The best meat thermometers in 2020

The best thermometer overall

The Thermoworks Thermapen Mk4 is lab-calibrated, accurate, and thoughtfully designed with features like an auto-rotating display, large numbers, a backlight, and a superfast read time. 

Pros: Lab-calibrated, displays accurate temperature within seconds, large and easy to read display, automatic backlight, automatically turns on and off, display automatically rotates, can be used in Celsius or Farenheit, can be customized to display whole numbers or up to one decimal place, comes in 10 colors

Cons: Might be more difficult for lefties to use

During my time in the food industry, no tool was more ubiquitous than the Thermoworks Thermapen. I’ve seen it in the hands of chefs, health inspectors, recipe developers, heating and cooling techs, and cooking instructors. It’s also been a core tool in my arsenal for almost a decade. The Thermapen is beloved in the industry because it’s simply designed, accurate, and fast — it has everything you want and need in a thermometer with no superfluous extras. 

The Thermapen has long been the tool of choice by pros, but I didn’t realize just how objectively best-in-class it is until I tested it alongside 11 other thermometers. When I used other thermometers, I found myself squinting to read numbers on tiny, dark, or glared displays; fussing with rotating digits that didn’t always turn rightside up; or waiting painfully long for the temperature read-out. Coming back to the Thermapen after using those thermometers was a sight for sore eyes. 

While the Thermapen comes with an instruction manual and a certificate of calibration, it takes zero effort or knowledge to get it up and running: simply unfold the probe and get to temping. The display is large and easy to read; there’s no glare from any angle and the display doesn’t fog up when you get close to hot foods. The numbers automatically rotate depending on which way you’re holding the Thermapen, so it’s legible from all angles. A sensor near the display turns on the backlight whenever the ambient light is low; a feature I’ve found really helpful when grilling in the dark. The thermometer also automatically turns on when you pick it up and turns off when you put it down, so you don’t have to worry about wasting the battery by forgetting to press an on/off button.

Most importantly, it’s accurate and reads fast. It reported accurate temperatures in both of our calibration tests when we tested it in freezing and boiling water (which have known temperatures of 32 Fahrenheit and 212 Fahrenheit, respectively). When I used it while cooking steak, it reported the temperature within three seconds of sticking the probe in — the fastest of the models we tested. This fast readout is particularly helpful when cooking foods like fish or beef on the stovetop, which can easily overcook if you wait too long.

While the Thermapen is ready to go right out of the box, you can customize it by choosing between Celsius and Farenheit and setting the display to show whole numbers or one decimal place on the temperature readout. These customizations are done by unscrewing the bottom of the Thermapen, so there’s no risk of accidentally making an adjustment while in the middle of cooking. Finally, in the event that something ever goes wrong with the Thermapen, Thermoworks has great customer service and you can even send the thermometer back to the company for professional calibration. 

The only issue I’ve ever encountered with the Thermapen is that it’s not ergonomically designed with left-handed users in mind. If you hold it in your left hand, the display screen will face your palms and you won’t be able to hold the thermometer as easily or as naturally as you’d like because of how the probe extends. My husband is a lefty and has remarked that using it in his non-dominant hand has taken some getting used to, though it’s doable. Lefties might be more comfortable with our budget pick, the ThermoPop, which is configured better for left-handed use.

The best budget thermometer

The Thermoworks ThermoPop is a simple and easy-to-use meat thermometer at an entry-level price that’s great for those just learning to cook. 

Pros: Accurate, fast, easy-to-read numbers, has a backlight, has a rotating display, can show temperatures in Celsius and Farenheit, comfortable for both lefties and righties to use, comes in nine color options

Cons: Backlight and display rotation have to be activated by pressing buttons, the rigid probe has some trouble getting into tight spots, only displays whole numbers, can’t adjust digits if the thermometer needs calibration

While the Thermapen may be unparalleled in its features and accuracy, it comes at a premium price. For those learning to cook or just looking for something a little more simple or inexpensive, the Thermoworks ThermoPop has everything you need to get started, and it’s about a third of the price of the Thermapen.

The thermometer is lollipop-shaped with a long, thin probe on one end and a bulbous display on the other. The screen is clear and easy to read with large digits and a backlight. It’s accurate and reports the temperature within four seconds of inserting the probe into the food — just a second longer than the Thermapen. Since its probe is upright instead of angled, it works equally well for lefties and righties.

