Thermoworks, a Utah-based company selling high quality temperature measurement instruments manufactured in the U.K., has introduced four new products for home and backyard cooks. I have used Thermoworks’ products for a number of years and I’m continually impressed by their quality and customer service.
The BlueTherm Duo is a Bluetooth enabled thermometer with two type K temperature probes. The BlueTherm Duois a professional grade dual channel thermocouple thermometer that is compatible with iPhones, iPads, iPods, Android devices and desktop PC’s but it’s limited to a 65-foot sight-of-line range so it’s not that useful unless you’re lying by the pool or walking around the backyard. I tried using it from “BBQ Central” in my courtyard on the side of the house with the phone in my office about 100 feet away… it didn’t work. However that might be a limitation of my iPhone; it worked better with my iPad.
The BlueTherm Duo has two temperature probes that can be used in a variety of ways such as monitoring pit temperature and meat temperature or monitoring two different meats in a smoker. Depending on the thermocouples being used, the temperature limit can be as high as 2,500 degrees F. The retail price is $199. If ordered with the two popular probes – the clip-style oven probe (good for measuring pit temperature) and the smokehouse penetration probe – the cost is $239. The unit has a one-year warranty.
The ChefAlarm is a commercial quality remote-reading digital thermometer with various features including high and low thermometer alarms, count up and count down timers and an optional miniature needle probe useful for smaller portions such as burgers. The cable is rated to withstand 700 degrees F. with a cooking range of -58 to 572 degrees F. The price is $59 and, in my opinion, well worth the investment to replace lower cost units with probes that frequently fail and have fewer features.
The Pro Surface Thermapenallows you to check the temperature on a flat surface. Similar in operation to the probe style Thermapen, the Pro Surface features a bell type swivel tip for measuring surface temperatures. The swivel tip is not removable. While unique in its design I didn’t find many useful applications for a backyard cook unless you really need to know the temperature of a griddle, skillet or flat top. If you’re running a professional kitchen, the unit is very convenient to find cold and hot spots on a flattop. The price is $129.
And there is the backlit Thermapen. Backlighting is a feature users have asked to have since the introduction of the Thermapen nearly 15 years ago. The backlighting feature allows for the thermometer to be used in low light situation such as cooking BBQ at night (as most of us do) without using a flashlight to read the display. The backlighting is sensor controlled so if the ambient light is sufficient the display lighting remains off. The backlit Thermapen has a price of $112 – $16 more than the original Thermapen – but worth the additional cost if you do a lot of cooking in the dark. There is also a glow-in-the-dark silicone boot to protect the Thermapen available as an accessory for $11.
The best of the new offerings, in my opinion, are the backlit Thermapen and the ChefAlarm®. More information is available at the Thermoworks website.
Latest posts by Mike Stines (see all)
- Winter Shrimp Festival: Comfort of the Sea - 11/11/2022
- Singapore Fried Prawns with Dried Chile - 10/31/2022
- Planked Trout with Cayenne and Herbs - 08/02/2022
