ThermoWorks appears to have another hit on its hands with Smoke, a new dual-probe, wireless remote thermometer that offers the quality, accuracy and speed you've come to expect from ThermoWorks products like the Thermapen, the ThermoPop, and the ChefAlarm.
Selling for $99, Smoke features a transmitter that accepts two ThermoWorks Pro-Series temperature probes and sends readings to a remote receiver that sits on the kitchen counter or on the nightstand by your bed, goes into your pocket, or hangs on a lanyard around your neck.
Smoke comes with one 6" thin needle cooking probe with right angle bend and one air probe with grate clip. Both probes measure temps up to 572*F, have 47" stainless steel braided cables that can withstand maximum temps of 700*F, and have sealed silicone connections between the probe and cable to prevent moisture infiltration--a common point of failure in lesser thermometer probes. Additional probes are available for $16-$21, including a 4.5" straight probe, a 12" straight probe, and a waterproof probe. A nice touch: Pro-Series probe cables have a spring "strain relief" device at each end where the cable connects to the probe and the plug, reducing kinks and wire breakage at each connection.
The Smoke wireless transmitter and receiver come paired right out of the box, eliminating a setup step that can be frustrating with other wireless thermometers. Both components are powered by two AA batteries that provide up to 1,800 hours of operation. Batteries are pre-installed at the factory, just pull the plastic tab on the back of each component to activate the batteries and away you go.
Both transmitter and receiver have big, easy-to-read LCD displays with 20 second backlighting and audible low/high temp alarms with adjustable volume. There's also an alarm and on-screen error message if communication is lost between transmitter and receiver or if there's a probe failure. Units of measure can be switched between Fahrenheit and Celcius, of course. Another nice touch: In addition to the audible alarm, the receiver vibrates when an alarm goes off, so you can mute the alarm volume and get notification by vibration only.
The receiver feels a bit chunky in the hand, measuring 4 x 2 x 1 in. and weighing 5 ounces. By comparison, my iPhone 6s measures 5.44 x 2.64 x 0.27 in. and weighs 5-5/8 ounces. So it's really the thickness that makes the receiver feel chunky. That's probably due to using an LCD display and large AA batteries instead of a thin display and thin lithium-ion batteries. But you can't put smartphone technology into a unit like this and charge only $99 for it...and of course there's the projected 1,800 hours of operation versus the pathetic battery life of most smartphones.
The receiver includes a lanyard for hanging the receiver around your neck. The lanyard features a quick-release latch for quick removal.
The transmitter has a pop-out kickstand to stand the unit on a table. It also has two strong magnets on the back that allow it to stick to a cool surface on some smokers. That won't be of much use on the hot, curved surface of the Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker unless you fashion some sort of flat metal holder that attaches to the cooker.
Wireless transmission uses the 2.4 GHZ radio frequency with a maximum line-of-sight range of 300 feet between transmitter and receiver. Your distance will vary depending on local conditions, but should perform much better than units using Bluetooth technology.
As for online capabilities, Smoke will be able to send temps across the Internet to an app on your smartphone with an $89 wireless Wi-Fi gateway available in Spring 2017.
Last but not least, Smoke comes with a 2 year warranty against defects in components or workmanship and a 6 month warranty on probes.
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Smoke is marketed as being "designed for competition BBQ teams and professional chefs". ThermoWorks says that "Smoke outlasts and outperforms every competitor" and is "not a cheaply-made housewares product." (Whack! Take that, competitors!) I don't know enough about professional chefs to know if they'd find this product useful, but I know a few competition BBQ teams and I think they will definitely want to take a closer look at Smoke.
Why? First, Smoke promises to last longer and provide more accurate temp readings than lower priced units. The Pro-Series probes are second to none in quality and durability, and the wireless transmitter and receiver have rugged housings with molded-in seals for IP65 water resistance, meaning they are splash resistant. So if you're spending $250 on a competition Wagyu brisket, why would you cheap-out on the wireless thermometer you're counting on to help you cook that brisket to perfection?
