Top 10 best Digital Meat Thermometer For Grilling 2022 Price and Feature Comparison

The media could not be loaded.  This review covers the original Alpha Grillers Instant Read Meat Thermometer I purchased in February of 2017–and the new upgraded model you see here (June 2020 anyway). The original thermometer was purchased for $15 based on users reviews on Amazon. You can’t find images of it here anymore (although you can see it in my picture comparing the 2017 model to the 2020 model), but it worked well enough and I’ve been mostly happy with it for the last three years. Recently it went from unreliably turning on, to not turning without removing the AAA battery and futzing with it (no corrosion) for 10 minutes. I was disappointed but $15 for three years of service and left out in the elements, I can’t complain too much. I started to browse for a replacement and see that Alpha Grillers’ has a “lifetime warranty” so I email them pictures of the unit, invoice info, etc. I kid you not: two days later, a replacement arrives from Amazon, and it’s the latest version. So none of that “pay for shipping” the dead unit back to them, and we’ll see what we can do run around. This alone, should convince you that it’s worth buying this thermometer since we all know most of the hardware on Amazon is sourced from a giant factory making and selling units to other resellers. It’s probably not a question of the difference in the label–it’s a difference in the customer support and there, Alpha Grillers gets 5-stars.Accuracy and responseSince I have the new unit, I wanted to see how accurate it was so I compared it to my Fluke 52 thermocouple thermometer with a Fluke 80PK-2A immersion probe that I had calibrated with a GE Druck DPI-822. I then filled a narrow mouth Pyrex 1,000ml flask with water from our hot water pot that had been set to 208 F and tried to hold both probe tips near each other in the hot water while trying to take a picture with the hand on a phone. The Fluke 52 and 80PK-2A read out at 184.4 while the Alpha Grillers displayed 184.1. As you know, water cools off fast and it’s you don’t uniform temperature in the container so the 0.3 degree difference could be the actual temperature difference from the probe positions in the hot water or even the probe shaft differences. Basically, the accuracy is excellent for a $20 meat thermometer.I also wanted to see how fast the Alpha Grillers unit responds so I filled a second small glass container with ice and water and recorded the display as it was dunked from the ice water back into the hot water (which had now cooled off further). You can watch the video above (it goes from removal from ice bath to hot water, and then back to ice bath and again back to the hot water) but it does respond extremely fast but not necessarily “instant.” To be fair, “instant” is more of a marketing term and open to interpretation anyway. “Instant” coffee still takes time to add to water and stir for example.I’d say it takes about 3.5 seconds to respond to the ice bath to hot water–which is “instant” for most of us. For example, the Fluke 80PK-2A is far slower by design because it’s a non-tapered, thicker, stainless immersion probe that absorbs a lot of the heat and can take a lot more abuse. The more slender tapered Alpha Grillers tapered tip is designed to pierce meat and also responds far quicker since you don’t have to heat up a lot of metal.As far as the design of the unit, like the previous model, it features a hidden magnet to let you stick it to side of your grill which is a great feature, and the hole lets you hang it from a hook as well if your grill’s hooks are large enough. The package also comes with four small hook and loop (Velcro) with adhesive on the back if you want to Velcro it to something.The new model’s rubber buttons are also far easier to press than the previous design’s plastic bubble-type. New to this model is very even white LED backlighting. Yes, it looks blue in the official marketing pictures but that’s the digital camera color temperature at work–it’s actually white.Hold functionAlso new is a hold, and min max function. The function is unlike most typical thermometers which typically cycle from room temperature to max temp and min temp. It’s pretty thought out here for a meat thermometer. On the older model which doesn’t have the old function, I would stick the thermometer in to the meat on the grill and twist my head over to see the current temp. On meat on the rear of the grill this means getting your head into odd angles and also pretty close to the grill.With the new model, you insert the probe, press the Hold button to activate the hold (it will display HOLD) and read the temp without all the head craning and heat on your face. Press Hold to release the hold function.One thing I want to point out: the UI for the hold function might be a little confusing because the hold function first requires that you turn on the hold function before you can use it. This occurs from off state to on. So like most, if you have it folded shut, and open to use, you will have to press the Hold button to turn on the mode. That means the first time you want to use it, you’ll have to press it twice: Once to activate the hold mode, and once again to do the first hold. After its in its hold mode, it operates the way you expect it to: Into meat, Hold button to read, and Hold button to release. It doesn’t turn off until the thermometer is switched off.Max Min FunctionThe same Hold button also activates a max and min temp. This again is unlike the typical user interface of a temperature gauge with room temp / max / min cycle with a single click. To read the maximum temperature, you