Anybody have experience with these thermometers?


 
Jon I do really like the looks of that thermpro you posted the pic and link for. It looks really well made for 22 bucks. It uses a commonly available AAA battery as well.
 
I just ordered that one Jon recommended. Honestly not discounting that Thermapen is a very good product but 4x or more better?! Nah...............nothing is that good or that worth it to me. First off we're talking meat temps here. Even if it's off by 5% big whoopin deal. And whether it reads in 2 seconds or 5 again big deal. It won't make one iota of difference in your steak, or whatever you're cooking. The only time REALLY accurate temps are necessary is making candy and sorry this fat old diabetic boy doesn't even eat candy let alone make it
 
I like that the ThermoPro TP19 has a hole to hang it by and a magnet so you can stick it on the fridge or grill to keep it handy. I love my ThermoWorks Smoke but the receiver not having a magnet or built in stand is annoying. And the $6 they want for the 50 cent silicon stand is absurd.
LMichaels, I will be anxiously waiting for your review when you get it. Thanks,
Richard.
 
Richard, I have the Smoke and sprung for the silicon stand for the remote receiver. What a mistake...way over priced and the receiver doesn't fit worth a crap with the string on it....it doesn't even hold it well with the string removed. Other than that, the Smoke is a great product.
 
Bruce, glad I did not throw the money for the crappy stand. Didn't see it until after I received my smoke and couldn't be bothered placing another order. I stuck a couple of magnets on the back of my receiver with tape and it works fine except the tape does not last. I will have to come up with a more permanent mod.
 
Richard. that is a great idea. But does the magnet affect the receiver at all?
You could either buy some of that magnet tape that has sticky backing on one side or you could buy some 3M double sided tape and use that to stick the magnets on. Get the Automotive grade stuff. It will hold the magnets really well without having to worry about them coming undone unless they are really supper strong magnets.

https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000BO9L00/tvwb-20

I am going to try attaching magnets myself....but not until after you let me know it is safe to do so.
 
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LMichaels said:
I just ordered that one Jon recommended. Honestly not discounting that Thermapen is a very good product but 4x or more better?! Nah...............nothing is that good or that worth it to me. First off we're talking meat temps here. Even if it's off by 5% big whoopin deal. And whether it reads in 2 seconds or 5 again big deal. It won't make one iota of difference in your steak, or whatever you're cooking. The only time REALLY accurate temps are necessary is making candy and sorry this fat old diabetic boy doesn't even eat candy let alone make it
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Larry,

I will be very interested in what you think of it. I need to clarify that I have NOT used or even seen one. Recommend may be a little strong; I am only saying it looks very promising and gets very good reviews. And like you say, it's pretty hard to see how there could be a thermometer really worth 4X the price - with the exception of professional traveling BBQ teams or other heavy users. The Amazon write-up for this ThermoPro thermometer does suggest that it is accurate enough for candy making, too.
 
Bruce, I tried the sticky plastic magnetic strips and what I had was not strong enough. It slid down the side of the fridge. I taped on three rare earth button magnets as shown in the picture. Actually too strong as one might have been enough. No interference to the receiver though, even with three and I used it that way all summer. Will try and maybe epoxy them on, but not until the warranty is expired next spring. And I have to make sure I can still get the cover off to replace the battery.

Sorry Jon for sort of hijacking this thread.


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Cool, thanks, I will probably try some of the 3M double sided tape. How long is the warranty? Mine is already over two years old.
 
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I have the Kizen thermometer that Bruce linked to. It has worked well, but the metal probe has com loose a few times. I just pust it back in, but know that I am on borrowed time with it. The thermopro has been on my radar for the next one.
 
Debate as old as time...substitute "headphones", "knife", "smartphone", "wine", "cigar", "shoes", "necktie", or millions of other products for "thermometer". Is any product that costs 4X more than another product worth it? It's all in the eye of the beholder.

I feel this way about knives. Why spend a lot on knives when there are so many good, inexpensive knives?
 
Two biggest things with knives though are tactile. One how does it feel in hand. Is it balanced and easy to use for your application. Two how well does it take and hold an edge. Since as we all know a knife that is hard to hold properly and dulls quickly is the one that is going to hurt you BAD. Believe it or not I have gotten some VERY good knives at Aldi and at Sam's Club. But I also use some very nice (read expensive) German and French ones as well. I don't have a corner on one brand. I probably have too many knives but then some say I have too many grills too. I don't listen to those people though. I don't need that kind of negativity in my life. They're like the ones who say I use too much cheese on my pasta. :D
 
Bruce, the warranty is two years so you are good to Go! Let us know how it works.

