Looking for a recommendation for an external
temperature monitoring device. Something that has the ability to give temp readouts for the smoker and maybe the meat as well. What are you guys using? Thank you.

I use a Fireboard 2. https://www.fireboard.com/shop/fireboard-2/

It allows you to use up to 6 different probes at a time. I usually have one ambient probe for the smoker temp, and then one internal probe in each slab of meat (up to 5). If you have more than 5 pieces of meat on at a time, just pick an assortment of smaller and larger pieces to monitor, to get an good idea of where all of it is at.

It has a LCD screen for direct monitoring, as well as sending data to your smartphone via the app. You can also set temperature alerts in the app, so you don't have to keep checking it to know when it's time to wrap it or pull it off, or to catch it if the smoker temp starts dropping unexpectedly.

I have a Maverick temp probe unit. It's wireless and works great. It has 2 probes, one for grill temp and one for meat temp.



Jim

I use a meater. Temperature probe that reads ambient temperature and meet temperature, Wi-Fi’s to your phone, and predicts the end of the Cook, gives you a graph to show how the cook went and is on sale right now for $79. I like mine so much I asked Santa for a second.

I believe everybody really into grilling/smoking should have both an instant read thermometer and a leave in thermometer. Here are a few:

Instant read - I use and highly recommend ThermoWorks Thermapen. It's extremely fast, extremely accurate, and extremely rugged. In 2012, I tried to cheap out and bought Amazon's best reviewed $20 instant read digital thermometer and it lasted about 7 months. I replaced it with the Thermapen and not only is it faster and more accurate, but I'm still using it. All I've had to do is keep it clean and periodically swap batteries.

Leave in - I use and highly recommend the Thermoworks Smoke for both my BGE and my oven. It has a wireless transmitter with a long range and I can check temps or receive temp alarms across the street. I used to have a Maverick and the Smoke is vastly superior in terms of probe diameter, probe longevity, and transmitter distance.

Bargain Instant Read - Thermoworks ThermoPop is $21. It's a 3 to 4 second read and plus/minus 2 deg F.

Bargain Leave In - ThermaPen DOT is $45. 4' high temp probe cable. Pure simplicity with 2 displays - current temp and alarm temp.

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Inkbird - IBBQ-4T

Amazon had cyber-monday price of $50

https://www.amazon.com/Inkbird...ration/dp/B07XNTJKY4

Thermoworks has some good stuff.

https://www.thermoworks.com/signals/

We use the XR50.
https://www.maverickthermomete...-smoker-thermometer/
I can monitor the temp of the smoker indoors.
Kind of pricey, but 4 probes works for us. I use 3 probes for the food and 1 probe to monitor the smoker temp.

All I ever use is a Thermoworks instant read to give me internal temps and I don't use that until the very end of a cook. I have no need to know when a brisket or pork shoulder is at 110 or 115 degrees I just need to know when it's done. I use the door mounted thermo's on my smoker to tell what the chamber temp. Once a year or so I throw a oven thermometer inside to calibrate the door therms. A few degrees either way is no big deal.

I'm not a gadget type of guy when it comes to BBQ equipment.

quote:

Originally posted by tatortodd:
I believe everybody really into grilling/smoking should have both an instant read thermometer and a leave in thermometer. Here are a few:

Instant read - I use and highly recommend ThermoWorks Thermapen. It's extremely fast, extremely accurate, and extremely rugged. In 2012, I tried to cheap out and bought Amazon's best reviewed $20 instant read digital thermometer and it lasted about 7 months. I replaced it with the Thermapen and not only is it faster and more accurate, but I'm still using it. All I've had to do is keep it clean and periodically swap batteries.

Leave in - I use and highly recommend the Thermoworks Smoke for both my BGE and my oven. It has a wireless transmitter with a long range and I can check temps or receive temp alarms across the street. I used to have a Maverick and the Smoke is vastly superior in terms of probe diameter, probe longevity, and transmitter distance.

