Another stove top option you might consider if you only have an indoor electric stove or a stove with small burners, is an outdoor BBQ grill with an attached burner that accommodates a pot or pan. Since you are in Washington, it would have to be under a cover because of rain. I use mine all the time for canning as it is too hot out here in the desert of So. Calif. to run a caner in my kitchen. I believe it has a thermal output of 15,000 or 20,000 BTUs so it is much hotter than most kitchen burners. It is fueled by propane which is also a very hot fuel source. I almost always run my burner on a low setting as it is so hot. You may find a used BBQ in Craigs List or at a local garage sale for little money. In my area, they are plentiful and would range used from $50.00 to $100.00 with a side burner (my neighbor has a side business of selling just used BBQs). If you buy one, just make sure the additional outside burner is placed far enough outside the grill cover that your pot will actually fit on the side burner grill. Some side burners are placed too close to the hood that covers the grill to accommodate a large pot. On mine, I can bring a 20 quart pot with 5 batches of jam to a boil in just minutes without burning (assumes pot has a multi-thickness bottom). Just another suggestion that you might find locally. The BBQ grill can have other purposes also in canning. All my eggplants, tomatoes, onions, etc. that I want a little carmalization go into a perforated grill basket for a quick outside browing when needed prior to canning. Regards - Jim in So. Calif.

Thank you!!! I've really wanted one and this sale was the incentive I needed to do the deed! My new bbq was installed yesterday so the Thermopen will come in very handy-- especially with the rotisserie feature!

Thanks for thinking of me Cathy. I think the ones I have now will be enough to get me by until I find the ones I love... I don't want another intermediate set! I go to Big Lots every 6 months or so... great place for cleaning supplies. Some of my slotted spoons and spatulas came from there as well. Good place to buy them cheap since I always end up melting the handle or the business end of such things. Never paid much attention to the dishes, but I'll have a look next time just for fun. Thanks, Joan. I was wondering if I should just buy a few good knives instead of a whole set. I'm relatively pleased with my Farberware Santoku knife, but I did see a Henckles Chef's knife at Target for 30 dollars last night. How do I know if that would be a good one? I'd like a good chef's knife because I can rock it when I slice. Apparently, Santoku kives are made to be sliced straight down with, I want something I can rock easily. If I got a good chef's knife and a good paring knife, I think I'd be fine as far as knives go. Even though I can buy a whole set of nice knives, I don't want to spend excess money unnecessarily given this economy. I'd rather have the security of longer term savings! I know I wouldn't every knife in a set. I saw the Miracle Blade commercial the other day and was pretty impressed until I read reviews that they rust! I do love a good infomercial gimmick though!

I love my Thermopen as well!!! I use it for everything - leftovers, cakes, meats, etc My DH gave it to me for Christmas last year - complete with the silicon cover and the leatherette case (and a box of wipes for it) - Of course, I just happened to slip a copy of the catalog in his eating area :-) Great idea for Christmas gifts!! I might snag one for my niece Also Cook's just sent their catalog and have a similar style pen but the accuracy doesn't look quite as good as the Thermopen. This post was edited by a2gemini on Sat, Aug 10, 13 at 12:02