What equipment is essential for checking the internal temperature of food?

The essential equipment for checking the internal temperature of food is a thermometer. This tool is crucial in food safety as it helps ensure that food is cooked to the correct temperatures, which is vital for killing harmful bacteria and pathogens. Proper cooking temperatures can vary based on the type of food, and using a thermometer is the most accurate method to determine if food has reached a safe internal temperature.

The other options, while useful in different contexts, do not serve the purpose of measuring temperature. A timer is helpful for ensuring that food is cooked for the correct length of time, a scale is used for weighing ingredients, and a measuring cup is for measuring volumes of liquids or bulk ingredients. None of these tools can provide the necessary information about the internal temperature that a thermometer can, making it the critical piece of equipment in this scenario.