Amazon.com: TempPro TP03B Digital Meat Thermometer for Cooking, Instant Read Thermometer with Backlight, Kitchen Food Thermometer for Grill Smoker BBQ Oil Deep Fry Candy Bread Coffee (Previously ThermoPro) : Patio, Lawn & Garden (original) (raw)

For years I eyed the Thermapen . . . that great, venerable digital thermometer that I CRAVED for my French Macaron making (I know. French Macaron, Italian meringue, American kitchen. Not confusing at all. haha). The problem was that the Thermapen weighed in at a (*coughing*) neat little $100 price tag. Yikes. No thanks. I decided to keep my clunky glass candy thermometer, balancing boiling hot sugar syrup against a frantically beating mixer whipping my egg whites into clouds of aerated bliss. At the same time, you also have to monitor my syrup temperature while simultaneously pouring said sugar syrup in a steady stream alongside your bowl, with toddlers clinging to your legs begging for goldfish crackers, and you really need to be careful. You need a thermometer that helps you get that measurement in a second . . . a thermometer that makes things easier and safer. A thermometer that helps you TAKE OVER THE WORLD!!!! hehe. Well, maybe not that. Well maybe not yet. ;) So I saw this little guy, the thermapro . . . which looked like the almighty Thermapen, for a tidy 10 bucks. And come on. You can't blame me for trying it. That's about what my little cheapie glass candy thermometer cost. Thermapro came in, and I couldn't wait to test it out. To begin with, Thermapro has a neat little feature where the probe pops out or stays protected within the thermometer, at the touch of a button. That makes it much less scary for me to have around the house, so the kids don't accidentally get hurt on the sharp points. I can put the point away, lock it, and then if they accidentally get ahold of it, no stabbing injures (maybe a thermometer ends up in the toilet, but no stabbing injuries. Progress. Did I mention it's a great thing these are only 10 bucks? haha). One thing I was unsure about from the description was how long it takes to get a read, as well as if you have to "push button, get read. Push button, get read." When I am doing sugar work, the sugar is very hot and dangerous, and it takes all my attention to keep it going and the kiddos safe. I don't have time to continually be "checking in" with a thermometer to see the temperature. I wanted something that was a digital version of my candy thermometer-- it could give me a constant read as the temperature rose, without my having to do anything but monitor. I was so pleased! Here is a photo of my thermapro taking a constant read of my sugar syrup. I was able to pull it off the heat at precisely 244 degrees, pour it into my madly whipping egg whites (Fully! Madly! Deeply!), and produce *kisses fingertips* absolutely divine, marshmallowy, perfect Italian meringue, which I used to make my French macarons, again, in my American kitchen. They turned out divine, and I'm just sitting here smiling, thinking that this little guy only cost me 10 bucks instead of 100, and it works like a dream come true. I intend to use this to tell when bread loaves are done (200 degrees), so no more "raw in the middle" for me. Sugar work is precise and delicate, and this little baby will be my new best companion. I intend to get these for all my cooking buddies for Christmas gifts this year. The quality and price can't be beat, and I couldn't be happier with my purchase! I see LOTS of macarons in my future! Bon Appétit! :)