Polder Original All-In-One Timer/Thermometer, reviewed

The most difficult part of cooking a turkey is that it is very difficult to tell when the bird is done cooking. A turkey is so large – although the same idea applies to many other kinds and cuts of meat, as well – that it is difficult to maneuver in and out of the oven to re-check the temperature of the leg meat. Fortunately, there is a very handy gadget that I added to my Thanksgiving arsenal that has been making my turkey cooking a whole lot easier: the Polder Original All-In-One Timer/Thermometer.

This is a probe thermometer, which has a 43-inch wire cord between the end of the thermometer and the base of the unit. You can put the thermometer in your turkey (or other roast) and close the oven door, leaving the thermometer in place while your food cooks. You can easily read the current temperature on the base of the unit – no need to peer into a dark oven at a tiny dial. This thermometer also has a programmable alarm temperature range, so you can set the alarm to sound when your food reaches a certain temperature. This is a very handy tool if you don’t want to feel tied to the kitchen all day, because the alarm is very loud and you should be able to hear it from anywhere in the home. I will admit, however, that since I’m usually working on sides or dessert in the kitchen while I’m roasting, I don’t use the alarm much myself.

This probe thermometer is definitely one of the best Thanksgiving cooking gadgets that I’ve added to my arsenal in a while, and it makes the turkey-cooking process a whole lot easier for me because it takes most of the guess work out of timing that turkey. And every bird I’ve made with it has come out juicy and perfectly cooked.