We all know how hard it is to cook using a barbecue if you aren’t using an accurate smoker thermometer. It is near impossible to keep the temperature of the smoker consistent which makes it difficult to slow-cook anything. And don’t even think of using the built-in thermometer on your smoker because it won’t end well, they're notoriously awful.
Your barbecuing experience will be so much more successful and simple if you invest in a quality wireless thermometer and follow some setup instructions.
To help you we have found the best smoker thermometers available to you and reviewed them to help you decide which one is right for you.
This product has dual probes with a range of up to 300 feet and that are accurate to 1.8 °F. The temperature display is on a lightweight, portable device and if the temperature goes above your programmed range the device will flash and beep. This is great as it means you can get on with other jobs or even relax without having to worry about your smoker.
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This thermometer is perfect for you if you aren’t interested in having a fancy thermometer and would prefer to save some money.
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This Inkbird model is a great quality thermometer and the accuracy of the temperature reading will mean that you can perfectly cook meat using your smoker.
Its a little bit on the expensive side, but you pay for what you get, wireless and rechargeable, as well as being able to connect to your phone on the go, its incredibly convenient and is an amazing product.
The price means this product is for people a little more into smoking that know what they're doing and are looking for a premium product.
The main unit of the IBT-4XS is very minimalistic with only one button located on the screen, this is because almost all of the settings and controls are located on the companion app. Made from plastic, the main unit is also very lightweight, however, this does mean that waterproofing is sacrificed so you'll want to avoid smoking in the rain.
With a capacity of four probes this thermometer provides a lot of flexibility, you can opt to order two or four probes if you don't think you will need four.
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The iGrill 2 is one of the most exciting products available. This is because instead of using WiFi technology to connect to a receiver it uses Bluetooth to connect to your phone/tablet using a free app.
The app allows you to name each probe, simplifying the process of monitoring more than one piece of meat. 2 probes come with the iGrill but it has a capacity of 4 (you can purchase probes from Amazon).
You may have heard about connection issues however we can assure you that these have been resolved. As long as you don't have too many walls between you and the thermometer the range will not be an issue either.
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This guide focuses on people that are looking to smoke pork butts, briskets, turkey, or whole chicken. More importantly, if you want to take away the stress that comes with maintaining temperature over long cooks.
The two main things you need for success is for your smoker to consistently sit at a low temperature ( 225 to 250 degrees Fahrenheit), and to be keeping track of the meats internal temperature so you can take it off the smoker to rest at its ideal temperature.
Getting a good thermometer will allow you to get on with your day without worrying about how your smoker is doing, which can really hinder the progress of whatever else you are trying to do.
If you aren’t as interested in smoking larger pieces of meat and would prefer cooking something smaller such as fish or ribs then the majority of this guide will still be of use. The only difference for you is that you may only need one probe and an instant-read thermometer.
If you manage to set up your thermometer correctly it will make life so much easier when it comes to cooking using your smoker. It will enable you to keep track of the meat’s temperature and the ambient temperature without having to open the smoker.
The probe for your ambient temperature needs to be measuring the air temperature where your food is. However, if you place your probe too close to the meat then the cold meat coils affect the reading.
What to consider when placing your probes:
If you don’t have or have lost your probe clips then do not worry as you can use scrunched up tin foil to hold the probe in place with.
We know what you are thinking, I’ve just spent all this money on a new smoker and I shouldn’t trust the thermometer that comes with it?
We say this because dome thermometers do measure the air temperature but it is the temperature of the air above whatever you are cooking. You want to know the temperature of the air directly next to your meat. That’s even without considering how manufacturers try to save as much money as possible on their built-in thermometers making them sub-par at best.
There are always lots of complaints in which people are angry that their new probes have stopped working after only a few uses. This is really not the case if you purchase a good quality thermometer, like the ones in our guide and you take good care of them. We have found that when doing this you can keep your probes working for at least a few years, normally longer.
Here are some ways that you can maintain the quality of your thermometer:
We know that picking the right thermometer for you can be very stressful, especially if you are a beginner just getting into smoking and barbecues. You may not have even known what a probe was at the start!
We think the best option on the market for at the moment is the ThermoPro TP-08 due to its multipurpose probes that allow maximum flexibility. As well as the fact that it is produced by such a reliable brand in ThermoPro.
We hope this guide has helped you to make a well-informed choice on what thermometer is best for you.
Last update on 2023-06-03 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API