NEED A LITTLE HELP

[Wildcat]

I have noticed on this forum that a lot of you prefer the Maverick.  All I have right now is the Bradley probe that Chez sent me with my Stainless Bradley and of course the door gauge.  This combination has been adequate but leave a lot to be desired.  I am conviced that the door gauge reflects a higher box temp than it actually is.

Is the Maverick actually the best or is there something better?  Also, where can I get it and what is the approximate cost?  Finally, will it give me box and internal meat temp readings at the same time?

My preference is an acurate wireless if it exists.

Rick

[manxman]

Is the Maverick actually the best or is there something better?  Also, where can I get it and what is the approximate cost?  Finally, will it give me box and internal meat temp readings at the same time?

My preference is an acurate wireless if it exists.

The Maverick (ET-73) seems to be the most popular and apart from the odd report of a faulty probe they seem pretty robust. I got Chez to buy me one in the US them mail it to me in the UK as they are not available here. Seem to remember it was around $30 - $40.

They are wireless units and come with two probes to allow monitoring of box and internal meat temp simultaneously.

The only adverse comment that has appeared on the forum quite regularly and one I would agree with is that the wireless range is not quite as good as claimed, however mine allows me to be in the kitchen, lounge and even the bath and still get a read out.

So for the price it appears to be the best around, I just Googled it then sent Chez the details of the best offer I found and he bought it over the internet for me.

One thing to keep a good check on is battery power, it sometimes does not function well when battery power is low and I have found it can be a bit misleading. I tend to change the batteries regularly without waiting for them to start to go off.

My Bradley thermometer has been relegated to reserve and I only tend to use the door probe as a rough check when cold smoking.

[icerat4]

I use a thermalpen its the best investment ive made.I do have 3 others a weber a maverick and a bradley.None of which i use any more.I have the time and temps down to a tee.I can kinda figure out when about i have to check the temps and this thermalpen at 80 bucks is very acurate and gets me a true temp in 2 seconds.So any one looking for internal temp probes i have them and will give them to ya.As i dont use them at all any more.I got the idea to get one of these thermapens here from iceman.Its the best ill say by far.Just my 3 cents. ;D

[Malc]

I use a thermalpen its the best investment ive made.

Question about this.  Do you have to keep poking at the food?  Does that cause any loss of juices?  I would imagine that since the hole is so small it is not a big issue.  Just wondering.  With the thermometer I am using now, it is inserted prior to cooking, so it is not even an issue at all.  I am considering the thermapen, so any insight you can give would be great.

Malc

[manxman]

thermalpen its the best investment ive made

Mmmmm..... have to see if they sell them on this side of the pond!!  ;)

[manxman]

Is this the one icerat4?

http://www.etiltd.co.uk/thermapen1_5.htm

Presumably it does not stay in the food all the time and you just open the smoker door and stick it in the food as and when required?

[icerat4]

If not let  us know will get it to ya no problem manxman.do a search on it in google or such here.




Super-Fast Tip vs. Standard Tip
Which Should I Buy?

The recently re-designed Super-Fast Tip is stronger and less likely to be accidentally bent or broken. Though the needle section is shorter, tests prove that it is just as fast as the older, longer needle tip. (more details)


This is the same Thermapen that we sell by the hundreds and thousands to professional chefs, caterers and food service people all over the world. In the last few years it has also become incredibly popular among home cooking enthusiasts. Whether you need to know the temperature of barbeque, baked goods, roasting meats, poultry, steaks or candy; the unbeatable speed of the Thermapen makes it the ultimate kitchen thermometer.

The Super-Fast Thermapen is used by many of the top restaurants and best known chefs in the country. It also stands up to heavy duty commercial kitchen use. Its speed and accuracy have made it a word-of-mouth phenomenon. If you really love to cook and you're not fulfilled unless you know you've served a perfect dish, get a Thermapen.

We offer two versions of the Thermapen below. The Super-Fast model has a reduced-tip probe that comes in several colors and leaves a smaller hole in the food and it's faster than our Standard Thermapen. The Standard version has a bit larger diameter probe and reads a final temperature in 8 to 10 seconds. While it is a tad slower, the probe tip is more rugged. Other versions can be found on the Commercial Thermapen page. You'll also find complete technical specifications for the Thermapen and some comments from professional users.

Cook's Illustrated says about the Thermapen: "Our favorite instant-read thermometer insures perfectly cooked turkey every time." In a review of instant read thermometers Cooks Illustrated rated the Thermapen as the "Best Thermometer." The first time they reviewed an earlier version of the Thermapen. Since then we've added auto-shutoff and the Super-Fast, reduced-tip probe.

