The only thing that could ruin a barbeque more than burning yourself would be giving everyone food poisoning. Yes, to tell if your food is done, you can poke it or cut it open, but you'll lose a lot of juice and flavor, and do you really want to risk being known as the guy who made everyone sick? You don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars to find a
good thermometer, but you do need to purchase one (and use it). This one works great, comes in lots of fun colors, and a simple button press rotates the display in 90-degree increments allowing you to hold it in either hand or read it when it’s upside down. It’s fast, accurate, splashproof, and also has a backlight. The $29.00 is well worth the peace of mind knowing that your meat is cooked through.