My #1 kitchen essential tool? Why, I'm so glad you asked! Food thermometer, kitchen thermometer, meat thermometer... no matter what you call it, it's almost always the first thing I'll tell you to get (if you are in a meat-eating household).
I can't say it enough, really. With almost any other kitchen tool, you can get by with something else. No kitchen scale? Google the 100 gram equivalent of flour in cups. No mixer? Roll up your sleeves! But there is no substitute for a food thermometer. You can't divine the internal temperature of that chicken leg. Or, at least, we don't think you can. If you can, please slip into our DM's. We're so curious.
Plus, a food thermometer (along with safe handing practices) is one of the top things that will help ensure everything you prepare is safe to eat. When I started using a food thermometer, I was shocked by the number of times I was certain something was done only to find it was still 10 degrees under temp. Now, I always check. And I check each piece of meat, since stoves and ovens heat unevenly. One sausage might be 170 F, while the one next to it could be 155 F and still need a few more minutes on the heat.
So, just do it. Get a kitchen thermometer. I've had this one from ThermoWorks for years and it just finally ran out its first battery. It's worth the investment in yourself, your kitchen, and your health - and costs about the same as ordering food from a restaurant once. I use this particular thermometer at home, I use it at work. If it made sense to carry it in my purse, I would! In fact, back in my personal chef days, I did.
