WSM Thermometer


 

JoeE

New member
All,

I have been looking at remote thermometers now for a while to give me a grate temp and also a meat temp that transmit into my home for colder months cooking. I have seen a couple but I have never used any. Suggestions on the below two or anything that you may use would be great. Also it would be nice if I could eventually connect it to my phone through an app or web site push to monitor when I'm not at home.

Smoke 2-Channel Alarm Thermometer
Maverick ET733
 
I have a Maverick ET 732 I've had for years and it works very well. The probes are the weak link with the Mavericks always have a spare or two around. When my maverick does die I will definitely get the smoke it's a more robust device. Those on the forum who have them really seem to like them.
 
I've written extensively about the Smoke. It's built like a tank, has pro-series probes, and has an available optional WiFi gateway with smartphone app so you can monitor meat and pit temp for anywhere. Disclaimer: I get a small commission on the sale of ThermoWorks stuff, but I'd recommend the Smoke even if I didn't, I promise.

https://tvwbb.com/showthread.php?68028-ThermoWorks-Smoke-Review

http://thermoworks.com/Smoke?tw=VWB&chan=TVWBB

The Maverick remote probe thermometers like the ET-732 and ET-733 are solid units and best sellers. It's my understanding that Maverick does not have a WiFi-enabled mobile app, but they do have the iChef line that uses Bluetooth to transmit to a smartphone app. Bluetooth gets a bad rap for reception around the house/yard and of course you can't access your cooker/meat temps from anywhere.

ET-732: https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B01FEKGB9Y/tvwb-20
ET-733: https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00GM0RXQQ/tvwb-20
iChef: http://www.ichefthermometers.com/products

And then there's Weber's iGrill 3 which is also a Bluetooth-to-smartphone-app unit. It gets 3.9/5 stars on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B01M27OR8I/tvwb-20
 
I had put did serious thoughts into the smoke, but when it first came out it didn't have all of the features that I wanted. Primarily logging and wifi capabilities. They of course added this in with the wifi gateway later on, but after I had already gotten a FireBoard.

http://www.fireboard.com

I couldn't be happier with the FireBoard. 6 temp probes, ability to change the names of the probes and coming session names. Connects via wifi, and you can check your temps from anywhere, there's even an option to share your sessions live now.

Here's an example of one of the session logs.
WSM22 - Brisket 12.5lbs https://share.fireboard.io/3D3991
 
Fireboard looks like a fine unit. 6 probe capability is overkill for all but the most hardcore user, but it doesn't seem to add much if any cost to the unit. And using three probes is interesting in the example of your brisket where you're measuring brisket flat, brisket point, and pit temp simultaneously. I also like how the session log looks online and that it can be shared.

On the flip side, it looks like you have to buy the optional case for $55 to get water protection, kickstand, and magnetic backing, all of which are standard features of Smoke. No indication of what "protection from the elements" means with the Fireboard case, whereas Smoke is IP65 rated or "splashproof".
 
That is all true, which is why I currently use a quart and gallon sized zip lock bags to make sure it stays dry. The case would be nice, but it's not worth the cost in my opinion. But, like I said before, I wanted the wifi capability, which wasn't available at the time with the smoke, and was offered at an extra cost after the fact. Tradeoffs for each, and additional costs for features later on. Six of one, half dozen of the other.
 
I pretty much asked the same question here a few months ago. The Thermoworks Smoke is what was recommended,and it's the one I bought. I havn't regretted it,and I highly recommend it.. Works great :cool:
 
I have been using the iGrill2 for a couple of years. Probes are excellent and the sending unit accommodates up to 4. The bluetooth app is pretty good, but subject to the limitations of bluetooth.

The most useful feature is that the app displays probe temperatures as line graphs along a timeline. I cook overnight quite a lot and I can wake up in the morning and track how the meat and pit temperatures progressed overnight.

Jeff
 

 

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