press and hold the Hold button for 3 seconds and it will display the maximum temperature with MAX in the display. Press again and will see the minimum recorded temperature since the unit was on and MIN in the display. One more press and you exit back into the standard mode. Note: you CANNOT the Max/Min function if it is currently in HOLD. You have to do this from the normal operations. Undocumented feature: Alpha Grillers’ documentation say to clear the recorded max/min by turning the unit off (folding the thermometer shut) but if you are in the MAX or MIN mode, you can simply press and hold the Hold button for three seconds and it will reset both recorded max and min memories.Calibration ModeUnlike the 2017 mode, the 2020 version features a calibrate feature. On the button that lets you switch from Fahrenheit to Celsius, pressing the button for 5 seconds will let you calibrate the unit. The instructions say to put the probe into a container of ice and water by using the Cal (f/c) button or the Hold button to set the calibration point to 32 degrees F or 0 degrees C. Obviously out of the box accuracy is excellent and for meat grilling do you really need this kind of accuracy or to even calibrate? I dunno. I was more afraid of accidentally pressing the calibrate button and throwing it out of whack so I went ahead and pressed the Cal button for 5 seconds which causes the display to show “CALL” (yes there’s only one L in calibrate) but rather then letting me accidentally mess up the calibration, the thermometer displayed “ERR” and then went back into normal operation. My guess is the unit won’t even let you calibrate it unless it’s in an ice bath first so my worries about screwing up the calibration are pretty unlikely since you’d have to accidentally dunk it into an ice bath first.Build quality and batteryUnlike the original Alpha Grillers I had which runs off of AAA, the new unit uses (which comes pre-installed) a CR2032 coin cell. I think this is an improvement as AAA kinda stink. They seem to be the most prone to leaking of all the cylinder cells I use (looking at you Kirkland). Lithium coin-cells, though more expsnsive, are more reliable, far less likely to leak (and ruin your unit) and operate at lower temperatures. The higher voltage also means more power for the the advanced functions in the unit too. I can’t say anything about battery life as I haven’t had the unit long enough, but I’m sure the LED backlight is the largest consumer of power so if you use it sparingly, it’ll probably last quite a while.Water resistanceAlpha Grillers calls it “water proof” and in the documentation, it’s stated that you can “fully submerge” it in water for a short-time so long as the battery compartment is screwed on tightly. I didn’t dunk my unit but I have no reason to doubt the water resistance of it. There are no visible screws anywhere on the unit and there is a gasket in the battery compartment (the gasket could be a little larger though to increase the seal as there are no ridges to mate with the gasket on the actual battery cover, just a flat surface). The only ingress of water would likely come through the gasket flattening over time or through the pivot point of the probe.The previous 2017 model used a small nub switch that the temperature probe boom depresses to switch off or on. This switch has moved to the inside of the unit which also adds to its water resistance. The probe boom itself is very stiff to open and close which also adds to water resistance. I have no idea how the probe is connected to actual controller board inside or how water resistant that is. The 2020 unit actually switches off at about a 45 degrees angle too which is an improvement over the 2017 model which required closing it firmly to switch off. I would often not switch off if you didn’t close it correctly.I think this is plenty of water and dirt resistance for a meat thermometer unless you’re a Navy Seal Griller who needs to scuba up from a sub before grilling on the beach. The main take away is you can probably leave this on your grill during inclement weather without worrying about it being killed. The previous model I had did not have any weather resistance claims and also no gasket in the battery compartment which might be how I killed it.ImprovementsComing from the previous model, it’s a big improvement but it’s not without complaints. I think the Hold feature is great, but the button is too close to the temperature scale and backlight button. This means you have to angle your thumb to hit it straight on. You’re also going to almost always hit that button from an angle which will put more stress on it over time. The other complaint is the hold button should be activated from power on without having to press it once. I suppose this is done to prevent someone from reading the wrong temperature but I’d rather have it on.Overall the 2020 model is a big improvement over the 2017 model. Currently it’s quite a bit more expensive ($15 for 2017 model vs $20 for 2020 model) but I think the improvements are worth it. And let me again point out the customer service Alpha Grillers provides. My old one let go three and half years later and they stood behind it. For a $15 thermometer. Even if they didn’t and they said, “it’s been three years bud,” I’d buy another one with the improvements, accuracy and speed the new model has over the old one.And yes, I received this unit free, because my old unit died. Alpha Grillers sent it to me as a warranty replacement not to have it reviewed. It did not ask me to write my review, I did it because a company that stands behind its products deserves recognition and is worthy of my time spent.

