Is the Thermoworks Thermopop thermometer worth the money?

qualityshopper · ‎12-04-2011

I'm trying to find an instant read thermometer that I can depend on to be accurate. When it comes to cooking, I'm a real dummy, so need all the help I can get. Seems like, no matter which brand I look at, all thermometers have an accuracy problem. You'll read both good and bad reviews on all of them. After doing a lot of research, the Thermopop seems like a good choice--I just don't want to pay out $34 for it. If it truly does a good job, though, I guess it would be worth it. Would any of you have this one, and if so, would you recommend it? Would also welcome any other recommendations. Thanks.

gizmogal · ‎05-09-2014

I have a Weber instant read meat thermometer right next to the stove. It’s $10 in Target, Lowes’s, Home Depot, Amazon among other retailers. It’s quite accurate, reads in C and F, and instantly tells the interior temp of your roasts or broiled meats. Long “spike” means it can reach interiors of big birds and hefty roasts. I tested it in boiling water to see if I got accurate results of 212F and I did. I have one at the outdoor grill. Both are now 3 years old and quite sturdy. Turns itself off after a few minutes to save battery.

This might do very well for getting used to cooking to proper temps and dodging overcooking. I don’t think you need a $34 tool if a $10 device will work as well.

Don’t call yourself a dummy. None of us were born knowing any stuff. I have no doubt you have skills I have yet to master. But I’m not a dummy. Just less experienced in some things, more in others. Taking meat temperature ain’t rocket science! For $10 you can be an expert!

Take a look online by Googling “Weber thermometer”.

Cwoldie · ‎03-09-2010

I have it and love it. Very reliable, easy to use and reputable company. I paid $30 for it a couple of years ago. I’d like to pick one up as a gift this year but kind of choking on the $34 plus shipping.

Sooner · ‎03-10-2010

@Cwoldie wrote:
I have it and love it. Very reliable, easy to use and reputable company. I paid $30 for it a couple of years ago. I’d like to pick one up as a gift this year but kind of choking on the $34 plus shipping.

I have two of them and have used them for years. They are the best! Accurate, easy to read and use, and easy to find in the drawer. We used ours this morning on a roast.

We use them for baking, baking bread, making yogurt, tea, and all sorts of things. We couldn't do without them!

QVCkitty1 · ‎05-23-2015

I love mine, I bought it because it was recommended on America's Test Kitchen. I've had it for a few years and I just replaced the battery.

" You are entitled to your opinion. But you are not entitled to your own facts."
Daniel Patrick Moynihan

toadally awesome · ‎03-10-2010

Thermoworks offers excellent products . The ThermoPop is an accurate and quick instant -read thermometer . However , if you want or need more accuracy and quicker read , the ThermoPen is the way to go .

American Test Kitchen has given Thermoworks several approval ratings . Professional chefs use these products .

I had three different instant read thermomters in the drawer . When I purchsed my ThermoPop , I quickly learned that accurate temperatures changed my cooking skills and the quailty of the foods I prepared .

ThermoPops and thermoPens are excellent to use when roasting , baking , grilling or candy making.

Another product that I am enjoying is the Chef Alarm that I purchased this year . I use it for roasting/baking turkeys , chickens , roasts , etc. in the oven , on the grill , or in the smoker . The Chef Alarm uses a probe and allows me to set a temperature and to check the temps without having to open the oven door and raising grill lids and it has an alarm that signals when the specified temperature is reached .

If you decide to purchase ThermoPop, please let us know if you are enjoying it and how you are using it .

Maybe a Christmas hint will get you the ThermoPop in your favorite color .

qualityshopper · ‎12-04-2011

Thanks everyone for sharing your thoughts on this, and especially @gizmogal for trying to make me not feel like a dummy (I'll check into the Weber you recommended).

I have to update my post now because it turns out that I might not even need a new thermometer. The one I've been using is made by Food Network. I thought it wasn't working properly, which is why I was looking for a new one. Now I'm not so sure. See, the other day, I was using it to see if the ham I was cooking in the oven was done. It was just a half ham, 3.5 pounds, that you were supposed to cook at 325 degrees for 15 minutes per pound. (I have never understood why you have to "cook" a ham that is already fully cooked, but that's what the instructions tell you to do.) Anyway, I actually ended up cooking it about a half hour more than necessary, and even so, my thermometer only got to about 101 degrees--never 160. So, naturally, I thought there was a problem with the thermometer.

After I posted my question on here, however, I decided to test it in boiling water. It read 212 as it should. So now, I'm wondering what the problem was with the ham. Was it the thermometer or something wrong with my oven. I just don't know. Would anyone have any idea why the ham never got up to 160? Thanks.

aroc3435 · ‎09-30-2010

@qualityshopper If the ham you had in the oven the other day was a precooked one then those package directions were only for warming it.

I'm sure others will have a different "take" on this but here is what I do.

I put precooked ham in a preheated 325 degree oven and if there are no directions on the package reheat for 10 to 15 minutes a pound, cut side down, with some ginger ale or coca cola or water that I pour over it and let collect in the bottom of the roasting pan and cover the pan completely with aluminum foil, removing the foil for the last five minutes or so. Then I remove it from the oven and let it rest before serving. Essentially I am "steaming" the ham to reheat it rather than re-roasting it.

From my experience, especially with a pre-sliced spiral ham the cover or full tenting is especially important because that type has a tendency to dry out more easily and there's nothing worse than a dry or tough ham.

Hope this is helpful. And I'm certain you are no dummy.

Misplaced Parisian · ‎07-21-2015

@Sooner wrote:
@Cwoldie wrote:
I have it and love it. Very reliable, easy to use and reputable company. I paid $30 for it a couple of years ago. I’d like to pick one up as a gift this year but kind of choking on the $34 plus shipping.
I have two of them and have used them for years. They are the best! Accurate, easy to read and use, and easy to find in the drawer. We used ours this morning on a roast.

We use them for baking, baking bread, making yogurt, tea, and all sorts of things. We couldn't do without them!

@Sooner Hi Sooner! Question, do you really notice a difference in the taste of your tea? I drink tea (confessed coffee snob) and just use the water once the electric kettle is done boiling. Yikes. Just curious. Thank You.

Sooner · ‎03-10-2010

@Misplaced Parisian wrote:
@Sooner wrote:
@Cwoldie wrote:
I have it and love it. Very reliable, easy to use and reputable company. I paid $30 for it a couple of years ago. I’d like to pick one up as a gift this year but kind of choking on the $34 plus shipping.
I have two of them and have used them for years. They are the best! Accurate, easy to read and use, and easy to find in the drawer. We used ours this morning on a roast.

We use them for baking, baking bread, making yogurt, tea, and all sorts of things. We couldn't do without them!
@Sooner Hi Sooner! Question, do you really notice a difference in the taste of your tea? I drink tea (confessed coffee snob) and just use the water once the electric kettle is done boiling. Yikes. Just curious. Thank You.

@Misplaced Parisian Yes I do. It helps a lot when the temperature and time are right for the particular tea. You can "scorch" delicate teas like white and green and some Oolongs; black tea needs hotter boiling water--especially the large leaf varities.

Tea may not get its full flavor, or it may be bitter and strong if time and temperature aren't close to what they should be!

Harney Tea and Upton tea have lots of great information on this.