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Recommended Digital "Oven" Thermometers

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    Recommended Digital "Oven" Thermometers

    Hey guys-

    I was recently reading the guide to calibrating a new grill and I realized I don't have an appropriate oven monitor. I have a couple dial ones that I question their accuracy, but nothing digital that I could monitor the heat of the grill (I have an MK4 for instant read of meat temp). Can you guys recommend something? Should I just buy one of the leave in digital thermometers and essentially just leave the probe exposed inside the grill? There are some nice father's day sales so I'd like to get one sooner than later.

    Thanks!

    #2
    Welcome to the club from TN. I just happen to be the first to get to this, but I am sure plenty of others will chime in - all of them much more knowledgeable than me. Here are a couple to look at though (I own the Maverick and covet the Fireboard):

    Maverick XR50

    Top quality digital grill thermometers perfect for meat and BBQ. Shop all available grilling thermometers from SnS Grills.


    Fireboard

    The FireBoard is a wifi-enabled digital thermometer designed to operate via your smartphone or through the web. Learn more today.


    Both of these allow you to monitor both the grill temp and the meat temps with multiple probes. That way you don't have to open the grill to check the meat temps with the MK4 until close to done.
    Last edited by klflowers; June 13, 2019, 01:11 PM. Reason: Clarify using the meat probe.

    Comment


      #3
      For your oven, you probably don't need Bluetooth or wifi, so I'd recommend either of these:

      The ChefAlarm will lots of things, but the Dot will give current temp for your oven.

      https://www.thermoworks.com/ChefAlarm?gclid=Cj0KCQjw6IfoBRCiARIsAF6q06t3qk-1OptKzTQwYKaWm_FMDjmh0AnZuMfqpa4liyGrTyrwTn-1HP0aAoTYEALw_wcB


      Specializing in cool, unique and professional temperature tools. Super-Fast thermocouples, thermistors, infrared thermometers, data logging and more.


      If you get one of these, I suggest you calibrate your oven. Look on youtube for your brand and model.

      Comment


        #4
        Since you put "oven" in quotes, I assumed you meant a leave in thermometer for your grill. If you actually meant oven, the recommendations RonB made may be more appropriate.

        Comment


          #5
          Originally posted by klflowers View Post
          Since you put "oven" in quotes, I assumed you meant a leave in thermometer for your grill. If you actually meant oven, the recommendations RonB made may be more appropriate.
          You're exactly right. I meant something I could leave in the grill. Apologies for the confusion, I should have been clearer. Thank you very much for your suggestions I will look into them now.

          Comment


            #6
            Not a problem, glad to help a little. Both the Maverick and the Fireboard have reviews on the free side:

            The Maverick XR-50 is an extended-range, four-channel wireless remote food and cooker thermometer. It ships with two straight 6" probes and two straight 3" probes. It is well constructed with a robust case and heavy-duty probes, so it should stand up well. Wins a solid top rating for performance and construction.


            FireBoard has set a new standard in food thermometry. It is a remote read, cloud connected, data logger, with connections for up to six probes. It can communicate with a smart phone via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to monitor the temps of both cooker and food. It received our top rating for its full feature set and performance.

            Comment


            • texastweeter
              texastweeter commented
              Editing a comment
              mavrick fan here.

            #7
            For one that will last you the Themoworks Smoke. It has probes for meat and grill. For just the grill RonB's the Dot is excellent.

            Comment


              #8
              Originally posted by RonB View Post
              For your oven, you probably don't need Bluetooth or wifi, so I'd recommend either of these:

              The ChefAlarm will lots of things, but the Dot will give current temp for your oven.

              https://www.thermoworks.com/ChefAlarm?gclid=Cj0KCQjw6IfoBRCiARIsAF6q06t3qk-1OptKzTQwYKaWm_FMDjmh0AnZuMfqpa4liyGrTyrwTn-1HP0aAoTYEALw_wcB


              Specializing in cool, unique and professional temperature tools. Super-Fast thermocouples, thermistors, infrared thermometers, data logging and more.


