Are you looking for the best grill thermometer for your needs?

Or, maybe you’re looking for the best smoker thermometer?

Today we’re talking about features to consider when you’re shopping around for that grill thermometer.

We also talk about troubleshooting grilling thermometer problems you might encounter.

The Best Grill Thermometer

We love food cooked outdoors. Grilling and smoking are year-round activities here.

You need a quality meat thermometer for grilling and smoking. No overcooked meats and no undercooked meats.

We’re looking at bigger name grill thermometer folks such as Maverick, ThermoPro, and ThermoWorks.

Though there are no authorized resellers of ThermoWorks on Amazon, you can go directly to their web site for the best prices.

You’ll find many models of Maverick and ThermoPro grill thermometers at good prices on Amazon. Just compare the features you’re looking for. We’ve listed those most common and most useful features to consider when choosing the best grill thermometer for your needs.

Meat Thermometer Types

There are many types of thermometers available for those all-around day-to-day cooking activities.

But here, we’re more interested in the best grill thermometer for the backyard grill and barbecue master.

We’re going to look at those leave-in digital thermometers where we can remotely monitor cooking and meat temperature while doing other activities or household chores. Such as those leave-in digital thermometers that contain:
●  a transmitter
●  and a receiving unit (or an app for your smart phone)

The best grill thermometers offer features such as:
●  use of multiple temperature probes
●  switchable between Fahrenheit or Celsius
●  alarms
●  custom temperature settings
●  a protective case
●  timers

The Best Grill Thermometer Have Replaceable Parts

It will happen; even the best grill thermometer will fail. Usually, the failing part is a temperature probe.

Consider the availability and the cost of replaceable temperature probes. We have learned that having an extra temperature probe or two on hand is cheap insurance when setting up for a long low-and-slow cook or reverse sear steak.

Bigger brands such as Maverick, ThermoPro, and ThermoWorks offer extra temperature probes for purchase for their product lines.

Have extra meat thermometer probe clips on hand. Here, you’ll find multi-packs containing 2, 3, and even 4 universal meat thermometer probe clips for on Amazon for less than $10.00. Those smaller items seem to get misplaced or maybe fall down into the hot charcoal bed. Having a few extra on hand offers piece of mind.

Wireless Meat Thermometer

A wireless meat thermometer uses the unlicensed radio frequency spectrum. Much the same as your garage door opener.

The range of a wireless meat thermometer is approximately 328 feet (100 meters). Walls, windows, landscaping, and structure can attenuate the radio signal and reduce this range.

Battery strength and age will also gradually reduce the range of your wireless meat thermometer. Keep a spare set of batteries handy for both the transmitter and the receiver. Otherwise, you’ll be making a last minute trip over to the mega-mart or quickie-mart for another set.

The transmitter and receiver units usually synchronize at power up.

Other considerations, the transmitter and receiving unit antennas should be oriented in the same way for maximum signal strength.

WiFi Meat Thermometer

A WiFi meat thermometer attaches to your home network. Setup is similar to other devices you have attached in the past like your printer or those other internet of things devices. You’ll need to know your network SSID and password.

The range of a WiFi meat thermometer is approximately 164 feet (50 meters) from the transmitter to your home network. Walls, windows, landscaping, and structure can attenuate the WiFi signal and reduce this range.

You’ll also need to download and configure the smart phone app. Some apps offer advanced features such as tracking probe temperature over time.

Of course, your smart phone will use up bandwidth when you’re out-and-about during your low and slow cook. However, the WiFi meat thermometer option does provide you flexibility that other wireless technologies don’t.

Battery strength and age will also gradually reduce the range of your WiFi meat thermometer. Keep a spare set of batteries handy. Otherwise, you’ll be making a last minute trip over to the mega-mart or quickie-mart for another pack of batteries.

Bluetooth Meat Thermometer

The range of a Bluetooth meat thermometer is approximately 328 feet (100 meters) from the transmitter to the receiving unit, typically your smart phone. Walls, windows, landscaping, and structure can attenuate the Bluetooth signal and reduce this range.

Battery strength and age will also gradually reduce the range of your Bluetooth meat thermometer. Keep a spare set of batteries handy. Otherwise, you’ll be making a last minute trip over to the mega-mart or quickie-mart for another set.
The Bluetooth technology does require pairing between devices.

Waterproof, Water Resistant, Rain Resistant

Should the best grill thermometer be waterproof, water resistant, or rain resistant?

But, what exactly do those words mean? Unless those words are to a standard, it’s only a catchy marketing term.

Fortunately, there are certification standards for consumer products. Let’s take a look at the most common one you might see. The IEC Standard 60529, which provides for the IP67 and the IP68 ratings.

