Remote Thermometers
With a remote thermometer, you can monitor the temperature of your food without holding a lonely vigil at the grill or oven. To evaluate the latest choices, we oven-roasted chickens and charcoal-grilled whole beef roasts—from a distance—with three brands, including the manufacturer Taylor’s successor to our onetime, now-discontinued favorite. All models are two-part devices: a temperature probe attached to a base that rests outside the oven or grill, and a pager you carry with you. With each, we could roam more than 100 feet, even behind walls (though we lost the signal when we went upstairs). Otherwise, the results were mixed. One thermometer, for example, features two probes—handy for keeping an eye on both light and dark meat—but also preset doneness temperatures (a feature that often leads to overcooked meat) that were hard to override. The new Taylor model also had a downside: Its pager does not display temperature, instead buzzing and vibrating first when the food is 10 degrees away from being done, then again when it’s fully cooked. But its accuracy—a thermometer’s most important feature—and intuitive setting mechanisms were the best of the bunch, sending it to the top of our ranking.
- Good:
- ★★★
- Fair:
- ★★
- Poor:
- ★
- N/A:
- ----
| Product Tested | Performance | Comfort | Price* | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Highly Recommended | ||||
 |
Victorinox (formerly Victorinox Forschner) 6-inch Straight Boning Knife: FlexibleThe nonslip grip and narrow, straight blade let testers remove the smallest bones with precision and complete comfort. Perfectly balanced with enough flexibility to maneuver around tight joints. The low price was a bonus. |
★★★ | ★★★ | $19.95 |
| Recommended | ||||
 |
Wüsthof Classic Boning KnifeHefty in weight, this knife was a solid performer when removing poultry bones, and the handle was easy to grip, even when covered in chicken fat. Piercing silver skin was a challenge since the tip wasn’t sharp enough and the long narrow blade produced slightly jagged cuts. |
★★ | ★★★ | $99.95 |
| Recommended with Reservations | ||||
 |
Mundial Boning Knife: FlexibleThe sharp tip performed well when removing silver skin, but it was too flexible when maneuvering around poultry joints, leaving testers feeling a lack of control. The heavy handle was slightly unbalanced and became slippery once covered in poultry fat. |
★★ | ★★ | $19.95 |
| Not Recommended | ||||
 |
Shun Gokujo Filet KnifeDesigned to replicate a samurai blade, this expensive knife was a disappointment. It struggled to pierce the silver skin, although long cuts were smooth and even. Minimal flexibility and extreme curve got in the way when maneuvering around joints. The smooth handle was hard to grip and slippery. |
★★ | ★ | $179.95 |
 |
MAC Boning Knife—Chef SeriesThe large, cumbersome handle reminded testers of an outdoors knife for fishing and hunting. The blade was too wide to maneuver around joints and it struggled to pierce silver skin. Unlike other knives, this boning knife could only slice in one direction, making intricate cuts around joints difficult. |
★ | ★★ | $34.95 |
 |
Messermeister San Moritz Elite Flexible Boning KnifeThe blade was so flexible it led to erratic cuttings; testers said the knife was hard to control. The blade was not sturdy enough to maneuver around joints and the lightweight handle felt flimsy and unbalanced. |
★ | ★ | $53.60 |
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