Which thermometer?


 
J

Joseph J

New member
Hi, all. New user here. I've been cooking on my 18.5" WSM for about a year now and am loving it.

Question on thermometers - I'm currently running two standalone units to keep an eye on my meat and cooking temps during the cook with a ThermaPen serving as final confirmation before pulling meat off or wrapping, etc.

I'd like to purchase a dual probe unit but am a bit torn between the Maverick ET-733 or the ThermaQ by ThermoWorks. I absolutely love ThermoWorks products for their build quality and durability but am a bit bummed that the ThermaQ doesn't have any wireless capability. The Maverick definitely has the wireless capability but I've heard that quality is a bit sub-par. I'm staying away from BT units for now as I need a bit more range given the location of my smoker to my house.

What say you? Is the convenience of remote cook monitoring worth the potential headaches of quality issues on the Maverick or should I just stick with the brand that I trust? It should probably also be noted that for the price of one ThermaQ and two probes, I could probably buy two Mavericks based on what I've seen on the internet so far.

Thanks.
 
I have the Maverick 732 and the Igrill2 which is what I'm currently using. I've been very pleased with them both.
 
I also have the Maverick 732 and love it. Maverick also has awesome customer service. I had an issue with mine past the warranty period and they replaced mine, in full, free of charge, with no hassle!
 
Same as the three above me. I have Maverick 732 and IGrill. Love them both, but you should go with what your are comfortable with.
 
I use the ET-733 and I love it. I bought a similar Maverick product back in the 2005 timeframe, and the probe lasted exactly one cook. I stayed away for years after that. But I got the 733 for Christmas, and I couldn't be more pleased. The range is outstanding. I really wish they would do a Wifi unit. I'd love to get the results on my smart phone while at The Home Cheapo.
 
Craig Alumbaugh said:
I have the Maverick ET-733 and the Maverick ET-73 and love them both.
Click to expand...

Same here. The probes do fail. Maverick customer service is good and they will replace but ideally they wouldn't failed in the first place. I bought both very cheap on amazon so its fair to say i got what i paid for. Keep your eyes open for promo codes and you can get discounts.

I dont own any thermoworks products, they are out of my budget, but there feedback is great. I guess its fair to say "you get what you pay for" there too :)

If your budget only allows the maverick you'll probably be fine, if you can grab backup probes, grab in case you have a failure during a cook.

One other consideration: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00THCADP4/tvwb-20

The new maverick et-735 is a bluetooth therm that uses your phone as a monitor. i love this idea. The early feedback i saw was spotty on this one, but it seems the APP was the issue not the thermometer. There have been upgrades and improvement to the app since. Do some research if this interests you.
 
Thanks for all of the feedback! I'll probably give the Maverick a run since I love the idea of being able to monitor temps from inside the house.
 
I would go with the Maverick for a little different reason. I'm not sure if your experience will be the same as mine, but I think in short order, you will find that the dual thermometer and the ability to read them remotely are a novelty that you will give up. I have an older Maverick and it worked well for me but after a few cooks, it just became more of a hassle than it was worth. I'm not sure if you're new to smoking or new to your WSM, but I found that after I got comfortable with controlling my temp I no longer needed the dual thermometer or to spend much time monitoring my pit temp. I've ended up using a very simple set up. I have a lid thermometer and, like you, a Thermapen. I will concede that having used the dual thermometer, I might have learned more quickly about how my WSM works so I don't think the Maverick is a waste and frankly, it was a fun toy, but I think buying the cheaper unit here is the best choice.
 
Joseph J said:
Hi, all. New user here. I've been cooking on my 18.5" WSM for about a year now and am loving it.

Question on thermometers - I'm currently running two standalone units to keep an eye on my meat and cooking temps during the cook with a ThermaPen serving as final confirmation before pulling meat off or wrapping, etc.

I'd like to purchase a dual probe unit but am a bit torn between the Maverick ET-733 or the ThermaQ by ThermoWorks. I absolutely love ThermoWorks products for their build quality and durability but am a bit bummed that the ThermaQ doesn't have any wireless capability. The Maverick definitely has the wireless capability but I've heard that quality is a bit sub-par. I'm staying away from BT units for now as I need a bit more range given the location of my smoker to my house.

What say you? Is the convenience of remote cook monitoring worth the potential headaches of quality issues on the Maverick or should I just stick with the brand that I trust? It should probably also be noted that for the price of one ThermaQ and two probes, I could probably buy two Mavericks based on what I've seen on the internet so far.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Joseph:

I have the 732 and I could go to the scrap yard with probes that do not work any more. That said, I'm still using it.

I hear the iGrill 2 works pretty good, but it may be a mixed bag. Amazon has some awful reviews on the product. I'm saving my money for the Thermoworks BBQ set up. Looks like the one I want runs $254.00. I put it on my Xmas list for the family members to contribute. This product has some good reviews, it is not wireless though. I can live without the wireless, what I need is something that will monitor two separate meats and and the pit temp on each shelf.
 
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