CDN Digital Programmable Probe Thermometer
by Component Design Northwest
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List Price: Our Price: $18.34 You Save: $11.61 (39%) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $16.50 (click here) Category: Kitchen See more product details |
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of CDN Digital Programmable Probe Thermometer
Customer Review: Finally, a digital probe thermometer that can take the heat!
Summary: 4 Stars
Having burned out, drenched, accidentally kinked, and destroyed enough Polder probes to fill an oven, I finally threw in the towel and went elsewhere for a digital probe thermometer. CDN's Proaccurate may finally be the end of my search for a worthy successor.
Digital probe thermometers are a godsend for cooks who like to set it and forget it when cooking. You want that steak done to exactly 145 degrees? The probe thermometer will tell you. Just stick it in the meat, set the finished temp, and let the beep tell you when it's exactly medium rare. When it works, this kind of thermometer is indispensable.
Therein lies the rub, though. "When it works...." Most of the digital probe thermometers on the market suffer from the same chink in the armor--their probes are flimsy. Not only are the wires inside the probe itself thin when compared with the braided metal housing that holds them, but they can't take the heat, either. Most probes top out at a little over 380 degrees. You run the risk of burning it out when checking oil temperatures, something every probe should be able to do. And if your oven cycles its heat on and off, you could have it set for 350 but it may vary between 300 and 400 while cooking for twenty minutes or more. The result is a cooked probe.
But not with the CDN Proaccurate. The probe cord itself is significantly thicker (fifty percent or more, from my guess) and the temperature tops out almost a hundred degrees higher than the other guys at 482. Plus, unlike the other guys, this unit carries a full five year warranty--including the probe. You can't find that in any other digital probe thermometer I've seen.
Pros:
* Probe withstands highest heat I've seen offered--482 degrees F--and is far more hefty than competitors
* Meat selector settings (Chicken, Beef, Lamb, Turkey, Pork, Veal) with doneness levels
* Accurate. Approved for Food Service Industry usage
* Twenty-four hour count down and up timer
* Large display
* Includes wall mount, magnetic attachment to metal surfaces, and is free-standing
* Good price point
* Five year warranty
* CDN was swift in answering e-mailed questions I had about the unit
Cons:
* No seconds displayed on timer
* Design won't be confused with anything coming out of Europe :-)
* Non-intuitive operation on a couple functions
* Plastic case is not heat-resistant
* Tiny indicator makes it hard to tell if the unit is running when using timer
* Alarm is not as loud as other units out there
* Probe still prone to water damage (no dishwasher)
* Hard to read times less than ten minutes due to shadow of case on digits near the right side
Overall, as a new user my review is positive. Time will tell concerning ruggedness, but I am hopeful given the clear difference in probes between the CDN and other units out there. This CDN model is almost worthy of five stars, but the lack of seconds on the timer is a bad design decision from my point of view. I know from experience with other units that watching those seconds roll by gave me some assurance from a distance that the timer was running.
So for all you Polder and Taylor users who are exasperated with probe failures on your thermometers, this CDN may be what you've been looking for.
Customer Review: Excellent and Useful Product
Summary: 4 Stars
I found myself doing quite a bit of research before buying a digital probe thermometer... it seems that each brand and model has it's 'gotchas,' so unless you spend several hundred bucks on a laboratory grade thermometer, you're gonna have to deal with one or more disadvantages... unreliable probes, inaccurate readings, inconvenient menus, inadequate range, flimsy construction, etc. The questions I ended up asking myself were, what are the most desirable qualities, and what are the disadvantages I could live with?
First and foremost, I wanted one that was reliable. Unfortunately, every single model contained reviews from folks whose thermometers didn't make it a month let alone a year. So the next step was to look at the frequency of problems, and perhaps more important, the warranty. CDN was the only one with a five year warranty (one that they seem to cheerfully honor, judging by feedback), so that went a very long way toward making my decision.
Next was temperature range... most digital probe thermometers peak out at under 392 degrees. I didn't feel that was enough so there was another point in favor of the CDN, which is one of the very few that tops out at 482 degrees.
Finally, it came with a metal clip for use on the rim of saucepans, stockpots and so forth... why this cheap but useful little accessory is an optional extra purchase with many other models is a testament to the idiocy and greed of companies who want to get the product out there for the cheapest possible price and then hit you up later for things they should have provided in the first place.
