Best Smoker Thermometers of 2024 — Tested and Reviewed

Wireless capability: Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

After having owned and used more than 30 thermometers over the years, there was a time when the original Fireboard thermometer was my favorite. That was until the Fireboard 2 came along!

In summary, I basically have zero complaints with this thermometer and can only praise its build quality, functionality, and performance.

There are three models of Fireboard 2, the Basic Fireboard 2 version, the Fireboard 2 Pro, and the Fireboard 2 Drive.

I chose the Fireboard 2 Drive because it’s not only an excellent thermometer, but with the addition of a blower an accurate and reliable temperature controller too.

The Fireboard 2 Drive is kind of pricy, but if you take your smoking game seriously, you should at least consider this fantastic bit of kit. Let’s take a look at its specs and features.

The Fireboard 2 supports up to 6 probes, which may seem overkill to some people. But I love that you can expand to 6 probes if you desire…and I certainly did because I cook up multiple meats at once for large parties.

The probes can either be the faster response time thermistor type (best for BBQ!) or RTD probes for extreme temperature environments of -58 °F to 715 °F. It ships with two thermistor type food probes and a pit probe.

The controller can measure from -94 °F to 752 °F (-70 °C to 400 °C), which is a moot point as the probes can only work up to 572 °F (300°C) with the included probes or up to 716 °F (380 °C) with the optional RTD probes.

The accuracy advertised is an impressive ±0.7 °F (±0.4 °C), but when I tested with boiling water and iced water. I found it to be more accurate than that!

My boiling water test showed 211.8 °F to 212.3 °F:

My iced water showed 32.1 °F to 32.3 °F:

So temperature accuracy-wise, this is data you can rely on.

The unit is rechargeable and can last for 30 hours on a single charge. And you can use it while plugged in for longer durations.

For monitoring, you have a large 256 x 128 pixels, 3.3” x 1.75” display that shows you all the info you could possibly want right at the unit, in large, easy-to-read letters, numbers, and graphs, on a well-lit screen. And it’s weather-resistant, too, so a little rain or splash of beer won’t harm it.

You can also use an excellent smartphone app for monitoring via Bluetooth up to 100 feet away, or anywhere in the world once you have set up the Fireboard with a Wi-Fi connection.

The app is well thought out and designed, intuitive to use, and unlike most smartphone apps in the BBQ world, it does not suffer connection issues. I’m so thankful for this, having been highly frustrated with other manufacturer’s smartphone app offerings.

Via the app, you can set channel names and multiple temperature alarms for each. And you can choose to receive notifications via text, e-mail, or the app with tailored parameters for high and low temperatures and how long they must be exceeded before triggering.

Finally, you get a 1 year manufacturer’s warranty for peace of mind.

If you are serious about your BBQ and want the best of the best regarding reliable kit, then you should consider the Fireboard 2.

And if charcoal smokers are your thing, add the Drive blower for accurate, hands-off control. I use this thermometer and controller myself all the time. I can’t praise it more than that!

Please check out our Fireboard 2 Drive review and testing results for a more in-depth look.

After years of owning and using Thermoworks products, I’ve come to expect nothing short of excellence from any product that comes from this brand. The Thermoworks Signals certainly lives up to this expectation.

I often tout the Signals as possibly the best thermometer for commercial and competition cooks, and it could have been my number one pick. Still, there’s just something about the looks, and the superior smartphone app, of the Fireboard that appeals slightly more to me.

The Thermoworks Signals is an accurate, reliable, professional-grade piece of equipment that is equally good for the amateur or backyard pitmaster who loves quality equipment.

Yes, it is pricy, and there are valid arguments for it being more than the weekend warrior needs at home, but on the other hand, you get what you pay for, and it just might be what you want and need.

The Signals comes with 4 probes — With color-coded probe rings for identification — 3 for food and one to monitor the temperature of your pit.

