This Thanksgiving, there’s one tool you need to keep out of the kitchen in order to cook the perfect turkey. Ironically, it’s the pop-up turkey timer.
A pop-up turkey timer ― the kind that comes pre-inserted in your store-bought bird ― is probably one of the most unreliable kitchen gadgets of all time. By the time the timer does actually pop, your turkey will be overcooked and as dry as sawdust. Advertisement
That’s because commercial turkey buttons are set to pop at 180 to 185 degrees Fahrenheit, even though you should actually remove the turkey from the oven when it reaches 160 degrees F (then you temperature will continue rising as it rests on the counter, to the FDA-recommended 165 degrees Fahrenheit). If you use a pop-up timer, you end up drastically overcooking your turkey.
As Thanksgiving approaches home cooks across the country are preparing to roast turkeys for their holiday feasts. Many supermarket turkeys come with a pop-up timer that is supposed to indicate when the bird is fully cooked. But can you actually trust these pop-up timers to properly gauge doneness?
A Brief History of the Pop-Up Turkey Timer
The pop-up turkey timer has been around since the 1960s. It was invented as a way to help home cooks roast turkeys properly and promote turkey sales beyond just Thanksgiving. At the time recommendations for roasting times per pound were considered unreliable. The pop-up timer provided a visual cue for when the turkey was done.
The original pop-up timers had some flaws – they would sometimes fail to pop up at the right temperature or pop out of the turkey completely The design has been refined over the decades, but experts still caution against fully relying on the pop-up for determining doneness
How Do Pop-Up Turkey Timers Work?
A pop-up timer consists of a few key components:
- A barrel that sits inside the turkey breast
- A red plunger
- A spring
- A blob of food-grade wax
It operates based on the melting point of the wax. The wax is calibrated to melt at between 180-185°F. When the turkey reaches this temperature, the wax melts, releasing the spring and causing the red plunger to pop up.
The problem is that 180-185°F is hotter than the 165°F that is considered safe for poultry doneness.
Why Pop-Up Timers Can Be Unreliable
There are a few reasons why many cooking experts caution against relying solely on the pop-up timer:
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Inconsistent cooking temperatures – Turkeys have varying thicknesses, which leads to inconsistent cooking. The area around the pop-up timer may reach 185°F before the rest of the turkey is properly cooked.
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Failure to pop – In some cases, the pop-up timer never actually pops. This could be due to a malfunction or the turkey never reaching the target temperature.
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Pops too early – Some timers have been known to pop before the turkey has reached a safe 165°F. This results in dangerously undercooked poultry.
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One temperature reading – The pop-up only measures the temperature in one small area of the turkey rather than throughout.
Alternative Methods for Testing Turkey Doneness
Instead of the pop-up timer, experts recommend using the following techniques to test your turkey’s doneness:
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Meat thermometer – Insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh, without touching bone. It should read 165°F. Test in a few areas.
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Cut into the breast – Use a knife to cut into the breast meat. It should be white throughout with no traces of pink.
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Leg wiggle – Twist the leg gently. It should move easily in the socket.
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Clear juices – Pierce the turkey and check the juice color. It should run clear rather than pink.
Safety Tips for Turkey Roasting
To ensure your holiday turkey is fully and safely cooked, keep these tips in mind:
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Never rely solely on the pop-up timer – use a meat thermometer as well.
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Check the temperature in multiple thick and thin sections.
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Let the turkey rest 20 minutes before carving for juices to redistribute.
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Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours.
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Reheat leftovers thoroughly to 165°F.
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Wash hands, utensils, sinks after contact with raw turkey.
Is It Time to Ditch the Pop-Up Timer?
The pop-up timer became a staple because home cooks needed a better gauge for determining turkey doneness. However, as we now know, these timers can be wildly inaccurate and inconsistent.
Modern instant-read thermometers provide a much more reliable way to assess doneness. Checking the internal temperature in multiple areas leaves little room for error.
While the pop-up timer is unlikely to disappear from supermarket turkeys anytime soon, it’s clear that home cooks shouldn’t put all their trust in this fallible device. For foolproof food safety, bust out that trusty meat thermometer. It’s the best way to take the temperature of your turkey and enjoy another happy, healthy Thanksgiving.
A Closer Look at Why You Shouldn’t Trust the Pop-Up Timer
As we’ve established, the pop-up turkey timer has been around for decades but has proven unreliable over time. But why exactly is this timer so untrustworthy when it comes to properly roasting your Thanksgiving bird? Here’s a deeper dive:
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The pop-up timer is set too high – These timers are calibrated to pop up at 180-185°F. However, the USDA recommends turkeys reach an internal temperature of only 165°F for safety and proper doneness. going to 185°F leads to overcooking.
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Inconsistent cooking – A turkey doesn’t cook evenly throughout. The area around the timer may hit 185°F before the rest of the bird is done.
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It doesn’t account for carryover cooking – The turkey’s internal temperature continues rising 5-10 degrees after removed from the oven as heat evenly distributes. An 185°F timer doesn’t account for this.