I like this meat thermometer very much because it is very practical. This meat thermometer shows the meat animal pattern, and it is easy to choose the type of roast as well as the desired cooking level. An alarm will sound when the desired cooking level is reached. When there is no touch screen operation, it will automatically turn off the screen and enter the power saving mode, but it will not affect its working status. When you touch any button on the screen again, it can wake up without changing the previous setting status. It has a pair of magnets on the back, so I stick it to the metal side of the fridge as a handy timer to remind me when cooking time has arrived. Overall, I use this thing a lot when I cook. It is a good assistant for cooking lovers.

Ordered this to go with the new propane grill my wife got from her company as an anniversary gift.First this was well packaged and arrived in good condition, it was easy to get ready, took longer to download the app than it did to get this ready to use, we love the fact that you can set alarms for each probe and monitor the meat right on the phone, we can even keep an eye on temps while we’re in our house or elsewhere working or playing games, just don’t get too far away or the app will disconnect, it does have good range so you don’t have to stay real close.The app was easy to set up and connected easily, caution the alarm is loud, it will sure get your attention quickly.Cleanup is easy, just a simple wipe, perhaps a bit of scrubbing with a soapy dishcloth and a rinse, then dry.Caution the probes do get very hot when in use, best to use gloves even when using utensils to turn the meat because the probes can shift and bump a finger while moving the meat, that doesn’t feel good at all, even a slight bump can hurt.Overall, yes we would highly recommend this product to anyone that grills, if you do much at a time get two or more sets, you’ll be glad you did, and yes you can use this without the app on your phone.

De lectura rápida y preciso.

I have been looking for a long time for a good meat thermometer. I have used several digital and analog met thermometers and have not been satisfied. I found the digital thermometers were hard to read and definitely had trouble with the analogs being off in temperature readings. Ended up throwing them away because I was not satisfied. Decided to try again and found this one on Amazon. I like how the probe closes into the thermometer which makes for easy storage. I’ve used it on chicken and pork steaks and the temperature seems to be accurate compared to other thermometers I have tried. I especially like that I am able to read the temperature with ease. I really don’t need the bottle opener feature but it is a plus if I would have a need for it. It appears that this thermometer is a keeper for me.

I have used crappy electric thermometers for years, but I still use them a lot to be sure of steak temps in the restaurant that I work at. This thermometer seems to be the best I’ve used after 6 months in the kitchen. I’m definitely not the only person that uses it either. It is fast and accurate. Best of all, it actually turns on when you need it. Buying another today.

