I'm always paranoid when I cook chicken and meat in general, which often leads to me overcooking out of an abundance of caution. I've had a couple thermometers before, but they never seemed to work right or they were annoyingly complicated to use. This one is really simple, and gives a quick, accurate reading immediately. It's also very easy to clean without worrying about getting the electronic parts wet. And the cover is great to keep it clean when it's ticked in my small appliance drawer.