Maverick PT-100 Issue


 
G

Gary Hodgin

TVWBB Super Fan
I'm sure where this should go so I'm putting it here. A few days ago I decided to order a high quality instant digital thermometer. I decided to go with the super fast Thermapen. But that didn't happen.

I don't know what happened but as I was shopping around for prices, I mistakenly order a Maverick PT-100. The only thing I can figure out is that the prices and descriptions were similar and I thought I was ordering the Thermapen.

I realized what happened after I'd opened it up. The seller doesn't do money backs and does not carry the Thermapen. I didn't get what I wanted but I figured I got a good thermometer anyway. I'm not so sure know. I did the boiling water test and it performed pretty well. Got the temp right but took a little longer than 3-4 seconds advertised. It was more like 10-15 seconds but I can live with that.

This evening I used it for the first time on some grilled chicken breasts. At best, the probe took at least 30 seconds to register the temp and sometimes longer. One time it went from about 135 to 150 in mostly .1 degree increments. It took about a minute to stabilize.

Has anyone had a similar problem with the PT-100? Maybe I'm not using it correctly. I stick it into the thickest part of the meat at a slight angle and shoot for the middle of the cut. I'm going to give it some time, but I need to get accurate reading faster than this. I even took my own temp with it. It was accurate but my drug store thermometer is just as fast.
 
Sometimes as painful as it is to accept that a mistake was made you just have to do it. Get yourself a Thermapen and put the PT-100 on Craigslist. Sure, it will hurt but your alternative is to re-live the pain of making the mistake and not having what you want every time you use the PT-100. If you have the money, take the hit and move on with your life. You'll be glad you did.
 
Jerry,
I'll probably end up taking a hit but I really want an accurate and fast digital. I do plan to give it another try. It doesn't have to be three seconds but ten or less would be nice.

If things don't go well, I'll probably relegate it stove top stuff where time isn't as important as when grilling or smoking. It beats the dial we're using now.

I'd like to sell it on CL, but I'd have problems selling it to someone who thought they were getting an "instant" thermometer. It'd be worth more in the kitchen than I'd ask on CL. I'll pay more attention to what my shopping cart looks like next time.
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When you took the meat temp, was it still on the grill or did you take it off and measure the temp of the meat on the plate?

I believe that is a Maverick Industries product. If the seller won't take it back, you might want to reach out to their customer service and see if they have anything to say about the delayed reading.
 
Jack,
I took the temp at the grill. I had six large chicken breasts on the grill. One had my remote in it. I wanted the maverick to sample a couple of the others.

However, the primary reason I got the thermometer was for smoking. I don't remove my top often but, for the couple of times I do, I'd like to take a quick sample in pieces that don't have the remote in it.

I'll call Maverick and see what they have to say. The amazon reviews are mixed. Seems a couple of reviewers experienced the same problem I did, while others thought it was great. I take reviews with a grain of salt, but these were fairly mixed and maybe there's a quality control problem or something.

The literature that come with thermometer indicates it was calibrated on April 6, 2011 and the test indicated a high degree of accuracy. It also says it took 2.3 seconds to adjust in a liquid at 100f. I've tried it in water and coffee this morning and it adjusted in about 5 seconds, which would be great if it were meat.

I found a telephone number and will call customer service this afternoon. It has a one year warranty against defective parts but I doubt that applies to quickness.
 
Call em...tell them to replace it asap.
If the next one is as slow tell em that you want the money back. I got the new thermapen...And man its fast 2 seconds(real seconds) to dial in the temp and maby 1 extra to read the 0. degrees.

If they state that its a instant read thermo(3-6 sec) and it takes 10+ seconds its just a marketing trick...And if you tell them that you are not happy with the performance,i bet you will get your money back direct from Maverik.

Last thing they need is bad publicity.
 
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