About

-67° to 428°F (55° to 220°C)

+/- 1.1°F (.6ºC) accuracy

1 second response time

With neck rope

Battery included

Measures surface temperature

  • Color: Putty
  • Model: IN428
  • Weight: 1 oz
  • Made In: China
  • Warranty: 1 year
  • Dimensions: 3" x 1-1/2" x 5/8"
  • Composition: Food-safe ABS plastic exterior
  • Manufacturer: CDN (Component Design Northwest, Inc.)
  • Other versions: Many CDN thermometers on the market

Ambitions

Apparent goal: kids gift/registry home kitchens restaurants everywhere
Intended audience: novice advanced beginner good home cook gourmet professional
Diet/nutrition: does not apply scary empty promises helpful essential
Green?: not especially neutral mixed blessing earth friendly green!
Innovative: step back standing still progress trendy genius
Problem solving: no better baby steps solid steps giant steps a revelation
Competition: outclassed follower in the pack strong challenger likely champ

Utility/Quality

Ease of use: impossible frustrating OK simple child's play
Intuitive: Ph.D. required barely logical effortless brilliant
Instructions: missing incomprehensible adequate unnecessary excellent
Quality: cheesy questionable good years of service impressive
Parts to lose: inevitable some/many one-piece self-storing not a problem
Power source: none hands batteries outlet green
Clean-up: nightmare wipe clean soap & water scouring pad dishwasher
Does it work?: not at all adequately well very well perfectly
Availability: airfare required online kitchen store department store supermarket

Packaging

Easy to open?: impossible maddening tolerable good opens itself
Green?: fills a landfill huge waste passable minimal waste impressive

Economy

Time saving: time wasting not really modest substantial huge
Labor saving: less efficient marginal a bit noticeable remarkable
Money saving: money wasted none $ $$ $$$
Beats the old way: worse no change better definitely entirely new
Where will it live?: garage/attic drawer cabinet countertop elsewhere
If it quits: toss it craigslist repair upgrade replace

Summary

Fulfills ambitions: falls short almost there satisfies exceeds home run
How often used: once/twice ≥daily ≥weekly ≥monthly ≥yearly/holidays
Worth the space?: no does not apply w/unlimited space w/limited space absolutely
Need it?: a luxury discretionary basic equipment for serious cooks get it
Value: ouch! a little pricey worth splurging on the money a deal
Overall rating: skip it fair good very good excellent

Comments: This is so cool, we almost can't get over it. Our first thought (and yes, we apologize for it) is that this is such a great guy thing. Imagine a guy measuring the temperature of everything on his grill! But the women in the office were attracted to it every bit as much. Everyone has been using this infrared thermometer to measure the external temperature of just about everything – mostly food, but even the neighbor's cat.

The company that makes it says it is ideal in a food-service setting, where you may need to continuously monitor the temperature of a food – for example, on a buffet line. An obvious benefit of an infrared thermometer is that doesn't touch the food being measured, so there is no need for constant cleaning and therefore no danger of cross contamination. (This does not absolve you, however, of the need for a thermometer that lets you measure the internal temperature of meats and other foods, and which does need thorough and regular cleaning to prevent cross contamination.)

This thermometer can measure temperatures from -67°F to +428°F (-55 to +220°C). That might be a little lower than some kitchen temperatures you may work with, but will cover any food and almost anything else in the kitchen. It is accurate to within a degree. It works on a 1:1 "distance to spot" ratio, meaning it will measure the temperature of an area 5-inches around if you hold it 5 inches from the thing being measured, and so on. Of course it will measure in Fahrenheit and Celsius.

The thermometer can be set to give you the minimum temperature in the area being measured, the maximum temperature, and can be set to lock on something for up to 60 minutes (otherwise it will turn itself off to save the battery). The manufacturer promises a battery life of 40 hours, and it takes a special battery, which is not expensive and not hard to find, but you will want to have a spare or two on hand.

It has a little pouch with a belt loop, so you can hang it next to your cell phone and look as geeky as anyone ever has. The thermometer also has a little rope handle you can attach, to put around your wrist and keep it from falling into the soup – or to keep it from falling into the hands of your greedy colleagues….