I bought this thermometer for cooking on a gas grill. I’ve used it about 20 times so far. I embed the probe into the meat appropriately and close the lid. I make sure the dial isn’t touching the cooking grate, just like instructed. If the meat isn’t dense enough, like filet mignon, the weight of the thermometer may not be supported, so I rest the dial of the thermometer on a small rock placed on the grate to prop it up, if necessary. I’ve done that once so far, with good results. This thermometer isn’t perfect, but without it, I would have overcooked many of the meals. My grill runs hot, so the manufacturer’s suggested cooking times are off. Regarding accuracy, you *must* calibrate it. This will likely be true for any thermometer. I bought this one because it's easy to calibrate. You do this by measuring the “known” temperature of boiling water. The boiling point at sea-level (212°F) is marked on the dial. Determine your own boiling point based on your altitude – the higher you are, the lower the boiling point (Google can help). For example, in Denver (the “mile high city”), water boils at 202°F. Here’s how I calibrated it: • Position the moveable pointer on the rim of the dial to your local boiling point. This makes it easy to see. • Boil water in a pot; I fill the pot to within 1” of the top. • Put on oven mitts, otherwise the steam will scald you. This is not an “instantaneous read” item. • Stick the thermometer’s probe, but not the dial, into the pot so it's submerged and not touching the sides or bottom. • Wait until the needle stops moving, maybe 20-30 seconds. • When the needle stops and while it’s still in the pot, note how far away from the marked boiling point it is. That’s because when you remove it from the water, the probe will immediately cool down and the needle will move quite a bit before you can adjust it. • Adjust the needle by turning a nut on the back of the thermometer with a pair of pliers. This nut is located where the probe enters the dial. You have to guesstimate the amount of adjustment by remembering how far away from the boiling point the needle was while still in the pot. • Now repeat these steps until it’s accurate. You’ll get close the first time, but if you’re off by even 5° degrees, it could be the difference between rare and medium. When I calibrated it initially after it arrived, it was off by about 25°. I wish I could say that’s it forever, but I’ve had to recalibrate this thermometer three times already. I check its accuracy after a week’s use on the grill. The first two times, it was close, within several degrees. But this most recent time today, it registered about 10° too high. Maybe I’ll calibrate it more often. One more thing. I previously mentioned the moveable pointer on the rim of the dial. This is very convenient feature, since reading the temperature scale on the dial while the thermometer is upside down in a piece of meat on a hot grill isn’t that easy! However, this thing can loosen and then not stay in place. It’s happened a few times already. Even worse, once loosened, it falls off easily and is hard to find. After I put it back on the rim, I tighten it by squeezing gently with a pair of pliers. Now, I check this pointer every time I use it or wash it, and if it’s loose, I tighten it immediately before it falls off. Having said all that, this thermometer is still probably better than many others listed for sale, based on their reviews. Perhaps they’re all made in the same factory in China, who knows! This one seems durable enough and useful so far, if I’m careful about calibration and the moveable pointer.
