Choosing and Using a Meat Thermometer

	When it comes to serving a perfect burger, professional grill masters like Steven Raichlen leave nothing to chance. Instead, they reach for an instant-read meat thermometer to ensure ground beef reaches an internal temperature of 160°. Did you know... ...that using an instant read meat thermometer is the only reliable way to ensure that your ground beef is cooked to a safe and savory 160°?

Choosing Your Meat Thermometer

When choosing your meat thermometer, keep a couple simple things in mind:

• Make sure that the thermometer is designed for meat and poultry — and not for candy or other foods.
• Instant-read meat thermometers which have a dial or digital readout are the best option to use for ground beef because they give an accurate temperature reading much quicker than an oven-proof meat thermometer.

Using Your Meat Thermometer

An instant-read meat thermometer must be inserted properly to accurately read the temperature of your burger. Remember:

• Instant-read thermometers cannot be used in the oven — insert them into your ground beef after you’ve removed it from the oven.
• The sensing area of thermometers is ½ inch to 2 inches long — this area must be completely immersed in the deepest area of the food.
• When cooking or grilling ground beef, stick your meat thermometer into the thickest area of the beef, inserting sideways.
• Most meat thermometers are accurate to within plus or minus 1 to 2° F. Always check cooked ground beef in several places to ensure food safety.
• As with any cooking utensil, always sanitize your meat thermometer with hot soapy water after each use. Do not place it in the dishwasher.

So fire up the grill and get those meat thermometers ready for a safe and savory grilling season. Looking for some mouth-watering burger dishes to try? Check here for plenty of tasty beef recipes.