Jstone from Chicagoland


 
J

JStone

New member
Hi everyone. Jstone from Chicagoland here. Just got a WSM 22.5 for Christmas, still waiting for more snow to melt before I fire the big boy up.

I'm also torn between which thermometer probe system to buy. The Maverick ET-732 appears to be the biggest seller, but I can't overlook the number of 1 star reviews out there (129 out of 836). There's also the Ivation, which looks similar to the ET-732 and seems to get better reviews (only 0.08% gave it a 1 star vs. 15% on the ET). If anyone can give me some insight on which one to get I would greatly appreciate it.

Looking forward to begin my new hobby!
 
Oh, and a little about myself...my real name is Jason but all my friends call me Stone, or Jstone. I lived in the west loop for 7 years. Living in the city has it's perks, but with that you also have little to no outdoor space. My wife and I had our first child in 2011 and finally decided to jump the gun and head to suburbia. It's great, we finally have a nice backyard to enjoy ourselves during the weekends. Before we moved all I could think about was grilling and smoking meat. My journey now begins! I'm also an avid pool player, photo enthusiast, love the outdoors and enjoy beer.

Great site and forum!
 
Welcome to the site JStone, glad to have you here. I own the Maverick ET-732 and I would purchase another one, this thermometer is money for me. You will love the WSM as I own one also and they are an awesome cooking machine. The next question you might have is how to accommodate the ET-732 or any other system that you purchase, you don't want to pinch the cable with the lid. There are a lot of different ways of preventing this from using a grommet, slotting or simply wrapping foil around the probes. You can get all of this information on the WSM MOD section of this site. However, if you would let me share my experience with you. Since I paid so much for the 732 I wanted to protect the probes so I went with the grommet system....I feel that this decision was a mistake in that the probes are protected but it is a lot of work to put the probes in and out and to work on the WSM with the grommets....so as soon as I buy or borrow the correct tool I'm going to slot my WSM and Performer. Again, there are many different ways but this has been my experience.
 
Welcome Jstone! Get smokin...I live a 1 1/2 hours from you and smoked in below zero temps. Last week. You'll love it! Especially when the neighbors give ya weird looks. I've had the Maverick 732 for a year or so and would buy another one. Excellent IMO.
 
Welcome. The Ivation appears to be a Maverick ET-732 with a different brand name. Remington has done the same. Your new WSM may have the grommet hole (gray plug) that solves the problem some people were having. Look at the signatures. Lots of people here are using the Maverick with no problems.

If you buy from Amazon use the tvwbb link near the top of this page or one of the links below. TVWBB gets a small rebate to help pay expenses at no cost to you.

Ivation:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00ANCXJR6/tvwb-20

Maverick ET-732:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B004IMA718/tvwb-20

ETA: If you are still hesitant look at Thermoworks. They are professional grade whereas Maverick is consumer grade. Thermoworks makes excellent products. That is why so many of their instant read Thermapens are being used.

http://www.thermoworks.com/
 
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Welcome to the group. Don't get to hung up on temperatures when you start cooking or you may drive yourself nuts.
 
Welcome aboard, Jstone! Like Jim, Gregory, and RogerS said, firing up the WSM in cold weather is a great thing. It'll take more than a polar vortex to keep TVWBB members from lighting up their Webers.
 
Welcome Jstone! Forget about the snow, crank that 22 up. No ketchup on your hot dogs please.
 
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