Is an expensive Fluke worth it over a $20 cooking gun?

It depends on use. Specialist trade threads (r/HVAC, r/BuildingAutomation) favor the Fluke 62 Max for durability, drop and IP54 resistance, and long calibration life in professional service, while budget cooking guns from Etekcity and TempPro earn praise for accuracy-per-dollar in kitchen and grill use. Several reviewers note even cheap units hit roughly 1% accuracy on matte surfaces.