A meat thermometer shows whether the thickest part of a roast, a chicken or a sausage has reached the temperature it needs, without cutting it open. Food Standards Australia New Zealand says poultry, mince, sausages and rolled roasts need at least 75°C in the centre, while Victoria's Better Health Channel says steak, chops and whole cuts of red meat can be cooked to preference. Instant-read thermometers check food in a few seconds when pushed in. Leave-in probes stay in the meat while it cooks and report to a phone or a base unit.
| Thermometer | Type | Reading | Accuracy | Warranty | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thermapen ONE | Instant-read | 1 second | ±0.3°C | 5 years | $150–200 |
| MEATER Pro | Wireless probe | To a phone app | ±0.3°C | 2 years | $200–250 |
| ThermoPro TP19W | Instant-read | 2 to 3 seconds | ±0.5°C | Not stated | $50–100 |
| MEATER Pro Duo | Two wireless probes | To a phone app, over wi-fi | ±0.3°C | 2 years | $350–400 |
| ThermoWorks ChefAlarm | Wired probe with alarm | To a base unit | ±1°C | 1 year | $150–200 |
| Inkbird IHT-1P | Instant-read | 3 to 5 seconds | Not stated | 1 year | Under $50 |
Specs are from the makers' pages and the Australian stores linked below. Accuracy is the maker's figure across the range most cooking happens in. Checked on 28 September 2026.
1. Best Instant-Read: Thermapen ONE
The Thermapen ONE reads in one second and is accurate to ±0.3°C between -19.9°C and 119.9°C, according to ETI, the British company that makes it. It is sealed to IP67, and its display rotates to suit the way it's held and wakes when it's moved. It comes with a calibration certificate and a five-year guarantee, and runs about 2,000 hours on one AAA battery with the backlight off.
It costs about three times as much as the ThermoPro TP19W, which takes two to three seconds.
What We Like:
- One-second readings
- IP67 sealed
- 5-year guarantee
What We Don't Like:
- About 3× the ThermoPro's price
2. Best Wireless: MEATER Pro
The MEATER Pro is a probe with no cable that stays in the meat for the whole cook. Five sensors read the meat and one reads the air in the oven or barbecue, and both readings go to MEATER's phone app. MEATER rates it for 105°C inside the meat and 550°C around it, with a typical home range of 250 feet (about 75m) over Bluetooth; it has no wi-fi of its own. The probe charges in its case and goes in the dishwasher, and MEATER's Australian distributor gives it a two-year warranty.
Beyond Bluetooth range it relies on MEATER's Link or Cloud features to reach the phone, because it has no wi-fi of its own. The Pro Duo has wi-fi built into its charger.
What We Like:
- No cable to trap in the lid
- Reads meat and air
- Dishwasher safe
What We Don't Like:
- No built-in wi-fi
3. Best Value Instant-Read: ThermoPro TP19W
ThermoPro's Australian store lists the TP19W at two to three seconds a reading and ±0.5°C from -10°C to 100°C. Its 2-inch backlit display turns to face the way it's held, and it wakes when picked up and sleeps after 90 seconds. There is also a lock button to hold a reading.
The Australian page calls it waterproof but gives no IP rating, and it doesn't state a warranty period.
What We Like:
- About a third of the Thermapen's price
- Backlit rotating display
- Motion wake and sleep
What We Don't Like:
- No warranty period stated
4. Best for Two Meats: MEATER Pro Duo
The Pro Duo puts two probes, with six sensors each, in one charging block that joins the home wi-fi as well as Bluetooth, so the app can follow both cooks from anywhere in the house. MEATER lists the same 105°C and 550°C limits as the single Pro, dishwasher-safe probes, and 24 hours of cooking from a 30-minute charge.
Probes that stop working within a year come up in owner reviews of MEATER probes; the warranty runs for two years.
What We Like:
- Two probes
- Wi-fi range at home
- 24 hours from a 30-minute charge
What We Don't Like:
- Probe failures, owners say
5. Best Wired With an Alarm: ThermoWorks ChefAlarm
The ChefAlarm's probe stays in the meat on a cable that runs out of the oven door to a base unit, which sounds a high or low alarm at up to 92dB and has a count-up and count-down timer. The Que Club lists it at ±1°C from -20°C to 120°C, with a calibration adjustment and about 5,000 hours from two AAA batteries. It needs no phone.
ThermoWorks' help page says its probes most often fail from being used above their temperature range or from the cable staying wet for too long, and the warranty is one year.
What We Like:
- Loud high and low alarms
- Timer built in
- Needs no phone
What We Don't Like:
- Cable can be damaged by heat
6. Best Budget: Inkbird IHT-1P
Inkbird's IHT-1P is a folding instant-read that ships from Inkbird's Australian warehouse. It reads in three to five seconds, is rated IPX5 against splashes, and runs about 30 hours between charges with the backlight off. It has a magnet on the back and a calibration setting that corrects readings by up to 3°C either way.
Owners say the folding probe's hinge is the weak point, and Inkbird's Australian page doesn't give an accuracy figure.
What We Like:
- Rechargeable
- Calibration setting
- Magnet on the back
What We Don't Like:
- Flimsy probe hinge, owners say
Other options worth a look
- MEATER Plus. MEATER's cheaper wireless probe, rated for 100°C in the meat and 275°C around it, suits oven roasts and barbecues that stay under 275°C.
- ThermoPro Lightning TP622W. A one-second thermocouple instant-read with a calibration setting, for about $30 more than the TP19W.
- ThermoWorks DOT. A simpler, cheaper wired probe with a temperature alarm.
How to choose a meat thermometer
Instant-read or leave-in. An instant-read suits steaks, sausages and burgers, checked near the end. A leave-in probe suits roasts, whole chickens and slow cooks, because the lid or oven door stays shut.
Temperatures to aim for. Meat & Livestock Australia puts beef at 60°C for rare, 65°C to 70°C for medium and 75°C for well done, measured in the centre, and suggests taking it off the heat 3°C to 6°C early because it keeps cooking as it rests. For whole pork steaks and roasts, the Food Safety Information Council gives 70°C to 75°C in the centre. Poultry, mince, sausages and rolled roasts need 75°C.
Where the probe goes. In the thickest part of the meat, not touching bone or gristle, as the Food Safety Information Council advises.
Checking accuracy. FSANZ describes an ice-water check: a probe left for three minutes in a slurry of ice and water should read 0°C, and readings more than 1°C apart mean the thermometer needs checking.
FAQs
What temperature is chicken cooked at?
At least 75°C in the centre of the thickest part, for whole birds, pieces and mince alike, according to Food Standards Australia New Zealand.
Can a meat thermometer stay in the oven?
Leave-in probes are made for it: MEATER's Pro probes are rated to 550°C around the meat, and the ChefAlarm's probe sits in the meat with its cable running out of the door. Instant-read thermometers are meant to be pushed in, read and taken out.