My headline is cheesy, but my experience with this thermometer and the company has been exemplary. I have had my thermometer for about 2 1/2 years when I went to use it one day and it didn’t work… I was really disappointed because I really like the thermometer as it was easy to use, quick, easy to clean, I just can’t say enough good about it. This being said from a guy that used the thermometer at least once or twice a week for the last 28 months or so.When I found that my awesome thermometer had puttered out I was really disappointed. I came back to Amazon and looked the thermometer up as I was ready to buy another figuring the thermometer had run it’s course and I was good with it. I found the manufacturer phone number hoping to maybe find that it had some super secret reset that I didn’t know about. I spoke with a very nice gentleman on the phone, he asked me what it was doing and he said that the thermometer was bad, no reset was going to fix it. H asked me a couple of questions regarding a shipping address and phone number and said that I would have a replacement shortly. I thought to myself, we’ll see about this, it couldn’t possibly be that easy… well, in just a few days a brand new replacement thermometer arrived in the mailbox… It was that easy.I would recommend this product and this manufacturer to anyone at anytime, my experience has been absolutely wonderful.

I have used the old standard wait for it thermometer, or you had to leave it in place while cooking. Either method does not allow much for a check of a 2nd or 3rd test. This is 4 seconds. in doing comparisons it was right on. The backlit and rotating readout is fantastic. Easy to clean as it is to use. And the magnet in the back allows for a easy to grab tool because you just put it on the side of the fridge, or other metal surface nearby. No need to dig through that drawer. This is so easy you want to use it more.This is a great value for the price. I cook a lot, but not professionally in any way, so I did not see a need for the more expensive models.

It’s simple, easy to read and use. When you pull the probe out the Javelin turns on and begins reading temperature, when you close the probe it shuts off. The housing is modern, feels well built and durable. Product registration was fast and simple, instructions come with the device.

A nice compact meat thermometer with an easy to read display. Has a hole for easy hanging storage on a hook if you wish. Simple and easy to use.

Accidentally broke the probe on my 1st unit, 5yrs+ of use, and was suddenly at a loss for how much I used it to get the proper temperature of things I was cooking; meats, sauces, baking, etc.. I’d still have my 1st unit if I wasn’t so clumsy, hopefully this one will survive my use longer. 😉

This thermometer was delivered quickly & was ready to go right out of the box. It comes with an extra battery, which i now have to store & remember where i put it. Hello junk drawer. The numbers are large & easy to ready. There are several buttons and settings which I’m sure serve a great function, but since I just need it to accurately read the temperature and it does that without my pushing all the other buttons, I haven’t bothered to read up on all the other stuff it can do.

The way the app is set up, you can use the thermometer to simply monitor the temperature of something. Once the temp has been reached in manual mode it sets off a continuous alarm. If you stop the alarm, it stops monitoring the temperature. So if you want to monitor the temp of the item after the target temp has been reached you have to suffer listening to the constant alarm going off.The dock uses AA batteries instead of having a USB-C port for continuous power. Not environmentally friendly to waste AA batteries and no way to tell when those batteries will run out in the middle of cooking something.Does it measure temp? Yes, but only in the context of reaching a specific temp then turning off due to the limits of the app.Is it worth the price? I plan to get a wired meat thermometer so I can have a continuous display of temp without an alarm continuously going off.

First, easy to use. Second, super fast reading. Third, compact, love that the gauge folds back into itself to keep from getting damage or stabbing. We have used this in the kitchen, bbq and the smoker. Works for thick cuts of meat or thin hamburgers or chops. We have had ours a year now, and no issues. Buying more for stocking stuffers.

Came with 4 probes which was great. Only used 3 for this cook. If you plan on staying close to the BBQ this works fine. The range was nowhere close to 500ft. That is the only disappointment. Tried walking in house and disconnect alarm went off. Maybe 75ft. Missed and alarm cause I walked to garage disconnect alarm went off again. 100ft. Will look for something with better distance.