Tired of ruining the look of a perfect piece of chicken just to see if it's cooked through? This digital meat thermometer does the work for you. (Lisa Schweitzer/Yahoo)
Summer equals grilling season, just as winter equals roasting season. Both of these tasks can be overwhelming to manage, even if you're a confident and experienced cook. And then there's the added pressure of bringing proteins to a safe temperature without overcooking them. This is where the best meat thermometers for 2025 come in handy. These gadgets ensure your food is neither raw in the middle nor overcooked.
When I attended culinary school back in the early aughts (aka the Dark Ages), we were taught to use an analog meat thermometer. We would have to recalibrate it often and were never sure if it was accurate. Luckily, thermometers have come a long way — almost all are digital these days, making checking the temperature of your food faster and easier. If you've been flying by the seat of your pants without a thermometer, welcome to the world of simply inserting a probe and instantly (within a few seconds) getting a reading. You'll never have to hack into a beautiful piece of chicken, fish or beef to check for doneness again.
After researching dozens of thermometers, I narrowed down the testing pool to eight popular picks. They range from a very affordable digital probe to instant-read models to high-end wireless ones that work with an app on your phone. I looked for speed, accuracy and value. My picks for the best meat thermometers will help make cooking more efficient and precise, no matter what price point you prefer.
Related: More cooking must-haves, including Ina Garten's go-to kitchen gadgets, the best cookware sets and the best chef's knives.
Update, July 23, 2025: We checked all product prices and availability. Our number one pick for best meat thermometer overall remains unchanged, but after long-term testing, we swapped our top pick for best wireless meat thermometer from the Meater Pro to the Ninja ProChef.
Type: Instant read | Temperature Range: -58°F to 572°F | Features: Motion-sensing on/off mode, waterproof, automated backlight | Warranty: 5 years
The ThermoWorks Thermapen One is truly a top-of-the-line meat thermometer. It takes readings in one second, it has no buttons to fuss with, its backlit display rotates so you can always read it easily and, most importantly, it's accurate. The only catch? The price. At $119, it's steep. But if you're the type who grills every night as soon as the temperature hits 60 degrees or you're simply obsessed with making sure you're not undercooking food, this is the thermometer for you.
Like some other meat thermometers I tested, the Thermapen One powers on when you pull out the probe. The backlit display rotates as you move the thermometer and the probe is long enough to reach the middle of even a Flintstone-size turkey leg. It took temperature readings in 1 second, has a massive temperature range from -58 to 572°F and it passed the ice water and boiling water tests (read more about them in the "How we tested" section below). It does it all on the power of one AAA battery, which comes preinstalled.
Type: Leave-in | Temperature Range: 32°F to 392°F | Features: Programmable temperature and timer alert, backlight, magnet to attach to oven or microwave | Warranty: 1-year limited
A leave-in thermometer is a must when you're cooking a large roast and you don't want to open the oven repeatedly to check the internal temperature of the meat. This one from Taylor is helpful on so many levels. It features programmable timer and temperature alerts and the magnet on the back means you can stick it on your oven or microwave door for check-ins without cluttering your countertop. Did I mention it rings in at under 20 bucks and the two required AAA batteries are included?
The drawbacks: The probe and insulated wire are only heat-safe up to 392°F, which means you cannot use it with a very hot grill or oven. And the readings take a bit longer than with other thermometers I tested. These are minor issues in the overall picture, though.
Type: Wireless | Temperature Range: up to 700°F | Features: Programmable temperature and timer alert, magnet to attach to oven or grill | Warranty: 1 year
After using the Ninja ProChef for the last six months, I'm moving its rating up to the best Bluetooth wireless meat thermometer (in place of the Meater Pro, which you can read about in "others we tested," below). I'd also award it the best thermometer for grilling because it helps turn an average griller into an exceptional one.
Once you install the Ninja app on your phone and charge the thermometer for at least five minutes, you're ready to use it. The wireless probe features an indented line indicating how far to insert it into the thickest part of whatever you're cooking. It can be used on the stove, in the oven and on the grill over direct heat of up to 700°F, making it ideal for grilling enthusiasts. The app lets you set alerts for your desired temperature and offers helpful suggestions for temperatures depending on what you're cooking. This means proteins come out exactly as you want them to, every time.
The required AAA battery is included, and the probe is easily hand-washed.