Second, Smoke has the ability to pair with additional receivers, a feature you won't find in other wireless probe thermometers. This means that the assistant cook minding the pit all night long can have his own receiver, and the head cook getting some shut-eye in the RV can have his own receiver, and both get immediate notification of a low/high temp alarm. Additional receivers sell for $45 each.
Third, Smoke comes from the factory reading +/- 1.8*F for temps up to 248*F, but has a tuning feature that lets you fine-tune the reading to better than +/- 1*F with an ice bath test.
As for the backyard barbecue enthusiast, if you currently own and appreciate the quality of the Thermapen and you're looking for a high quality wireless remote probe thermometer, you will want to give serious thought to Smoke. For just $29 more than competitive products, Smoke offers a level of quality that you won't find in other units and will probably be the last wireless thermometer you'll ever buy.
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So, how does Smoke at $99 compare to the popular Maverick ET-733 at $70? Here are the most important differences:
Smoke sells for $99 at http://www.thermoworks.com/Smoke?tw=VWB&chan=TVWBB
Please use our link above to help support the forum!
Disclosure: ThermoWorks provided TVWB with a pre-release version of Smoke for the purposes of this review. The opinions expressed above are my own and have not been reviewed or approved by ThermoWorks.
Selling for $99, Smoke features a transmitter that accepts two ThermoWorks Pro-Series temperature probes and sends readings to a remote receiver that sits on the kitchen counter or on the nightstand by your bed, goes into your pocket, or hangs on a lanyard around your neck.
Smoke comes with one 6" thin needle cooking probe with right angle bend and one air probe with grate clip. Both probes measure temps up to 572*F, have 47" stainless steel braided cables that can withstand maximum temps of 700*F, and have sealed silicone connections between the probe and cable to prevent moisture infiltration--a common point of failure in lesser thermometer probes. Additional probes are available for $16-$21, including a 4.5" straight probe, a 12" straight probe, and a waterproof probe. A nice touch: Pro-Series probe cables have a spring "strain relief" device at each end where the cable connects to the probe and the plug, reducing kinks and wire breakage at each connection.
The Smoke wireless transmitter and receiver come paired right out of the box, eliminating a setup step that can be frustrating with other wireless thermometers. Both components are powered by two AA batteries that provide up to 1,800 hours of operation. Batteries are pre-installed at the factory, just pull the plastic tab on the back of each component to activate the batteries and away you go.
Both transmitter and receiver have big, easy-to-read LCD displays with 20 second backlighting and audible low/high temp alarms with adjustable volume. There's also an alarm and on-screen error message if communication is lost between transmitter and receiver or if there's a probe failure. Units of measure can be switched between Fahrenheit and Celcius, of course. Another nice touch: In addition to the audible alarm, the receiver vibrates when an alarm goes off, so you can mute the alarm volume and get notification by vibration only.
The receiver feels a bit chunky in the hand, measuring 4 x 2 x 1 in. and weighing 5 ounces. By comparison, my iPhone 6s measures 5.44 x 2.64 x 0.27 in. and weighs 5-5/8 ounces. So it's really the thickness that makes the receiver feel chunky. That's probably due to using an LCD display and large AA batteries instead of a thin display and thin lithium-ion batteries. But you can't put smartphone technology into a unit like this and charge only $99 for it...and of course there's the projected 1,800 hours of operation versus the pathetic battery life of most smartphones.
The receiver includes a lanyard for hanging the receiver around your neck. The lanyard features a quick-release latch for quick removal.
The transmitter has a pop-out kickstand to stand the unit on a table. It also has two strong magnets on the back that allow it to stick to a cool surface on some smokers. That won't be of much use on the hot, curved surface of the Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker unless you fashion some sort of flat metal holder that attaches to the cooker.
Wireless transmission uses the 2.4 GHZ radio frequency with a maximum line-of-sight range of 300 feet between transmitter and receiver. Your distance will vary depending on local conditions, but should perform much better than units using Bluetooth technology.
As for online capabilities, Smoke will be able to send temps across the Internet to an app on your smartphone with an $89 wireless Wi-Fi gateway available in Spring 2017.
Last but not least, Smoke comes with a 2 year warranty against defects in components or workmanship and a 6 month warranty on probes.
