Thermometers
Two of them, because they do two different jobs. One answers a question at the end, the other watches the number the whole way up.
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Instant read thermometer
The only reliable way to stop overcooking chicken and fish. Fast, thin probe, and it should read in under three seconds.
Candy thermometer
The second one, for the jobs where the temperature has to be watched the whole way up rather than checked once at the end.
Why two
Guessing is what ruins good meat and good syrup, and they are not ruined the same way. One tool tells you when to stop, the other tells you how close you are.