--- slug: how_to_use_a_meat_thermometer category_path: home_kitchen/kitchen_dining/kitchen_utensils_gadgets/kitchen_thermometers type: informational title: "How to Use a Meat Thermometer" lead: "Push the probe into the thickest part of the meat, away from bone, fat, and the pan, so it reads the true center; for thin cuts, insert it sideways. Check an instant-read thermometer near the end of cooking and pull the meat a few degrees early for carryover — chicken to 74°C/165°F, ground meat to 71°C/160°F, whole beef and steak to your target doneness." recommendation: name: "Probe the thickest center, away from bone; pull a few degrees early; chicken 74°C, ground 71°C, steak to taste" reason: "A thermometer tells you doneness by the one thing that matters — the internal temperature — so the whole skill is putting the tip where the meat is slowest to cook and reading it at the right moment. Insert the probe into the thickest part and aim for the geometric center, keeping the tip out of bone, big fat pockets, gristle, and away from the hot pan or bone, all of which read falsely high; for a thin steak, chop, or burger, slide it in from the side to reach the middle. With an instant-read, check near the end of cooking rather than early and often, and remember the meat keeps rising 3–5°C as it rests, so pull it that many degrees below target — carryover finishes it. Safe pull temperatures: poultry 74°C/165°F, ground meats 71°C/160°F, and whole cuts of beef, pork, or lamb 63°C/145°F with a rest, or hotter to taste for steak (medium-rare around 54–57°C). Leave-in oven probes stay in through roasting and alarm at your set temp; verify accuracy now and then in ice water, which should read 0°C/32°F, and clean the probe after each use." published: 2026-07-09 updated: 2026-07-09 ---