Review on Generic Convenient Digital Thermometer Display by Becky Burnett

I bought this product because it is a much cheaper version of the popular thermometer sold at Revain. one from the local store. The battery is known by different part numbers depending on the manufacturer, but is most commonly referred to as an LR44 or A76 battery. When I put the battery in for the first time, the thermometer would not turn on. Eventually I found that the battery was very loose in the thermometer. The metal spring in the cap that serves as the battery contact was not fully compressed when the cap was screwed into the thermometer. It looked like a design flaw by the manufacturer. My solution was to unscrew the cap further and remove the red o-ring that acts as a buffer between the cap and the rest of the thermometer (see 1st picture). After doing this and screwing the lid on very tightly, I was finally able to make a good enough connection to turn the thermometer on. Accuracy: I ran a few tests to measure the accuracy of the thermometer. First I put the thermometer next to the thermometer in my room that measures the ambient temperature (see 2nd picture). For the second test, I put some ice in a cup and filled the rest with water. I waited a few minutes for the water to cool and then stuck the thermometer in the cup (see 3rd picture). In both tests, the thermometer value is slightly above the reference point. Based on these tests and other experiences, I would say the accuracy of this thermometer is around +/- 3 degrees Fahrenheit. Not great, but definitely better than my previous thermometer, which consistently read about 15 degrees Fahrenheit below actual temperature. Response Time: This thermometer is advertised as "instant read," but it actually takes about 20 seconds for the temperature reading to stabilize. In my opinion, only thermometers with a response time of less than 5 seconds should be advertised in this way. Overall this is a good thermometer but there is some room for improvement. I'm taking off one star because I had to remove the o-ring to put the battery in and another because it's not immediately legible.