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New Member - Thermopen MK4 vs Thermopen IR

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    #16
    Welcome from sunny SoCal.

    For ME it would be a hard pass on the combo...
    First off, it’s only rated IP54 vs the IP66/67 of the Mk4...so it’s only splash resistant. Most thermometers are probably killed when being cleaned.

    Second, its upper limit is only 661.8° (349.9° C). So one wouldn’t know if their pizza stone had crept up to 800+ or what temp their sear station was at.
    The "cheap" IR-GUN-S will read up to 1022° (550° C) so it would cover any temp one is likely to encounter when cooking.
    The "High Temp" gun reads all the way up to 1400° (760° C).

    Finally, there’s the range.
    The combo is 5:1, meaning that at 5” it reads a 1” target area. Not great.
    The IR-GUN-S is 12:1, so at 12” it’s reading a 1” target.
    The High Temp gun though reads at 30:1.

    I have the IR-GUN-S because getting within a foot of my target isn’t generally a problem, and I’m really looking for a rough temp range rather than it needing to be deadly accurate. In the range I use it for it can be off by 4° or +/- 2%. (Which ever is greater.) Close enough for a pizza stone or griddle. It’s also significantly less than the High Temp gun. Though if doing it again, I would probably opt for the IRK-2 with its circular laser or splurge and get the High Temp.
    Last edited by surfdog; May 17, 2020, 08:51 AM. Reason: corrected temps

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    • Ryan D
      Ryan D commented
      Editing a comment
      Thanks surfdog. This is a really nice breakdown on the product specs. I think the group overwhelmingly agrees. It is interesting to hear how everyone uses the IR thermometers.

    #17
    Welcome from Western Massachusetts. I have the MK4 and ETEKCITY IR gun. Both used on a regular basis for different applications. MK for IT protein, IR say check temp of GrillGrates or CI pan. So my vote is seperate.

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      #18
      Welcome from TN. I have the MK4 and the infrared - I use both regularly. Since I don't do pizza yet, I only use the infrared on the griddle when I am cooking on the outdoor stove.

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        #19
        Welcome from the California Delta.

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          #20
          Welcome to The Pit from Madison, WI

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            #21
            Welcome to the forums!

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              #22
              I’d get the thermapen and separate IR tool. That is what I did actually. I think I got the pen first then the high range IR thermometer later.

              I went with the high temperature IR-IND model, reads to 1400F and 30:1 optics. The laser is a circle so you can easily see exactly what it is averaging from any distance.

              I use my IR thermometer a lot. I check my life support (air conditioning) at least weekly if not more. If I notice the outflow air isn’t as cold as it should be I can check my system immediately. Maybe it’s the air filter (usually is), but if it is a bigger problem better to know sooner rather than at 2 AM when the central AC gives up. I use it to check for window leaks. Before messing with the car engine. Before setting stuff down on the glass top stove. It is VERY useful.

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                #23
                Welcome to the Pit!
                Cheers from Norway

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