Memorial Day Entertaining

The Cadillac of kitchen thermometers is indispensable when roasting meat, cooking steaks, making candy, deep-frying, or at any other time precise temperature control is needed. With a big display and a blazing-fast measuring time of under two seconds, you won't find a better, easier-to-use thermometer out there.

I’ve been cooking on Weber charcoal grills for over 20 years now, and the only reason I’ve ever retired one has been to give it to a deserving friend or because a cross-country move forced me to. If you want a family-sized charcoal grill for less than $200 that can cook anything and will last forever, the Weber Original 22-Inch is it. Whether you get the standard, ash tray–style model or the Premium (formerly the One-Touch Gold) with its built-in ash catcher, the sheer space and searing power of a Weber Kettle will put gas grills to shame. Its large cooking area and deeply domed lid will allow you to smoke a few racks of ribs or a turkey over indirect heat, or grill over a dozen burgers at a time.

In the inexpensive-thermometer department, the ThermoPop is the new kid on the block, but it comes in an impressive package. An easy-to-read display rotates at the touch of a button, so you don't have to twist your head to see it. It takes a few seconds longer to read temperatures than its big brother, the Thermapen, but it's every bit as accurate.

A New York Times best seller! The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science, by J. Kenji López-Alt, is his column on this very website, blown up to 900+ pages (and 7+ pounds) of concentrated culinary science. Gorgeous color photos, detailed how-tos, and elaborate explainers cover ingredients, technique, gear, and the secrets of the universe underneath it all. May include puns.