Taking food temperatures is a job well done with Thermopen

WHAT Thermoworks' Thermapen One cooking thermometer

WHAT IT DOES Is truly the world’s fastest cooking thermometer? It's impossible to say, but it's also impossible to beat. Using Thermapen’s statement of "Measures at Virtually the Speed of Thought" is true to the word with full readings in one second or less.

HOW MUCH $105

AVAILABLE FROM thermoworks.com

WHAT'S HOT The Thermapen measures 6.1-by-1.7-by-0.74 inches, weighs 0.25 pounds and is powered by a single included AAA battery, rated to last up to 2,000 hours. There’s a rubber gasket around the single screw battery compartment, ensuring it’s shockproof, dustproof and waterproof.

Temperature readings have a range of 58 degrees below zero to 572 degrees Fahrenheit with an accuracy of plus/minus 0.5 degrees Fahrenheit.

Physically, it’s built like a pocket knife, but instead of a blade, there’s a 4.3-inch Type K Thermocoupleprobe, which folds out up to 180 degrees when needed and into a rubber probe retainer when not. A motion sensor is on the front so it’s ready to use when picked up.

The hand-washable Thermapen One is simple to test, with instant results on cooked, fresh and frozen food. The mirror-thermocouple sensor is on the tip of the probe, which is recommended to be inserted at least one-eighth of an inch into the meat being tested.

There are some settings to configure. To access them, remove the battery cover to reveal two small buttons. Adjustments can be made for readings of Fahrenheit or Celsius, the display resolution, screen rotation and the auto-off/sleep mode.

It's available in 10 colors.

WHAT'S NOT The price.