Accidents can happen to anything. It's equally likely you'll wreck your Ferrari or your Ford. My decision to go with Thermapen was based on accuracy, speed with which it registers that temperature, and the experiences of homebrewers I read about on this forum and others (not just brewing). Thermapen's been around a while, and has the weight of reputation on its side, IMHO. As much time and effort as I put into brewing, I'm not buying a questionable thermometer.