Leave-In Probe Thermometers Provide Real-Time Readings for All of Your Roasting and Smoking Needs

We've said it time and time again—an accurate, fast thermometer will change the way you cook. No more guesswork, no more poking a piece of meat with your finger, worriedly wondering if it's cooked through. And while we will always sing the merits of a great instant-read thermometer, there are times when you need a little more control and temperature visibility, namely, when you're roasting, baking, grilling, or smoking. In these cases, it's great to have a way to track temperature over time and to even set an alarm so that the rib roast you paid big bucks for doesn't end up a dry hunk of meat.

Enter the probe thermometer, which displays the food’s internal temperature (via wired probe) on a remote unit outside the grill or oven. (They're also great for candy making—clip the probe to the pot and the temperature is displayed without having to hold a thermometer close to a bubbling vat of sugar.)  We last reviewed probe thermometers six years ago, so it was time for an update. To find the best, most accurate ones, I collected 16 top-rated leave-in probe thermometers priced between $20 and $239 and put them through a series of tests to evaluate their usability, features, and response times.

The Tests

• Setup Test: The best thermometer in the world isn’t great if you can’t figure out how to use it. I gauged how easy or difficult each was to get up and running, asking myself: Were there clear instructions in the box or online that made it easier to set target temperatures? How difficult was the app (if included) to install and configure? Was it easy to set the target temperature? 
• Sous Vide Test: Since the thermometers I tested are used to monitor temperature over time, it was important to understand how responsive they were. To test this, I started with each thermometer at room temperature (67°F), then put the probe into a 135°F water bath controlled with an immersion circulator (this maintained the water temperature within a half degree, verified with an instant-read thermometer). I recorded the response time and any temperature variations between the thermometer and the immersion circulator, and repeated this process five times, averaging each model’s response time.
• Ice Water Test: I measured the accuracy and speed of each thermometer by taking the temperature of ice water at 32°F. I monitored temperature variations, response times, and how the thermometers’ alarms worked when reading low temperatures. I put each thermometer’s probe into the ice water five times, noting how quickly it reported the temperature and any variation from the base temperature.
• Boiling Water Test: I tested each thermometer’s responsiveness and accuracy by taking the temperature of a pot of boiling water. After verifying the temperature, I placed each thermometer’s probe into the pot, recording the response time, whether the alarm sounded at the high-temperature alert, and whether there was a delay in reporting between any app or remote units and the base unit.
• Pork Loin Test: I roasted three large pork loins, inserting three different thermometer probes into the center of each piece of meat. I set the high-temperature alert at 140°F and started a stopwatch. I then timed how long it took the probes to hit the set temperature, and cross-checked the internal temperature with an instant-read thermometer.

What We Learned

Most Models Were Pretty Fast

Probe thermometers measure temperature over time, while an instant-read thermometer is used for spot-checking temperatures and is typically faster at reporting. The Thermapen One I used as a control has a response time of one second or less, while most probe thermometers I tested had a response time of seven seconds or less. Some outliers, like the Weber Connect, took over 25 seconds, but the majority surprised me with their fast reporting. While you might think the ChefAlarm's response time of 14 seconds is slow, it didn't affect the final results in our pork loin test and still got us to a perfectly cooked piece of meat.

Degrees of Accuracy Were Just That

When you take a reading, you expect the temperature displayed to be spot-on. But if you look at many thermometers’ manuals, they’ll give you their degrees of accuracy. Most thermometers state an accuracy within one and 1.8°F (1°C) between -4° and 248°F. So you will have some variation between thermometers, but most food will tolerate those deviations. Also, some of the thermometers report in tenths of degrees, while others report in whole numbers, and you can expect some rounding variation between the two in those cases.

The Probes Struggled with Low Temperatures

Looking at the response times and accuracy, none of these thermometers made their best showing when testing low temperatures. There were lapses in response time; some never reached temperature, and the ThermoPro TP20 even gave an error message when confronted with ice water despite the stated temperature range of 14˚F to 572˚F. All the thermometers I tested seemed to prefer more temperate climates, demonstrating significant improvement when testing warm and hot substances.

Setting Alarms Could Be Tricky

Many of the thermometers have high and low-temperature thresholds. Translated, if taking water temperature, one could set a low-temperature alarm at 32°F and a high alarm at 212°F and an alarm will sound if the temperature crosses either threshold. However, if you’re testing cold temperatures, a thermometer with only a high-temperature setting, like the Polder Classic, will sound its alarm until it reaches the desired low temperature. For example, if you set a thermometer at 32°F for a high setting, the alarm will sound at room temperature and continue until the thermometer reaches 32°F. This wasn’t a huge problem, but it was loud and irritating until I discovered the error of my ways. In a somewhat related situation, the Fireboard 2, which is app-dependent, required online research beyond the user manual to set a high-temperature alarm for a single channel.  