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It only measures one spot – The timer only indicates the temperature at that single location rather than throughout the entire turkey.
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It can fail to pop up – Malfunctions can lead to the timer never popping up at all, leaving the cook guessing.
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False pops – Some timers have been known to pop up prematurely well before the turkey is fully cooked.
Reliable Alternatives to the Pop-Up Timer
To cook your turkey to the proper internal temperature and doneness, rely on these methods instead:
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Digital meat thermometers – Instant-read or leave-in probe thermometers provide reliable readings when inserted in the thickest part of the thigh and breast.
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Analog thermometers – While not as fast, old-fashioned dial turkey thermometers get the job done.
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Visual checks – Cut into the breast to check color. Juices should run clear. The thigh joint should twist easily.
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Timer apps – Input your turkey’s weight and track recommended cooking times and temps.
The pop-up timer became popular because home cooks needed help determining when a turkey was fully cooked. But cooking technology and know-how has improved since its inception. While the pop-up timer is still lurking in turkeys every Thanksgiving, home cooks now have much better options for gauging doneness during roasting. For tasty, juicy and safe holiday feasting, trust in the instant-read thermometer. The pop-up timer may finally be ready to retire after over 50 years of service.
But the best way to take the temperature of a turkey is with a digital instant-read thermometer.
It’s not that hard to jab a turkey with a thermometer and see if it’s done or not. Simply insert a digital instant-read thermometer into the space between the thigh and the breast to get an accurate reading. We also recommend probe-style digital thermometers, which can be inserted into your bird with a wire leading out of the oven door to a digital display that monitors the temperature. (And if you buy a turkey that already has a pop-up timer inserted, either ignore it or pull it out, if you can do so without mangling the bird.)
Get yourself a good meat thermometer before it’s too late.
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This affordable ThermoPro TP03 with rechargeable batteries will fit in your pocket and take an accurate temperature in just a few seconds.
A more old-school version of the digital one, this Rubbermaid model wont work as quickly but will get the job done.
This ThermoPro TP-16 probe digital thermometer will monitor your meat the entire time its in the oven, meaning you can spend less time opening the oven door and losing heat.
Here’s how turkey timers actually work.
Inside a standard pop-up turkey timer, there’s a red plastic indicator stick that sits in a plastic casing. The stick has a spring wrapped around it. The soft metal in the tip warms as the turkey roasts and eventually melts at around 180 degrees F. Then the red stick is released from the metal and the spring makes it pop up. That’s 15 degrees higher than the recommended 165, making your turkey extremely dry.
The Turkey Pop Up Timer!
FAQ
Are pop-up turkey timers accurate?
Our food safety experts recommend that cooks not rely on these timers to tell whether their holiday bird is done. Instead, use a conventional meat thermometer to check the internal temperature in the thickest part of the breast and in the thigh between the drumstick and the body, and take several readings.
What triggers the pop-up thermometer in a turkey?
First inspired by fire sprinkler systems, the gadgets pop when a material that softens in heat releases a spring.Nov 22, 2017
What happens if the turkey timer doesn’t pop-up?
If your turkey didn’t include a pop-up timer, you can use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature for doneness. Simply insert the thermometer into the innermost part of the turkey’s thigh and wing, and the thickest part of the breast, being sure not to hit bone.
How does a pop-up Turkey timer work?
Inside a standard pop-up turkey timer, there’s a red plastic indicator stick that sits in a plastic casing. The stick has a spring wrapped around it. The soft metal in the tip warms as the turkey roasts and eventually melts at around 180 degrees F. Then the red stick is released from the metal and the spring makes it pop up.
Should you use a plastic pop-up timer to test a Turkey?
But few, if any chefs these days will recommend that you use the plastic pop-up timer to test the bird for doneness. Those of us over a certain age can be forgiven for thinking all turkeys were born and bred to sport a plastic pop-up button, mainly because it always seemed that way.
Does a pop-up timer really work for Thanksgiving turkeys?
For decades, one purported solution to this holiday hassle has been the pop-up timer that comes with some birds, a device invented to take the uncertainty out of poultry cooking times, especially for Thanksgiving turkeys.
What happens if you touch a Turkey pop-up timer?
Turkey cooking pop-up timers are made of metal, which can become hot during cooking. If you touch the timer while it is in the oven, you could burn yourself. Additionally, if the timer falls into the turkey, it could cause a fire.
Are pop-up timers bad?
If you use a pop-up timer, you end up drastically overcooking your turkey. Food industry professionals don’t like pop-up timers. If you need any more proof that pop-up timers are bad, just know that Butterball turkey doesn’t use them, Consumer Reports doesn’t recommend them and food writers despise them.
What temperature does a Turkey pop-up timer pop up?
The temperature at which the turkey pop-up timer pops up varies depending on the brand of the timer. Some timers pop up at 165 degrees Fahrenheit, while others pop up at 180 degrees Fahrenheit. It is important to check the manufacturer’s instructions to determine the correct temperature for your turkey pop-up timer.