Bargain Instant Read - Thermoworks ThermoPop is $21. It's a 3 to 4 second read and plus/minus 2 deg F.

Bargain Leave In - ThermaPen DOT is $45. 4' high temp probe cable. Pure simplicity with 2 displays - current temp and alarm temp.

THIS...all of THIS. Anything from Thermoworks is high-quality and money well spent, they are the market leaders when it comes to food temperature measuring devices. They currently have a very good Black Friday Special going on.

The Thermapen is their flagship product and the one item every kitchen should have; currently 30%-off! The Smoke I've found to be one of the best devices for smoking and grilling. The new Signals BBQ thermometer is similar to the Smoke but, with more channels to measure multiple areas or, meat types.

The Instant read is a bit redundant is you already have the Thermapen, and the DOT is great for oven usage.

quote:

Originally posted by corsair:
The Instant read is a bit redundant is you already have the Thermapen, and the DOT is great for oven usage.

Good point. I should have been clearer that I was providing bargain alternatives to the more expensive instant read and leave in thermometers that I own. Certainly wouldn't expect someone to buy all 4.

quote:

Originally posted by lastmanstanding:
All I ever use is a Thermoworks instant read to give me internal temps and I don't use that until the very end of a cook. I have no need to know when a brisket or pork shoulder is at 110 or 115 degrees I just need to know when it's done. I use the door mounted thermo's on my smoker to tell what the chamber temp. Once a year or so I throw a oven thermometer inside to calibrate the door therms. A few degrees either way is no big deal.

I'm not a gadget type of guy when it comes to BBQ equipment.

Same here.
Instant read and an oven thermometer.
Have ribs on right now and just an oven thermometer inside. Holding at 250°.

I am a fan of the Thermapen and Smoke. Accurate and built to last. I use the Smoke when doing a reverse sear, in longer cooks on the grill or smoker. The Thermapen is great for instant reads like the grill followup to a reverse sear. Not inexpensive but worth the cost.

quote:

Originally posted by tatortodd:

quote:

Originally posted by corsair:
The Instant read is a bit redundant is you already have the Thermapen, and the DOT is great for oven usage.

Good point. I should have been clearer that I was providing bargain alternatives to the more expensive instant read and leave in thermometers that I own. Certainly wouldn't expect someone to buy all 4.

One can never have enough Thermoworks products.

quote:

Originally posted by eyrich:
Inkbird - IBBQ-4T

Amazon had cyber-monday price of $50

https://www.amazon.com/Inkbird...ration/dp/B07XNTJKY4

I have the Inkbird IRF-4S and like it pretty well. It's wireless, but not WIFI so you can only go so far with the monitor, but it's never been an issue for me.Same with the 4 probes so that gives you one for pit temp, and 3 for meat.

Ditto on the ThermoWorks Smoke. Used mine about a week ago to turn a 10 lb butt into pulled pork and since the air temperature outside at the start of the cook was about 29 degrees, monitoring the meat and grill from inside was a nice perk.

I use a Webber Connect.

This has four ports for probes.
Is Wi-Fi/Bluetooth enabled
rechargeable.

I use one probe to monitor cook chamber temp, and up to three probes to monitor internal temp of the meat.

This also has a phone app so you can set your cook temp as a range say from 200-250, and your phone will notify you if you need to monitor your fire (I use a wood/coal fueled smoker). And Also you can set the internal temp notification for each probe you have in the meat.

Cost was less than 150.00 at Ace Hardware.

Had a Maverick, upgraded to a Smoke some years back and much prefer it.

quote:

Originally posted by Muddflap:
Thermoworks has some good stuff.

https://www.thermoworks.com/signals/

This is the one I use. It connects via WiFi to my network and I use the app on my phone to keep track from anywhere. Four probes are nice. With a turkey for example, one in the thigh, one in the breast, one in the stuffing, and one in oven. Or when smoking a couple butts, chickens, separated brisket flat and point, or whatever.

I use a ThermoWorks smoke and thermopen

I’ve got a signals but found the distance wasn’t good with my house construction