There are times you need to check the internal temperature of grilled and smoked meat on your outdoor electric grill. Sometimes you want to watch the temperature as the meat cooks. Other times you just want to quickly check the temperature. Each of these situations has a specific type of thermometer: the leave-in probe type and the instant-read type. You can monitor larger cuts of meat that need to be cooked for long periods with the leave-in type. You get a quick temperature reading with an instant-read thermometer. Stores that sell cooking equipment, including grocery stores, will have both types.
When checking the internal temperature, the end of the probe should be at the center of the thickest part of the meat without touching bone or fat to get an accurate reading. You should get multiple readings for the final check. Push or pull the probe at least an inch to a different spot in the food or re-insert the probe into another part. Check the largest items if you are grilling more than one. See Outdoor Electric Grill Cooking for how to determine the desired temperature.
Instant-read Thermometer
An instant-read thermometer is a display and probe in one piece and, therefore, cannot be left in the grill. Instant-read thermometers can have an analog dial or a digital display. To use an instant-read thermometer, you open the grill, insert the probe into the thickest part of the food without the tip touching bone or fat, and wait until the temperature display stops changing. The Taylor model shown has a digital display that updates at a regular rate so you get a sense of how close the readout is getting to the final temperature.
Leave-in Thermometer
A leave-in thermometer has the probe separate from the display. The probe is connected by casing-protected wires so that it can be left in the grill. You insert the probe into the meat without the tip touching bone or fat prior to putting it on the grill. Check the maximum temperature rating of the thermometer and be sure not to expose the probe and cable to higher temperatures. Since you should only need to use a leave-in thermometer for low or medium heat cooking, this should not be an issue. With the display unit outside the grill, you can monitor the temperature to get an idea of when the meat will be done and to make sure it reaches the desired temperature. You can set the desired temperature for the thermometer alarm to sound. The item shown is a reliable unit that is sold under various brand names.
Another good option is a leave-in thermometer with two sensors. The display unit can show the temperature of the probe tip in the meat and the probe base grill temperature. Monitoring the grill temperature can be important for low-temperature grilling, especially on cold or windy days.
A very convenient option is a leave-in thermometer with a remote display unit. In addition to the unit outside the grill, another display unit can be taken with you to monitor the food temperature while you are away from the grill.