Recommendations For Wireless Freezer Thermometer

[CaptainMike]

We bought a new freezer last summer and filled it with 1/2 a beef and a bunch of other frozen delectables. Well, somehow I left the door slightly ajar (for the 2nd time in 2 months) and I lost the whole lot. Collette caught it in time the first time, but she took the weekend babysitting me off. Clearly this will be laid at her feet, however, I seem to have developed the attention span of a 14 year old and simply neglected to ensure the door was shut, even though I thought I was being diligent.

I was raised by the generation that used the "I'll-give-you-something-to-cry-about" method so I'm trying to decide if this is one of those moments. Probably not, but it sucks nonetheless.

Anyhoo, First World problems call for first world solutions, do any of ya'll have a suggestion for a wireless freezer alarm? The freezer is in my shop about 50 feet from the house, but I have a wifi router extender that works great. Any suggestions are well appreciated.

Well, off to the dump I go .........

Oh, and here is the It Really Happened pic:



Nothing was "spoiled" of foul smelling, but it was all warm to the touch.

[Panhead John]

Oh man, sorry to hear. You lost everything? That sucks. Maybe a chest freezer next time around. This one looks good.

[CaptainMike]

No, we have multiple freezers, including a little chest freezer my mother gave me that she bought from Montgomery Ward's about 40 years ago. It's where we keep our lamb so keep your eyes peeled on SUWYC for all of my upcoming lamb cooks! Thanks for the suggestion

[Mojo0209]

That sucks!

[CaptainMike]

And blows!!

[RonB]

That's tough. Will your homeowners insurance help?

[CaptainMike]

I hadn't though of that, but I figure it was about $1k worth of lost food and that's our deductible. Plus, it was entirely my......er Collette's fault and I couldn't file a claim in good conscience. If it were due to some sort of product failure or power surge/outage I might, but keeping good Karma is priceless.

[IFindZeroBadCooks]

Older thread on same topic if you want more ideas:

https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/forum/other-aa/928988-e-noooooooo

I've had this one for about a year or so, and it has been great.

https://www.acurite.com/shop-all/home-devices/kitchen-cooking/stainless-steel-digital-refrigerator-freezer-thermometer.html

[CaptainMike]

Thank you very much!

[McFlyfi]

What about a cheap, wireless outdoor thermometer, like this? You could probably get one at Lowes/HD/Ace today.
I have a similar one I use in my trailer to monitor fridge and freezer temps while camping. No alarms, you'd have to look at it, but cheap!
Oregon Scientific, LaCrosse, AcuRite all have cheap, outdoor remote thermometers that would be suitable for a freezer.

[Panhead John]

I’ve got a couple of those, but use em just for the ambient air temps. They’re great. He might want something that works with his phone, in case he’s not home.

[CaptainMike]

I thought of that, but I need something that waps me upside the head and says "Hey dummy, you left the freezer door open again!" Thanks for the response!

[Planner47]

@CaptainMike been there and done that. i have been using this one since 2017 in my chest and frig. we had a upright in the cellar and the door was not fully closed. Who dune it is still the big question around here. WASENT ME!! Amazon.com: Refrigerator Freezer Thermometer by eTHERMOMETER - Includes 2 Wireless Temperature Sensors and 1 Indoor Digital Display with Built-In Alarm - Batteries Included: Appliances

[CaptainMike]

Thank you, I was hoping to hear from someone that's using one, I'll add it to the list. How long do the batteries last and do they need to be something special because of the low temps? I'm pretty good about changing the smoke detector batts every 6 months so I would just add this to the routine.

[Planner47]

since i got it i have changed twice. reg battery

[willxfmr]

I had the same thing happen to me. What I ended up getting was one of these. It's not wireless, but the alarm is loud enough that if it goes off in the basement, you hear it the second floor. It has already saved me once, so it has paid for itself many times over already.

[USMCCrashCrew89]

I’ve got the dual model on all my fridges and freezers. The single one would probably work better for the standalone freezer but regardless I like that it has 1. An audible alarm 2. The model I have will tell me how long it was in alarm up to 99 hours.