Fluke 51 II Single Input Digital Thermometer

Fluke has really thought out their line of digital thermometer instruments. Although this is the basic model of the line, it has all the accuracy, durability for daily field use, and flexibility to accept the various Fluke probes.The clear choice for HVAC professionals, code inspectors, laboratory work, serious hobbyists, etc.

I’m an engineer. I’ve used these thermocouple readers and other Fluke equipment in my profession for years. I bought this one for home cooking because I got tired of seeing cheap digital kitchen thermometers fail in the middle of a recipe. Here’s the good, the bad and the ugly from a cooking standpoint:The good:1) Absolutely unrivaled durability. You could certainly break this if you tried but you’re very unlikely to ever break it by accident. I have used Fluke products at work for 15+ years and they are just all-the-way tough.2) Standard thermocouple jack. You can plug in and use just about any kind of thermocouple of any shape from any manufacturer. It’s possible to even make a DIY thermocouple if you feel like it. If you thermocouple dies, you only have to replace it, not the reader.3) Runs on 3 ordinary AA batteries. The batteries will last a very, very long time and are cheap and easy to replace when they finally die.The bad:1) Very, very expensive for use as a kitchen thermometer. But see above. I’ve broken so many cheap ones that I could have just bought this at the start and never had a failure.2) Very few features, and the features it does have are not tailored to cooking. In particular, this model does not have a temperature alarm. You just have to keep an eye on it. You could probably buy a Fluke reader with a temperature alarm but it would cost even more.3) Ships with a basic, bare type K thermocouple that is not appropriate for cooking use. You’ll have to spend about $20 more to buy a stainless steel probe shaped thermocouple suitable for cooking.The ugly:1) It’s industrial-grade equipment. It looks like it belongs in a factory or a laboratory because that’s what it’s designed for. With the right thermocouple it’s perfectly safe to use in the kitchen but it looks out of place. Personally, I like that. If you have a spouse or significant other who might be concerned then you might want to ask him/her/them about it before you spend the money.Overall, minus one star for the high price and lack of features. I’m sure Fluke makes a handsome profit off of every one of these they sell. I can't fault Fluke for the "bad" points because they didn't intend this to be a kitchen thermometer. If you just want a very basic but very reliable thermocouple reader for industry or for the kitchen, this one will do the job.

Bought this a couple of months ago to monitor interpass temperatures in our aluminum welding shop. It's easy to use and provides quick and accurate readings. The outside is fairly rugged and would probably survive an accidental drop from a few feet. Perfect for a weld shop. We also bought a 80PK-3A probe but in hindsight probably don't need it - and it was pricey. The probe that comes with the unit is as basic as you can get but works fine.

Item broke after a few weeks of use outside of return policy

The Fluke unit easily fits in one hand so it is easy to use in our shop. The rubber housing is a big plus as the equipment is moved around often and will see some bumps and scrapes. The digital screen is easy to read and temp readings are quick. I will be purchasing additional units soon as this model is well suited for a manufacturing environment.

A little expensive compared to some of this unit's competition. But very durable and quite accurate.

works great. But it is a little bit big and bulky. Somewhat hard to change the batteries in it since you need a screwdriver and you have to remove the thick rubber protector on the outside.

My bbqing is now quite edible. Threw out half my thermometers when I got this one. --not because they were redundant --because they were uncalibrated pieces of crap. This is the one to rule them all. One fluke to find them. One to bring them all, and in the darkness bind them! Wait, think I got a little off topic =/The meter is excellent.