ThermoWorks Signals Review – One Great Barbecue Accessory

Today we’re doing a ThermoWorks Signals review.

We recently picked up the ThermoWorks Signals barbecue thermometer because of its many features. We thought these features might be handy to make our backyard smoking and grilling more user-friendly.

We’ll touch on some here in our review.

Maybe you’re considering one? If so, read on …

ThermoWorks Signals Review

ThermoWorks manufactures a line of instant read and barbecue thermometers and other temperature-measuring devices. We own several of their products; some have been reviewed here on this website.

We picked up our Signals for $229.00 from the ThermoWorks website. You can check out the latest ThermoWorks Signals pricing and product information here. We received ours five days after ordering with USPS Priority rate standard shipping.

You might find ThermoWorks products on other websites costing a lot more, or maybe even less; that was our experience when shopping around. But, take a look at the warning banner posted at the top of ThermoWorks website. Many unauthorized resellers purchase ThermoWorks products at retail and then try to resell them at inflated prices. Or, unscrupulous resellers are offering products that might be counterfeit, look alike, copycat, or stolen units.

Okay, on to our ThermoWorks Signals review.

ThermoWorks Signals Overview

At first glance, the ThermoWorks Signals thermometer appears well-made and of solid craftsmanship.

ThermoWorks says the Signals was designed for competition barbecue teams, commercial smokehouses, professional chefs, and those who want to cook like them. It’s also for everyday folks who want to make the best backyard barbecue possible.

The Signals thermometer has four independent and programmable temperature monitoring channels. So you’re able to track a lot of what is going on in your cooks. If you’re also using the ThermoWorks Billows, it attaches to channel 4 of the Signals.

It also has built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless technology. Pairing the Signals with the ThermoWorks App and the Billows transforms this setup into the ultimate barbecue assistant. Now you can monitor the temperature while attending to other barbecue or grilling tasks.

The Signals thermometer comes with three of the ThermoWorks Pro-Series high-temperature cooking probes. However, we like having a spare cooking probe or two on hand. We might be paranoid, but we had a probe failure with a no-name department store barbecue thermometer many years ago. Of course, we had no spare probes. So we had an unplanned and last-minute trip to the mega-mart to purchase another no-name department store barbecue thermometer.

We use only one food temperature probe when smoking foods, so we have two spares. So, at $18.00, the current price as of this blog post, the extra probes are not expensive.

Next, we’ll look at what is in the box.

What’s in the Box

So, what’s in the ThermoWorks Signals box? What do you get?

• A booklet titled “Temperature At Home, Thermal Tips and Secrets Inside” was inside the shipping container, along with the Signals and Billows
• Signals 4-channel barbecue alarm thermometer with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
• Three ThermoWorks Pro-Series high-temperature cooking probes with 50-inch cables
• One ThermoWorks Pro-Series high-temperature air probe with 50-inch cable for grill grate temperature monitoring
• One probe grill grate clip
• Four sets of two high-temperature color-coded silicon rings for probes, colors are yellow, red, blue, and green
• AC adapter, labeled “Use only with Signals”
• USB Power cable appears to be a standard USB to USB-C cable, approximately 80 inches. The separate power cable is a bonus in my book, which means it’s replaceable. No need to get another power adapter; just replace the cable if something ever happens
• Built-in rechargeable battery
• Instruction sheet

If you plan on using Signals with the ThermoWorks App, you’ll need to head over to the ThermoWorks website Signals product page, under the More Info link, click the How to Use Signals with the ThermoWorks App. Here you will find helpful setup instructions with links on how to download the App and get the latest Signals firmware update. In our initial setup, our Signals automatically updated to version 2.81.

ThermoWorks Signals Features

• Out of the box, the Signals works standalone as a leave-in probe and temperature alarm
• Built in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless technology
• Four temperature channels
• Four Pro-Series commercial-grade temperature probes
• IP66 rated splash-proof sealed design for outdoor use
• Magnets on back if needed
• Backlit display to track temperatures and alarms, great for nighttime cooks
• Rechargeable battery with included AC power adapter
• Two-year ThermoWorks warranty

ThermoWorks says the rechargeable battery can last 16 hours of continuous use. If you’re using the Billows, you’ll need to use the AC adapter.

ThermoWorks Signals Specifications

• Weight, 8.7 ounces / 246 grams
• Width 5 and 1/16 inches, (12.85 centimeters)
• Height 3 and ¼ inches, (8.25 centimeters)
• Depth 1 and 15/16, (4.90 centimeters)

Setting Up the ThermoWorks Signals

The ThermoWorks Signals works right out of the box as an easy-to-use 4-channel barbecue temperature monitor. But it really shines when you pair it with the ThermoWorks App and the Billows barbecue temperature controller fan. Check out our earlier ThermoWorks Billows review here.

The ThermoWorks website provides all the details needed to set up your Signals paired up with the App on your Android or iOS smartphone. So we’re not going to repeat any of that here. Here is the link to the ThermoWorks website telling you what you need to know for that setup.

The ThermoWorks smart device App gives you the ability to monitor and manage your cook any place you have a Bluetooth connection or internet access. We can label the channels, adjust the minimum and maximum temperature alarm, or turn off the alarm. If we’re using the Billows, we can change or adjust the target temperature. The App lets you watch the temperature graph over time. If you keep barbecue notes, this is a great feature.

Finally, the App integrates with the ThermoWorks Cloud, where your current and past cooking sessions are stored. You access it from your internet browser. When logged into the ThermoWorks Cloud, you can manage the cook just like with the App. Here, you can also make or update any grilling or barbecue notes.

From the ThermoWorks Cloud, you can also download and save temperature graph images or export temperature data in a comma-delimited file. We use Evernote to keep our barbecue notes. So it’s easy to copy and paste notes from the ThermoWorks Cloud into our Evernote archive. We also keep pictures and weather reports in Evernote, something the ThermoWorks Cloud cannot do, yet(?).

ThermoWorks Signals First Cook

Our first cook with the ThermoWorks Signals and Billows was baby back ribs. Check out that posting here.

Check out these baby back ribs!

We wonder why we waited so long to pick up this barbecue helper.

We have also used the Signals and Billows to help with an fantastic Fred Flintstone tomahawk steak.

A sample ThermoWorks Cloud export. This is our tomahawk steak cook.

Of course, also low and slow smoking of pork butts. We’re thinking about making more of our Kamado Joe bacon, pastrami, or smoked meatloaf. We’ll upload those pictures here when we do.

Parting Thoughts

Using the ThermoWorks Signals does not mean a hands-off barbecue experience.

The Pit Master must still oversee and monitor every aspect of the cook. We’re in the summer rainy season, with daily thunderstorms and downpours. Experience tending to temperature control of your backyard barbecue cooker is a basic grill master skill. While we would like to kick back and wait for good eats to come our way, as the family pit master, our duty is to provide those good eats.

We hope you found some good information in this ThermoWorks Signals review. Overall, we enjoy the assistance this barbecue accessory provides. We do regret not picking one up earlier.

For our overnight pork butt cooks, we can now sleep soundly knowing our trusty ThermoWorks barbecue assistant promises a consistently stable nighttime barbecue temperature. Our caveman-style wood-smoked and reverse-seared ribeye cooks will keep the neighbors climbing the fence for more. We can spend more time stoking the fire pit and not so much minding the barbecue pit.

Lastly, we hope you found our ThermoWorks Signals review helpful. Leave us a comment.

So, head over to ThermoWorks and get yourself one of these. Don’t forget the Billows and if needed, a set of Kamado mounting plates.