All the warnings about undercooked meat may leave you concerned about the safety of eating your favorite dishes. Assuage your worries by inserting about 2 inches of this slender meat thermometer into your turkey or steak. The tool registers an instant internal meat temperature on an easy-to-read, shatterproof, analog dial that is about the size of a quarter. Because the thermometer reads temperatures between 0 and 220 degrees Fahrenheit, it can be used to determine how thawed or cool meats removed from the freezer or refrigerator are at the start of cooking, how evenly meats are cooking in a microwave oven, and if meats cooked on any other heat source are done. For added precaution against bacteria, the thermometer is made of easy-to-clean stainless-steel and comes with a yellow plastic storage sleeve containing a nontoxic antibacterial agent that minimizes the chance of contamination. The plastic sleeve, when held horizontally, also acts as a heat-safe holder for the thermometer when using the probe over an open flame, and as a wrench for rotating and recalibrating the thermometer head should it get slightly off-kilter. The thermometer should be cleaned by hand with soap and water or alcohol for sterilization, and is covered by a lifetime warranty. --Cristina Vaamonde