Is the Turkey Done When the Red Thing Pops?

As Thanksgiving approaches, many home cooks are preparing to roast a turkey for their holiday feast. Most store-bought turkeys come with a handy gadget – a pop-up timer that is supposed to indicate when the turkey is fully cooked. This little red indicator is designed to pop up when the turkey reaches a certain internal temperature. But is it really accurate? Can you rely on the pop-up timer to know when your turkey is done? Let’s take a closer look at how these timers work and if they are really the best way to determine doneness.

What Is a Pop-Up Turkey Timer?

A pop-up turkey timer is a small plastic indicator that comes pre-inserted into the breast meat of most store-bought turkeys. It consists of a red or white indicator stick a casing a spring, and a piece of soft metal. When the turkey is raw, the metal keeps the indicator inside the casing. As the turkey cooks, the metal heats up along with the meat. Once it reaches a certain temperature, the metal melts and releases the indicator, allowing the spring to pop it up for easy visibility. This signals that the turkey has reached the desired internal temperature for doneness.

These timers are designed to pop up when the breast meat reaches between 180-185°F The idea is that once the pop-up timer springs, you can be certain your turkey is fully cooked through and safe to eat No need to use a meat thermometer if you have one of these handy gadgets, right? Not so fast!

The Problem with Pop-Up Timers

Here’s the issue with relying solely on the pop-up timer turkey is technically done at 165°F Poultry needs to reach an internal temperature of 165°F throughout to be considered safe to eat, according to USDA guidelines If you cook the turkey to 180-185°F as indicated by the pop-up timer, the meat will be overcooked and dried out.

The pop-up timers are designed to remain inside the turkey until it reaches the higher temperature to account for something called carryover cooking. This refers to the internal temperature continuing to rise 5-10°F after the turkey is removed from the oven as the hot juices continue to penetrate the meat. So the thinking is that even if you pull the turkey at 180°F when the timer pops, it will coast up to a safe 165°F.

However, most experts agree the built-in timers overtly overcook turkeys. By the time the pop-up goes off, the breast meat is often bone-dry and overdone. For optimal juiciness and texture, the turkey should come out of the oven at a lower temperature around 160°F and carryover cooking will finish it off at 165°F.

Why You Shouldn’t Rely on the Pop-Up Timer

Respected cooking authorities like America’s Test Kitchen, Consumer Reports, and Serious Eats recommend ignoring the pop-up timer entirely. Here are a few key reasons:

• It overcooks the breast meat: The white breast meat dries out much quicker than the legs and thighs. Cooking to 180-185°F makes the breast meat leathery and dry.

• It doesn’t account for oven variances: All ovens heat a little differently which affects cooking times. The timers cannot adjust for this.

• It doesn’t measure anywhere else: The pop-up timer only measures the temperature at one point in the breast. It doesn’t account for whether the legs, thighs, and wings are fully cooked.

• It can fail: The parts can melt unevenly or get stuck, resulting in the timer failing to pop up properly.

Use a Meat Thermometer Instead

For much more reliable results, experts recommend forgoing the pop-up timer entirely and using an instant-read meat thermometer to check doneness instead. Here are some tips:

• Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the breast and thigh, avoiding the bone.

• Check the temperature in multiple spots to ensure even cooking.

• Aim to pull the turkey when the breast reaches 160°F and thighs reach 175°F.

• Use a probe thermometer if desired to monitor the temp without having to open the oven.

Checking the internal temperature in multiple areas with a thermometer is a much more foolproof way to test doneness. The pop-up timers are simply too inconsistent and prone to user error to be relied upon for perfect turkey every time.

While the pop-up timer seems like a handy gadget, it unfortunately does not deliver reliable results. For cooked-to-perfection turkey this Thanksgiving, trust your meat thermometer over the timer and pull the turkey before that little red indicator even thinks about popping up!