These certainly help, but are not nearly as accurate as using a thermometer. Many of us also rely on visual cues, like piercing chicken to see if the liquid running out is clear or pink, or tactile feedback, like how jiggly the steak is vs. There are just way too many variables involved (outside/ambient temperature, oven temperature, food thickness and volume, food temperature at beginning of cook, etc.) for any sort of cooking time estimate to be consistently reliable. So, when ThermoPro came to us telling us that they have a new product that’s aiming to provide an affordable alternative to the much loved Thermapen, we were very eager to see what they had created. ThermoPro are the creators of one of our favorite and most used products, the ThermoPro TP-20. If you read a lot of recipes, I'm sure you have seen many cooks recommend that you "cook to internal temperature, not to time". ThermoPro TP-19 Thermometer Review ThermoPro TP-19 vs Thermapen.
The only way to be sure food is cooked to this temperature is with a high quality food thermometer. It also publishes minimum safe temperatures, such as 165F for poultry, 160F for ground meats, and 145F for pork. must be cooked to a safe minimum internal temperature to destroy any harmful bacteria". Food and Drug Administration says that "meat, poultry, seafood, and egg products. Eating under-cooked foods poses many health risks. The other reason you need a high quality thermometer is, of course, food safety. Nothing else I have seen gives you the same accuracy and near-instantaneous readings that this food thermometer does. Considering how much money we spend on meat and seafood, $80-100 for this tool is a great value. I can't tell you how many times it has saved my butt by making sure the meal was neither over or under-cooked. If I could only have one tool for cooking, the ThermoWorks Thermapen MK4 would be it.