Your Oven Lies—These 5 Oven Thermometers Will Keep It Honest

A terrible truth about ovens is that none hold the exact temperatures they claim. Most ovens run 10 or 15 degrees cooler or warmer. I’ve worked in a dozen professional kitchens, plus a handful of test kitchens, and this has been true of all of their ovens.  If you want to improve your cooking—whether it's home-baked bread or roasts, an oven thermometer is the best and cheapest way to do it.  

I tested 13 oven thermometers, including analog and digital probe models. After using them at different temperatures and lengths of time, I found three winning analog and two digital oven thermometers worth buying.

The Winners, at a Glance

Everyone should buy one of these. For about $15 you get an easy-to-read oven thermometer that registers temperatures within seconds. (Other analog models take up to five minutes.) It has a brilliantly designed hook that is easy to place or move, even when hot. Plus, it features a generous base if you prefer to set your oven thermometer on a rack. It was simple to clean, and the high-contrast font of the temperature gauge made it legible even when covered in chicken schmaltz. 

Thermoworks makes some of the best kitchen thermometers around (as we’ve found in previous reviews). This thermometer is highly accurate, with a large, legible screen, and features Bluetooth connectivity.

The Taylor had some of the fastest readouts of the analog thermometers I tested. It sports a generous hook for hanging and a wide base. It doesn’t seem quite as sturdy or long-lasting as the OXO thermometer, but it's only $8.

Smaller, round oven thermometers can be hard to read, which made this oblong thermometer from Taylor a standout. Its long, narrow size easily fits in small ovens and it registers temperatures quickly.

Are you looking for the one oven thermometer for everything? One that can tell you not only how hot your oven is, but also how long something's been roasting? One that can alert you when cooking's done? That’s the Thermoworks ChefAlarm.

The Tests

• Infrared Thermometer Test: To test accuracy, I placed each thermometer in the middle of a 250˚F oven. With a ThermoWorks Hi-Temp Industrial IR with Circle Laser thermometer (the winner of our infrared thermometers review), I recorded the interior oven temperature and noted the thermometer’s reading. I did this again with all thermometers at 350˚F and 450˚F. 
• Prolonged Temperature Test: I set the oven to 350˚F and placed each thermometer in the center of the oven. I used an infrared thermometer to record the oven temperature while noting the oven temperature's readout. I opened the oven and closed it every minute for five minutes to test the thermometer’s ability to react to temperature changes.
• Cleaning Test: My five favorites from the accuracy tests were also used in the oven while I roasted chicken at high heat. There was chicken schmaltz flying and things got a little smoky!
• General Use and Care: During testing, I hung and adjusted the thermometers, both while cool and hot. I evaluated how easy they were to read and also cleaned the thermometers after testing.

What We Learned

Readability and Accuracy Were Extremely Important

Most analog oven thermometers are made from stainless steel and tempered glass and have similar temperature ranges. However, the size and readability of their displays varied widely. For example, the Rubbermaid Stainless Steel Monitoring Thermometer had a smaller glass face and tiny font that made it much harder to read than my favorite OXO and Taylor models. (This was especially true with the oven door closed.)

Readability was less of an issue with the digital thermometers I tested, but the best ones, like the ThermoWorks ChefAlarm, had large displays with bright, high-contrast screens.

Most Analog Oven Thermometers Were Accurate Within 10 Degrees 

Very few oven thermometers gave me wildly inaccurate readings. Sure, some were slower to register or reset after the oven had been opened, but they were still pretty accurate. For example, the AcuRite Stainless Steel Oven Thermometer was slower to initially hit 250ºF and 350ºF than other models, but it was able to register temperature changes well and fast (within minutes) when used in a 350ºF oven. That said, a good digital probe thermometer was faster than even the best analog ones.