It has all the features you need in a thermometer, however, it takes an extra step to activate some of them. For example, you need to press a button to turn on the backlight or rotate the display while the Thermapen does both of these things automatically. It’s also not quite as customizable — you can’t set it to display one decimal place temperatures, it only shows whole numbers. And in the event that your thermometer’s calibration is off, you can’t make adjustments to the numbers on your own; you’d have to send it back to the company. It’s also a little less maneuverable in tight spaces or awkward angles since the probe is straight instead of angled. 

That said, it’s a great entry-level thermometer that has all the features you’ll need for almost every type of cooking project.

The best leave-in thermometer

The Thermoworks ChefAlarm has many thoughtful features like built-in alarms, a timer, and a probe that stays in your food for the entire cook time, making it a great option for grilling or long cooking projects.

Pros: Accurate, reads quickly, large display, has built-in timer and stopwatch, has high and low alarms, comes with a pot clip and carrying case, can buy and use other probe styles depending on your needs, magnetic base, can be used in both Celsius and Fahrenheit, comes in nine different colors

Cons: Magnet not always strong enough to hold up the unit on grill lid or oven door, takes some time to set up 

While fast-reading handheld thermometers like the Thermapen and ThermoPop are great for most uses, sometimes you need a thermometer that can be left in your food while it’s cooking, which is where probe or leave-in thermometers like the Thermoworks ChefAlarm come in. This style of thermometer features a probe that goes into your food and connects via a thin wire to a base that sits outside your grill or oven. It’s a handy design for grilling, barbecue, or cooking long roasts in the oven — situations when you want to keep an eye on the temperature without constantly opening the grill lid or oven door and letting heat out.

The ChefAlarm is ideally suited for this kind of use. It features a high-temperature probe connected by almost four feet of cable to a rectangular base that reports the current temperature, as well as the minimum and maximum temperatures your food has reached while cooking. Buttons on the base allow you to set a timer or stopwatch, along with alarms to tell you when your food has dropped above or below a certain desired temperature range. There are four alarm volumes, ranging from moderate beeping to blaring. The base can be folded to sit stably on a counter or attached via a magnet to a metallic surface like a grill lid or oven door. It also comes with a carrying case and a clip for attaching the probe to pots for deep frying or candy making.

In my temperature tests, the ChefAlarm was accurate and relatively fast, reporting temperatures within six seconds. However, between the probe, cable, and base, it has a lot of parts and is a bit unwieldy for stovetop cooking like searing steak or fish. It also takes some time to program its suite of alarms and timer, usually not worth the minutes when cooking something quick. I’ve found I get the most use out of it when grilling or cooking foods that take a lot of time. These are usually occasions when I’ve spent a lot of money on a large cut of meat, or invested my time into a cooking project; the ChefAlarm gives me peace of mind that I’ll get good results and that my money and time won’t be wasted. 

One tiny quibble I have with the ChefAlarm is that the magnet isn’t always strong enough to hold the base up when attached to my oven door. I work around this by just setting the base on my counter, but it could be an issue if you have a wall-mounted oven with no easily reachable surface nearby.

The leave-in thermometer on a budget

The Thermoworks DOT is a relatively inexpensive thermometer with a few simple, but well-designed features. It’s an accurate leave-in thermometer without all the bells and whistles.

Pros: Relatively fast, very accurate, clear display that’s easy to read from afar, has a backlight, can buy and use other probe styles depending on your needs, magnetic base, alarm alerts when the food has reached its set temperature, can be used in both Celsius and Fahrenheit, comes in nine different color options

Cons: No timer, no minimum or maximum temperature display, only one volume setting, only displays whole numbers

If you’re looking for a leave-in thermometer that is a bit simpler and less expensive than the ChefAlarm, the Thermoworks DOT is a more streamlined option. It consists of a circular, magnetic base attached to a 4.5-inch probe connected by a 47-inch cable. The front of the base has just two buttons: up and down, which you use to set your desired final cooking temperature. You stick the probe in the food and leave it there for the entire cook time, and the thermometer will beep loudly to let you know when your food has reached your desired temperature. 

Like the ChefAlarm, the DOT has a backlight that can be activated with a button on the back of the base, and you can buy other specialty probes that work with it to suit your needs (though you most likely won’t ever need to). One thing I particularly like about the DOT is that it’s lighter than the ChefAlarm, and stays put when I attach it magnetically to my grill or oven. It’s also incredibly accurate and a beat faster than the ChefAlarm, reporting the temperature within just five seconds.