After opening each package, I noted if there was any setup required and how easy the gadgets were to use. As I tried the thermometers, I checked how fast they gave readings and how accurate their readings were. To rank on our list, they had to excel in the following tests:
"High steaks" test: I seared steak and used each thermometer to check the temperature of the meat both on the stove and when I believed it was close to reaching my desired internal temperature (roughly 135°F, or medium-rare).
"Ice, ice baby" test: I tested each thermometer by submerging the probe in the center of a cup of mostly ice and a little cold water to see if it read 32°F. If it did, it was accurate.
"Boiling point" test: I live in New York City, which is at sea level, where water boils at 212°F. Another way to test the accuracy of a thermometer is to bring water to a rolling boil and then immerse the probe and wait for it to give a reading. If it doesn't come to 212°F, it needs to be recalibrated (or is inaccurate).
My time spent testing the thermometers yielded these factors to keep in mind when you're shopping.
Type:
Instant-read: These straightforward gadgets operate on a battery and often feature auto-on/off technology. They read temperature within seconds, but are handheld and you cannot leave them in the protein during cooking. These work well for cooking and baking.
Leave-in: As you might have guessed, these feature a probe at the end of a long wire that can be left inside the protein during cooking, either on the stove, grill or in the oven, while the device itself remains on the counter. These are very helpful when cooking a turkey or a pot roast, and they usually have an alarm to alert you that food has reached your target temperature.
Wireless: These use Bluetooth technology to send live temperature readings from a leave-in probe to an app on your smartphone. Keep in mind their range (can you wander off to do other things and still get up-to-the-moment readings?) and their need to be charged. Make sure you read the manual as the wireless thermometers required me to download and register the devices in an app before I could use them. Always check the box to see if the batteries are included.
Accuracy: See our testing methods above.
Speed: All of the thermometers I tested gave readings in 20 seconds or less, with the Thermapen One being the fastest at just one second.
Display: If the display is backlit with large, easy-to-read numbers, you're good to go. Even better? A display that auto-rotates so you can read it at any angle.
Price: If you know you'll use a meat thermometer multiple times each week and you value the peace of mind that comes with knowing exactly what the internal temperature of food is within a few seconds, then investing in a higher-priced tool like the Thermapen One makes sense. If you think you'll only use the thermometer occasionally, a leave-in like the Taylor is an excellent, reasonably-priced choice.
Lavatools Javelin Pro Duo ($43): This folding instant-read thermometer was the runner-up to the Thermapen One. It's not quite as fast, but still quick enough not to think about, the temperature range is pretty good (-40°F to 482°F) and the auto on/off auto-rotating display works as soon as you fold the probe out or back in. The magnet on the back and notch (which serves as a quasi-handle) are nice features if you want to stash the thermometer on a hook or stick it up on the fridge. And the price is less than half of the Thermapen One.
Oxo Good Grips Thermocouple Thermometer ($60): Oxo's entry into the instant-read thermometer market is pretty pricey ($105) when it's not on sale, though it is accurate and fast. The temperature is generous (-58°F to 572°F) and the probe rotates more than 180 degrees, so it works for lefties just as well as righties. One annoying issue: The included batteries were not installed and this required a small screwdriver. I also would have appreciated a magnet on the back.
ThermoWorks ThermoPop 2 ($43): This lollipop lookalike instant-read thermometer works fast and is accurate but, without a folding probe, you can only insert it into food at one angle. It has a wide temperature range (-58 to 572°F), an auto-backlight and a case that features a clip to attach it to your shirt for added convenience.
Meater Pro Wireless Meat Thermometer ($130): Though this Bluetooth thermometer initially impressed me, after long-term testing, the Ninja ProChef edged it out, at a slightly lower price. The Meater Pro also works with an app on your phone that lets you easily set temperature alerts (it's heat-resistant up to 1,000°F). It has the same 165-foot range for the charger, but after using it for months, I found that the phone app often lost connection to the probe well within this radius.
ThermoWorks Dot ($53): This cute wired-probe leave-in thermometer is simpler than the Taylor model, though more than twice the price. Like many others, it has a good temperature range (-58°F to 572°F), an easy-to-read backlit display and lets you set a desired temperature alert. It does not feature a timer, but it does have a tiny kickstand for propping up and small magnets on the back so you can stick it to appliances.
There's no one most accurate meat thermometer, though we found plenty of great options, all of which are on our list above. To test a thermometer for accuracy, try the ice water test mentioned above.
Pit masters and frequent grillers use a range of meat thermometers including instant-read, leave-in and wireless Bluetooth models.
We received complimentary samples of some products and purchased others ourselves, but we reviewed all products using the same objective criteria.