Tim, good idea, but that would mean sneaking into the wife's craft room to steal it. Not sure I want to risk my life that bad. lol I am a JB Weld kind of guy anyway.
 
Well my thermopen came today. Mixed bag on it. Not really as well made as I had hoped. It is quite fast though not quite as stable on it's readings as I had hoped but then that is simply holding it in the air and doing a calibration in ice water (BTW only way it can be) and checking it in boiling water. On celcius it was spot on 100 in well boiling water in Fahrenheit it was at 210 to 211. Close enough for hand grenades and govt work. I do like that it is an LED display. Nice and bright with BIG numerals easy for us old farts to see
As for how it works in food I will report back tomorrow after I have used it tonight to temp my ribs
 
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Kinda hard to temp ribs, is it not? I mean, you can do it, but the validity of the readings are pretty suspect with such thin meat so near the bones.
 
Larry,
Thanks for being the guinea pig on this one. I am looking forward to your actual cooking results.

I suppose at 1/4 of the price you can’t expect the rugged durability of a ThermaPen. That’s why I would have to agree that for heavy (or at least hard) users, a professional product like the Thermoworks ThermaPen is worth the (way) extra money. I would rate myself a moderate volume and usually pretty gentle user. As long as it doesn’t just fall apart, I am ok with it being a less rugged and battle worthy tool. I do think it looks sharp in the pictures and am glad to hear the display is nice and bright.
 
Well after using it last night here is my take (could change if it falls apart LOL). My only real gripe with build quality is this. The battery door. A small wood screw into plastic is not the best solution for closure. It also seems to have confusing directions about being water proof. There is a silicone gasket around the battery door but I don't think the fit is going to keep water out. Perhaps simply wiping down with a soapy towel and quick rinse would do not harm to get greasy paw prints off it? To be fair I have not looked at a Thermoworks unit this close so perhaps I would find the same Chineseum things.
Performance. I would have to say after temping my ribs (I always do) though with my old Menard's el cheapo finding a sweet spot to actually get a temp was very hard, and then the long wait trying to not burn your arm did not help you hold steady causing very erratic readings. This guy has a very thin probe and the actual sensor is well placed for temping even thinner foods. It is also very quick giving me a stable temp in about 2 or 3 seconds. Also out in the poorly lit deck it was nice that it was LED not LCD. LED is ultimately much easier to read and the numbers being quite large meant even if your bifocals are not just right you're gonna see it.
Things I would like to see but will forgive since it did not cost me 3 days worth of groceries:
A better battery door and sealing, a magnet so I could stick it on the fridge or side of the grill (well not the Wolf since no magnet will stick anywhere on that grill), a slightly more robust actuator to turn the display on and off. Build level here seems a little suspect. But, to be fair I have not looked this closely at the expensive product.
In the end for $20 it seems to be a solid buy and if it holds up to my bad treatment (dropping, forgetting outside in rain, snow and ice, sloppy handling and so on) I will have to say it would be a much better buy than the Thermoworks. As for it's performance a solid thumbs up. IMO it is within an eye blink as fast as the expensive one and just as accurate (or as accurate as it needs to be).
FWIW I came across this ATK video this AM. I kinda laughed about her accuracy comment complaining about a 2 deg difference. Gimme a break. I noted they did not test the model I bought which does everything they indicated made for a good unit including the rotating display and calibration mode
 
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Chris Allingham said:
Debate as old as time...substitute "headphones", "knife", "smartphone", "wine", "cigar", "shoes", "necktie", or millions of other products for "thermometer". Is any product that costs 4X more than another product worth it? It's all in the eye of the beholder.

I feel this way about knives. Why spend a lot on knives when there are so many good, inexpensive knives?
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Knives are an interesting subject. I own some expensive knives. But I also own a number of very inexpensive old hickory brand knives. And those are the ones I reach for 99% of the time. They are just so easy to sharpen and hold their edge so well and also feel good in the hand to me. Being carbon steel they do require a bit more care but that's ok by me.

Some people think a higher price always equates to better durability and performance in all things. But that's just not always the case.
 
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