The temperature range of the unit is a respectable 58 °F – 572 °F (-50 °C – 300 °C), and the advertised accuracy of the probes is:

• ±1.8 °F (±1.0 °C) from -4 to 248 °F (-20 to 120 °C)
• ±3.6 °F (±2.0 °C) from -58 to -4 °F / 248 to 392°F (-50 to -20 °C / 120 to 200 °C)
• ±5.4 °F (±3.0 °C) from 392 to 572 °F (200 to 300 °C)

I did my standard iced water and boiling water tests to test the accuracy. The boiling water test showed between 211.8 °F to 212.2 °F:

The iced water test showed between 31.9 °F to 32.0 °F:

The tests showed an accuracy way better than they even advertise themselves, so it’s data you can rely on!

The controller is wedge-shaped for stability, ruggedly built, robust and solid, with molded seals for a splashproof waterproof rating of IP66. No other base or stand is needed with this design.

The controller has a large and easy-to-read, 1.88” x 3.97” screen, showing the current temperature of all 4 probes, their high and low settings, and any alarms set. You can name each channel if you wish.

The unit is powered by a built-in rechargeable battery, charged via USB (power adapter supplied), and gives a run time of up to 16 hours on a single charge. You can also use it plugged in.

Wireless connectivity includes Bluetooth with a range of up to 95 feet line-of-sight and Wi-Fi connectivity so you can monitor your cook anywhere in the world you have an internet connection.

I’m happy to say the newer and current smartphone app is a significant improvement over the original. I set up an account, and after an initial firmware update was up and running in no time. All info is there to see, and you can see historical data and graphs of cooks, which is useful and more pleasurable to see than you might think.

High and low temperature alarms can be seen at both the base unit and on your smartphone, so you’ll never miss important events during your cook.

Finally, You can also add a Billows Automatic Temperature controller blower to the signals, for controlling the temperature on charcoal or wood-burning BBQs.

Of course, I purchased and tested this. Although not necessary, it works brilliantly well, is nice to have, and it’s good that this upgrade is available if you desire.

Overall, the combination of ruggedness, large and clear display full of essential data, easy to use buttons, accuracy and reliability, plus Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity make this thermometer an absolute gem of a product, and one every backyard cook should consider.

It’s pricy, but anybody wanting to level up their BBQ game with equipment to match will get their money’s worth out of the investment.

If you want an even deeper look at this thermometer, please see our Thermoworks Signals review and test results.

Wireless capability: 500 feet, Wireless RF

Like the majority of products from Thermopro, the TP826 is a ruggedly constructed black and orange two-piece thermometer, with a transmitter and receiver and an RF wireless connection between the two.

The TP826 supports up to two probes and is supplied with a pair of ThermoPro’s standard NTC sensor probes, each 8 inches long with a 49-inch wire ending in a 3.5mm plug. Each can be used to monitor either food or your pit temperature.

The temperature range is advertised as 14 °F to 572 °F (-10 °C to 300 °C), with an accuracy of ±1.8 °F (±1.0 °C) from 14 to 212 °F (-10 to 100 °C), otherwise ±2%.

In my iced water test, it measured 35 °F, which is 3 °F out from true and not as good as advertised:

However, for boiling water it measured 212 °F on both probes, absolutely dead-on accurate and shows it can be relied on at higher temps, which is where all our cooking is done, to be fair.

The Thermopro TP826 has a refresh rate of 4 seconds on both the transmitter and receiver, and temperature readings seem to settle in two refreshes or less, so a max of 8 seconds.

The transmitter is a simple piece of kit with two buttons; a simple on/off button, and a button to select Fahrenheit or Celsius. It also has an easy to read in any lighting conditions, backlit black-on-orange display that shows the temperature of the two attached probes simultaneously.

The receiver is a large display with three distinct zones showing two probe zones and a timer in the bottom 20% of the screen.

The probe zones show the set temperature, the measured temperature, an icon for the meat it’s set for, and the target doneness level.

The transmitter shows all necessary data simultaneously in an easy-to-read fashion, and we love how it looks.

The timer can be count-up or count-down. We rarely advise to cook to time (always cook to internal temp and feel!), but it’s a nice extra not seen on many competing models and will sometimes come in handy.

