Don't Buy This

Wegman's sells the Taylor Classic Instant Thermometer ($7.99), which has "instant" (meaning about a minute to get to the actual temperature) digital reads ranging from between -58°F to 302°F. It also comes with an extra "long-life" battery. They didn't mention that the "long-life" part was in fruit fly terms. I used it to make mozzarella. I was making some more just now and it died half way through the process (yes, I left it on for about five extra minutes, which I admit was a mistake). No problem: just change the battery! After that it would never work again. So what to do? Well, I just got back from Giant with a Farberware analog instant read thermometer for just a dollar more. At least this one needs no batteries. Something told me I should've spent that extra dollar.