The DOT doesn’t have a timer or the ability to show you minimum and maximum cooking temperatures, but you may not need either of those functions if you’re cooking something simple like a casserole or roast, or you use a separate timer while cooking. 

Overall, it’s a great option if you’re looking to dabble with a leave-in thermometer, or don’t need all the extra bells and whistles that come with a more expensive thermometer.

The best remote thermometer

If you’re serious about barbecue, the Thermoworks Smoke X2 offers both accuracy and convenience with a leave-in probe that can transmit data to a pager more than a mile away. 

Pros: Comes with a pager so you can monitor temperatures from afar, pager works more than a mile away from the base, comes with two temperature probes, accurate, moderately fast read and data transmission time, can set high and low temperature alarms for each probe, has a backlight, can be used in both Celsius and Fahrenheit, comes in nine different colors, can be used with other specialty probes and equipment

Cons: Too bulky for stovetop cooking

If you’re cooking something that takes many, many hours or even days — as is often the case with barbecue — you’re probably not going to want to spend all that time sitting next to the grill or oven monitoring temperatures. Remote thermometers like the Thermoworks Smoke X2 function similarly to leave-in thermometers, except they have an added pager component that lets you monitor the temperature of your food from afar. 

I first used the Smoke when I wrote an entire buying guide on just remote thermometers for another publication, and quickly found it has the best connectivity and the farthest range of the remote thermometers that are out there. For this guide, I spent even more time with the Smoke, testing its features and evaluating its speed and accuracy. 

The Smoke looks similar to other leave-in thermometers we tested. It comes with two probes that are connected by long wires to a base that sits outside your grill or oven. The base transmits that temperature data to a pager that you wear on a lanyard. Both probes were accurate and took about seven seconds to transmit the temperature to the base — slower than our other top picks, but much faster than any other remote thermometer I’ve tested. It then took another 15 seconds to report that temperature to the pager. 

The base and pager stay connected up to a mile away from each other, which likely covers all the distance you’ll need. While I didn’t test the lengths of this claim, I did walk with the pager up to 1,000 feet away from the base and it never lost connection, even when I went upstairs, behind walls, and down the block.

Unless you regularly cook barbecue or other lengthy projects, this isn’t a thermometer you’ll likely use every day. It’s a bit too big and bulky for stovetop cooking, though it could take the place of a leave-in thermometer if you simply use it without its pager. That said, there are much more inexpensive options if you’re just looking for an instant-read or leave-in thermometer. The Smoke is primarily worth the investment if you’re interested in the pager component.

One neat feature of the Smoke is that it also works with Thermoworks Billows, a product that uses temperature data from the Smoke to adjust the airflow in your grill or smoker for optimal results. I didn’t test the Billows because it’s a specialty product that most home cooks won’t need, but it might help justify the higher price of this thermometer if you’re serious about smoking or barbecuing.

What else we recommend

We tested a total of 12 thermometers for this guide. Here are the ones we tested that didn’t make the cut but still recommend as great thermometers:

• Lavatools Javelin PRO Duo Digital Meat Thermometer ($54.99): This fast-reading handheld thermometer is accurate, easy to use, and gives clear readouts. It has many of the features we love in the Thermapen Mk4, like a backlight and auto-rotating display. While the Javelin is a great thermometer, the Thermapen edged this model out because its features were a bit more reliable; the Javelin’s display sometimes rotated when we didn’t want it to and you need to press a button to activate the backlight. These are minor quibbles, however, and this is a great option if you want a more affordable alternative with many of the same functions as the Thermapen. 
• Lavatools Javelin Digital Meat Thermometer ($26.99): This petite thermometer is only a little more than four inches long with a probe length of just 2.8 inches. While it’s fast, accurate, and easy to read for its small size, it’s a bit too small for everyday use. I found my hands getting uncomfortably hot when holding this thermometer in food that was cooking, and its probe is too short to get all the way into large roasts and cuts of meat. That said, it’s small enough that you could clip it to a keychain, or use the included magnet to keep it on your fridge door for easy access when you need a thermometer in a pinch. It might be a good portable thermometer, but not one that I would want to use every day.

