REVIEW: Taylor Digital Dual Temperature Thermocouple and Infrared Thermometer

I mentioned a couple months ago CSN Stores asked me to review a product from one of their 200+ stores. I was given $55 to spend on anything I wanted to try. I went back and forth many times before finally deciding I needed a new digital thermometer. Apparently I am pretty rough on thermometers. Over the past couple years, I've gone through the following thermometers:

 

3 Different $20-30 Probe Thermometers:

 

 One Digital "Instant Read" 

One cheapo meat thermometer

I really liked the probe style thermometers I've used. It's so convenient to be able to put the probe in a roast before you put it in the oven and have it monitor the temperature constantly and even have an alarm alert you when it reaches a certain temperature. On the flip side, I've had lots of problems with the  the wire connecting the probe to the device fraying. I'd say they've lasted me  about 6-9 months before it became frayed and stopped working. After going through my first two probes, I decided to try a cheap digital "instant read" like pictured above. It worked ok, but there was really nothing instant about it. It takes at least 10-15 seconds to get an accurate reading. That might not seem like a huge deal, but when I'm working on a 500 degree grill or trying to maintain a consistent temperature in my smoker, time is of the essence. So I finally decided to break down and buy a true instant read thermometer.

Taylor Digital Dual Temperature Thermocouple and Infrared Thermometer

CSN didn't have a lot of high end digital thermometers for me to pick from so I decided to get the Taylor Digital Dual Temperature Thermocouple and Infrared Thermometer. Here are the stats provided by Taylor:

Features:

• Digital infrared dual temperature thermometer
• Infrared temperature range: -27° F to 428° F and -33° C to 220° C
• Thermocouple temperature range: -67° F to 630° F and -55° C to 330° C
• Min and max and hold features
• Step down tip for a small puncture in foods
• Batteries and nylon case included
• Overall dimensions: 6.25" H x 2.13" W x 2.38" D

The device is pretty straightforward to use. If you want to us the infrared to test the surface temperature of a pan you simply hold down the infrared button and point it at the pan you want to rest. It's actually kind of fun to play with the infrared setting and I've started charting temperatures when I am sauteing, sweating, etc to test the results at different temperatures.

While the infrared is fun to play with, the probe is the real reason I bought the thermometer. I was sick of burning my hand waiting for the cheaper "instant" read thermometers to get up to 160 degrees when I was grilling chicken - usually at least 10 seconds. I was hoping this Taylor model would literally be instant but it still takes 2-3 seconds to come up to temperature. It's definitely a big improvement over this $10 Taylor model I also own, but so far I don't think it's worth the additional $90 in cost.

Do you have a thermometer you really love? Am I missing out on some great features of this model that I just haven't discovered yet?

Full disclosure: I was provided with $55 towards the purchase of any item from any of CSN Stores websites. The total cost of the thermometer was $99.99, I was responsible for the difference in price. The opinions written here are all my own.