Polder Original Cooking All-In-One Timer/Thermometer

I've had the Polder 362-90 for about 5 years. I purchased it after seeing Alton Brown using one on the Food Channel show "Good Eats". Now, I'd be lost without it. It takes all the guesswork out of roasting chicken or turkey or a roast beef or whatever else you care to cook in your oven.

You insert the metal probe into whatever you're cooking, set the target temperature and start roasting. When your roast reaches the desired temperature, the Polder will beep to let you know. Perfectly cooked. No wiggling Mrs. Chicken's legs, no pressing on the roast, no "Gee, is it done? I'm not sure." It couldn't be easier.

It has a countdown timer (but not a clock) as well. The back of the main unit has 2 strong magnets which allow it to be attached to any metallic surface, vertical or horizontal. The LCD pivots, so no matter where you put the unit, you can tilt the LCD to make it easy to read. A slide switch on the back allows you to change between Farenheit and Centigrade.

When you wash the probe, you *must* be careful. The probe is a metal tube that contains a temperature sensor. At the point where the cable from the main unit enters this tube, it is sealed merely by crimping the tube. It isn't waterproof. So during washing, if you allow water around this area, it will find its way into the tube and kill the sensor. This is the basis, I believe, for many of the complaints regarding the probe's fragility.

I wrap my hand tightly around the top of the probe when I wash it to prevent this from happening, and I'm still using the original. I use it at least twice a month, so that means it has been used at least 100 times and washed 100 times and it works fine. As far as complaints that the sensor is inaccurate, I've got 100+ perfectly cooked chickens, turkeys and roast beefs that contradict that assertion.

If I have a complaint its that the thing has no on/off switch! Its always running and, therefore, draining the AAA battery. This is not a big deal. The first battery lasted about 3 years and the one in it now has about 2 years of use and is still going strong. When the temperature reads "LO", that is the indicator that the battery needs replacement.

The Polder 362-90 allows you to know when your roast is done instead of guessing at it. I find it essential and I recommend it. Just be careful when you wash it.

***UPDATE 6/2010: After 10+ years of faithful service, my Polder finally quit working. I immediately ordered another. The new one worked accurately twice and then began to underreport temperature by about 30 to 40 degrees F. I tried a backup probe and a new battery with the same result so it would appear to be a problem with the main unit and not the probe. I see that many of the most recent reviews for this product complain of a similar issue. I think Polder may have a manufacturing problem. I would defer purchasing this product until the reviews turn positive again.

I bought two timers, this Poulder and a 6 buck Taylor. The Taylor was for timing things that take under 10 minutes and I could set next to the outdoor BBQ. The Poulder was for more complex stuff like actually telling the temperature of the meat (or fish or whatever) when it's in the oven. It works. It works beautifully. My wife loves it.

BUT, this is our second one. The first lasted about four years before the tabs that allow it to sit upright on a countertop either wore out or broke. That meant that it couldn't be seen straight on unless you used the magnetic backing and "pasted" it on the range. I don't know if that will happen again. I don't know if it's a design flaw. It's plastic, so maybe four years is more than I should have expected. The timer still worked, and I suppose Poulder would have replaced it if I wanted to go to the trouble. Giving them the benefit of the doubt and the fact that it does work very well, 5 stars.

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I have use Polder brand products including replacement probes for years, but the latest version of probes is a complete and utter failure. The replacements and new probes on recent shipments of thermometers all have a heat-resistant plastic-like coating over the probe wire much like a heavy guage coated wire rather than the prior successful metal mesh exteriors. Those with mesh occasionally kinked if abused by the user, but they never totally failed to give a reading with such short life. The mesh ones were good for one or more seasons. I am thoroughly dissapointed with Polder's "new and improved" probes. This, of course applies to any of the Polder products shipped with the new worthless probes. Another disturbing thing is that the photos of the probes appear to be the old mesh covered good ones and nothing in product description says anything about a different probe.

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I've been using this for at least 10 years and I love it. It's only on it's second set of batteries and it's used almost every day. I haven't had any of the problems with the probe that I've read about and that also gets used frequently--probably at least once a week.

I'm particularly impressed with the fact that it's been left out in the rain several times while attached to the smoker, gotten full of water and as soon as it's dried out it's been as good as new. It's hard to read when the display is full of water.....

This is a terrific value for the money. I bought a back up several years ago thinking my original one must be close to reaching the end of it's useful life, but it's still in the box.

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I have used this thermometer for the better part of 3 years now, and I am sorry to say that I killed it this Thanksgiving. I had the probe in the turkey, and left the unit sitting on the stovetop. Problem was, all 4 burners were on and fried the internals.

Now I will buy a new one. I used it in the oven, for bbqing, timing, you name it, I got my moneys worth from this guy.

I must now go mourn.

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