Cord Material Made a Difference

Probe cords consist of a thin conductor wire with a protective covering material. Most manufacturers warn to avoid repeatedly kinking the cords to avoid damaging the inner wire. At the same time, a cord with a braided metal, heat-resistant exterior layer has an almost biological urge to do just that. Silicone-coated cords were less likely to kink and tangle but didn’t have the same heat-resistance levels as the braided material. So, you’ve either got cords you can leave in your grill that are kink and tangle-prone, endangering the fragile conductor, or cords with a better-protected conductor that you can’t use to monitor your grill over time because it lacks the heat resistance of the braided metal. In the end, the long-term heat protection of a braided coating won over the tangle-resistant silicone.

Smart Features Were Cool, But…

With old-school mercury thermometers, the mercury expands or contracts with heat or cold, and lines or dials show you the temperature. With digital thermometers, the probe sends the temperature via electrical current to a processor, which does mathematical calculations and translates the results on the digital display. Part of a digital thermometer’s responsiveness to temperature change is based on the pre-determined interval (fractions of seconds up to five seconds) in which calculations occur. When you add smart features, like apps or remotes, to the equation, accurate reporting times lengthen. You’re now looking at the reporting cycles of the base unit and transmission time—whether RF (like the ThermoPro TP20), Bluetooth (like the ThermoWorks Blue Dot), or WiFi (like the Fireboard 2)—as well as the reporting cycles of the receiver, whether that’s a separate device or an app.

Connectivity Was Important 

It’s also important to consider the amount of signal interference between the base and the receiver. Bluetooth and RF are more easily affected by walls, doors, and such, while WiFi usually maintains a stronger signal. The BlueDot uses Bluetooth to connect to the ThermoWorks app so you can monitor your temps, but when I used the BlueDot and wandered around the house, I found myself frequently having to reconnect to the app, which is something to keep in mind.

A Note About Probes

Don’t let your probes cool too much after cooking. Of course, you should let them cool enough to handle, but letting them sit while you eat makes cleanup significantly more difficult since any meat juice, etc., can harden on. If you’re quick about cleaning, every one of these thermometers’ probes will be spick and span in less than a minute after washing with hot, soapy water. Hardened gunk took significantly longer to scrub off and often required soaking. 

Many models come with a special probe to monitor the ambient (air) temperature of your oven or grill. Knowing the ambient temperature is key in many cooking scenarios, and if your oven or grill is off, it can negatively affect the final results you were looking so forward to.

The Criteria: What to Look for in a Probe Thermometer

Accuracy is a top consideration, but as the tests showed, there are degrees of variation built into every thermometer. Unless you’re working with a recipe with an exact threshold (caramel and spun sugar come to mind), one degree won’t typically affect your end product. Repeatable results count more than exacting accuracy. 

Some models I tested held up to six probes. That may be great if you’re smoking, say, a brisket, a pork butt, and a chicken, which will all reach their target temperatures at different times. If that’s not in your future, two probes should be sufficient; one for food and an ambient probe for your grill or oven.

Response time is also a strong consideration. If you’re doing precise measurements, you want the response time to be as quick as possible: Delays can result in overcooked or burnt food.

Other preferences include a large, backlit display, long probe wires, six-inch probes that could be inserted horizontally into the middle of large cuts of meat, and the option of non-Bluetooth connectivity, as a signal drop can leave you in the dark.

Our Favorite Probe Thermometers

The Best Probe Thermometer

ThermoWorks Chef Alarm Cooking Alarm Thermometer and Timer

View on Thermoworks

What we liked: This was our previous winner, and it's stood the test of time. First and foremost, this thermometer is versatile—you can use it to roast, smoke, grill, and bake. Setting it up and programming it was a matter of pressing a few buttons, and the process was so intuitive that you might not need to read the directions (but please do!).

It has a bright, backlit display with easy-to-read numbers that show the current temperature, high and low-temperature thresholds, historical low and high temperatures, and a count-down or up timer. The base can fold in half to sit upright or lay flat, and it’s magnetic, so you can stick it on your oven door. Did you walk away and come back to find the alarm sounding? There’s even a timer that tells you how much time has passed since it went off.

What we didn’t like: Having more than one probe channel would be nice. The response time is slower than some other models we tested, and the temperatures were slightly off. But by slightly, we're talking about fractions of degrees, which is well within the manufacturer’s stated tolerance (and within ours, too).