What we don’t recommend

Here are the meat thermometers we tested and didn’t make the guide: 

• OXO Good Grips Thermocouple Thermometer ($99.95): This instant-read thermometer is sleek, reports fast read-outs, and has a rotating display, but it was consistently off by one degree in all the calibration tests. While that wasn’t a deal-breaker (and hardly enough of a difference to ruin your food), I was regularly thwarted by the rotating display, which consistently read upside down when I tried to use it in a hurry, like while searing steak. The probe does extend further than other models, which meant my left-handed husband could also use the thermometer comfortably in his dominant hand (many instant-read thermometers only extend far enough to be most versatile for right-handed use). It may be a good option for lefties, but I would’ve liked more accuracy and reliability given the price.
• Polder Stable-Read Digital Thermometer ($19.98): This thermometer beeps to let you know when it’s at a stable reading, which can be useful if you’re still figuring out the nuances of using a meat thermometer. However, that was just about its only redeeming factor. It was consistently off by about 3 degrees F, and the display is hard to read, doesn’t rotate, and is not backlit. The probe is rigid and the thermometer is long, so it’s not good for temping things at an angle. Finally, the probe sheath was really difficult to pull on and off; not great when you’re trying to grab the thermometer quickly while your food cooks. 
• ThermoPro Wireless Meat Thermometer ($56.99): This remote thermometer gets solid reviews, so we decided to try it out. While it was accurate, it was difficult to use compared to the Thermoworks Smoke and lacked many of the features we love in that thermometer. The ThermoPro’s display is relatively small and hard to read, it wasn’t intuitive to use and program, and it only has a range of up to 300 feet. While this seems like a long distance, it lost connection when I left the transmitter by the grill and took the pager with me into my house and up a flight of stairs. When it was connected to the pager, it took about 45 seconds for the thermometer to report the temperature in all of our accuracy tests — the longest of any product we tried. While this lag isn’t likely to make a difference in your food if you’re using it to cook barbecue or another long-cooking dish, it’s much too slow for stovetop use or quick-cooking foods like steak or fish. 
• Taylor Commercial Digital Thermometer ($10.29): While this thermometer was the least expensive of any model we tested, its display is teeny-tiny at just 1/4 inch tall. I had to squint to read the numbers, the display often fogged up, and there was a glare if I didn’t hold the thermometer at the right angle. It also took a relatively long time to read at about 20 seconds, and in that time, my hand got hot from having to hold the thermometer close to the food for so long. It also wasn’t very accurate and was consistently off by 2 degrees F in all our accuracy tests.
• Taylor Waterproof Instant Read Thermometer ($16.99): Another inexpensive option from Taylor, this thermometer was slightly easier to read and featured a backlight. While it was also faster and more accurate than the other Taylor thermometer we tried, it still wasn’t without flaws. The display had a strong glare from certain angles and fogged up when close to hot foods; this was exacerbated by its short probe, which kept the thermometer (and our hands) near the heat. The buttons were also hard to press.

Our testing methodology

I’ve been using kitchen thermometers as a core tool in my arsenal for more than a decade, including seven years working in professional kitchens as a product tester and editor for “America’s Test Kitchen” and “Cook’s Illustrated.” For this guide, I leaned on my extensive experience testing and writing about kitchen products and using a thermometer almost daily, and also interviewed Tracy Wilk, lead chef at the Institute of Culinary Education. I tested 12 different kitchen thermometers, putting each through a set of identical tests. Here’s what I looked for in the best thermometers:

Accuracy: A thermometer should be, above all, accurate. I looked for accuracy at both high and low temperatures, as well as accuracy over time. I put each model through three different accuracy tests: an ice bath test, a boiling water test, and a sous vide test where I tracked the temperature reported by each thermometer over two hours when placed in a water bath heated by an immersion circulator. You can read more about how I did the industry-standard ice bath and boiling water tests below. Though I used the thermometers while cooking food to evaluate the ease of use, I didn’t include food in my accuracy tests since it introduces a number of hard-to-control variables like cooking temperature, size and thickness of the meat, and potential human error.

Speed: In every test, I timed how long it took for the thermometer to report a steady, accurate temperature. Some thermometers read within seconds, while others took up to a minute. For remote thermometers, I also timed how long it took for the base to transmit the temperature data to the pager.

Ease of use: A good thermometer needs to be easy to use and the readouts should be legible and easy to read. I used each thermometer over several weeks as part of my regular cooking routine, seeing how comfortable they were to hold over hot pans filled with searing steak, whether their screens fogged up when I stuck the probes into vats of chili, and generally evaluating how easy they were to handle, use, and read. 

