Picture the scene. It’s a balmy Sunday afternoon and you’ve got family and friends over to enjoy a relaxing barbecue. Everyone is sat poised and ready for the main course, plates, knives and forks ready – just waiting for you to give them the heads up that the grub is ready to be served.
The Greek salad is ready – cherry tomatoes, crispy lettuce, an array of olives with garlic and herb feta cheese and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
A side of piping hot Mac and cheese with a sweetcorn and crispy bacon mix is cut into chunky squares, perfect to go along with some crispy roasted potatoes dusted in salt and pepper and an array of potato chips, burger buns and other nibbles to help keep the family from nibbling from the barbecue.
No one likes undercooked food, or even worse, uncooked meat. In fact, it can be pretty dangerous. And we’re not talking rare or medium-rare meat, as they say, that that’s better for our digestion anyway, I mean straight out of the packet raw. This can really ruin a meal and cause your guests to lose confidence in your cooking.
What’s the usual cause of this problem? Having the fire too high and meat not cooking through properly. And the solution? Investing in the best grill thermometer to test the internal temperature of your meat making sure it has cooked for long enough at the right temperature before taking it off of the barbecue.
Table of Contents
Top 6 Kitchen and Grill Thermometer Reviews
Inkbird Wireless BBQ Thermometer
Are you looking for the best wireless grill thermometer? Then check out this Bluetooth grill thermometer by Inkbird.
Features
- It is available in two colors, red and black for you to choose the style you like the most.
- This thermometer links to your phone via a downloadable app and will alert you when your meat has reached your preset internal temperature.
- It comes with a rechargeable battery with a USB cable.
- Has an automatic alert system
- Can connect it to your phone and monitor
- Might be a bit of a hassle to connect it sometime but performance wise it is a great thermometer
ACSUN
Liquid thermometers are frustrating to use because they take a long time to react. That is why Cooking Food offers you the best instant read thermometer on the market.
Overview
Do you fancy keeping an eye on your food from across the room? Then this digital instant-read thermometer will help you as it uses big numbers and letters making it easier to read the display.
Features
- Do you fancy keeping an eye on your food from across the room? Then this digital instant-read thermometer will help you as it uses big numbers and letters making it easier to read the display.
- The grill thermometer has a touchscreen, facilitating use.
- It is preprogrammed for 8 different types of meat including: beef, lamb, veal, hamburger, pork, turkey, chicken and fish and also for all degrees of cooking such as medium well, medium, medium rare and rare.
- Easy to use
- Has preprogrammed settings for different types of meats
Gives acccurate measurement
- The thermometer screen often tends to go off sometimes.
Te-Rich Bluetooth Digital Food Grill Thermometer
There are so many wireless meat thermometer reviews out there that it can be hard to pick and choose the thermometer that will really work for you.
Overview
Te-Rich has one of the best Bluetooth grill thermometers on the market right now. Take a look!
Features
- This grill thermometer comes with an app that can be downloaded onto smartphones, giving you the flexibility to be able to check on the temperature of your meat from your sofa.
- The app will set off an alarm when your food has reached the optimal cooking time set by you.
- Alternatively, there are 11 preset temperatures for different types of meat.
- It comes with a portable storage bag that will help you to keep everything neat and tidy together.
- It gives accurate reading
- Can set it up on an app in the phone and therefore monitoring becomes very easy
- Battery tends to run out quickly
Kizen Thermometer
Here is another example of a great digital meat thermometer by Kizen that has a great feature that I think you will love.
Overview
You can never guarantee hot weather for a barbecue and the team at Kizen believe that nothing should stop us from having a good time in the backyard with the family – not even the rain!
Features
- This ultra-fast thermometer is waterproof so you don’t have to worry about it becoming wet in the rain and you can rise it with running water to clean it up after each use.
- Very convenient and easy to use
- The probe is long and helps to avoid burns
- Have to be careful while cleaning after use as water tends to cause damage sometimes
Nutrichef
The best BBQ thermometer you will find online is a smart Bluetooth BBQ thermometer.
Overview
If you are looking to serve up some serious grub this weekend then you will need the best BBQ thermometer.
Features
- You can Leave the Bluetooth on, on your phone in order to receive push notifications as to when your meat has reached its optimal cooking temperature so that you can cook up the very best BBQ your family has ever tasted.
- Easy to monitor
- Easy to use and get temperature readings
- Setting up the device can take a bit time
ThermoPro TP20
The best wireless thermometer has come to you by the group ThermoPro.
Overview
The best smoker thermometer excels in speed and also has the ability to work wireless. That is why I love this thermometer as it is the best wireless thermometer I’ve seen on the market.
Features
- Things on the grill can get busy and endlessly swapping one probe from meat to meat can be tiring.
- That is why this thermometer comes with two meat probes so that you can monitor the temperature of two types of meat at once.
- The grill thermometer by ThermoPro runs on 4 triple A batteries.
- It is programmed for the following meat: beef, ground poultry, beef, veal, chicken, pork, poultry, lamb and fish with different layers of doneness and temperature readings in both Celsius and Fahrenheit.
