Most helpful customer reviews

316 of 320 people found the following review helpful.
Finally, a digital probe thermometer that can take the heat!
By Daniel L Edelen
Having burned out, drenched, accidentally kinked, and destroyed enough Polder probes to fill an oven, I finally threw in the towel and went elsewhere for a digital probe thermometer. CDN's Proaccurate may finally be the end of my search for a worthy successor.

Digital probe thermometers are a godsend for cooks who like to set it and forget it when cooking. You want that steak done to exactly 145 degrees? The probe thermometer will tell you. Just stick it in the meat, set the finished temp, and let the beep tell you when it's exactly medium rare. When it works, this kind of thermometer is indispensable.

Therein lies the rub, though. "When it works...." Most of the digital probe thermometers on the market suffer from the same chink in the armor--their probes are flimsy. Not only are the wires inside the probe itself thin when compared with the braided metal housing that holds them, but they can't take the heat, either. Most probes top out at a little over 380 degrees. You run the risk of burning it out when checking oil temperatures, something every probe should be able to do. And if your oven cycles its heat on and off, you could have it set for 350 but it may vary between 300 and 400 while cooking for twenty minutes or more. The result is a cooked probe.

But not with the CDN Proaccurate. The probe cord itself is significantly thicker (fifty percent or more, from my guess) and the temperature tops out almost a hundred degrees higher than the other guys at 482. Plus, unlike the other guys, this unit carries a full five year warranty--including the probe. You can't find that in any other digital probe thermometer I've seen.

Pros:

* Probe withstands highest heat I've seen offered--482 degrees F--and is far more hefty than competitors

* Meat selector settings (Chicken, Beef, Lamb, Turkey, Pork, Veal) with doneness levels

* Accurate. Approved for Food Service Industry usage

* Twenty-four hour count down and up timer

* Large display

* Includes wall mount, magnetic attachment to metal surfaces, and is free-standing

* Good price point

* Five year warranty

* CDN was swift in answering e-mailed questions I had about the unit

Cons:

* No seconds displayed on timer

* Design won't be confused with anything coming out of Europe :-)

* Non-intuitive operation on a couple functions

* Plastic case is not heat-resistant

* Tiny indicator makes it hard to tell if the unit is running when using timer

* Alarm is not as loud as other units out there

* Probe still prone to water damage (no dishwasher)

* Hard to read times less than ten minutes due to shadow of case on digits near the right side

Overall, as a new user my review is positive. Time will tell concerning ruggedness, but I am hopeful given the clear difference in probes between the CDN and other units out there. This CDN model is almost worthy of five stars, but the lack of seconds on the timer is a bad design decision from my point of view. I know from experience with other units that watching those seconds roll by gave me some assurance from a distance that the timer was running.

So for all you Polder and Taylor users who are exasperated with probe failures on your thermometers, this CDN may be what you've been looking for.

85 of 85 people found the following review helpful.
Best Probe Thermometer Out There!
By J. Ackiss
I am a big fan of probe thermometers, and I have owned and ruined several of them; each a different brand. The CDN is the most accurate and can withstand high heat - best on the market in this price range. I have owned this thermometer for over a year now, and in this time it has:

1. Been rained on at least 5 times.
2. Dropped in our pool.
3. Been hidden in our sandbox.
4. Been dropped on hot coals and backing partially melted.

Each time this thermometer has miraculously come back to life and worked perfectly! The original battery is still going.

If I had to purchase a new one, it would be this thermometer!

71 of 71 people found the following review helpful.
CDN Proaccurate Digital Programmable Probe Thermometer
By C. Miller
After much research into these devices, I decided to purchase the CDN brand for my husband as a gift. I chose this brand since it had a higher temperature range than that of the other brands available. This one goes up to 482degrees. So far he seems to love this thermometer. It seems very accurate in reading the internal temp of the meats. He loves that it allows him to program what type of meat and for beef the taste(rare,m.rare,med,well). The cable connecting the device to the probe seems to be pretty strong--braided wire. I have seen other devices by other brands that the cables "burn out". This was one of the deciding factors in purchasing the CDN brand. My husband loves the magnetic feature that allows him to stick it to the side of the oven! I am also excited to see the thermometer comes with a clip for candy making and frying. I havent had a chance to use it for this purpose yet, but it makes the device much more versatile & useful. The temperature display is quite large and easy to read...so it will work good for someone who cant read small print. I would actually give this product 4 &1/2 stars. The only reasons I would deduct half a star are: 1)the casing is plastic (cannot use on BBQ)and 2)the timer beeper isnt that loud (you cant hear it if upstairs or more than a room away, so you need to stay in earshot to hear the timer go off). All in all its a great product. I would recommend it. Buy it and you will never have dried out or undercooked meat again. Its well worth it! The chef in your life will thank you!