I’m all about helping my readers become expert cooks, especially when it comes to Chinese food, and having accurate temperatures in your oven is key to making your recipes work.
Don’t waste time guessing and adjusting your cooking skills to work with an inaccurate oven; you can solve the problem simply by using an oven thermometer.
Best oven thermometer for pizza baking to buy in 2021
1. Rubbermaid Commercial Oven Thermometer
The Rubbermaid oven thermometer pictured here is 2 x 4.5 inches making it larger than most, so if your oven is small, you may have trouble fitting it in if it’s full of baking dishes. What I like about it, though, is it has both Celsius and Fahrenheit readings making converting easy.
The gauge starts at a low 70oF (35oC), so it gives you good scope. The downside of that convenience is the small numbers, so if your eyesight is not great, this would not be a good choice for you.
The stainless steel construction means it is sturdy and won’t scratch or dent, and it is NSF approved.
Pros
- Temperature gauge starts at 70oF (35oC)
- Fahrenheit and Celsius temperatures
Cons
- Cluttered dial face may be difficult to read
- The larger size may limit its usefulness
2. AcuRite Stainless Steel Oven Thermometer
The AcuRite thermometer has nice, large clear print as well as cooking type indicators (bake, broil, etc). There are no Celsius temperatures on this thermometer, which is a bit old school in my opinion; it should be standard to have both.
The protective glass lens means it stands up to heat and breakage making it suitable for both conventional and convection ovens. It has a generous 10-year warranty.
Pros
- Large clear numbers
- Cooking type indicators
Cons
- No Celsius temperature gauge
Starts at 150OF
3. Taylor Precision Products Large Dial OvenThermometer
The best thing about this thermometer is its wide temperature range from 100-600oF which means it can be used when broiling with room to spare. Although this oven thermometer has a good-sized 3.5-inch dial, the busy design may make it difficult to read for some people, though the numbers for the Fahrenheit readings are large enough.
Pros
- Has a wide temperature range
- Celsius and Fahrenheit temperatures
- Taylor also make a fridge and freezer thermometer
Cons
- The busy design may be hard to read
4. Winco Dial Oven Thermometer
The Winco oven thermometer has a cooking temperature guide, and cooking type indicators, though they do tend to crowd the display. It probably would have been better to include Celsius temperatures instead. The size 2.75 x 1.75 x 3.75 inches.
Pros
- Has cooking temperature quick reference
- Cooking type indicators (bake, broil)
Cons
- Crowded display
- No Celsius temperatures
5. Admetior Kitchen Oven Large Dial Thermometer
A stylish thermometer, its stainless steel casing looks robust as well. The simple, clean dial face is easy to read and has a generous temperature range of 100-600o F. The drawback of this thermometer is the lack of Celsius temperature measures. Its size is 3.3 x 2.1 x 2.1 inches which is on the smaller side.
Pros
- 18/10 stainless steel housing
- Clear display
Cons
- Fahrenheit only
6. CDN POT750X High Heat Oven Thermometer
The wide temperature range, up to 750oF, on this CDN thermometer is great if you want to use it in your boiler or grill. As with any oven thermometer, it will need to be placed so it is not on direct heat.
The dial face is tin which reflects light making it a little difficult to read, and the base is not that deep, so it may tip over if it’s not placed on a smooth flat surface. The Celsius print is a little small for my liking.
Pros
- The high-temperature range makes it versatile
Cons
- Dial a little difficult to read
7. Westernetek Stainless Steel Dial Oven Thermometer
The first thing I noticed about this oven thermometer was the handle at the top. Its design means it will only hang on the horizontal supports on your oven rack. For most ovens, that means having to hang it at the front of your oven. The handle is not deep enough to hook onto the wire rack and may be easily knocked off.
While it does have a good temperature range, that’s not much good if it’s not reading accurately from being in the wrong place in the oven.
