Most home cooks can get along without an instant-read thermometer. I do not need my roast to be 154F… somewhere over 140 but a bit under 160 is just fine. And I can wait the 30 seconds the $10 model might take to get there.
My BIG splurge 4 yrs ago was a $25 probe with cord model, from Thermoworks, the maker of Thermapen that’s made for use inside the oven. The digital readout is precise and there’s no reason it can’t be used outside the oven. Truth be told, I hardly ever use it since I’m pretty good at telling when things are done, by the aroma.
