. @Slappy2001
3/28 Tweet https://twitter.com/#!/Slappy2001/status/184907301910622208 @Slappy2001
Following Late Night parent on Twitter as @Slappy2001
following @thermapen on twitter as @Slappy2001
Fan of Late Night Parents on Facebook @Slappy2001
Fan of Thermapen on Facebook @Slappy2001
Liked this page on Facebook @Slappy2001
I love that it’s fast. It’s like the Ferrari of thermometers! @bobjr79
Tweet- https://twitter.com/#!/bobjr79/status/185543240747978753
following @latenightparent on twitter @bobjr79
following @thermapen on twitter
I’m a fan of Late Night Parents on Facebook
I’m a fan of Thermapen on Facebook.
3/31 tweet https://twitter.com/#!/Slappy2001/status/186306858766708736 @Slappy2001
Love the instant reading.
I really like that it is 3-second readings! and that it is very accurate
I tweeted
https://twitter.com/#!/frugalohio44/status/187023758182203392
I am following @latenightparent on twitter
I am following @thermapen on twitter
I am a fan of Thermapen on FB
I like you on FB
I like this page on FB
I did my daily tweet today april 3rd
https://twitter.com/#!/frugalohio44/status/187120257087967232
I like how it is designed for safety and also that you can get a reading in 3 seconds.
Tweeted https://twitter.com/#!/rusthawk/status/187282595208368128
I follow you on twitter @rusthawk.
I follow ThermoWorks on twitter @rusthawk.
I am one of your facebook followers (Rust Hawk).
I follow ThermaPen on facebook and left a message on their FB wall as Rust Hawk.
I liked this page with your button (Rust hawk).
daily tweet https://twitter.com/#!/rusthawk/status/187675544882651137
daily tweet https://twitter.com/#!/rusthawk/status/188087383235895296
https://twitter.com/#!/rusthawk/status/188446845142450176
daily tweet https://twitter.com/#!/rusthawk/status/188826205544382464
https://twitter.com/#!/rusthawk/status/189181960659271682