[edit]Ha! I took so long to write this that Motocrash beat me to it. Same recommendation, I see. [/end edit]
It will probably work, but a thermometer like that takes a long time to get up to temp, and will get pretty grubby if you try to use it after there is food on the grill or pan. For almost the same money ($16), you can get this instead:
Laser Infrared Thermometer
I have a different brand (
Kintrex IRT0421), but I'm sure the one in this link would work just as well. I bought mine on a whim a few years ago and every month I seem to find another use for it. Here's a quick rundown.
First of all, it takes the temperature instantly, in less than 1/4 second. Second, it works at both insanely high and really low temps: I can point it at an item in my freezer, and it shows -5 F. I can point it at the flavorizer bar in my gas BBQ and it shows 700 degrees.
I use it every time when nuking something in my CI skillet. It lets me get the skillet to the exact temp I want, every time.
One other neat thing is that when used close to the surface, you can get temps at specific locations. For instance, CI skillets are great for retaining heat, but absolutely horrible at distributing that heat. When I put the skillet on my gas stove, the parts of the pan directly over the flame heat to 400 degrees, while the surrounding areas are 300 degrees or cooler. I often turn down the heat for a little while to let things even out (or preheat the skillet in the oven, which completely solves the heat distribution problem)
You can point it at someone's head and get their temperature (or point it at the back of their throat, etc.).
I have compared its readings with my
Thermapen which, as you probably know, is individually calibrated, and which I have checked using the ice/boiling water method. My IR thermometer is usually within one degree of the
Thermapen.
The one reason I did briefly think of purchasing the item you show above is that the IR thermometer has one Achilles heel: it won't read temperatures from polished surfaces. So while it works great with my CI skillet and with my enameled pans, it gives a completely erroneous reading on any of my stainless steel pans and skillets.
So, for the BBQ, smoker, and all other outdoor cooking devices, this IR thermometer works perfectly.
Oh yes, I also used it last fall during the biggest heat wave we've ever had, to see if I could fry an egg on our driveway asphalt. Here is that reading:
Close, but not quite hot enough.
