Thermapen over constant in meat probe?


 
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David Verba

TVWBB Fan
First thanks to everyone, amazing folks and amazing advice. I've had my WSM since Sept. 4th and pretty much have used it every weekend. Not many parts of the Pig left for me to try!

I was looking through the site, and I noticed that a lot of people have the Thermapen in their tool boxes.

I'm trying to reason why I should get one. (I love gadgets) I have two thermoworks oven/bbq probes, one to measure top grill grate temp and another for in meat. And they were only $19 ea. From everything I understand the less you open up your smoker the better - so why the Thermapen?

THANKS!!!
 
I don't use mine much when cooking on the smoker because, like you, most everything I cook on it has a probe in it throughout the cook. I did use it when smoking a turkey to test the thigh temp however (the ET-73 probe was in the breast).

I use it all the time when cooking on the kettle though. I Love it and would recommend it highly if you can afford it.
 
I'm also a gadget freak, but the Thermapen isn't just a gadget, it's essential - For grilling - For me
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For smoking I use an oven probe as it provides a continuous reading without having to lift the lid.

-Mark.
 
I couldn't bring myself to paying the price for one, so I bought this unit from Amazon via the TVWB link:
http://www.amazon.com/General-...d=1259622328&sr=8-14

Not as fast as a Thermapen, but sturdy, and has a large display for these old eyes.
It has to be swithced to F from C readings every time the probe is raised, and takes about 8 seconds or so to settle in,(it states 1 sec response time, but this is just to start the reading).
For $30 and free shipping, I'm happy.
 
I use a meat probe when I can, but I still want a Thermapen just to verify meat temps in different areas and to make sure my meat probe is not measuring temp of a fat pocket.
 
Speed is the answer.

My brother has cooked many tri-tip roasts. Used the finger touch method for determining when they were done.

I lent him my Thermapen once. It took a while for him to return it. When it did return, he had his own.
 
Both items have been mentioned. It's great for grilling. I use to way over cook. Now I know right when to pull meat off the grill. Second, when doing a large piece of meat, you can quickly check other areas to ensure you're getting a good reading from your probe thermometer. Admittedly, it's more useful for grilling than smoking, but a great tool to have in your arsenal if you can afford it.
 
Thermapen! I haven't overcooked anything since buying one. That includes numerous steaks, two prime ribs, and massive amounts of chicken and pork.

Without the wires of a probe, it's like total freedom. All you have to know is a round about cooking time based on the temps the grill or cooker are running at.
 
Looks like the Thermapen is a winner! Put my name in for the drawing and crossing my fingers!!!

Thanks to everyone, wish there was a rep system here!
 
once you try thermocouples you'll never look at bimetals the same.

check out thermoworks mtc. I have one and love it. I purchased it with a wired needle probe. IMO it beats the thermapen by a mile.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by j biesinger:
once you try thermocouples you'll never look at bimetals the same.

check out thermoworks mtc. I have one and love it. I purchased it with a wired needle probe. IMO it beats the thermapen by a mile. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
Jeff, I agree that thermocouples far out-perform bi-metals but I'm confused with your "beats the thermapen by a mile" comment .. The Thermapen reads temps in 3-4 seconds and the quickest Type-K probe I saw on their site reads in 2 seconds and it wasn't a wired needle probe. Even so, 2 seconds doesn't beat 3-4 seconds by a mile IMO but... Help me out here. Which probe do you have?
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Bill
 
I love my thermapen. i was one of those who couldnt see paying that much for one but since getting one, I cant see how I got by without it. I need to get a better probe for the smoker. I guess thermaworks has something I could get. I use mine mainly for grilling.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Jeff, I agree that thermocouples far out-perform bi-metals but I'm confused with your "beats the thermapen by a mile" comment .. The Thermapen reads temps in 3-4 seconds and the quickest Type-K probe I saw on their site reads in 2 seconds and it wasn't a wired needle probe. Even so, 2 seconds doesn't beat 3-4 seconds by a mile IMO but... Help me out here. Which probe do you have? Smiler

Bill </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I just have the mtc with said probe.

let me say this first, I have a bimetal probe and its great because its cheap and works well for constant temp monitoring.

and its not just speed, in the case of the mtc, its the thickness of the probe, and the ability to change out the probes that make it better IMO.