              If you get one of these, I suggest you calibrate your oven. Look on youtube for your brand and model.
              Thanks for the suggestion. I didn't actually mean my oven, but now that I'm seeing this and it's on sale for Father's day I may just pick one up. I don't trust either of the classic oven thermometers I currently own.

              Comment


                #9
                Originally posted by mountainsmoker View Post
                For one that will last you the Themoworks Smoke. It has probes for meat and grill. For just the grill RonB's the Dot is excellent.
                According to the website they don't recommend putting it in a high heat situation. Is that just the manufacturer being too conservative?

                I really just need something so I can find the magic 225 and 325 numbers since I'll be working with a brand new grill and won't have much intuition to go off of.

                Edited to add: They don't recommend using the smoke for grilling either...am I/Thermoworks just being too cautious? Or is the crux of it that you're rarely going to have your grill ripping at a temperature that's unsafe and generally it will be for finishing touches?

                Comment


                • mountainsmoker
                  mountainsmoker commented
                  Editing a comment
                  You can read the review on the free side it got a Platinum. But no I drilled a hole on the side of my Weber and take it and remove them for hot heat like steaks and I will smoke at up to 325. Well good luck and best wishes to you. If you want also look at the Maverick 732/733 it is what I had before the Smoke at about 2/3 the cost.

                #10
                If I remember correctly, they just don't want you to put the probe or cable over direct heat. Each probe will have the max temp listed on their site.

                Comment


                • mountainsmoker
                  mountainsmoker commented
                  Editing a comment
                  Yep just reread Meatheads review that made it his favorite and he said don't put the silicone ends of the probes directly over the coals and especially if they touch something as they are only rated to are only rated to 640 or so and may melt. The cables are not so much a problem But I have never had a problem doing anything from a 16lb turkey to an 18lb brisket, pork butts or anything else using my SnS. The probes are rated to 572 if you plan to check anything than meat.
                  Last edited by mountainsmoker; June 13, 2019, 03:12 PM.

                #11
                I think what I might do is go with the DOT to pair with my MK4 and drill a hole in the grill. The DOT can double as a true oven thermometer and a grill thermometer. I will get something like the Smoke at a future point once the cash bleed has stopped, then leave the DOT as just an oven thermometer. Sound reasonable?

                Comment


                • mountainsmoker
                  mountainsmoker commented
                  Editing a comment
                  Are we confusing terms again? You say you leave "the DOT as just an oven thermometer" Do you mean a grill temp thermometer? If so you might as well spend the money on a Smoke or a Maverick and not worry about it later. The DOT will cost 40% of any of them and not have the meat probe which you absolutely need. if you are cooking low and slow IMHO. If like most of us and you are short of the green stuff, the Maverick 732 is Meatheads 2nd choice at a lot less money.

                #12
                Originally posted by El Matarife View Post

                According to the website they don't recommend putting it in a high heat situation. Is that just the manufacturer being too conservative?

                I really just need something so I can find the magic 225 and 325 numbers since I'll be working with a brand new grill and won't have much intuition to go off of.

                Edited to add: They don't recommend using the smoke for grilling either...am I/Thermoworks just being too cautious? Or is the crux of it that you're rarely going to have your grill ripping at a temperature that's unsafe and generally it will be for finishing touches?
                I think you are misreading this. They don't recommend using the probes when DIRECT grilling because you would be exposing them to high direct heat from gas flames or charcoal. You can use the Dot or Smoke all you want for indirect heat applications, such as smoking or even in the oven. I've used them on my grills and smoker for cooking up to 375F or so. Just don't run the wire over the charcoal in your SNS for example, on a kettle.

                I started with a Dot, which comes with a 4" meat probe, and bought an air probe to go with it, and would switch the wires back and forth at the unit, to check meat versus grill temp. I then moved to the Smoke, later added the Smoke Gateway. You need a good leave-in thermometer to check grill and meat temps while smoking, and you need a good leave-in thermometer.