- This thermometer includes two probes
- Easy to use and gives accurate measurement
- Battery often runs out pretty fast
Why You Should Use A Grill Thermometer
When finally the moment arrives to unveil the all important and most longed for part of the meal – barbecued meat. The chicken you had marinated in herbs and spices since the night before and the pork sausages and beef burgers are sizzling and ready to be eaten. At least that’s what you think.
Everyone queues orderly (in an ideal family, mine just stampede over one another) to get to the barbecue and you serve up everyone’s favorite cut of meat and they return to their seats. You stand grinning ear to ear with your apron on and barbecue tongs at hand, waiting for the happy smiling faces when they take that very first bite.
But unfortunately the reactions aren’t quite as you expected – “it’s a bit pink” says one “my patty is cold” says another. You look at the meat on the barbecue in despair, the food can’t be undercooked as the grill is practically in flames.
You slice into one of the patties only to find that it’s raw on the inside. You cut into the steaks and it’s the same. When you go to cut into the chicken breast, well that’s practically frozen, just charred on the outside.
Maybe you are new to everything in the smoking, grilling and barbecue field. Or perhaps you already have a grill thermometer that you are looking to upgrade or change. Whatever the case, it is important to know a little about the different types of grill thermometers in order to purchase one that will really suit your needs.
That is why in this article I will discuss with you the advantages of having a leave-in probe thermometer and what would be the best thermometer for smokers. If you are looking for a new grill thermometer then stay tuned as I will also go on to review 6 of the best grill thermometers on the market so that you can choose a model that will really work for you.
Advantages of a leave-in probe thermometer
If you are new to barbecuing or perhaps have gone through the above-mentioned scenario one too many times then you will definitely need a meat thermometer.
What about if you have more experience using a barbecue? It is still recommended for you to have a grill thermometer so that you can test the temperature of your meat, making sure it is safe for yourself and your family and friends to consume.
If you are new to the equipment needed in the barbecue world, you may be unfamiliar with a leave-in a probe thermometer. A leave-in probe thermometer is a small thermometer, usually with a digital display that reads the internal temperature of the food when inserted with the probe.
It is the best thermometer for smokers for all of the following reasons
They are fast, giving off a heat reading in just a matter of seconds.
They are accurate. A lot more accurate than guessing the color of meat juices to see if it is cooked or simply judging using the naked eye.
They are hand-held, meaning you can transport them anywhere you need them, from the kitchen oven to the smoker and back again with no hassle.
They have a digital display making it easy to read the internal temperature of your meat.
More sophisticated units have a WiFi enabler and allow you to read the temperature of your meat from the convenience of your mobile device. Imagine, checking up on the status of your patties from the comfort of your armchair!
Before purchasing a leave-in probe thermometer, you will most likely want to know your options and what other types of thermometers are out there and available to purchase.
Liquid thermometers
The kind of thermometer that you would usually find inside your fridge or freezer. They work well, but are very slow and will not give you the instant results that are key to smoking that medium-rare steak just on point.
Bimetal dial thermometers
Are not nearly as accurate as liquid or digital thermometers which is why they are scarcely used. They are also very slow and will not give you the immediate results you need when cooking. They are best kept alongside your boiler or inside your greenhouse.
Dangers of Undercooked Meat
But you may be wondering. All of this talk about a meat thermometer for smokers, but is purchasing one really necessary? The answer is yes. Although you may have some alternative way of checking when food is cooked, let me explain to you the reasons why these may not be as accurate as you think.
You cannot tell if a chicken is properly cooked simply by probing it and checking the color of its juices. The most accurate way to see if your chicken is cooked is to use a digital thermometer probe.
Slicing food is not an accurate way to check the status of your meat either, as meat colors can change depending on the lighting and meat also changes slightly in color when exposed to oxygen.
There is one massive benefit that comes with using a digital grill thermometer and that is that it will help you to cook better. How? The difference between smoking the perfect rare or medium-rare steak is just a couple of degrees, without a thermometer, you will simply be relying on the eye and the time, whereas with a thermometer you will be able to tell exactly when it is done without even having to slice it.
Steak is one of those funny meats that can be really succulent and juicy or as tough as old boots to chew one when cooked for too long. With a digital grill thermometer, you will be able to test the exact temperature of your meat and take it off of the fire at the exact right point.
Another enormous benefit of using a meat thermometer (and a lifesaving one at that) is avoiding eating uncooked meat. What are the dangers of doing so?
Take a look at the following information
E Coli is usually found on the surface of undercooked ground beef, causing vomiting, diarrhea and stomach cramps for up to a week. It is essential that ground beef is cooked properly.
Salmonella is usually found in poultry and undercooked red meat, causing vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps, and fever, with symptoms lasting for up to one week.
Listeria can be found in undercooked poultry, seafood, and red meat, causing fever, muscle aches, diarrhea, and nausea.
No one wants to send anyone home from a barbecue with a dicky tummy and that’s why it is important to cook these foods well to prevent food poisoning.
FAQ
This type of meat thermometer should not be left in food while it’s cooking.
Insert the stem of the thermometer into the thickest part of the meat, or in the center of the meat to take accurate measurements.
Conclusion
So there you have it, 6 best grill thermometers that will help you to cook the very best grill this weekend for the family. Weigh up the specifications that are most important for you and then choose the thermometer that best suits.
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