There are preset alarms for FDA-guideline temperatures for chicken, fish, pork, and lamb, plus rare, medium, and rare beef. And you can also set HI and LO alarms for any temperature from a low of 32 °F to a high of 572 °F, and alarms are both audible and visible, so you will always catch them!

Finally, both the transmitter and receiver have grip-enhancing ribbed edges, are powered by two AAA batteries each, have folding stands that contain hooks for hanging, and are splashproof but not waterproof.

The Thermopro TP826 is hard to beat at this price. Better thermometers exist, but the TP826 definitely hits that sweet spot of balancing ease-of-use, functionality, extra features, and an easy-to-swallow price tag.

We have a Thermopro TP826 testing and review article with way more detail if you wish to dig into the product further.

The weakest part of any system is where you’re most likely to have a failure. With smoker thermometers, that part is often the cables from the probes to the receivers.

What if you could eliminate that part entirely?

Also, if you rotisserie cook and want to monitor the internal temperature of your meat as it cooks, with a wire from the probe to the controller you’re out of luck. The wire will roll up and tangle. It’s unusable, so you have to stop the motor to periodically take a temp reading.

So if you like cool gadgets — or often use a rotisserie — or even if you know you’re the sort who doesn’t always put things away carefully, how about a genuinely wireless meat thermometer for smoking, with not a single wire in sight?

Well, the Meater+ truly wireless Bluetooth thermometer just might be the model for you.

Manufacturer’s Specs

• Number of probes: 1 (monitors grate and food temp. simultaneously)
• Temperature range: up to 527 °F (275 °C) ambient / up to 212 °F (100 °C) internal
• Cable length: N/A
• Power: 1 AAA battery in the block/charger
• Remote range: 165 feet (Bluetooth), Wi-Fi range will vary
• Display size: How big is your phone?
• Warranty: 1-year

For wireless that’s actually 100% wireless, there is no other choice. This is the only genuinely wireless smoker thermometer on the market (at the time of writing anyway) and is why it topped my best wireless meat thermometer roundup.

With the Meater+ there is no worrying about threading wires through holes, no setting up two separate probes, no positioning the transmitter and figuring out how to carry the receiver.

The Meater+ eliminates many of the minor hassles that all its competitors have in common.

How does This Work Exactly?

There are two sensors in the Meater+ probe, one at each end.

The sharp end is inserted into the meat you are cooking and takes the internal temperature of the meat, the black end left sticking out also has a sensor that makes a reading of your smoker or grill, so you know how hot you are cooking.

The probe sends this data via Bluetooth to the wooden block, which then works as a repeater to send this info via long-range Bluetooth — up top 165 feet — to be displayed on an app on your smartphone.

It’s tough to beat it for appearance, too. It looks like a stylus for a tablet, and the recharger/signal repeater seems like it’s been carved from a block of wood. If you appreciate good looks, you’re going to love this thermometer.

The Meater app is easy-to-use and can walk you through your cook, setting up temps for different doneness levels of many different cuts of meat with a few intuitive setting changes.

And after the first few minutes of cooking, it intelligently works out how long your cook will take before it’s finished, and works out variable ‘carryover cooking’ times, so you take your meat off early, and it comes up to temp while resting, avoiding overcooked meat.

If you’re more advanced, it’s customizable to give you alerts and notifications for the temperature or time of your choice, too. It also saves info from previous cooks.

Of course, you can ignore guided cooks, and simply insert and connect to the thermometer to monitor things manually (the image below right.)

I have 2 of these units and have used them for over a year. I have one little gripe with their use, which means it’s not a great all-around smoker thermometer for all use cases — or at least you have to use it intelligently.

When you insert thermometer into cold meat straight from the fridge, the black end only protrudes a small amount. This means it is somewhat trapped within a cold bubble of air that surrounds the chilled meat.

So initially, you get a measurement of a cold meat surface and NOT a measure of the ambient air temp. This can lead to you panicking and trying to raise the smoker temperature by opening vents due to a false reading.

As the cook progresses, the surface of the meat warms, this issue soon goes away. But it is something you need to be aware of, plan for. And does mean the Meater isn’t suitable for short cooks.