--
Smoke is marketed as being "designed for competition BBQ teams and professional chefs". ThermoWorks says that "Smoke outlasts and outperforms every competitor" and is "not a cheaply-made housewares product." (Whack! Take that, competitors!) I don't know enough about professional chefs to know if they'd find this product useful, but I know a few competition BBQ teams and I think they will definitely want to take a closer look at Smoke.
Why? First, Smoke promises to last longer and provide more accurate temp readings than lower priced units. The Pro-Series probes are second to none in quality and durability, and the wireless transmitter and receiver have rugged housings with molded-in seals for IP65 water resistance, meaning they are splash resistant. So if you're spending $250 on a competition Wagyu brisket, why would you cheap-out on the wireless thermometer you're counting on to help you cook that brisket to perfection?
Second, Smoke has the ability to pair with additional receivers, a feature you won't find in other wireless probe thermometers. This means that the assistant cook minding the pit all night long can have his own receiver, and the head cook getting some shut-eye in the RV can have his own receiver, and both get immediate notification of a low/high temp alarm. Additional receivers sell for $45 each.
Third, Smoke comes from the factory reading +/- 1.8*F for temps up to 248*F, but has a tuning feature that lets you fine-tune the reading to better than +/- 1*F with an ice bath test.
As for the backyard barbecue enthusiast, if you currently own and appreciate the quality of the Thermapen and you're looking for a high quality wireless remote probe thermometer, you will want to give serious thought to Smoke. For just $29 more than competitive products, Smoke offers a level of quality that you won't find in other units and will probably be the last wireless thermometer you'll ever buy.
--
So, how does Smoke at $99 compare to the popular Maverick ET-733 at $70? Here are the most important differences:
- Smoke is easier to setup and control than ET-733. Smoke's transmitter and receiver are already paired right out of the box, and settings are so intuitive I figured them out without instructions. Things aren't so obvious with ET-733...you have to follow the instructions for pairing the two components and programming the alarms. Point goes to Smoke.
- ET-733 comes with two sharp-tipped probes with two grate clips, so right out of the box you can monitor two pits or two pieces of meat or one pit and one piece of meat. Smoke comes with one meat probe and one air probe, so if you want to monitor two pieces of meat, you'll have to purchase a second meat probe for $16. Point goes to ET-733.
- Smoke has 47" long probe wires; ET-733 has 36" long probe wires. Smoke probes are clearly of higher quality and construction. Point goes to Smoke.
- ET-733 includes 6 preset temperature settings for beef, veal, lamb, pork, chicken and turkey, plus 9 "bonus" presets for game meats, deer, elk, moose, buffalo, rabbit, boar, duck, bird and fish. Smoke does not include any preset temperature settings, but does include a printed chart of recommended meat temperatures. ET-733 is targeting beginner cooks by offering presets while Smoke is targeting intermediate/advanced cooks that don't need presets. Point goes to neither side.
- The Smoke transmitter can transmit to multiple receivers; the ET-733 transmitter can transmit to only one receiver. Point goes to Smoke.
- ET-733 alarms are programmed at the mobile receiver, whereas Smoke alarms are programmed at the transmitter sitting next to the smoker. Where would you rather reprogram an alarm setting in the middle of the night--from the comfort of your bed or outside in the backyard? Point goes to ET-733. But for Smoke, that's the price you pay for the ability to transmit to multiple receivers. It would be a tall order (and more expensive) to build smart receivers that can communicate with each other and share settings across multiple units.
- ET-733 has a count-down and count-up timer. Smoke does not have a timer. Point goes to ET-733.
- Smoke's transmitter and receiver are more solid and substantial than the ET-733's. Point goes to Smoke.
- Smoke has a larger, more informative display on the transmitter than does the ET-733. Point goes to Smoke.
Smoke sells for $99 at http://www.thermoworks.com/Smoke?tw=VWB&chan=TVWBB
Please use our link above to help support the forum!
Disclosure: ThermoWorks provided TVWB with a pre-release version of Smoke for the purposes of this review. The opinions expressed above are my own and have not been reviewed or approved by ThermoWorks.