Key Specs

• Temperature range: -58°F to 572°F 
• Number of probes: 1
• Probe length: 6 inches
• Cable length: 47 inches
• Dimensions: 6 x 2.75 x .75 inches
  

The Best Budget Probe Thermometer

Polder Digital In-Oven Thermometer

$23 at Amazon $31 at Walmart View on Polder.com

What we liked: This unassuming thermometer performed all the basic tasks and had a very approachable price tag. The silicone-coated probe wire prevented tangling, and the probe was long enough to stick in large pieces of meat or vegetables. It’s got a small display, but it still provides the current temperature, target temperature, and a countdown timer. It performed well in response and accuracy in the hot water test.

What we didn’t like: While I liked the silicone-protected cord (it didn’t tangle), it came with limitations and couldn’t be left in grills, smokers, or other high-heat situations. It might be asking a bit much from a value-oriented product, but a low-temperature threshold would be nice because I couldn’t use the alarm when testing cold water without it alerting unnecessarily. 

Key Specs

• Temperature Range: 32°F to 392°F
• Number of Probes: 1
• Probe Length: 4.5 inches
• Cable Length: 40 inches
• Dimensions: 3 x 3.5 x 1 inches
  

The Best Small Probe Thermometer

ThermoWorks BlueDOT Alarm Thermometer with Bluetooth Wireless Technology

View on Thermoworks

What we liked: The BlueDot is an upgraded version of this simple thermometer. It's a fast, accurate thermometer that can operate in stand-alone mode or via a Bluetooth-connected app. It’s small and unobtrusive, yet bigger than the Polder, and the backlit display occupies most of the base’s face. There’s only a single probe, and the base allows you to set your target temperature via two buttons, up and down, so the learning curve was almost non-existent. The easily configurable app tracked time and historical temperatures and had a separate alarm if you walked away from the grill. 

What we didn’t like: Bluetooth has limitations, and the signal frequently dropped when moving to a different room. The thermometer performed best at high temperatures, never quite reaching 32°F in the ice water test, although it was within the stated accuracy range. 

Key Specs

• Temperature Range: -58°F to 572°F
• Number of Probes: 1
• Probe Length: 4.5 inches
• Cable Length: 47 inches
• Dimensions: 3 x .75 (round)
  

The Best Wireless Probe Thermometer

ThermoPro TP20 Wireless Meat Thermometer

$60 $45 at Amazon $57 at Buythermopro.com

What we liked: The TP20 was the most reliable wireless thermometer I tested. Despite a short lag, the remote and base unit never dropped the signal if I dared walk into my living room from the kitchen. The response time was about six to seven seconds and, ice water aside, it was dead-on in its accuracy for our higher temperature tests. The display was brightly backlit (if a bit small), and there was a count-up/down timer.

What we didn’t like: All programming features were contained in the remote, which means if you misplace it or it loses signal, you’ve lost every feature except the real-time temperature reporting. There was a five-second delay in sending data to the remote, which wasn’t a deal breaker but could be confusing. As I’ve already noted, none of these thermometers were at their best when testing ice water, but the TP20 displayed an error message several times during the test, which indicated the temperature was too cold for the probe.

Key Specs

• Temperature Range: 14˚F to 572˚F
• Number of Probes: 2
• Probe Length: 8 inches
• Cable Length: 41 inches
• Dimensions: 3 x 3.5 x 1.5 inches

The Best App-Free Wireless Grill Thermometer

ThermoWorks Smoke Remote BBQ Alarm Thermometer

View on Thermoworks

What we liked: With an impressive range (up to 350 feet), this is a solid option for folks who don't want to fiddle with an app, but still want to be able to walk away from the grill or smoker. It was also easy to set up and use and came with two probes, so you could monitor ambient temperatures if needed. The price tag is reasonable.

What we didn't like: It doesn't have a timer option, and the wireless receiver's alarm was quieter than we would have liked.

Key Specs

• Temperature Range: 32° to 122°F
• Number of Probes: 2
• Probe Length: 6 inches
• Cable Length: 47 inches
• Dimensions: 4.2 x 2.1 x 1 inches

The Competition

Still Solid Choices

While these weren't our top picks, they are great options that work well.

• Fireboard 2: If you’re a pro or a serious smoking enthusiast, this is an excellent choice of thermometer. That said, for the average user, the Fireboard is like driving a Maserati to deliver pizza. The base unit handles up to six probes and has an outlet that powers and controls a fan for grill temperature regulation. I didn’t love the Fireboard’s app-dependency, which regulates all its functions. Simple tasks like setting a high-temperature alarm, which should be intuitive, took some investigating to accomplish.
• Meater: The reasonably accurate Meater was the only wireless probe in the test, and it's completely app-dependent. The 6mm probe was the largest I tested, which could be a challenge when shoving it into a thick roast; it was also quite long, making it difficult to poke into smaller ingredients. That said, the app came in handy and I liked that it suggested cook time adjustments based on temperature readings.
• ThermoWorks DOT Simple Alarm Thermometer: The magnetic Dot has a very intuitive design and a probe that’s about one-and-a-half inches shorter than the ChefAlarm and Smoke. It was accurate, only off by a degree in the immersion circulator and water boiling tests, but for about half as much, the winning Polder is nearly as accurate and includes a pot clip.
• KitchenAid KQ906 Programmable Wired Probe Thermometer: KitchenAid made a passable entry-level thermometer. It was a little slow and simple, but it was accurate. Its small display allows you to set custom temperatures with a few button pushes.