Pros
- High-temperature range
Cons
- Poorly designed handle
8. Polder S/S OVEN THERMOMETER
I also noticed the handle on this one! The handle clips on securely, so you won’t knock this oven thermometer off into your baking dishes. However, it can only be hung on the horizontal wires of your oven rack, limiting its usefulness.
Pros
- Strong clip
Cons
- The clip design limits its positioning
9. Cooper-Atkins Stainless Steel Bi-Metal Oven Thermometer
The stainless steel housing and glass lens make this a sturdy thermometer. The dial face is a little crowded and again, maybe hard to read for some people. The manufacturer says it is accurate +/- 25o F, so it may be a good idea to get two, or this one along with another brand to check its accuracy. (Having two oven thermometers for this purpose is a wise idea regardless.)
Pros
- NSF approved
Cons
- Busy dial face may be difficult to read
10. OXO Good Grips Oven Thermometer
When I first looked at the Oxo oven thermometer, I thought the stand looked pretty flimsy. It has a hook underneath, allowing you to hang it either above or below the rack – a handy feature – however, the ‘legs’ which are meant to help stabilize it may not be wide enough to hook into some oven racks.
The silicon casing keeps it cooler than stainless steel and makes it easier to grip. The opaque finish on the dial face reduces glare making it easier to read.
Pros
- Easy-grip silicone coating
The opaque dial face is easy to read
Cons
- The base may not suit some oven racks
WHY YOU MIGHT NEED AN OVEN THERMOMETER
New ovens are calibrated but as they age, the temperature tends to become inaccurate. If you’ve noticed your food taking longer to cook or that it’s burning, then it’s time to check your oven temperature’s accuracy.
If you are cooking my roast duck or a Christmas ham, you will want to know that your oven is recording the correct temperatures. No little black ducks, please!
You may need to recalibrate your oven, which is simple to do for most models, or you can call in a serviceman to do it for you. You will need an oven thermometer to test the temperature difference and make the right adjustment to correct it.
Cooking food at the wrong temperature for the wrong time will produce second rate results, and more importantly, it may affect the safety aspect of the food.
An oven thermometer is a necessity if the temperature numbers on your oven have worn off. It is also excellent for camp ovens that don’t have a built-in thermostat.
WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN CHOOSING AN OVEN THERMOMETER
There are several things to look for when choosing an oven thermometer.
The first thing to note is the legibility of the numbers. Are they big enough to be seen through your oven door (or big enough for your eyesight)? Some oven thermometers come with glow-in-the-dark numbers that are visible in a dark oven – this is a good idea if your oven light doesn’t work.
The dial also should be uncluttered to make it easy to read.
It’s a fact that more and more appliances and recipes use Celsius, and so it makes sense to choose a thermometer with both Celsius and Fahrenheit measures. Having both makes converting easy, saving you time and effort.
Having the option to either hang or stand the thermometer in your oven is important so you can put it in the correct place for accurate measuring.
Most oven thermometers are very reasonably priced, and from my research, price does not seem to be an indicator of quality. There’s not much to an oven thermometer.
An oven thermometer needs to be both freestanding and hanging so it can be placed in the best position in the oven to detect the temperature accurately. If your shelves are full of delicious chicken baking or roasting vegetables for soup, you can hang it from a rack in the middle of the oven or sit it on a spare rack.
It’s also a good idea to measure the width between the wires on your oven rack and make sure the thermometer you choose is wide enough to sit on them securely.
VIDEO
Oven Calibration
CONCLUSION
Most of the thermometers I researched had flimsy bases that could be prone to bend, but stainless steel is pretty forgiving with careful handling. The average size is 3 inches high, which may not fit in a toaster oven. I immediately discounted any thermometer that didn’t have dual temperatures which I think is important for cooking enthusiasts.
My vote goes to the Taylor Precision Products Large Dial OvenThermometer for its large dial with clear print and having both Celsius and Fahrenheit temperatures, which is vital when you need to convert your recipes.
If you are concerned about a thermometer’s accuracy, it is still affordable and handy to have two oven thermometers so you can check their accuracy against each other, and have a spare one handy.
