The Heat is On...

For the best results when smoking and grilling, a good quality cooking thermometer is a required piece of equipment. Meats that are under cooked have the potential of causing illness. And when the temperature begins creeping over the ideal done temperature, the meat is on its way to becoming tough and dry.

I have several different types of thermometers that I use around the kitchen and when grilling and smoking.

I keep one refrigerator/freezer thermometer in the refrigerator and another in the freezer. Those give me peace of mind that my stored food is always at the proper temperature, and that my icebox is working the way it should.

The small pocket size dial thermometer I use is great for taking a quick reading of the internal temperature of different parts of a large brisket, or for testing the thigh and breast of a beer can chicken.

I use a remote thermometer to keep constant track of the internal temp of foods as they are cooking. The nice thing about this one is that I don't have to open up my smoker, losing precious heat, to check the meat temperature. This one is also great in the kitchen. I've made some awesome prime rib roasts using this thermometer.

And I just purchased one of those new fangled infra-red thermometers. This one reads the surface temperature of objects, so it can't be used effectively for meats, but it is great for checking the temperature of your grill and smoke chamber. The one I have also has a probe for checking internal temperatures, which is a nice feature.