BBQ season is here. Time to step up your grilling game. Check out the ThermoWorks Smoke 2-channel Alarm Thermometer with wireless remote receiver. Perfect for precision and high temp cooking where you want to know exactly what is going on with your food and cooking space. I spent the last month getting to know the ThermoWorks Smoke, read on for the full review.
ThermoWorks Smoke Review
As with anything – there are quality products and crappy ones. It is difficult to tell which is which when shopping online. It is even difficult to know if a product is truly well made until you have spent enough time with said product. I say this because I have been fooled by many manufacturers and products over the years. I think the idiom is “putting lipstick on a pig”. You know, the pretty product that lets you down in short order. Quite a long intro to tell you the review spoiler… the ThermoWorks Smoke ($99) is high quality and built-to-last.
Quality/Look and Feel – The ThermoWorks Smoke was designed for competition BBQ teams and professional chefs and it shows. Both the Smoke (base) and the Smoke Receiver have a solid feel with splashproof molded seals. Both units have a bit of heft to them. In a good way. They feel like they can withstand a beating. The receiver comes with a detachable-clip lanyard which is nice but I find myself enjoying holding the unit in my hand. It is the perfect size and weight.
Ease of Use – The base and receiver are ready to use right out of the box with batteries (AA) installed and the wireless pre-synchronized. Both displays provide a bunch of critical information with large digits that are easy to read from decent distances. Wireless data transmission is done via RF, not Bluetooth. This is why the range is so good (300-ft line of site). The data layout is very intuitive and easy to understand even if you haven’t cracked the manual. Speaking of the manual – it is clearly written by a professional. No bad english or nonsense here. More on that later.
The Base Transmitter (4.5″ x 3.75″ x 1″) comes with two Pro-Series temperature probes and individual controls and display for each probe. The buttons on the font of the base/transmitter are well thought out and include backlighting, up/down controls, volume, and separate set and on/off (for alarm) buttons for each channel. The back of the unit has a kickstand for horizontal surfaces and two powerful magnets. The magnets have rubber pads on both sides to keep them from scratching surfaces. Attention to detail everywhere. Buttons on the back are recessed and include; on/off, Celsius/Fahrenheit, calibration, and wireless on/off.
The receiver (2″ x 4″ x 1″) has both audible and vibrating alerts the let you know when your food has reached your setting parameters. The vibrating alert is great for when things are loud or the unit is in your pocket. Battery life is 1,800 hours, amazing. There is a single button on the front of the Smoke Receiver which allows you to turn it off/on, mute alarms, and turn on backlight (20 seconds at a time). Multiple receivers can be paired to the transmitter if you are tag-teaming the grill.
The Pro-Series probes are professional grade. Both the High Temp Cooking Probe (6.5-inches) and the High Temp Air Probe (2-inches) have silicone encased wiring wrapped in braided stainless steel lines and spring protected cable-ends. These aren’t your cheap temperature probes. The cooking probe is “L” shaped which makes it easy to handle and insert/remove into your meats. The air probe is a bit stubbier and comes with a clip that will fit just about any BBQ grate.
Packaging & Manual – The packaging is chalked full of information on the outside and looks great. ThermoWorks manages to keep the packaging compact considering how many goodies are packed inside. The manual is simply amazing. No strange bits at all and very informative while still fitting on a relatively small 3 panel sheet of paper. I tend to geek out on good manuals because they are far and few between.
All this goodness for just $99 at ThermoWorks.com.
- Two Channels – One for your meat and one for you cooking area (pit)
- 300ft wireless range (line of site)
- Both channels can be monitored remotely
- Works with all Pro Series probes
- Comes with a high temp cooking probe and an air probe with grate clip
- Continuously updated Min/Max displays
- Two channel high and low alarms (perfect to alert you when you run out of cooking fuel)