Use a Meat Thermometer

Do you know when your hamburger is cooked sufficiently? Like many people, do you assume it is cooked because it is brown? According to the United States Department of Agriculture, one out of every four hamburgers actually turns brown in the middle before it has reached a safe internal temperature!
To protect yourself, your family and your clients use a food thermometer to ensure that your food has reached a high enough temperature to destroy foodborne bacteria.

Thermometers today come in all shapes and sizes, including instant-reads, microwave oven probes, and pop-ups. Even barbecue forks are available with built-in thermometers.

According to the experts, digital thermometers are ideal for checking thin foods, while large-dial thermometers are used with larger roasts, whole chickens, and turkeys. Thermometers should be inserted in the thickest area of the meat, but not in fat or near the bone.

Make sure to choose and use the thermometer that is right for you and knows when your food is done and safe to eat.

Different kinds of thermometers

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Guidelines for Proper Cooking and serving

Most people think they know when food is “done” just by “eyeballing it.” They look at it and trust their experience. Experience is good, but it sometimes can be misleading. For instance, cooking by color is misleading. Meat colors, like pink or brown, can fool you!