A candy thermometer, also called a sugar thermometer, is a thermometer designed to read the high temperatures used in confectionery and candy making, typically from about 100 to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (38 to 177 degrees Celsius), well beyond the range of a typical meat or oven thermometer. It's used to track sugar syrup as it cooks through stages such as soft-ball, hard-ball, and hard-crack, ensuring the right texture in fudge, caramel, brittle, and other sugar-based confections; the same range is useful for monitoring deep-frying oil. Candy thermometers come as mercury- or alcohol-filled glass models, dial (bimetal) models, and digital probes, usually with a clip to hold them against the side of the pot without touching the bottom.