Not Recommended

• Weber Connect Smart Grilling Hub: We like Weber products, but the Connect was unintuitive to set up and operate, entirely app-dependent, and significantly slower in reporting temperatures. While not grievous, its accuracy wasn’t in the same league as other thermometers we tested.
• Thermoworks Signals™ BBQ Alarm Thermometer: It’s almost a shame to put the Signals in this category, but I found it a struggle to set up and use, and the signal that connected it to the app frequently dropped.
• Maverick Meat Thermometer: Like the ThermoPro TP20, the Maverick had trouble reading down to freezing, showing a series of dashes instead of numbers. This model was also slow to read changes from room temp to icy water, needing more than six seconds to register.
• Polder Digital BBQ / Smoker Thermometer: This accurate thermometer's downfall was a touchscreen that was tricky to use with wet or greasy hands. The temperature presets were finicky to override, too. We did like the big, bright display and kink-resistant, round cable, though.
• Weber iGrill 2 Thermometer: Weber’s app for their iGrill 2 device was easy to use and paired quickly with the thermometer. However, this model was slow to register temperature changes, and it took nearly 30 seconds to go from room temperature down to freezing. What bothered us more than the one or two degrees of imprecision was the constant flip-flopping between two temperatures.
• Lavatools Carbon LITE Wireless Remote Thermometer: The Carbon Lite thermometer is a white plastic square that is app-dependent. Unlike other smart thermometers that display temperatures on the base, the Carbon Lite beams all of that to your phone—which isn’t ideal if you have spotty Bluetooth. We liked the probe’s cable, which resisted kinking, and the spot-on accuracy and precision, but this was the most challenging smart model to pair, and setting custom temperatures on the app wasn’t intuitive. At time of publish, it also appears to be sold out.
• GrillEye and InkBird Bluetooth Meat Thermometer: This was an example of precision without accuracy: Each model missed the target temperature in the immersion circulator test by a degree, and kept the error consistent over an hour. Both models have a similar app, and these were some of the easiest models to pair with our smartphone. The GrillEye’s base had one of the best stands, with nearly infinite adjustability, though it didn't have a magnet. The InkBird is a good value if you want four probes.
  

FAQs

What's the difference between a leave-in probe thermometer and an instant-read thermometer?

The main difference between the two is their purpose, which affects their design. An instant-read thermometer provides point-in-time temperature information, while a leave-in probe monitors temperature over time. An instant-read requires constant interaction with the food whenever you want to check the temperature—inserting it, waiting for the temperature to register, removing it—while a leave-in probe just displays the current information. An instant-read has a faster response time, while a leave-in doesn’t need to report back so quickly. That doesn’t mean a leave-in is lesser by any means, it’s just better for tracking temperatures and setting high and low alarms. Because of their spot-checking nature, an instant-read thermometer is typically just a probe and a temperature display, while a leave-in probe often has more features, such as programmable target temperatures, alarms for high and low-temperature thresholds, timers, and app compatibility.

Can I use a leave-in probe thermometer as an instant-read thermometer?

Given the slower response time of a leave-in, if you’re using a thermometer for food safety, it would be better to have both. I keep three thermometers in my kitchen: an instant-read for spot checking, a leave-in for roasting and smoking, and infrared for checking surface temperatures, like on pizza stones.

How accurate are leave-in probe thermometers?

Most leave-in probe thermometers we tested have a stated accuracy range within 1.7° or 1.8°F (1°C). Our testing backs that up, with most variation arising from testing low temperatures.

Are all meat thermometers the same?

No. Response time, features, and accuracy vary across models. Other considerations include the number of probes, cord length, cord material, app compatibility, and connectivity.

Why We're the Experts

• Greg Baker is a former chef and restaurant owner with decades of experience working with open-fire cooking, smoking, and roasting. 
• He’s tested and written product reviews for Serious Eats and Food & Wine for the last three years.
• For this review, Greg tested 16 probe thermometers by using them to temp hot and cold water, and a roast pork loin. He evaluated them on their ease of use, responsiveness, and accuracy.