Mounted Oven Thermometers Were the Safest to Use

A thermometer placed in the center of your oven will give you the best reading (and many manufacturers recommend this), but if you want to be able to use the center rack for cooking, you need a thermometer that won’t fall over every time you move a roasting pan or baking sheet. The only burn I sustained during testing happened when the Admetior model got stuck on one of my oven racks; I needed to move it and it wouldn’t budge. The Pecula and CDN DOT2 thermometers had hooks that only held onto the widthwise bars of the oven rack, meaning they could only be hung parallel to the oven’s front or back and still be visible. The Rubbermaid and Taylor 9532 models had hooks that could be attached to either the widthwise or lengthwise bars of the oven rack, meaning that the hook could be set hanging parallel to the oven’s sides with the thermometer itself still facing frontwards.

Should You Buy an Analog or Probe Oven Thermometer?

Probe-style thermometers are great for understanding how your oven’s temperature cycles over time. Plus, most models can be used for things like taking the temperature of roasts and frying oil. An analog oven thermometer can just be left in the oven, providing temperature checks whenever you need it. So, which one should you buy? Since they're quite different, so I recommend having both.

The Criteria: What to Look for in an Oven Thermometer  

When it comes to analog thermometers, the size of the thermometer’s face and its hanging mechanism and base were key. Look for an analog thermometer with at least a three-inch wide base and an open-prong hanger. (This looks like an inverted “v” or an “n” in the opening of the hook rather than a “c” shape.) This makes the thermometer more stable and easier to move. For probe thermometers, the best have stainless steel probes, digital displays, and near-instant readings. It's also nice when they have temperature alerts.

Our Favorite Oven Thermometers 

What we liked: The OXO Good Grips Oven Thermometer was easy to read, even when placed in the back of a rack or obscured by roasting pans and whole chicken. It has a wide, sturdy base and a unique hanging mechanism that allows it to grip onto the widthwise or lengthwise lines of an oven rack. 

What we didn’t like: The hanging mechanism adds length to the thermometer and it wouldn't work as well in tight or small ovens. 

Key Specs

• Style: Analog
• Materials: Stainless steel 
• Dimensions: 2.5 x 4.5 inches
• Temperature range: 100 to 600˚F
• Hanging mechanism design: Sawhorse-shaped design that can be hung widthwise or lengthwise

What we liked: There's lots to love about this small digital probe thermometer. The display is simple to navigate right out of the box—you can easily set a target temperature to alert you when the oven's ready without ever reading the instructions. The probe and digital interface reacted quickly to temperature changes and it has a long cable and a magnetic back. 

What we didn’t like: Unlike the Thermoworks ChefAlarm, this one didn’t come with a hanger for the probe, which would have made it more stable and safer to secure to an oven rack.

Key Specs

• Style: Digital probe 
• Materials: Plastic readout with stainless steel cable and probe
• Dimensions: 3.125 x 3.125 x 0.75 inches
• Temperature range: 58 to 572˚F
• Hanging mechanism design: Not included 

What we liked: This budget-friendly thermometer is fast and accurate and has a highly visible readout with some temperature guideline suggestions. It has a dual-sided hook for hanging and a wide base for rack placement. 

What we didn’t like: This thermometer feels flimsy, which made it nerve-wracking to move when it was hot. It took on water during the cleaning process, which made us question its lifespan.

Key Specs

• Style: Analog
• Materials: Stainless steel 
• Dimensions: 3.25 x 4 inches 
• Temperature range:100 to 600˚F
• Hanging mechanism design: Open inverted U-shaped hanger that can be hung widthwise or lengthwise

What we liked: For a space-saving model, this thermometer had great visibility. Because this analog thermometer has a unique temperature readout (more like what you'd see on an old-fashioned thermometer), it was easy to get a quick ballpark reading without straining my eyes. It was fast and fairly accurate, too.

What we didn’t like: While it hung nicely, this thermometer has a unique base (long and thin with a slight curvature towards the body) that wasn’t sturdy when placed on a rack. The display is smaller than my other analog winners.

