Thermometer Questions and Response from Weber

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I agree with Doug D on this!
Every WSM has its own characteristics.
They are great cookers but each one has their own personality. Some will hit 250 like clockwork other take fussin and fiddlin with. I really think it is impossible to eyeball or even feel the difference between 225 and 275 this would result in a very different product. /infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif
 
Heck, from some of the things that I've read, some of the best bbq'rs out there don't have temp gauges. They can tell that they are cooking at the right temp by placing their hand over the fire or by how the fat smells while it's cooking (granted these folks aren't using WSM's and they've been bbq'n for a while). If Weber put a thermo on the unit this thread would still exist. However, we would be talking about, "Is it good enough therm?" "Did they put it in the right place?" "How do I cover up this hole since I moved my therm?" etc etc. Maybe I've been cooking with brinkmann products too long and therefore am even more spoiled by having a WSM but having a factory installed temp gauge is the least of my worries. This thing does everything I ever dreamed it would and more, and it's nothing more than a big piece of metal with some adjustable holes and a handle. BTW, I was shocked to find that they included a cover (and a nice one at that) with this unit. The two previous smokers I bought didn't come with a cover at all.
 
The free cover is a nice value; Weber charges about $50 for a similar cover for a gas grill. I was impressed and my el cheapo plastic cover on the gas grill is ashamed now.
 
Well, I agree that the WSM is an incomplete product without the thermometer, and also that for a novice using it without a thermometer is just about impossible. My first smoke went directly in the garbage as a result of using the WSM as instructed in the manual (thank God for this site!).

And while I agree that some people would graduate beyond a pre-installed lid thermometer, many would never need anything else. Further, while I think that the high-quality cover is great, I would much rather have an installed thermometer, for two reasons:

1) I can use the WSM without the cover, whereas the WSM without a thermometer, at least for a relative beginner, is useless; and

2) While the cover is great, I actually store my WSM indoors (in my sunroom, or garage), patrially because it is just a little too portable for me to want to leave it alone on the back porch.

In other words, my guess is that many more people use a thermometer than do the cover. I have used the cover on occasion, but must use the thermometer each and every time I smoke.

I think the refusal to include a thermometer is baffling. If I had been given the choice when ordering the unit, I would gladly have taken an installed thermometer over the included cover (maybe this could be a poll, Chris?).
 
Have to agree with Paul. My WSM sits on a balcony with one overhead. The only time I used the cover was to "try it on". I would gladly have chosen a thermometer in lieu of the cover. But.....
I would have to think that if Weber included a mounted thermometer, it would likely be the part most rejected by the buyer. It would'nt be a "Weber" manufactured product and would be a big hassle for them. There goes the price /infopop/emoticons/icon_eek.gif
I'm on my 3rd therm and still not sure if I'm satisfied. My .02
 
Bob over what period of time have you used three different therm.? Why ? Did they fail because they were left in weather?
 
I've read this thread with some interest, since I'm new to all this.

I'd have to weigh in on the side of prefering not to have a therm in the WSM. After reading some of the thousands of posts here, there are as many opinions as to type and position of a therm in the WSM as there are recipes for "Q".

I think if Weber put a therm in the hood of the WSM, the discussions here would be "How to replace the Weber therm" or "How to reposition the Weber therm, and cover up that ugly hole that it left".

So far all I have used for a therm is a Maverick. It's been rock solid for me. The only problems I've had stem from me being stupid, and I've dealt with that all my life /infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

Whoever is collecting the money, there's my $.02
 
Steve, I started with a simple candy therm in the top vent. It worked fine but I wanted a permanently fixed unit so I got a Tel-True for the dome. Finally, a polder for internal temps. It only reads 208 in boiling water but I can't justify paying more to send it back to the factory for checkup.
I got a cheap one to get going, a better one for good, and a defective one for testing doneness.
If I'm only happy with 1 of 3, what's the rest of the planet thinking. It only helps the support on not providing one at all.
 
Well, I've had my Genesis 1000 for six years now. It still has the factory-supplied weber therm, which is the same type I purchased for and am using for my WSM (and which cost me $10 at Lowe's).

Seems like a great, sturdy themrometer. Ny gas grill stays outside yearround (and I do use the cover for it!), and the therm has stood the test of time.

I agree that some people would discuss the "insufficuent" lid thermometer, were one provided, but my guess is that a substantial majority would be perfectly content with it. I know I would be...
 
After following this thread, I called WEBER and asked them why a therm is not supplied with the WSM. Their response was, "We do it on purpose so we can sit back and watch everybody argue about which one is best."

JUST KIDDING YALL!!!

Variety is the spice of life! If we all did things alike we wouldn't have ideas to share.

Jim
 
What about the thermometers in our kitchen ovens? In our HVAC systems? On the news weather report? On our water heaters?

Anyhow after much thought on all this thermometer talk I've decided the best approach is to drill a hole in the bottom of my WSM and put a rectal thermometer in there. /infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif
 
This has been a great thread so here's my $.02. I cooked chicken on my Weber kettle (indirect) tonight and the Weber thermometer that came mounted on the the dome (which reads 240* in boiling water) read 290*. I put a Brinkmann pit style thermometer (which reads 210* in boiling water) in one of the lid vent holes and it read 360*. The two probes were with in 2 inches of each other, I would have expected the Weber to have read higher considering that it reads 28* high in boiling water. When I moved the Weber to the vent hole right next to the Brinkmann it read 420*! I've got a Maverick ET-73, but for obviuos reasons don't use it for grilling. In light of what the temps were showing me tonight, I would think a mounted thermometer (dome, side)would only give you a guesstament at what the temp. really is. The only way to know what temp. the meat is cooking at would be to take the temp. at the level of the meat. To be honest, I really didn't realize temps. fluctuated that much inside a cooker. I think the mounted themometers look cool, but for smoking I'll stick with taking the temp. at the grate level.
 
Hey Jason,

If you find some kinda high temp probe that you can insert rectaly (is that a word? sounds painful /infopop/emoticons/icon_eek.gif ) and and 3 probes, one for the dome, top grate, and bottom grate. You then hook them all to a computer and graph all readings. This way we will detailed information that we can argue about /infopop/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif .
 
I just use the polder probe through the potato method for accurate grate temp. Works great for me!

Although a nice dome therm coming standard would be nice, too.
 
None of the folks who think a factory thermometer is inappropriate have answered why all ovens have thermometers even though they are not perfect and can measure temp only in one place of the oven, same for home air conditioner thermostats and water heaters.

An imperfect way to measure and modulate cooking temperature is far superior to none at all. The fact that all ovens have measurement and nearly everyone here has seen fit to add a thermometer is ample evidence of that.
 
"The thread that just won't go away" /infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

I agree it would be an improvement for the WSM to come with a lid similiar to the Performer with a therm. I also agree there would be continued disagreement among members as to whether this is an adequate way to measure temp because of the different cooking levels, quality of the therm, etc.

If Weber ever makes one, I'm sure I'll buy one, but I really don't feel the one I have now is incomplete - maybe it could just be "more complete" with the built-in therm. Sounds like we're getting down to a matter of semantics.
 
Well, I don't believe it is "inappropriate" to have a therm installed in the WSM at the factory, however I am just glad it wasn't, since it would have made my WSM cost more.

I have no use for a therm in the dome of my WSM. I know a lot of you have them and like them and that is certainly fine. I like to measure the temp at the grate where the meat is. It's all about choices.

So, I'm glad that I didn't have to pay for a therm that I wouldn't use. That way I had extra money to spend on my ET-73. /infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif
 
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