IP stands for International Protection markings and it’s an international standard developed by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) to determine how resistant an electrical device is to fresh water and common raw materials – like dirt, dust and sand. The standard aims to provide users more detailed information than vague marketing terms such as waterproof, water resistant, and rain resistance.

In simple terms, its capacity of your device defined by an IP rating, signifying the degree to which your grill thermometer is capable of handling solids and water.

That’s fresh water. Meaning it’s not a spilled beer or barbecue sauce rating.

IP Ratings Summary

The IP67 and IP68 standard consists of the letters IP followed by two digits and an optional letter.

The first digit after IP specifies the resistance or capacity to deal with solids, like dust and sand.

The second digit states the level of resistance to fresh water. With the current IP standard, there are maximum 6 levels of protection from dust and 8 levels of protection from fresh water.

IP Ratings First Digit

IP Ratings Second Digit

The second digit after the IP specifies the level of resistance to fresh water.

In terms of dust resistance, both IP67 and IP68 ratings (level 6) are the same. Both are fully protected from dust. Much like a completely sealed box.

But, there is a difference in terms of water resistance. Under IP67, the consumer device is protected against the damages and the effects of immersion in fresh water up to a depth of maximum 1 meter for 30 minutes. Under IP68 the device is protected against the effects of continued immersion in fresh water for depth greater than a meter. For IP68, the exact conditions are specified by the manufacturer of the device.

Chance are that the consumer grade best grill thermometer won’t specify an IP67 or IP68 rating.

Grill Thermometer Helpful Tips

●  always wear a heat resistant glove to touch the stainless steel probe sensors or wires during or just after cooking. Do not touch with bare hands. IT’S HOT!
●  do not immerse the probe in water
●  after the probe has cooled, gently clean, then dry thoroughly, and store away for next use
●  don’t forget those meat thermometer probe clips, keep them with the probes for next use

Troubleshooting the Best Grill Thermometer – Probe Problems

It’s happened, your set up for a low-and-slow cook for some awesome pulled pork for family and friends. You’re greeted with an LLL or HHH when you insert that meat thermometer probe in the center of the pork butt.

Most grill thermometers will display an LLL if the meat temperature is below its operating specifications. Usually somewhere around 30 °F (-1 °C).

However, if this is not the case, likely the probe sensor has a bit of moisture, try this.

Place the errant meat thermometer probe sensor a warmed oven, about 250 °F (120 °C) for an hour or two. Leave the plug and wire dangle outside of the oven door.

After that hour or two, try plugging the meat thermometer probe plug wire into the transmitter. If your greeted with a reading close to 250 °F (120 °C), then SUCCESS! You’re back in business.

Try this same technique if your meat thermometer probe doesn’t seem to be accurate.

Otherwise, contact the manufacturer, the meat thermometer probe maybe covered under warranty.

Troubleshooting the Best Grill Thermometer – Battery Problems

Yikes, my grill thermometer batteries are leaking!

It happens to all of us. Leave those alkaline batteries in your devices long enough and they will eventually leak. It’s not pretty. You’ll find that white crusty mess inside the battery compartment.

All batteries will slowly self-discharge over time. This will occur whether they are setting on the shelf or installed in a device. In addition, dead batteries will eventually leak.

The battery electrolyte, potassium hydroxide, has leaked from the battery case.

Potassium hydroxide, when it reacts with the carbon dioxide in the air we breathe, will form potassium carbonate.

But, not all is lost, try this.

Get a pair of gloves to protect your skin and safety glasses to protect your eyes.

To clean that grill thermometer battery compartment caked with the aftermath of a leaking battery, dip a cotton swab in an acid such as lemon juice or distilled white vinegar and dab it on the potassium carbonate—that neutralizes it.

Go slowly. You don’t want the battery acid to wreak havoc on the device’s other components. The liquid might fizzle as it interacts with the potassium carbonate. Yes, you might just have a big pile of white vinegar or lemon juice saturated cotton swabs before you finish the task at hand.

Once the white powder softens, you can gently rub it away with a cloth or toothbrush.

Consider using lithium batteries in place of alkaline. They’re more expensive but far less prone to leaking and less likely to self-discharge, too.

Some battery brands, such as these popular size AAA and size AA Energizers available on Amazon are guaranteed not to leak for 2 years when discharged.

Read the Energizer battery guarantee here.

Why Do Batteries Leak?

A reason for battery leaks (e.g. alkaline batteries, AA, etc.) is that as batteries discharge — the chemistry of the battery changes and some hydrogen gas is generated.

This out-gassing process increases pressure in the battery.

Eventually, the excess pressure either ruptures the insulating seals at the end of the battery, or the outer metal canister, or both.

How to Prevent Battery Corrosion

Simply remove the batteries from devices that will not be used for some time.

This will prevent a slow discharge of the batteries and therefore prevent leakage when the batteries get low or go dead.

Dead or low batteries are more likely to leak.