I can slide the needle probe into a thick steak, slowly vary the depth and watch the digital readout change. This way I know the temp of the coldest part. I was blown away when I discovered it could do that.

and if your going to split hairs, 4 seconds is 100% slower than 2.
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<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by j biesinger:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Jeff, I agree that thermocouples far out-perform bi-metals but I'm confused with your "beats the thermapen by a mile" comment .. The Thermapen reads temps in 3-4 seconds and the quickest Type-K probe I saw on their site reads in 2 seconds and it wasn't a wired needle probe. Even so, 2 seconds doesn't beat 3-4 seconds by a mile IMO but... Help me out here. Which probe do you have? Smiler

Bill </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I just have the mtc with said probe.

let me say this first, I have a bimetal probe and its great because its cheap and works well for constant temp monitoring.

<span class="ev_code_BLUE">Yes, they do that well.</span>

and its not just speed, in the case of the mtc, its the thickness of the probe, and the ability to change out the probes that make it better IMO.

<span class="ev_code_BLUE">I'll give you half on the thickness of the probe .. The Thermapen's probe isn't all that thick and if you're just probing a steak or tater, it works just fine .. </span>

I can slide the needle probe into a thick steak, slowly vary the depth and watch the digital readout change. This way I know the temp of the coldest part. I was blown away when I discovered it could do that.

<span class="ev_code_BLUE">I do that with my Thermapen all the time, albeit at an angle..Works great!</span>

and if your going to split hairs, 4 seconds is 100% slower than 2.
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<span class="ev_code_BLUE">Where was it you got your degree?
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I know...

We're cool. </span>
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</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Bill
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">We're cool. Cool </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

better be... I'll cut off your supply of pork belly.
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I value accuracy. You were right to call my statement into question. I learned a few things in that little exchange, which is the reason I post stuff like that in the first place.

like I learned this nugget, straight from the thermoworks site:

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content"> How Fast is Fast Enough?

When taking a measurement you may ask, "How fast does my instrument need to be?" The answer is, "The faster the better." The longer it takes to read, the more likely your instrument or patience will affect the reading. If you can get a reading in seconds vs. tens of seconds, your readings will be more accurate and you'll be able to take more readings in a fixed amount of time.


</div></BLOCKQUOTE>
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by j biesinger:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">We're cool.
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</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

better be... I'll cut off your supply of pork belly.
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</div></BLOCKQUOTE>
LMAO!!
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The Thermoworks MTC does look like a better deal, cheaper and quicker, but by a mile?
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It's probably not as easy to use as the Thermapen since you have to keep the probe from separating from the meter but I think the response time would make it worth it. I read, I believe here somewhere, a year or 3 ago where you can pre-heat the probe tip of a Thermapen by inserting it in the top vent and reduce the settling in time .. Shaves off some of the 3-4 seconds ... Works for me!
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Bill
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">It's probably not as easy to use as the Thermapen since you have to keep the probe from separating from the meter but I think the response time would make it worth it. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

never had that problem. its more the length of the wire, it can sometimes be cumbersome. and it does take two hands (one to hold the mtc and one to hold the probe). Someday, I plan to solve this with purchasing a regular probe without the wire for more typical applications.

one thing I also considered when choosing the mtc over the pen, was the fact that the k probes work with other products like the usb data logger (dear santa...). and I just read an article about making your own tc probes out of connectors and tc wire. The only thing I wonder is if the mtc will be calibrated to third party wire, I'm not sure how that works, more research needs to be done (and I may just bite the bullet since a connector and wire would be less than 20 bucks and it would be sweet if it did work).

Is the thermapen a bimetal? I assumed it was tc like the mtc. My original statement regarding the notorious mile was comparing the mtc to my thermoworks oven probe thermometer.
 
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