If you want to cook the best meat you’ve ever eaten then you need a good meat thermometer. It’s the only way to cook a perfect steak consistently or roast a chicken to perfection. If you aren’t sure where to start, we’re here to help. In this article we list our favourite models and tell you what to look for when choosing.
Here are the best meat thermometers in Australia:
1. Weber iGrill 2 Meat Thermometer (Top Pick)
The iGrill 2 from Weber is our number one pick for the best leave-in meat thermometer.
It comes with two meat probes but it can take up to four at once. The LED display is easy to read and the unit is easy to use.
It also has Bluetooth connectivity so you can download the app for your smart device and the thermometer will send you an alert when your meat is at the perfect temperature. There is also a range of settings you can choose from; this is the easiest way to cook a perfect steak or oven roast.
Overall, this is a solid device that’s easy to use and will suit both professional chefs and amateurs alike.
What We Like:
- Easy to use
- Accurate
- Bluetooth connectivity
What We Don’t Like:
- Expensive
2. Inkbird Digital Food Thermometer (Best Value)
This thermometer from INkbird is great value for money. It works as well as the more expensive thermometers and is pretty accurate. It comes with two meat probes but has the capacity to take six at once.
The LED display can show the temperature in Celsius or Fahrenheit, which can be handy if you’re cooking from a foreign recipe. It also has Bluetooth connectivity so you can monitor your cooking on your phone.
The magnet on the back of the unit could be a little stronger, you may need to reinforce it if you plan to stick the thermometer to the side of a barbeque, but other than that this is a great thermometer and is highly recommended.
What We Like:
- Easy to use
- Bluetooth connectivity
- Great value
What We Don’t Like:
- Back magnet is a little weak
3. Meater True Wireless Smart Meat Thermometer
This meat thermometer from Meater is a completely wireless probe with Bluetooth and wi-fi connectivity. There is no display; your smart device lets you monitor the temperature of the meat.
This is as easy as it gets; just insert the probe into your meat you will receive an alert when it’s ready. The probe monitors both internal temperature and ambient temperature simultaneously so it is very accurate when determining if meat is done.
The price is high, but this is one of the best meat thermometers around.
What We Like:
- Dual temperature reading
- Wireless
- Wi-Fi connectivity
What We Don’t Like:
- Expensive
4. Wiltshire Classic Stainless Steel Meat Thermometer
This is a great, inexpensive leave-in meat thermometer from Wiltshire. It has an analog dial that is easy to read, and there are no fancy features that might break. It’s simple, solid, and will last a long time.
The readings are accurate and the body is made from stainless steel so it’s easy to clean and maintain.
If you haven’t used a meat thermometer before, or you just want something simple and reliable, then this is the one you should go for.
What We Like:
- Easy to use
- Easy to read
- Inexpensive
What We Don’t Like:
- No extra features
5. Thermoworks ThermoPop Meat Thermometer
The Thermoworks Thermopop is an instant read meat thermometer that can be read from multiple directions. Just push the button on the side and the display rotates 90 degrees each time. For some, this won’t be a particularly useful feature, but the thermometer works great and is very accurate.
It has a thin tip so you can easily slip it into a piece of meat to check the temperature without doing any damage to your perfect steak.
It has a pen-style sheath and is easy to carry around and use. This is a very convenient digital thermometer that you can use to check a lot of pieces of meat quickly.
What We Like:
- Simple to use
- Fast reading
- Thin tip
What We Don’t Like:
- Rotating display is a bit of a gimmick
Meat Thermometer Buyer’s Guide
Instant-read thermometers
These types of meat thermometers are used to check the temperature range of meat after it comes off the grill or out of the oven. You insert the thermometer probe into the meat and check if the temperature is correct, if not, remove the thermometer and place the meat back on the heat.
These types are useful for checking lots of different pieces of meat, for example, if you are cooking steaks for a party.
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Leave-in thermometers
These types of meat thermometers are inserted into the meat while it’s raw and left in the entire time that it’s cooking. This will give you the most accurate reading but you can only use it on one piece of meat at a time.
These are best for oven roasts or large items like turkey.
Analog
Analog is tried and true. There is very little that can break on an analog thermometer so they tend to last for a very long time. The analog face is usually a dial, with an arrow that points to the current temperature.
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Digital
A digital meat thermometer is easier to read with little ambiguity. Leave-in digital thermometers usually have a long cord with a probe. The probe stays in the meat while the cord passes around the side of the oven door to the display unit which sits outside the oven. Modern digital thermometers are often wireless, removing the hassle of dealing with the cord, which can be a big bonus when dealing with hot cooking surfaces.
Meat Thermometer FAQs
There are two types of cooking thermometers for meat. The first is the kind that you can leave in the oven the whole time the meat is cooking. The second type is used to read the temperature of the meat after it is removed from the oven.
Many leave-in thermometers are all metal with a dial. Digital units will usually sit outside the oven and a cord with a probe is placed into the meat while it cooks.
For an oven-going meat cooking thermometer, it’s best to insert it into the thickest part of the meat and ensure it isn’t touching the pan, or any fat or bone. When your meat has cooked for the appropriate time, check the thermometer. If the temperature reading shows that the meat is ready, push it into the meat a little further and see if the temperature changes. If it doesn’t, the meat is ready.
For digital instant-read food thermometers, take your meat out of the oven or off the grill and push the probe into the meat. It’s best to wait about twenty seconds to get an accurate reading.
