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Infrared thermometer for cooking

Updated: October 2026

You want an infrared thermometer for cooking because the pizza stone looks ready, or the griddle is heating, or a delivery of cold food needs a quick check. The laser feels precise. It is reading the surface you can see. It does not show that the centre of a chicken, a joint or a reheated meal has reached 70 °C. The Products Compared editorial team set the eight surface guns from the amazon.co.uk listings filed on 15 October 2026 against Food Standards Agency guidance. There was no laboratory test. If you buy through our Amazon links, a qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. The full table, including the forehead units this page refuses, is the [infrared thermometer comparison](/hub/climate-measuring/infrared-thermometer).

You want an infrared thermometer for cooking because the pizza stone looks ready, or the griddle is heating, or a delivery of cold food needs a quick check. The laser feels precise. It is reading the surface you can see.

Our top picks

ERICKHILL ERICKHILL ROOK600C, −50 °C to 600 °C

Best overall

ERICKHILL ERICKHILL ROOK600C, −50 °C to 600 °C
8.6/10about £14.99
View offer
ABOHU ABOHU surface gun, −50 °C to 550 °C

Alternative

ABOHU ABOHU surface gun, −50 °C to 550 °C
7.3/10about £9.99
View offer
Eventek Eventek ET312 gun, −50 °C to 600 °C

Alternative

Eventek Eventek ET312 gun, −50 °C to 600 °C
8.2/10about £14.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.An infrared thermometer reads the surface, not the centre
  2. 2.A pizza stone needs a stated top that covers the heat
  3. 3.Emissivity and distance still apply on a stone or a griddle
  4. 4.Cold food is the other job infrared is allowed to do

An infrared thermometer reads the surface, not the centre

The Food Standards Agency says the middle of the food should reach 70 °C for 2 minutes, or 60 °C for 45 minutes, 65 °C for 10 minutes, 75 °C for 30 seconds, or 80 °C for 6 seconds. Those figures need a clean probe in the centre, not a pistol from the oven door. Safer Food, Better Business says infrared is for cold surfaces of food on delivery or in a fridge or freezer. It cannot check the centre of cooked, reheated or cooling food. If a surface reading seems high, confirm it with a clean, disinfected probe. The G4GADGET names food in a surface mode and never states a degree window for that mode, so it is not the oven gun. If you are unsure you bought a gun, settle that on the buying guide before you aim at supper.

A pizza stone needs a stated top that covers the heat

Thermapen’s Pizza IR page, which is not a price in this set, says pizza ovens typically need about 400 °C to 500 °C. A shopping rule of thumb, not a test, is that a useful oven gun states about 550 °C or higher and is often under about £25. The ABOHU G1 is £8.49, fixed 0.95, 12:1, and it stops at 400 °C. Skip it when the stone may run hotter. The other ABOHU, at £9.99, states 550 °C and the same fixed 0.95, but its 4.5 from 322 reviews is the same text as the G1. The MUFASHA states 550 °C and names neither emissivity nor a not-for-human line. The Soonkoda states 600 °C at £8.49, with no distance-to-spot, and one UK pizza-oven review put it about 100 °C low. The Eventek ET312 and the ERICKHILL ROOK600C, both £14.99, state 600 °C, emissivity from 0.1 to 1.0, and 12:1, and both say they are not for people or animals. The Eventek is 4.4 from 5,035 reviews. The ERICKHILL is 4.5 from 2,867 and states Class 2. The ThermoPro bullet says 550 °C at £15.17 and the attributes say 500 °C and 223.15 °C. Do not tidy that. The MOONASCEND states 1500 °C at £49.99, with nine reviews, which is more range than a home stone needs. What to skip at more length is the best infrared thermometer page.
ERICKHILL ERICKHILL ROOK600C, −50 °C to 600 °C

Testsieger

ERICKHILL ERICKHILL ROOK600C, −50 °C to 600 °C
8.6/10about £14.99
View offer

Emissivity and distance still apply on a stone or a griddle

Fixed 0.95, on both ABOHU guns, suits a dull stone. A steel plate or a shiny griddle does not. Eventek, ERICKHILL and the ThermoPro bullet let you move from 0.1 to 1.0. Tape is the fallback when the gun cannot. The MUFASHA never names the setting, so you cannot assume 0.95 is even the default. At 12:1, 30 cm is a spot about 2.5 cm across and 50 cm is about 4.2 cm. That is arithmetic from the ratio, not a lab check. Thermapen tells users of its own Pizza IR to stand about 30–50 cm off the stone. That instruction is for their model, not a measured sweet spot for the Eventek. The Soonkoda states no ratio, so you cannot run the sum. The aim routine stays on how to use an infrared thermometer.

Cold food is the other job infrared is allowed to do

Aim at the food, not the reflective packaging or a sticky label. If the reading seems high, confirm it with a clean, disinfected probe. A warm surface on a chilled pack is a prompt, not a pass. Several guns here start at −50 °C. The MUFASHA starts at −32 °C. The shared ABOHU reviews mention a freezer. Do not award that comment to both ASINs. Keep a probe for the centre.

Common questions

Can an infrared thermometer tell you the chicken is cooked?
No. The middle of the food has to hit a time and temperature pair on the FSA page, taken with a clean probe. An infrared reading, however high, is the surface you aimed at.
Is a 400 °C gun enough for an oven stone?
It is a poor fit if the stone runs hotter than 400 °C. The ABOHU G1 stops there. Guns in this file that state 550 °C or 600 °C cover the usual oven band on paper. The £49.99 MOONASCEND is more range than a home stone needs.
Do you need adjustable emissivity for a stone or a griddle?
A dull stone is a fair job for fixed 0.95, which is what both ABOHU guns offer. A steel plate or a shiny griddle usually needs adjustment, from 0.1 to 1.0 on the Eventek, the ERICKHILL and the ThermoPro bullet, or tape on the spot. The MUFASHA does not name emissivity, so you cannot plan on changing it.
Can you use the gun on cold food in the fridge?
Yes, as a surface check on delivery or in a fridge or freezer. Avoid reflective packaging and sticky labels. If the surface seems warm, confirm with a clean, disinfected probe. The gun still does not see the middle of food that is cooling down.
How far should you stand if the optic is 12:1?
At 30 cm the patch is about 2.5 cm across. At 50 cm it is about 4.2 cm across. That is arithmetic from the ratio, not a test of these ASINs. A stone is large enough for that patch. A thin griddle edge may not be. The Soonkoda does not state a ratio, so this sum does not apply to it.

Related pages

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Sources

Public UK sources used for this comparison. Listing prices, stars and review counts are from amazon.co.uk on 15 October 2026.

  1. MHRA — infrared thermometers: caution in use (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  2. MHRA — temperature-screening guidance (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  3. NHS — how to take a baby's temperature (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  4. NICE NG143 — recommendations for under-5s (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  5. Food Standards Agency — cooking your food (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  6. FSA — Safer Food, Better Business: Prove it (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  7. UKHSA — laser radiation safety advice (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  8. Which? — best digital thermometers 2026 (retrieved 15 October 2026)