There are several types of food thermometers that can be used, the most common being digital thermometers and dial-type bimetal thermometers.

Digital thermometer: It has a digital reading panel on the upper end of its metal long handle. Digital thermometers use batteries to provide power and require self-switching. The internal temperature of the food can be measured in about five seconds. The digital thermometer should be placed in the food at the end of the cooking time to check the final cooking temperature. The thermometer's sensor is located at the tip of the probe and is best used to measure the temperature of thin slices of food such as hamburger and chicken breast. Digital thermometers cannot be used in the oven or in water.

Dial-type bimetal thermometer: It has a metal long handle and a round dial at the top, which shows different temperatures. Large dial thermometers can be placed in the oven for large pieces of meat and whole poultry; small dial thermometers cannot always be placed in the oven, and the temperature of the food can only be checked during cooking and at the end of cooking. The thermometer senses the internal temperature of the food along the long handle, from the tip of the long handle to a position about two inches upward. The temperature indicated on the dial is the average of the temperatures obtained along the sensing zone.