Durability: Thermometers are often used in busy kitchens where bumps and spills happen. I tested the durability of the thermometers by knocking each from the counter onto the ground 10 times and checking for any cracking or functionality loss. All the thermometers passed this test.

Special features: While a thermometer doesn’t need to have any fancy features, I looked at any additional functions such as backlights, alarms, timers, and customizability. I checked to see that these functions were helpful and worked as intended.

What we look forward to testing

There are hundreds of meat thermometers out there, here are some other models we’re looking forward to testing soon: 

• Yummly Smart Thermometer ($89.99): This thermometer is part of a new generation of leave-in thermometers that are completely wireless. The probe stays in your food the entire cooking time, but there are no wires coming out of your oven or grill like there are with the DOT or ChefAlarm. Instead, the probe wirelessly transmits temperature data to your phone, so you can see when the food is finished cooking. I’ve tested similar thermometers in the past and found that they either suffer from app or connectivity issues. I’m looking forward to trying out the Yummly and see if it improves on either of these issues.
• Maverick Stake ($79.99): Maverick is a well-loved brand among barbecuers, and it recently introduced the Stake, which is another one of these new-generation wireless leave-in thermometers. We’re looking forward to comparing it with the Yummly Smart Thermometer and other more traditional wired leave-in thermometers.
• Taylor Gourmet Programmable Kitchen Thermometer with Timer ($21.99): This leave-in thermometer has a built-in timer and a more traditional design, similar to our top picks. It may make an inexpensive option for those looking for this style of thermometer.

Types of thermometers

In this guide, we focused on three primary types of thermometers used most commonly in cooking: instant-read thermometers, probe thermometers/leave-in thermometers, and remote thermometers. Here are the key differences between the styles:

Instant-read thermometer

Pros: Fast read-out, slim design that fits easily in your hand, can check multiple locations in the food quickly, can be used for almost any task

Cons: Not meant to be left in the food so you have to open the pot lid, oven door, or grill lid to check the temperature, which could result in heat loss and a longer cook time 

These devices are handheld digital thermometers that give you a temperature read-out in several seconds. They’re the most versatile of the different thermometers, and if you’re only going to buy one thermometer, this is the style to buy. They’re great for stovetop cooking and foods that cook fast but also work well for checking on dishes you cook in the oven or grill. My instant-read thermometer is one of the most-used tools in my kitchen and the thermometer I reach for most often.

Probe thermometer or leave-in thermometer

Pros: Great for long cooks where you don’t want to poke the food too often, good for candy-making and deep-frying, often has alarms or a timer built in

Cons: Slightly slower read-out, not ideal for fast-cooking foods like steak or fish on the stovetop, more parts to keep track of, bigger and harder to operate with one hand

These thermometers have a probe that’s meant to be left in the food for the entire duration of cooking. The probe connects by a thin metal wire to a base that sits outside the stove, oven, or grill and shows the temperature read-out. Many probe thermometers also have extra functions like timers or alarms. This style is good for situations where you want to constantly monitor the temperature without having to frequently poke the food or open the oven door or grill lids, like when making large roasts or long-cooked braises. They’re also useful for deep-frying and candy-making since you can clip the probe onto the pot and monitor the temperature of the frying oil or sugar for consistency.

Remote thermometer

Pros: Pager or smartphone-connectivity that lets you monitor temperature from afar, good for long-cooking foods like barbecue or roasts

Cons: Most expensive, bulky, slightly longer read and transmission time than leave-in thermometers

Remote thermometers are very similar to probe thermometers in that they have a leave-in probe connected to a base, but they have the added component of a pager that lets you monitor the temperature of your food from afar. This is popular for grilling and smoking, which typically have very long cook times. A remote thermometer lets you walk away from the grill or oven and still keep an eye on the temperature of your food. Many are also smartphone-connected, so you can check the temperature from your phone. While you can use them in all the same ways you would use a leave-in thermometer, they’re usually bigger, heavier, and more expensive, so really only recommended if you do a lot of barbecuing or very long cooks.

