# Pork and trichinosis (porkworms) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 16, 2006, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-and-trichinosis-porkworms/340194 "2006-01-16T05:07:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2006, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-and-trichinosis-porkworms/340194/21 "2006-01-18T00:56:08Z")
> [@crowmanyclouds](#): > > Hey, that’s the one I got! It does have a cord though ☹ . > From my little bit of searching the cord is “supposed” to be safe up to 500F. **Balthisar** how did you burn yours? Yeah, I did see the cord for the probe, but I like the remote alarm – I can stay toasty inside. I burned my cord in the gas grill – it was a beef roast, and it was sloooow cooking on a low flame. It’s damage right at the cord-probe interface, and it’s as if some plastic underneat it melted and hardened again, i.e., it’s really stiff there rather than pliable. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2006, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-and-trichinosis-porkworms/340194/22 "2006-01-18T04:22:40Z")
[This](http://www.thermoworks.com/products/thermapen/tpen_home.html) is a true instant read digital thermometer. Takes about 4 seconds for an accurate reading. A [Polder](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000CF5MT/qid=1137557833/ref=cl_tr_br_cl/103-3379527-3147853?n=694650&s=kitchen&v=glance) type digital takes about 20 seconds or so to give an accurate reading. An [analog](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004XSC4/qid=1137558028/sr=1-3/ref=pd_bbs_3/103-3379527-3147853?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=284507) thermometer take a long time to respond and is not nearly as accurate. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2006, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-and-trichinosis-porkworms/340194/23 "2006-01-18T04:45:19Z")
Read Berton Roueche’s\* “A Pig From Jersey” and you will never be tempted to eat raw pork. \*fantastic writer of medical detection stories. ---
**Author:** ![MaryEFoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@MaryEFoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaryEFoo)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2006, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-and-trichinosis-porkworms/340194/24 "2006-01-18T06:18:40Z")
Wo, Berton Roueche! I read that years ago and had forgotten! Yes indeed he is a fantastic writer about those matters. One story of a girl with funny-colored eyes, and one on Typhoid Mary, and wasn’t there one on old alcoholics, one after another, turning blue and falling over…I’m going to look for his work again. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2006, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-and-trichinosis-porkworms/340194/25 "2006-01-18T13:04:06Z")
> [@Rick](#): > > An [analog](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004XSC4/qid=1137558028/sr=1-3/ref=pd_bbs_3/103-3379527-3147853?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=284507) thermometer take a long time to respond and is not nearly as accurate. Takes about 10 seconds, and is pretty darn accurate. I test mine in boiling water every few months, and it’s always spot-on. I also know it’s accurate because my food always comes out perfect. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![crowmanyclouds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crowmanyclouds/32/19884_2.png) [@crowmanyclouds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crowmanyclouds)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2006, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-and-trichinosis-porkworms/340194/26 "2006-01-18T13:19:08Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > Yeah, I did see the cord for the probe, but I like the remote alarm – I can stay toasty inside. Mine’s been in a 550° oven with no problems. My only complaint is the remote doesn’t have the range they claim indoors, works fine till you get a couple of walls between the remote and the master unit YMMV. > [@Balthisar](#): > > I burned my cord in the gas grill – it was a beef roast, and it was sloooow cooking on a low flame. It’s damage right at the cord-probe interface, and it’s as if some plastic underneath it melted and hardened again, i.e., it’s really stiff there rather than pliable. Try inserting the probe so the wire goes up (putting it in the meat from the top) a grease flare-up could have done the damage. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pork-and-trichinosis-porkworms/340194.md?page=1)