Reviewing the Weber iGrill 2 Bluetooth Thermometer
This thermometer is universally agreed to be hands down the best Bluetooth thermometer available to purchase. In this article, we are checking out whether this is just a marketing ploy or whether it is the truth.
We are breaking down the positives and negatives of this product so that you don’t have to.
Bluetooth thermometers are fairly simple instruments to understand. Basically your average thermometer will use WiFi technology in order to broadcast the temperature on a receiver. Bluetooth thermometers, however, use Bluetooth to send the temperature of your grill or food to one of your devices (phone, tablet ... ).
The app that accompanies this thermometer has been improved since Weber purchased the product from iDevices, however, the thermometer hasn’t changed much. For example, you can now name probes so you know what they are measuring.
Upon purchase you can choose between a package that comes with two probes or you can buy the iGrill starter kit that has two probes and an ambient probe. Don’t worry as you can buy more iGrill probes from Amazon.
Generally, most Bluetooth thermometers have poor range and connection but looking at the reviews on the app store Weber appear to have improved this aspect since they took over from iDevices.
In short the Weber iGrill 2 is the perfect thermometer and a great addition to your cooking set up. The only problems arise if you are too far away and lose connection.
What does it Come With and What are the Specifications
Inside the Weber branded box there are batteries and probes all wrapped up to ensure they are not damaged. There will either be 2 or 4 probes depending on what option you went for.
Contents:
It is possible for the iGrill 2 to be used without the Bluetooth but you’d lose a lot of the best features and would be a waste of money, you’d be better off buying a standard instant-read thermometer.
The batteries are a nice addition and the guide helps you through the setting up processes such as downloading the app.
When looking at the ranges on the specifications it is worth bearing in mind that this is the maximum/minimum values possible and they can change depending on your setup.
Temperature range | -22˚F - 572˚F |
Bluetooth range | 150 ft |
Heat resistant up to | 716˚F |
Probe length | 24” |
Waterproof | No |
Warranty | 2 years |
Battery life | 200 hours |
This process is not at all difficult and the starter guide does a good job at explaining how it’s done. If for some reason you don’t understand or have lost the guide here is how to do it:
Once connected the home screen will give the option to “Start barbecuing”, clicking this will give you the option to choose whether you are measuring the temperature of the food or barbecue.
Selecting the food option will enable you to pick from some preset temperature or create your own target temperature. This means that the process can be personal to you. These temperatures can be displayed through colourful graphics making the app very user-friendly.
You can change your target temperatures throughout without restarting the whole process.
When looking at reviews there are two common issues: not pairing or loss of connection and bad Bluetooth range.
From experience, I didn’t notice these issues and more often than not the issue is with having outdated phone software. Another potential problem could be walls and the material that your home is built of.
Finally, be careful when reading reviews because issues from 2 years ago may now have been corrected through updates and won’t be a problem for you.
The iGrill 2 is stated to have an accuracy of +/- 1°F and the thermometer will be accurate 10-30 seconds after the probe goes in.
The Alternative: The InkBird IBT-4XS
The best alternative Bluetooth thermometer is the InkBrid IBT-4XS.
It is much cheaper than the Weber and both have 150 ft range and can have 2 or 4 probes. What’s more the probes on the InkBird are longer and it has a USB charger instead of batteries.
However, the InkBird’s battery life is only 60 hours and iGrill 2’s app is much more polished. Overall the iGrill 2 is the better option but the InkBrid is certainly a viable option.
If for you, having a Bluetooth thermometer is important then the Weber iGrill 2 is certainly the best option on the market.
It has an incredible app, excellent warranty and Weber provide great customer service. All in all, it is a top-end grill thermometer.