Why ThermoWorks makes the best thermometers we tested

With Thermoworks occupying all five of our top picks, you might think this guide is sponsored — it most assuredly is not. Our guides are never sponsored and we conduct the same set of tests on all products (you can read more about how we tested in our methodology). We put 12 different thermometers through the same rigorous criteria for this guide. So how did Thermoworks products come to best the competition? Here are some of the reasons Thermoworks thermometers did so well, and why they’re worth buying:

Accuracy: A thermometer should be accurate. Thermoworks thermometers consistently gave the most precise and accurate measurements in our tests. Should your thermometer reading be off after doing basic calibration tests (very unlikely in a new thermometer, since many of its products come factory-calibrated, but a possibility with extended use), some of Thermoworks’ thermometers are easily adjusted with buttons inside the battery compartment, or you can send the thermometer to the company for lab calibration. 

Thoughtful design: Thermoworks thermometers are thoughtfully designed and simple to use. The thermometers have just the right amount of features — nothing superfluous. Some features we found particularly helpful in our top picks were large readouts, backlit displays, and easy adjustability. 

Trusted industry leader: Thermoworks has been in business for 25 years and only makes thermometers and temperature tracking devices. Its staff is filled with engineers who are laser-focused on thermometry and calibration. Its reputation for doing one thing and doing it well has made it a trusted brand used not only by home cooks and in the foodservice industry, but also by pharmaceutical, construction, manufacturing, utility, heating and air conditioning, plastics and rubber, research and science, and other industries. 

Customer service: While customer service didn’t factor into my rankings for this guide, it’s worth noting that Thermoworks has some of the best customer service I’ve ever experienced. I’ve been using Thermoworks products daily for a decade as part of my job and in my own home. Whenever I’ve had a question, a call to the customer service line quickly puts me in touch with a technician who can answer questions big and small — from troubleshooting data logging software to basic questions about what thermometer is best for what use. 

Colors: While appearance also didn’t factor into my ratings, I do love that most Thermoworks products come in nine to 10 colors, so you can choose one that feels customized and personal to you.

How to calibrate a thermometer

Before you use your thermometer for the first time, you should make sure it’s accurate. This process is called “calibration,” but that’s a bit of a misnomer since you usually aren’t making any adjustments, just checking accuracy. In addition to calibrating your thermometer before its first use, it’s also a good idea to check its accuracy periodically, especially if you’re using an older model or a dial thermometer. There are two industry-standard ways to calibrate your thermometer: the ice bath test and the boiling water test.   

Ice bath test

The easiest way to check for accuracy is to prepare an ice bath. Here are the steps outlined on Thermoworks’ website, which are standard across many brands:

1. Fill a vessel like a large mug or bowl to the rim with ice.
2. Add cold water to the vessel to fill the gaps between the ice. Stop filling when you’ve reached just below the lip of the vessel. 
3. Insert your thermometer’s probe into the center of the ice bath and stir gently.
4. An accurate thermometer should read 32 degrees F (or 0 degrees C) in the ice bath.

Boiling water test

If you don’t have ice readily available, you can also check the accuracy of your thermometer with boiling water. However, keep in mind that water boils at different temperatures depending on your location and the current atmospheric pressure. The boiling water calibration test should only be used in a pinch and only to detect glaring inaccuracies. Here are the steps:

1. Fill a pot with at least four inches of water and bring to a boil over high heat.
2. When the water is at a roaring boil with big bubbles bursting at the surface, insert your thermometer probe into the water, taking care that it doesn’t touch the sides or bottom of the pot. 
3. Compare the temperature read-out to the estimated boiling point of water for your area. At sea level, water generally boils at 212 degrees F (100 degrees C). 

What to do if your thermometer is inaccurate

If you perform either of the above calibration tests and find that your thermometer is inaccurate, first check the accuracy range of your device, which should be listed on the packaging or instructions. Some thermometers allow for a variance of up to a degree plus or minus the target temperature. If your thermometer’s reading is within the allowed range, there’s no need to make adjustments. 

If your thermometer is off by more than the allowed range, follow any included instructions in the packaging for adjusting the read-out of your device. If your device isn’t adjustable you have a couple of options. First, you can send the thermometer back to the manufacturer for calibration. The price and availability of this service will vary depending on the model, your warranty, and the company. Second, you can simply take a small piece of tape and write the amount the thermometer is off by on it and stick it to the thermometer body. Every time you use the thermometer, the tape will remind you to mentally adjust the read-out by the number written on the tape. Finally, if your thermometer was cheap or is old, you may just want to buy a new one.

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