Now that I've lived with the CDN Proaccurate a month or so, I have to say I'm pleased. Tested against two other thermometers the CDN seems accurate, and though it's response seems a bit slow, it's not really meant for instant readings anyway. Other minor gripes? Well, it's not very intuitive when it comes to setting some of the functions... but once you use it a few times you get used to that. Probably my major disappointment is that the timer counts only hours and minutes, no seconds... this coupled with the very small blinking indicator means that it's difficult to tell when it's running. As I said, these are minor gripes... overall I'm extremely pleased with this purchase.
Customer Review: CDN Proaccurate Digital Programmable Probe Thermometer
Summary: 4 Stars
After much research into these devices, I decided to purchase the CDN brand for my husband as a gift. I chose this brand since it had a higher temperature range than that of the other brands available. This one goes up to 482degrees. So far he seems to love this thermometer. It seems very accurate in reading the internal temp of the meats. He loves that it allows him to program what type of meat and for beef the taste(rare,m.rare,med,well). The cable connecting the device to the probe seems to be pretty strong--braided wire. I have seen other devices by other brands that the cables "burn out". This was one of the deciding factors in purchasing the CDN brand. My husband loves the magnetic feature that allows him to stick it to the side of the oven! I am also excited to see the thermometer comes with a clip for candy making and frying. I havent had a chance to use it for this purpose yet, but it makes the device much more versatile & useful. The temperature display is quite large and easy to read...so it will work good for someone who cant read small print. I would actually give this product 4 &1/2 stars. The only reasons I would deduct half a star are: 1)the casing is plastic (cannot use on BBQ)and 2)the timer beeper isnt that loud (you cant hear it if upstairs or more than a room away, so you need to stay in earshot to hear the timer go off). All in all its a great product. I would recommend it. Buy it and you will never have dried out or undercooked meat again. Its well worth it! The chef in your life will thank you!Customer Review: Good choice for wide range of uses. . .
Summary: 4 Stars
Time will tell, but I'm very pleased with initial use of this thermometer. I did purchase a different brand dual probe unit at Amazon, found it totally unsatisfactory and returned it.
The extended high-temperature range and usefulness for cooking candy make this a winner for me. Also, the pan clip for the probe works well to keep it from sliding around the oven when you want to check oven temp for critical cooking. It will serve time in meat roasts too in both a regular oven and the BBQ.
Like other thermometers the designers feel they HAVE to add a timer and they feel they HAVE to put in the "idiot" settings for meat cooking to various doneness levels. I would be pleased with a simpler unit where I just set the temperature and maybe could save a couple different temps of my choice.
Considering the timer and presets, they still allow me to set a specific temp for alarm and the use of the buttons seems relatively intuitive.
The probe looks OK, but I would like better strain relief where the cable exits the stainless sheath. (I may add my own heat shrink covering.) While some probes used to be interchangeable, that is ending now that these units are getting more sophisticated (in terms of temperature range). If this one works well I will try to get some back-up probes because those are always the first thing to go for me.
If any issues arise I'll update this review. . .
Customer Review: Above average probe thermometer with good heat specs
Summary: 4 Stars
This thermometer comes with a good high temperature probe and cable. I use it with my gas grill for grilling steaks and chops, usually with the top down. When the probe is inserted far enough into the meat, it has been quite accurate in reading internal meat temperature with a closed grill. The probe and cable have a higher temperature rating than any others that I know of. The alarm is a good idea but lost on me - I have some high frequency loss and can't hear it.
Like many of these probe type units it appears to be affected by the internal temperature of the grill when the top is down and most of the probe is exposed. After inserting the probe 1/2 in. into a one inch steak and closing the cover, the meat temperature rises faster than normal. Opening the top causes it to fall. I can prevent most of this by inserting the probe into the side of the meat so that at least half of it is covered. For thin cuts, I don't leave the probe in the meat while cooking. I open the cover to sample the temperature.
My previous probe type unit was not affected in this way, thus the 4 star rating. It was a Walmart model and bit the dust after a couple of years. A later, almost Identical, model from Walmart was worse than this CDN unit.
All in all it is a good, rugged unit and even with the above limitations, I would certainly recommend it.