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Just a quick note, this is an almost instant read thermometer. On average, it takes between 2-4 seconds for a final accurate reading. However, DO NOT TURN IT ON UNTIL YOU HAVE IT INSERTED. I read plenty of reviews stating it takes 30 seconds to record. If you turn it on, it will start at the temperature of the room and crawl up slowly (usually only a few degrees at time). This will be quite frustrating and useless.
Remember, insert it, then turn it on...and BINGO, you are in business.
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One of the ongoing questions about these thermometers seems to be just how "instant" an instant-read thermometer is. The metal bit (actually, the bit inside the metal tube) has to physically warm up to the same temperature as whatever you're reading before it can send the signal to the display. It's going to take at least a few seconds. You'll never be able to jab it in the steak, glance at the number, and yank it back out a second later; you have to wait for it to warm up.It appears that different reviewers have wildly different experiences in how long this takes, so you should be able to get an idea of how many seconds "instant" is for YOUR thermometer, and how well it's working in general, by running a quick calibration test:
Get a big cup of ice and add enough water that the ice starts to float. (You want as much ice as possible, but not packed solid.)
Find a clock with a second hand, and check the temperature on the thermometer (so you know what "room temperature" is). Stick the thermometer in the ice water. Watch the time until it hits 32 F (freezing temperature for pure water: salt water can hit 0 F). That should give you a good idea how long it takes to adjust down about 40 degrees in temperature.
It should stop pretty close to 32 F, but you may want to leave it in the ice water for another minute, to make sure that it doesn't keep on going -that will let you know how accurate it is. Once it's stablized, you can take it out and let it warm up to room temperature again.
Put a pan of water on the stove to boil (a couple of inches of water is fine). When the water boils, grab your clock and turn on the thermometer to get an idea of what temperature it is now (this is to make sure that it's not still cold from the ice water).
Stick the thermometer in the boiling water. At sea level, pure water boils at 212 F, but as you get higher than sea level, the boiling temperature drops. The quick rule of thumb is two degrees for every 1,000 feet elevation, so if you're at 1,000 feet elevation, then you should expect to see water boil at 210 F, and at 6,000 feet, you might see water boil at 200 F. (There are other factors, like how pure your water is, so don't worry too much about a couple of degrees one way or the other.)
Watch the display and the clock to see how long it takes the thermometer to hit the number you expect for your area. That will tell you how quickly it adjusts and how accurate it is. If it takes 15 or 20 seconds to get from room temperature to boiling, then getting up to roast temperature (which is lower than boiling temperature) will probably take 10 or 15 seconds. Therefore, every time you check that roast, or turkey, or whatever, you'll need to allot 10 or 15 seconds to get an accurate temperature.
If you need something faster than this, then you'll have to pay for it. Laser systems (which read only the surface, not the internal temperature) and thermocouple systems (which work like this one, but are much faster: see the red or gray 'Thermapens' offered on Amazon.com by Baker's Catalogue) can easily start at five (or more) times the price of these inexpensive Taylor models.
Given the failure rate that other reviewers have noticed, I'd suggest you also double-check how well yours functions every now and again -particularly before holiday dinners!
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After reading customer reviews on other digital thermometers and realizing that ALL thermometers are not created equally, I ordered this Taylor digital. It more than met my needs and overcame the drawbacks of others: It is small enough to fit easily into a drawer and can be carried in a shirt pocket; it is extremely easy to clean; since the digital readout is on the flat "head", the temperature is VERY easy to read without having to bend over or read it upside down; it has an ON/OFF button to save the battery and it comes with an extra battery included. Although the description says "instant-read", you do have to watch the read-out climb (quickly) to the current temperature. I'll never have tough, over-cooked meat again.Honest reviews on Taylor 9840 Digital Instant Read Pocket Thermometer
I do not recommend this thermometer, as it is too delicate for any kitchen. First of all, the on-off switch is much too small and finicky; it is easily broken. Second, the entire assembly is not liquid-proof or even liquid-resistant, so watch out if you drop this thermometer into a liquid! Perhaps water isn't fatal to it, as you can open the case and dry it out. But forget about the thermometer if you get any kind of oil into it. The oil will seep into the display, rendering it unreadable or, worse, simply non-functional.I have already been through two of these thermometers. Now I'm buying the old-fashioned kind with the analog dial.
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I've used this thermometer for two years and wonder how I lived without it. (My wife says It's because I didn't cook). I use it to check my ovens; my freezer and refrigerator as well as food being cooked. Having used instant-read thermometers in my photo darkroom for years the discovery of this tool for cooking was like meeting an old and trusted friend and it hasn't let me down. A perfect example of simple technology enriching control of our lives.
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