Can you use any thermometer as a candy thermometer?
No. First and foremost, most thermometers cannot withstand the 300+ degree temperatures of candies, boiling oil, or other exceedingly hot recipes that candy thermometers are used in. If you try using a regular thermometer or even a meat thermometer at such a high temperature, it might break and ruin your entire recipe or, at very least, stop working. Secondly, a candy thermometer’s extremely long and skinny shape increases safety when testing the temperature of red hot recipes since they prevent burns from heat conduction and lessen drippage.