This is an excellent and practical bit of gear that’s well worth the investment to help you achieve great meat smoking results every time. It’s pretty sweet for showing off to your grilling and smoking buddies, too. And if you rotisserie cook — as I do — then it’s a no-brainer, there is no other choice, and it’s highly recommended.

Have a look at my in-depth review of the Meater range if you’re not convinced the Meater+ isn’t just a gimmick.

Wireless capability: Wi-Fi only.

Two things set the Grilleye Max apart from pretty much all other thermometers: The way it looks — it’s certainly a unique design! — and the fact it can take up to 8 probes. Let’s start with the probes…

Yes, it can take up to 8 probes! The most we’ve seen on any thermometer. And each probe can be used to monitor either a food item or the temperature of your BBQ, so it’s incredibly versatile.

This means if you are hoping to smoke ribs, a brisket, a pork butt, and a chicken simultaneously across 4 BBQs, you can do so and monitor it all with this single thermometer. And you can set separate high and low temps and alarm notifications for each. That is impressive!

You do only get two probes in the box, so you would have to purchase extra separately, and you will also likely need wire extenders to reach multiple smokers. But the option is there.

Grilleye also supply some of the best cable tidy’s we’ve seen to date.

Now, how about the looks?

It’s a round, tubular device, a 360-degree rotating body housed in a magnetic bracket that can be stood on any solid surface or stuck to something metal. Convenient, and we found it works well, keeping the unit stable and easy to see.

It’s also drop-resistant, though there is no waterproofing, which is a shame because the weather can sometimes catch you unaware and take a turn for the worse.

The display is a bright white text on a very dark blue background, or maybe ‘off black’ is a better description? Either way, it’s different to all other thermometers, and is very easy to see in all conditions, day or night.

The Grilleye Max looks like no other thermometer we’ve seen and, in our opinion, is striking and desirable. It definitely wins in the design department if compared to your typical rectangular box thermometers.

One downside of this thermometer is that although the base does temperature info, that is all it does. To set up the device and tweak any settings, you MUST use the smartphone app. But don’t worry, it’s a good one and works well.

Let’s take a closer look at the specs.

Manufacturers Specs

• Number of Probes:2 included, supports up to 8; interchangeable for meat or ambient temperature readings
• Accuracy:±0.18 °F (±0.1 °C)
• Temperature Range:-40 to 572 °F (-40 to 300 °C)
• Max Temperature Use:572 °F
• Food Probe Length:7”
• Cable Length:24”
• Power:2500 mAh Li-Ion (USB to USB-C cord and 12V AC adaptor plug included)
• Battery Life: Up to 48 hours (with screen-saving mode engaged)
• Wireless Connectivity: Wi-Fi enabled (802.11b/g/n — 2.4GHz)
• Display size: 44″ × 31.3″
• Warranty:1-year

 

As always, I tested the accuracy of this thermometer with boiling water and iced water tests.

It measured 212.4 F for boiling water:

It measured 31.8 F for iced water:

Close enough, and can certainly be relied upon.

I found the Grilleye Hyperion smartphone app easy to use and appreciated the walkthrough onboarding section that shows you how to use the app and thermometer. A nice touch and very useful to be guided in such a way, removing all guesswork and getting you up and running quickly.

 

The Grilleye Max has many programmable alarms and notifications that are easy to set up, visual, and audible. I found it impossible to miss any significant event, such as a high or too low temp, or when my food hit my preset doneness level.

In summary, for people who like to cook a lot at once, the Grilleye Max can make a lot of sense.

You can check out more details and see this thermometer in use in our dedicated, more in-depth, hands-on review of the Grilleye Max.

Some say that only the best will do. Most of them have lots of money. Regular folk will tell you that other things will do almost as well. But, sometimes, it’s worth the splurge to be able to say, “Yeah, but this does it better.”

One such splurge could be the Thermapen One, which may be the finest digital instant-read thermometer currently available. It’s not that it does things other thermometers in this category don’t; it’s just that it does them all so incredibly well.