                If I had nothing, I would get a Thermoworks Thermopop for instant read (I have a ThermaPen classic), and a Maverick XR-50 for a leave in 4 probe unit.

                Comment


                  #13
                  Let's rewind a bit because clearly I'm not conveying myself properly. Either that or my question has already been answered multiple times and I'm too dense to follow.

                  From my understanding, one should have, at a minimum, two things:

                  1. An instant read thermometer such as the MK4, which I already own.

                  2. A thermometer that replaces/does the job of the built in thermometer that the grill ships with due to accuracy issues.

                  The third, but seemingly not "necessary" (at least for my current skill level) is a "leave in" thermometer with probes that sit in the meat when cooking low and slow.

                  At this point in my grilling I'm sticking mainly to chicken, burgers, steaks, etc, nothing that requires true low and slow. I absolutely want to get to the point where I can do that, but I don't think I'm there yet.

                  With all of the above taken into account, is there an item that satisfies both the number 2 requirement and the potential number 3? Is the aforementioned Smoke and Maverick XR-50 exactly that and I'm just too unfamiliar with the terminology to follow you guys?

                  Sincere apologies for how obtuse I'm being on this. I've become fascinated with cooking in my middle age but I'm starting from scratch in terms of know how.

                  Thank you again.

                  Comment


                  • Troutman
                    Troutman commented
                    Editing a comment
                    The Maverick or the Smoke will do the job you want done, so yes to your question.

                  #14
                  One thing none of us has asked is what is your grill/smoker. But the answer Troutman gave you is correct, yes the Maverick or Smoke is right for you. You don't have to use the meat probe at first, just leave it detached. Also don't be negative. Then try a small pork butt which are relatively cheap. Just watch for them on sale and you can make some great pulled pork sandwiches for around $1.60 a pound. Or do a whole chicken or turkey breast, what ever you like. I live in NC so pork and turkey are relatively cheap we produce a lot of them.
                  â—¢
                  Last edited by mountainsmoker; June 13, 2019, 08:46 PM.

                  Comment


                  • El Matarife
                    El Matarife commented
                    Editing a comment
                    I got a Weber Genesis II S-435. Total overkill for what I need at this point but we have a large family and it was a gift, so I wasn't going to say no :-)

                    The other option I was looking at was the igrill3, but the reviews don't seem to be particularly positive.
                    Last edited by El Matarife; June 13, 2019, 08:18 PM.

                  • mountainsmoker
                    mountainsmoker commented
                    Editing a comment
                    Okay checking it out that is a big Weber gasser.

                  #15
                  El Matarife Ok, if most of your grilling is direct, hot and fast as we like to say, a digital reading of the grill temp is much less important, at least in my opinion. I only monitor it with a digital for smoking. For my Weber Genesis II E-410 I just go by the dome reading, as I’m mostly doing high/med/low heat, and not indirect low and slow on that grill. The Weber disk thermometer on your gas grill is close enough for high heat grilling situations like burgers/chicken/etc.

                  I would not worry about the Maverick or Smoke unless you decide to start doing things like ribs, pork loins, butts, etc, which do require low temp indirect heat. I’ve smoked ribs at one end of my Genesis 4 burner with just the burners at the other end turned to low before, when my kettle was full.

                  Comment


                  • El Matarife
                    El Matarife commented
                    Editing a comment
                    Excellent man, thank you very much for the help. I DO plan on trying those things in the very near future and the Maverick is on sale at Amazon so I think I'm just going to pick it up.

                  • jfmorris
                    jfmorris commented
                    Editing a comment
                    El Matarife - good deal - I see that the XR-50 is on there for $10 off with free shipping. If I didn't already have the Smoke, I would certainly get that. While the wifi features on some of these are cool, I really don't need graphs and all that other stuff, and the Maverick XR-50 is what I would buy today, if I were buying one. Unlike the Smoke, the probes are water resistant - I've killed a couple of my Thermoworks probes getting them too wet when washing them.

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