That $60 meat thermometer almost ruined my whole station

Bought a cheap digital probe off Amazon 3 months ago and it read 25 degrees off on a prime rib during a busy Saturday service. Cost me a $200 cut of meat and had to comp the table. Anyone else had a budget thermometer fail on them during a rush?

2 comments

2 Comments

angela_carter3d ago

Hold up, are we really blaming the thermometer for operator error? In my experience, most of these cheap probes are accurate enough if you actually check them in ice water and boiling water before you trust them on a $200 cut of meat. I've had a $12 instant read on my truck for 4 years and it's never been more than 2 degrees off, but I also test it every couple months because metal fatigue and battery drain are real things. A 25 degree discrepancy means either the battery was almost dead or you stuck it in wrong, maybe against a bone or too close to the surface. I'd argue a backup plan and basic calibration would've saved that prime rib way more than a fancy thermometer would have.

blake_cooper2d ago

My buddy Dave trashed a $40 rib roast trusting a thermometer that read 38 degrees in ice water. @angela_carter is right.