Cooking turkey on thanksgiving is both fun and a challenge. It is a tough meat and you better have the best gear to prepare it like a pro. All the layers of the meat must be perfectly cooked if you want to enjoy a delicious bird. The only connection you have with the turkey is your meat thermometer while it is in the oven, so you better have a good one. Let me tell you how I roast the best turkey, and not just on Thanksgiving, all year round so, that you don’t have to wait till it is November.
ThermoPro TP-07 Wireless Remote Digital Meat Thermometer
I probably used more than 20 different meat thermometers in the past but this one definitely stands out from the crowd. It is as smart as it gets with the LCD backlit screen. There are different meat presets for poultry, veal, beef, pork, lamb, and fish, but you can also custom program if you want to. The presets are organized according to the USDA specifications, but I created my own settings over time. It is great for those who can’t adjust the doneness level of the meat since we get to decide on that with a touch of a button; well-done, medium-well, medium-rare and so on.
Having one of these is a great help when your cooking thanksgiving turkey. Since the whole cooking time is too long, you need accurate temperature info on how your meat is doing during roasting. Monitoring the cooking process is crucial. If you don’t use a quality meat thermometer, then things can get out of hand easily, and you may end with a frayed skin turkey or uncooked insides. That is why I never attempt to cook my turkey without the ThermoPro.
The biggest mistake is to focus only on the outside. And unfortunately, most novice turkey cookers tend to go that route by instinct. I used to cook depending on the browning of the skin. You can get lucky, but there is no remedy for an undercooked turkey with fully cooked outside. You only get two options; either you will burn the skin or eat a raw turkey!
The timer and real time notification with color changing is magnificent. It even lets me know earlier that the meat is getting close to the set temperature. Turns blue with 10°F increase, green within 15°F of the setting, and finally red with the alarm when the targeted temperature is reached.
The 40¨ long probe and wire can withstand temperatures up to 716°F (380°C). So, feel free to use it in your grill or oven with no worries. No synchronization is necessary, you don’t do any tech stuff, just put the batteries in and start using. This is an accurate thermometer since I tested against one of my old mechanical thermometers.
The wireless meat thermometer has a crazy coverage area of 300 feet but that does not mean that you can put the meat in the oven and leave for the store or visit neighbors. However, you can go watch some movie in the living room or work in the backyard while the meat is cooking.
Turn it into a habit and never leave any cooking pot or oven unattended. It is a lesson I learned well the hard way when I put my first rental apartment on fire by leaving hot oil in the pan and chatting with my friend on the phone upstairs. So, now I double check the stovetop and all cooking gear before I leave the apartment.
Features:
- 5 x 2.6 x 6.1 inches
- Weighs 8.3 ounces
- Works with AAA Batteries
- Includes Recipe eBook
- Comes with a 3-year warranty
What Temperature Should Meat Thermometer Be For Turkey?
The best range for a well-cooked turkey is between 165°F to 180°F. Anything less than that would not be fair to the Thanksgiving turkey; it needs to be cooked thoroughly. Don’t just stick the thermometer in the middle of the breast of the turkey since it may not tell you the whole story. Aim for the meat closer to the thigh or wings, and also the breast temperature for a more accurate number. All temperatures must be 165°F minimum. Keep in mind that the meat around the thighs are the slowest to cook.
What Is The Best Electric Roaster Oven?
The best electric roaster oven must have a self-basting lid, easy to operate, and should come with the keep warm and defrost feature. Select the right size electric roaster oven according to your turkey needs; they range anywhere from 18 Qt to 22 Qt. Most are electric roasters portable, so they don’t take much space in the kitchen. I used to believe that the perfect turkey is restaurant bought not cooked. But that all changed when I learned the tricks and got the right oven and other necessary gear like the meat thermometer, lifters, etc.
Remember, the first trick is to be patient. Because it is true; cooking turkey takes a long time even if you use fast-paced recipes. The reason for that is that the meat is very hard and does not have much fat in it. And if you a get a huge bird then it is going to take even longer to cook. This is not something that you start preparing when you feel hungry; go break some eggs for that.
In Conclusion
Maybe it is just me, but it took a lot of trials until I achieved my first quality roast. It may seem like a simple task just to throw the turkey into the oven, but it sure is not as easy as cooking a chicken. You need to check the inside temperature of the meat accurately and constantly to make any temperature adjustments properly. The ThermoPro digital wireless meat thermometer makes it all a breeze to watch out your meat without even being in the kitchen physically. A must have for any serious Thanksgiving turkey enthusiast.
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