Chefs can sense when a skillet is fully preheated or food is perfectly cooked. For the rest of us, two new thermometers make those jobs easier. If you point BonJour's Culinary Laser Thermometer at a pan, the surface temperature flashes on a screen; temperatures for everything from sautéing (275°) to searing (450°) are listed on the side ($90; 800-2-BONJOUR). Brookstone's Grill Alert Talking Remote Thermometer includes a probe you insert into meat, poultry or fish, and a transmitter that operates 300 feet away. A voice prompt tells you when food is "almost ready" and "ready" ($75; 866-576-7337).

Published July 2004