For starters, there’s the speed. This thing is like lightning, honestly. You’ll get your final reading in about 1 second flat. And you’ll get that over and over again, even as you move from one piece of meat to another. That means less time holding your hand over a hot grill, and you won’t have to worry about shooting past your target while you’re waiting for the reading to finalize.

Then there’s the accuracy. The K thermocouple sensor is accurate to within ±0.5 °F (±0.3 °C), so you can be certain you’ve nailed that medium rare or the chicken is ready to come off the grate.

In a boiling water test it measured 212.1 °F:

In an iced water test it measured 31.9 °F :

These are incredibly accurate figures, and shows just how dependable this device is.

And we can’t forget the rotating display. While some thermometers will flip the readout on the LCD 180 degrees if you turn them over (say to go from a right- to a left-handed position), this one has four positions, so the numbers are always oriented correctly for you to read.

Other convenience features include auto-shutoff mode, motion-sensitive power-up, and a backlight for the LCD that comes on when needed, thanks to a built-in light sensor.

The Thermapen One outperforms all other instant-read thermometers we’ve ever owned or tested. It is the fastest, and the most accurate. It is ruggedly built, ambidextrous, and a joy to use. At the price, it’s not for everyone, but if you want the best, then it’s highly recommended.

You can check out our Thermoworks Thermapen One test results and review for a deeper look at this excellent product.

Thermoworks are best known for their (arguably) industry-standard Thermapen instant-read thermometers.

Widely respected for making well-thought-out, quality products aimed at professionals, Thermoworks say themselves about the ‘Smoke’:

“Designed for competition BBQ teams and professional chefs, Smoke outlasts and outperforms every competitor. Not a cheaply-made housewares product, Smoke features a rugged housing with molded-in seals for splash proof protection.”

The Thermoworks comes in a little pricier than many of the picks above, and it’s for this reason alone that the Thermoworks was not our budget pick.

Because it’s made for and marketed toward professionals, it’s maybe a bit overkill for the weekend warrior as it were.

Carry on reading for the low down on specs, features and performance.

Manufacturer’s Specs

• Number of probes: 2
• Accuracy: +/- 1.8F (1.0 °C)
• Temperature range: -58 °F – 572 °F (-50 °C – 300 °C)
• Max temperature use: 700 °F (370 °C)
• Probe length: 6 inches
• Cable length: 47 inches
• Power: 2 AA batteries per unit
• Remote range: 300 feet
• Display size: 2.15” × 1.3” receiver / 2” × 2.95” transmitter
• Warranty: 2-years

We may have indulged in a little hyperbole in the intro to the ThermoWorks Smoke. But, the truth is this is a well-designed, information-heavy unit.

For a start, it’s one of a few you’ll find that gives the complete range of information on the transmitter and the receiver. It’s almost like the receiver is a bonus and not the reason to buy it.

It’s actually nice not to have to look at the remote unit to get the full picture. If you’re right beside the smoker, doesn’t that make more sense than digging in your pocket?

Speaking of which, the remote has a nifty lanyard, allowing you to hang it conveniently around your neck. Not stylish, but very practical.

But speaking of style: The transmitter and receiver are very well-built and designed. They are rugged, sealed, and splash proof to IP65, and even the probes are commercial grade and a cut above the rest!

Owners of all digital smoker thermometers complain about probes becoming faulty over time, it’s par for the course. But I’m yet to see a single failure with Thermoworks Smoke probes!

By the way, just did the math, and apparently, the batteries will last through 75 days of continuous usage. Nice to know you won’t run out of juice during an extended smoke!

So, what you’ve got here is a competition-grade digital smoker thermometer. You can even sync multiple remotes to the base, so an entire team can keep track of cooks at once. But, even if you’re not on a team, you can still get a lot of value out of this unit.

So your situation is this: you’re not new to barbecue, but you are pretty new to smoking.

You want to make brisket like an expert pitmaster, and you know hitting and holding your temperature is crucial to success.

You’re ready to invest in the right equipment, but you’re practical — you need something you can work with now, but not feel like you’ve outgrown it once you’ve nailed your technique.

Buy it once, and forever love your ThermoPro TP20.

