Are Thermapens really $75 better than these?
I've had mine for several months and can't see any reason to spend more than I did. It's accurate and it reads quickly. I even left mine in the rain after a night of half drunken grilling and it still works great.
I agree. I have this one and love it.
Is there a big difference between the Thermoworks ones and these I found on Amazon: Lavatools PT12 Javelin Digital Instant Read Meat Thermometer for Kitchen, Food Cooking, Grill, BBQ, Smoker, Candy, Home Brewing, Coffee, and Oil Deep Frying https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GRFHXVQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_O9zkEbB0W3ZZD ThermoPro TP20 Wireless Remote Digital Cooking Food Meat Thermometer with Dual Probe for Smoker Grill BBQ Thermometer https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GE77QT0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_naAkEbXZQT599
https://www.amazon.com/Lavatools-Javelin-Digital-Thermometer-Chipotle/dp/B00GRFHXVQ
don't listen to anyone that tells you otherwise
Javelin thermometer, best thing in my kit and I use it though out the kitchen
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GRFHXVQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_rE8VAbF1HFB4G
In the kitchen I use a LavaTools Javelin. Not quite as good as a Thermapen, but for $25 I can buy 4 for the cost of one Thermapen. Much better than all the other digital "instant read" thermometers I've used over the years in the same price range.
That thermometer looks designed to check large cuts of meat. Don't use it on a cookie. I just got a Lavatools Javelin last week, and I love it for smaller things like chicken breast doneness. For the javelin, the temperature sensor is in the very tip.
All that said...don't use a thermometer to check doneness for cookies at all. It's just not how we do. Cookies are not meat. You should be relying on visual cues. What I'd recommend you do is calibrate your oven using an oven thermometer to make sure the temp you're setting it to is what you think it is, and then baking a tray with only a couple cookies to make sure you can tailor the recipe to your liking and your oven.