BBQ Thermometer

Rockminer said:

I think his point was that he and his wife just don't like to do it, not that it was a bad thing in general. It's a lot like shaving in that aspect. Carts and Gel are pretty set it and forget it, but a lot of us chose a different path.

Personally, I'd like to have both, although I wouldn't use the auto temp set unless I wasn't going to be around the cooker at all for a long period of time, which is usually never.

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I agree, there is no one size fits all, I just know that there are many things I wouldn't be able to take the time to smoke if I had to babysit it all day.

I have purchased several, and none have worked well or lasted. I've resorted to the finger test, and it's foolproof and works perfectly every time.

http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/the_finger_test_to_check_the_doneness_of_meat/

Jaybeez said:

I have purchased several, and none have worked well or lasted. I've resorted to the finger test, and it's foolproof and works perfectly every time.

http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/the_finger_test_to_check_the_doneness_of_meat/

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My wife won't allow that for pork and chicken. Beef we do though.

Jaybeez said:

I have purchased several, and none have worked well or lasted. I've resorted to the finger test, and it's foolproof and works perfectly every time.

http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/the_finger_test_to_check_the_doneness_of_meat/

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I disagree. I like "Meathead" Goldwyn's take on the whole temperature issue. Learned a lot from his site.

Myth #3: Thermometers are for sissies

I don't care what the TV chef said, you cannot tell anything about the temp of a grill is by holding your hand over the grate and counting "1001, 10002, 1003" until your palm bursts into flame. Each of us reacts differently to heat, and the heat 1" above the grate can be significantly different than 6" above. Maybe an old pro who cooks 100 steaks a night can do this parlor trick, but you cannot.
Likewise, you may have also heard that you can tell the doneness of a steak by poking it and comparing the bounciness of the meat to the tip of your nose or the flesh between your thumb and forefinger. As if everyone's hand has the same firmness and bounciness! As if a filet mignon has the same firmness and bounciness of a sirloin! Lookit, almost all professional chefs carry a meat thermometer in their chef's coat. There's a reason.
Finally, you cannot rely on popup thermometers in turkeys, and most dial thermometers built into grills are waaaaay off, often 50°F, and the temp in the dome is different than the temp on the cooking surface.
The single most important thing you can do to improve your cooking is get a good digital thermometer for your grill and another for food.

A lot is experience but a good thermometer or instant read can make a would of difference.

Agreed on not relying on dome or grill temps, they can be way off. Even if I'm using a dual probe (meat and grill), I still confirm with my Thermapen.

Double checking.

brucered said:

A lot is experience but a good thermometer or instant read can make a would of difference.

Agreed on not relying on dome or grill temps, they can be way off. Even if I'm using a dual probe (meat and grill), I still confirm with my Thermapen.

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I agree completely and that is my approach, too.

I got to try my ThermoWorks today.....there is no comparison in ease of use and speed of readings.

The Maverick is taking 3-4 minutes to register when I open the dome, whereas the ThermoWorks drops instantly and the climbs again. The Maverick will drop a couple degrees then go back up and miss the time and temp in between.

Maverick has the remote which is super handy and the alarm is much louder.

I'm on my second remote Maverick, the first one (single probe) lasted about six years and the remote unit gave up the ghost. It still reads temps fine, and has become the oven thermometer.

My current Maverick is the ET73 dual probe, not the latest model, but it works fine with certain quirks. The range is OK for my use, but there are lots of "hacks" for adding an antenna to increase the transmitting range. What irks me is the on/off "TX" controls on the base unit, they are underneath the battery cover. More of an annoyance than a deal breaker.

THe BBQ guru's has a bunch of the features mentioned and are made pretty well. Downside is cost.. but if you buy 5 other brands before buying the Guru where is the cost savings.

Jim said:

THe BBQ guru's has a bunch of the features mentioned and are made pretty well. Downside is cost.. but if you buy 5 other brands before buying the Guru where is the cost savings.

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That's what I'll be looking at next, if my TW8060 doesn't suit my needs.

Wife got me one from BGE two years ago. Use it a lot and still running strong. Range seems to be good, I have used the remote about 150 feet from the grill.

http://www.biggreenegg.com/eggcessories/dual-probe-remote-wireless-thermometer/

I also have the iGrill, its OK, but I like having both the grate and meat temps at the same time/device.

Nothing like laying in bed and controlling your smoker. Well worth the money.

https://www.rocksbarbque.com

Dan-O said:

Nothing like laying in bed and controlling your smoker. Well worth the money.

https://www.rocksbarbque.com

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I can just see it now at 2am....

Wife: "Honey, what are you fiddling with under the blanket?"

"Me: Just adjusting the temp on the smoker."

Wife: "Sure you are....just make it quick and then go back to sleep."

brucered said:

I can just see it now at 2am....

Wife: "Honey, what are you fiddling with under the blanket?"

"Me: Just adjusting the temp on the smoker."

Wife: "Sure you are....just make it quick and then go back to sleep."

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Is that what the kids are calling it these days?

I decided to see how my couple ThermoWorks were compared to each other while my roast was searing.

All things considered, closeness to dome, wind etc.....they were bang on and all probes within a degree.