Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Food, Cooking, and Game Preparation Grill/Meat Thermometers: Instant vs Wireless

I have been using a two probe grill/meat thermometer. I think the probes are shot and I have not heard back from the manufacturer if I can replace them. Thus, I am on the prowl for a new one. Which begs the question, do you guys like the instant read or wireless one that can be read from a display or a phone? My main use is with my smoker/grill.

Temp Spike.

I've been looking at the wireless probes but for most of my cooking, my hand held has served me just fine.

I like Thermapen.

I have a Maverick 732 which is two channel and wireless.
It has a head unit and also a remote receiver.
Either one will show cooker temp and internal meat temp at a glance.
That's the beauty of the "leave in" constant read. Opening the cooker not required....grab another beer and keep watching the game.

I believe that the 735 has Blue Tooth capability so you can read temps on your phone.

I also have a Thermapen instant read.
The multi-channel constant read and the instant read Thermapen are two different things.
If I had to choose one, the multi-channel wins, but the Thermapen is handy when doing chicken parts or steak for example.

If I was buying now, I'd probably get a 2 channel Smoke-X from ThermoWorks.
Not cheap, their products are pro grade and will last.
My Maverick is made by Redi-Chek....they are backyard BBQ grade and are cheaper, but more fragile.

Pro Tip :
Do not submerge temp probe cables under water.
Clean working end only. I use rubbing alcohol and I am done.

Meathead has a giant database of reviews if you like to research :
https://amazingribs.com/ratings-reviews/thermometers/

Tag

Currently have a 4 probe wired unit, cheapy from Walmart.

Going to upgrade to a wifi unit so I can monitor temps from my phone.

Have used Bluetooth ones in the past that were fine, but lacked range to reach the entirety of my house from my smoker.

Wireless is gayer'n aids.

I use thermapens regularly but I also have a Meater wireless that connects to my phone through Bluetooth for rib roasts and such. I like it.

Meater.com
It was a great gift.

I can see the value in both. I use an instant read. I have cooked enough I know pretty much how long It is going to take.

Why's that?

If I was using a smoker/BGE or similar unit, a wireless would be great. Instant for grill top or those great big sheet griddles some have. 😉

When you are doing fire management like I am with charcoal, the constant read therms are a game changer.
And as a side benefit you get to watch your meat core temp at a glance and without opening the cooker.

It's one step away from hiring catering for your next bbq.

I do all my outdoor cooking with my $99.95 Weber kettle grill. That includes low/slow smoking of pork shoulders and such, roasting rib roasts, doing steaks, chickens, turkeys etc. i have a couple of Therma pen instants and I have a two probe wireless that transmits to it's "base" which I keep in the house. In addition, I drilled a hole through the lid of my grill and installed a thermometer that reads up to 500 or 600 degrees. For things like steaks and chicken pieces, stuff that's going to be quick and I'll be paying a lot of attention to, I just use the instant read. Where the two probe wireless comes in handy is with whole poultry or something like a big rib roast. I'll put two in a rib roast, trying to get as close to the center as I can with one and not quite as close with the other. With whole chickens or turkeys, I'll put one in reading close to the middle of the breast, just off the bone, and one down in close to the thigh joint which seems to be the last place on a bird to reach temperature. This helps me control stuff that I don't want overcooked (rib roast) or undercooked (birds.) For smoking pork shoulders, brisket, etc I don't use any meat thermometer. I've gotten pretty good with the "charcoal snake" technique of smoking that stuff low and slow. Having worked with it a lot, watching my grill temp thermometer, I can keep that kettle grill smoking at 200 degrees (plus or minus about 20 degrees) all day long, seven or eight hours. Once I get it adjusted for the ambient conditions in the morning, I can take off and forget it for hours, then come back, wrap up my meat and finish it at a higher temp. Works for me and I don't get any complaints.

Thanks for the discussion. I'll likely end up with both in the end, but will probably go wireless first.

Plus instant read


Replacement probes available

Thermapen and nothing else.

Wireless is gay. You're not BBQ'ing.

That's what I use. May be gay, but I'm not married to the smoker.

There was probably a misunderstanding with meat probe........ maybe