Manufacturer’s Specs

• Number of probes: 2
• Accuracy: +/- 1.8F (1C)
• Temperature range: 32–572 °F (0 °C – 300 °C)
• Maximum temperature: 716 °F (380 °C)
• Probe length: 6.5 inches
• Cable length: 40 inches
• Power: 2 AAA batteries per unit
• Remote range: 300 feet
• Display size: 1.6 × 1.9 inches
• Warranty: 1-year (register product for 3 year coverage)

ThermoPro has nailed the perfect combination of reliability, durability, and great features at a great price, earning it my pick as the best overall smoker thermometer.

Much as we love to memorize doneness temperatures (no seriously – quiz us!), we know not everyone feels this way. Being able to press a single, clearly marked button to set the right target temp for your meat selection and desired doneness to pre-programmed USDA specs, makes this a dream and easy-to-use.

The digital back lit display is easy-to-read, you get a countdown and count-up timer, and you can even switch between Fahrenheit and Celsius. All this at a price point we think is reasonable.

And, we can’t overlook the probe replacement guarantee — if yours fails (it does happen, especially when, despite being warned, people dunk them in water) just call them up, and they’ll send you a new one free of charge. We have total respect for a company that’s there for its customers.

If you’d like more information on our pick for the best meat thermometer for grilling and BBQ, you can check out my more in-depth and hands on Thermopro TP20 review.

Wireless capability: 150 feet, Bluetooth only.

I’ve included the Inkbird IBT-4XS because it is incredibly popular. I own one myself, occasionally use it, and can see the appeal. The biggest draw for others seems to be its longevity. It’s reliable, works well…and importantly, just seems to never (OK, very rarely) break!

The Inkbird IBT-4XS is a 4-channel, Bluetooth-enabled thermometer with an accompanying smartphone app.

It comes in 3 bundle options:

• Unit with 2 probes
• Unit with 4 probes
• Unit with 4 probes and a protective case

The probes are dual-purpose and can be used to monitor either the food you are cooking or your ambient smoker and grill temperatures.

Let’s take a quick look at the specs:

Manufacturer Specs

• Temperature range: 0~300 °C /32~572 °F
• Temperature accuracy: ±1 °C / ±2 °F
• Wireless range: 50 meters / 150ft
• Alarms: over-temperature alarm; range alarm; time count-down alarm
• Display: LED screen & app
• Probe capacity: up to 4 probes
• Battery: rechargeable 1000mAh lithium battery
• Dimension body: 83 × 83 × 28 mm (3.3 × 3.3 × 1.0 inch)
• Sensor length: 150 cm / 4.9ft
• Net weight: 380 g

In my tests, I found it measured 214 °F for boiling water:

And it measured 34 °F for iced water:

Certainly not the most accurate thermometer in this list, but also easily good enough for most purposes.

The main unit is a simple square design, soft-edged for durability and otherwise plastic. It looks well built and has proven to last well.

There is a large LCD screen with big red numbers on a black background that is easy to read. It is a lightweight unit with a magnetic backing strip for you to stick it to any metal surface, though it is only rated to 180 °F, so do not melt it on the side of your grill!

It has a built-in 1000mAh lithium battery that charges in 2 hours to provide up to 60 hours of continuous use. And do note that it cannot be used while charging!

Four probes are useful for cooking up to 3 meats at once and monitoring your pit temp.

BBQ GO Mobile App

The app looks familiar, and I think it is the same app a few other manufacturers use, badged up and branded for Inkbird. It’s well thought out and easy to use, connect, configure, read, and set up your cooks.

There are sections in the app for probe configuration, graphs, alarms, and more. Presets cover 11 meat types and cooks, all with a set temperature and an alarm that the app triggers that you simply cannot miss.

In summary, the Inkbird IBT-4XS is great value for money. It does what it’s supposed to do and does it well. And previous owners state it lasts and lasts, so is worthy of recommendation. There are better, more capable thermometers out there, but if you don’t want to break the bank to get them, consider this Inkbird.

For a deeper look at this thermometer in use, check out our Inkbird IBT-4XS in-depth, hands-on review.