Key Specs

• Style: Analog
• Materials: Stainless steel 
• Dimensions: 5 x 2 inches 
• Temperature range: 100 to 600˚F
• Hanging mechanism design: Sawhorse-shaped design that can be hung widthwise or lengthwise

What we liked: With both high and low temperature alerts, a large display, and a timer, this thermometer does so much more than test for oven accuracy. You can use the probe for roasting chickens or smoking meat. You can also set two alarms, which is particularly helpful when grilling, as a low-temperature threshold alerts you to add more fuel or coals. It has a spillproof interface and magnetic back and it was the only thermometer that matched the readout of our control thermometer (ThermoWorks Hi-Temp Industrial IR with Circle Laser) either exactly or within one degree every time.

What we didn’t like: With so many bells and whistles (and alarms!) you’ll want to read the user manual or watch some instructional videos before getting started. It would be grossly underutilized if you only bought this for oven accuracy. 

Key Specs

• Style: Digital probe
• Materials: Plastic read out with stainless steel cable and probe
• Dimensions: 5.94 x 2.75 x .75 inches
• Temperature range: 58 to 575˚F
• Hanging mechanism design: Unique probe clip that can be used widthwise or lengthwise

The Competition

• Rubbermaid Stainless Steel Monitoring Thermometer: This thermometer was accurate and easy to hang but I found the display cluttered and hard to read, especially when the oven door was closed.
• Hepertise Instant Read Meat Thermometer: This thermometer gave accurate readings but it didn’t bounce back from temperature changes quickly. I struggled to set and turn off the alarms because the buttons were hard to engage. 
• KT THERMO Oven Thermometer: While I loved the readability of this thermometer, it struggled with accuracy (by 10 degrees or so) and the hook and base weren’t as sturdy as other models I tested. 
• CDN DOT2 ProAccurate Oven Thermometer: This was another model that struggled with accuracy. Plus it didn’t stay in place very well once hung and was hard to maneuver around a pan. 
• AcuRite Stainless Steel Oven Thermometer: This thermometer struggled to come to temperature in the short temperature tests, sometimes taking 10 minutes to read accurately. Partnered with the tight hanger that got stuck on the rack, I do not recommend this thermometer. 
• Admetior Kitchen Oven Thermometer: While it had a wonderfully clear readout, this thermometer also struggled with quick accuracy. 
• Pecula Oven Thermometer: The petite size of this thermometer made it hard to read and it can only be hung across a widthwise bar. 
• Hotloop Digital Oven Thermometer: This thermometer felt flimsy from the minute I took it out of the box. The probe was too short to use for anything other than oven monitoring. It was slow to come to temperature and gave inaccurate readings.

FAQs

Where is an oven thermometer most accurate? 

The most accurate reading in your oven is in the center of the middle rack, where the thermometer has some distance from the heating elements and sides of the oven. This may not be the most convenient place for your oven thermometer though—the middle rack is often the best place to cook food.

What is the best place to set your oven thermometer? 

If you can’t hang your oven thermometer from your center rack, consider placing or hanging it as far back as possible on the rack. Make sure the thermometer is not directly touching the back of the oven for more accurate readings. 

How long can you leave an oven thermometer in place? 

Digital probe thermometers should only be used inside the oven for the length of cooking, but you can leave them in place for several hours for large roasts or long baking sessions. Analog oven thermometers will go out of calibration as grease or moisture accumulates in the oven. For the best accuracy, consider replacing your oven thermometer every year. 

Why We’re the Experts

• Meghan Splawn is a food writer and recipe developer who has worked in food media since 2006. She has been reviewing kitchen equipment for Serious Eats since 2024, including wine racks and cookie presses.
• Her work includes 15 years in the test kitchen with Alton Brown as well as at sites including Simply Recipes and The Kitchen.
• For this review, Meghan used an infrared thermometer against the oven thermometers to test their accuracy. She also judged them on usability and durability.
• She only burned herself once while testing.