Why Buy a Thermapen Instead of a Cheaper Thermometer?
Other digital thermometers found today in retail outlets use a very cheap sensor called a thermistor. The only problem with that is they're relatively slow, taking 20 to 30 seconds to read a complete temperature. Many are even advertised as "Instant Read" and some packages boast a 1 second response time. This is misleading. What they really mean is the display updates at once per second. You still have to wait until the sensor comes to the full temperature of the food you're measuring. Because a thermistor is made from carbon and epoxy; and it requires a tube size of 1/8" diameter, it really takes 20 seconds or longer to reach the full temperature. If you already have one of these, you can test its true response time by immersing it in a cup of ice water (mostly ice with only enough water to fill the gaps between the ice) and checking how long it takes to reach 32°F. You'll be surprised. Now you know how long your thermometer takes to read a temperature. You can see that if you placed it in a cooking meat, read it after 1 second, and concluded that was the true temperature; you will have a reading that is much too low and you are going to overcook that meat!

Another thing to consider is the size of a thermistor probe. Because of the diameter of the stainless steel tube and the sensor inside it, you need to immerse the probe about 5/8" to get an accurate reading. Otherwise, you'll read too low. So a thermistor thermometer is not at all useful for burgers or other thin food portions. The small needle tip of the Thermapen makes it perfect for even 1/4" thick meats!


Our Thermapen features a specially designed probe that reads a complete temperature in less than 4 seconds. This speed translates into better ability to cook and serve your food at the perfect temperature! The Thermapen uses a sensor called a thermocouple. This is the same sensor used in very expensive professional thermometers found in commercial kitchens. Such thermometers generally cost well over $100 and they are normally handheld sized units instead of pocket size. While the thermocouple sensor itself isn't too expensive to produce, the circuit required to read its temperature is complicated and more costly to produce. Our Thermapen solves both limitations by giving you a handy, pocket unit with the speed and performance of a thermocouple while still costing you $30 to $50 less!

So why would anyone ever buy a cheap thermistor thermometer? Well, pocket sized thermistor cooking thermometers are generally priced between $20 and $40. If your goal is just to make sure your food hits a minimum safe temperature and you don't mind waiting for a final reading, you can save some money. But if you really care about serving a perfect steak, making a great dough, or you hate dry poultry and fish; get a Thermapen.

Recommended on the Web
   


thermoworks.com heres the web page hope this helps

[icerat4]

Yes thats it  ;D ;D.very very nice right its so quick no worries on the box temps dropping they do anyways when ya check stuff thats when i give a few pokes and its done.No more batteries remote not working doing the range.For get it .I just do a couple probes in different spots and thats it.And it so so accurate

[manxman]

thanks for the info icerat4 and thanks for the offer to get one to me, however it looks like they are for sale on this side of the pond in any case so should be able to get one easily.  :)

[Wildcat]

Thanks for the help and info Icerat4 and Manxman.  The Thermalpen sounds wonderful and I may eventually get one, but I think I want to give the Maverick a try first.  The Bradley is new to me and I need it primarily to more accurately monitor the box and meat at the same time until I know the Bradley a little better.

Icerat4, if you are serious about getting rid of the Maverick, I would be glad to pay for it and shipping.  If not, could you point me in the right direction for the purchase of a new one?

[icerat4]

pm me and get me an address and its yours ill ship it to ya free no biggie.

[Wildcat]

Thanks Icerat4.  PM on the way.

[Habanero Smoker]

Manxman;
You should be able to find them over there. They are manufactured in England.

I've been using the Thermapen for about a year. The Thermapen is an instant read thermometer, and I would not substitute that for a probe. A probe you can stick in the meat and leave it there, without having to open the door to take a temperature. It is a good instrument to take the temperature of small pieces of meat that you can't use a probe for, such as ribs, wings, fish etc. Or if you are smoking more then one large cut of meat and you only have one probe, to check the meat temperature of other large cuts of meat that are in the smoker.

The reason I initially purchased mine was I needed a way to quickly check the internal meat temperature of a tray of chicken parts, wings, or fish, to make sure that not just the piece of meat that had the probe was the only piece that was cooked to the internal temperature I was looking for. Most instant reads can take up to 20 seconds to get their reading, and if you are taking the temperature of 3 to 4 pieces, I found I was loosing a lot of heat leaving the BS door open for that long.

[manxman]

Manxman;
You should be able to find them over there. They are manufactured in England.

Thanks Habs, every time I have come to the US I see innovative ideas that normally only reach our shores a couple of years later so I just assumed it originated in the US!! :-[ :-[

When I bought my vacuum sealer 18 months or so ago I had to get it from mainland Europe and now they are routinely available in the UK, in the greater scheme of things the UK market is not that big. :)

Like you I see the Thermapen as an addition to, not a replacement for my Maverick.

[icerat4]

Hey wild i found everything and even the instructions .Wow thats a frist lol :D.Im sending it tomorrow batteries included.its going fed ex overnight.this gaget will help ya out big time .To get over the fears of over or under doing things.Ive got a good handle on all the food i do in my 2 machines both going at the same time.Over time you to will not need this tool you will see.Glad to help ya out anytime.Good luck. ;D