'No more guesswork': This instant-read meat thermometer is down to $13 for grilling season

Summertime is grilling time! If your meat-mastering skills could use a little refining, there's a surefire way to ensure your grub turns out finger-lickin' good and, most importantly, is safe to eat: taking its temperature. Doing this can help you achieve your desired texture every time, from ribs that fall off the bone to cake with the most tender of crumbs — forget about over- or undercooking food. Thousands of Amazon shoppers have adopted this practice thanks to the Kizen Digital Meat Thermometer, which happens to be on sale for $12 (just in time for Father's Day, hint-hint). Now you won't have to slice into your meat to see if it's done, letting out all the juicy goodness.

Why is it a good deal? 💰

When you consider the cost of meat these days, this $12 gizmo could help you save money by cutting down on waste. After all, you'll be less likely to leave food on your plate when it's cooked just the way you like it. And while you can't put a price on food safety, some digital thermometers cost upward of $60, so we'll take this one (it's down to its lowest price in months).

Why do I need this? 🤔

Undercooked meat is dangerous, and overcooked meat is like chewing on shoe leather. This digital thermometer will help ensure you never stress about either one again. Just poke it into your dinner-to-be and you'll have a temperature readout in a few seconds. Use it for making medium-rare steaks, properly cooked poultry or satisfyingly seared salmon. You can also use the Kizen to test-fry oil and gauge the doneness of casseroles, desserts and more without the guesswork.

It's not just for hot foods, either: It can read temps from −58°F to 572°F and has a vibrant backlit display. (Prefer your temp readings in Celsius? Done, with the press of a button.) There's also a handy chart with popular cooking temperatures displayed right on the unit. It automatically shuts off after 10 minutes to save battery life, and beyond food, you can use it to gauge the right temp for bottles, bath water, even cocktails.

The Kizen has a retractable probe for easy storage in a drawer, but it also has a magnetic back and hanging loop, so you can stick it on your fridge or display it proudly on the side of your grill. Oh yeah: It's also waterproof and easy to clean.

What reviewers say 💬

Amazon shoppers love how easy this gadget is to use and say it provides an accurate reading for consistently cooked food every time. More than 61,000 of 'em give it five stars.

Pros 👍

This content cook was impressed by how quickly the readings appeared: "Within seconds, it provides an accurate temperature reading, allowing me to monitor the cooking process with confidence. No more guesswork."

"Very good thermometer," said another Kizen convert, who bought multiples. "Does what it needs to do. Accidentally dunked it in water, and it still worked. Easy to use. Bought a second one for backup and another as a gift. Good housewarming gift or a small gift for a new cook or someone who does not know how to cook meats to temp!"

"This thing rocks!" exclaimed a third. "I've been cooking without one of these my whole 63-year-old life. Last night I was cooking some pork, and after the recommended cooking time, [I] checked [the] internal temp. Perfect. But I know if I hadn't had the meat thermometer, I would have cooked it longer ... I guess I'll need to apologize for all the dry meat I've been serving all my life."

This thoughtful spouse shared that it made a great gift for Dad. "Bought this for Father's Day about four years ago. My husband loves this thermometer and won't cook without it," they said. "He never fails to tell me how much he enjoys it still."

Cons 👎

"I use it mainly for checking chicken in my air fryer — it's been spot-on since day one," raved a generally pleased poultry prepper. "I do wish it would display the temp [for] maybe a few extra seconds longer, or have it as a display setting. Just me, though ... doesn't affect functionality at all!"

This final fan said one feature might be a little too user-friendly: "This handy little tool saves me from overcooking expensive meat," they started. "The only complaint is that it's easy to switch from Fahrenheit to Celsius and not notice."

Once you've got your perfectly cooked chicken or pork, shred it up in no time, courtesy of this fun tool.

If you have Amazon Prime, you’ll get free shipping, of course. Not yet a member? No problem. You can sign up for your free 30-day trial here. (And by the way, those without Prime still get free shipping on orders of $35 or more.)

The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.

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