# Thermapen



## daveg (Dec 23, 2019)

I am a very amateur home chef, however I love my gadgets, and use every advantage I can get to make sure my food is done right as it should be. I have 2 thermometer value and performance inquiries. 

My current thermometer is a BBQ thermometer with remote and 2 probes. Works great for BBQ, and I do use it for some oven stuff too. However it is not so good on a hot grill, or for liquids, and I have to hold the probe above the pot if I do use it in liquids.

BBQing for years I have wanted to just splurge and buy a thermapen, just have never been able to justify the pricetag. I see on Amazon, many much cheaper options, and question there effectiveness- I always believe in you get what you pay for. In this case however, is it worth spending 6X the money for a thermapen over these other models? If I get a cheper model, will I regret it, then just buy the original anyway? The reviews all seem to be really favorable for the cheap models, which is why I am not just jumping for the golden benchmark. 

The second one is an infra-red therm gun. I want to start doing more shallow frying in dutch oven, schnitzels, cultlets, things like that. I would like to closely monitor oil temp. I figured with one of these guns I could achieve this. Same as the pens, there seem to be plenty in the $15-25 range that get great reviews, then they go up in price almost 6X. Can I get away with the cheapo or will I regret it?


----------



## daveb (Dec 23, 2019)

I'm a Thermapen fan, have them for my work kit, catering kit and a couple at home. Worth every dime. Also have the DOT (great for the liquids) and recently purchased the "Smoke" kit. I guess I'm kind of a Therm junkie. Do you know they send you a pack of Jelly Beans with every purchase????

Also have 2 IR guns, a cheap and a good one. Don't use either......


----------



## LostHighway (Dec 23, 2019)

I have the Thermapen "Classic" and wouldn't be without it. ThermoWorks frequently offers sales on their products (15% off site wide currently) and I've seen the Classic/Mk 3 as low as $56.00. They also offer excellent product support. Most of the PRC made knockoffs seem to be in the range of $20 -$25 which seems like a false economy to me.
ThermoWorks timers and the oven probes/alarms are also excellent. I haven't used their IR gun. I tend to distrust IR readings unless I have some confidence that the emissivity calibration is on point so I generally leave them alone in unfamiliar kitchens.


----------



## dmonterisi (Dec 23, 2019)

i have 2 thermpen mk4's, and just gifted one to my mom. Once you use a thermapen, you will see they are worth the money. immediate, accurate temp readings. easy to use and read. reliable. sign up fro the thermapen mailing list, they do monthly specials or so. you can get the thermapen classic on sale for around $50-60 and the thermapen mk4 on sale for $75 or $80 depending on your patience. also, sometimes they close out colors which could be a larger discount. They are doing 15% sitewide right now...

I think they are a great company, I also have a Timestack 4 way timer on the side of my fridge at home and carry a Timestick Trio in my work kit.


----------



## daveg (Dec 23, 2019)

If I am looking to heat oil in a dutch oven for frying cutlets, what might be the best way to get accurate temp? The oil level I think would be too shallow for a probe and a clip?


----------



## Michi (Dec 23, 2019)

Lavatools Javelin. Deadly accurate, very fast settling time (< 2 s), and cheaper than a Thermapen. Works fine with shallow oil.


----------



## Michi (Dec 23, 2019)

As to infrared thermometers, I have one of these:




Accuracy is poor, and readings fluctuate by as much 20º C up or down at 200º C. If anyone knows of an infrared thermometer that's reasonably accurate, I'd love to know, because this one just doesn't cut it, IMO.


----------



## Paraffin (Dec 23, 2019)

I recently bought the new Thermapen IR to supplement an older Thermapen. You get both functions in one, the traditional probe and remote IR reading of surface temps. 

I bought it specifically for reading oil temp for wok frying, which is something I do fairly frequently as a "passing through oil" technique in Chinese cooking. With the old Thermapen, I'd have to be constantly wiping the probe when measuring the oil, and my hand and arm would get uncomfortably hot holding the probe that close to the oil with the large indoor wok burner we use. 

With the new IR version, I can do a remote reading of the oil surface after giving it a brief stir, and it works great. The accuracy isn't perfect in that mode, but it's within a few degrees of what the probe reads. Good enough for what I'm using it for. Expensive, but worth it.


----------



## dmonterisi (Dec 23, 2019)

Paraffin said:


> I recently bought the new Thermapen IR to supplement an older Thermapen. You get both functions in one, the traditional probe and remote IR reading of surface temps.
> 
> I bought it specifically for reading oil temp for wok frying, which is something I do fairly frequently as a "passing through oil" technique in Chinese cooking. With the old Thermapen, I'd have to be constantly wiping the probe when measuring the oil, and my hand and arm would get uncomfortably hot holding the probe that close to the oil with the large indoor wok burner we use.
> 
> With the new IR version, I can do a remote reading of the oil surface after giving it a brief stir, and it works great. The accuracy isn't perfect in that mode, but it's within a few degrees of what the probe reads. Good enough for what I'm using it for. Expensive, but worth it.



excellent rec. i didnt know that existed. im going to grab one soon. thanks!


----------



## Ryndunk (Dec 23, 2019)

For a less expensive option that works really well you could try the thermapop from the same company. It's the only probe thermometer I buy for the restaurant. They read quickly and accurately for less than half the price.


----------



## bahamaroot (Dec 24, 2019)

I used several cheaper thermometers but eventually broke down and got a Thermapen. It was worth every penny and I wish 
I had bought it long before. Get one, you won't regret it!

Sign up for ThermoWorks mailing list. They have 25% off sales a lot and open box sales. You will get emails for all their specials.


----------



## Nemo (Dec 24, 2019)

I was a thermapen sceptic. Then I got one. It's great. Expensive, but worth it.


----------



## RonB (Dec 24, 2019)

Add me to the list of Thermapen fans. Their accuracy is guaranteed. But whatever you get, check the accuracy by submerging in ice cold water and in boiling water. If you are not sure how to do this, there is an article on the Thermoworks site on how to.


----------



## dafox (Dec 24, 2019)

I know we generally dont put much stock in America's Test Kitchen, but there is some useful info here.


----------



## M1k3 (Dec 24, 2019)

ThemrmoPop's are on sale today.


----------



## daveb (Dec 24, 2019)

The "Pops" can be useful for cooking at home. At work they're too top heavy and always fall out of jacket or apron pockets.


----------



## Ryndunk (Dec 24, 2019)

True. The pops aren't good at staying in a pocket. But the thermapen is to bulky for a pocket also.


----------



## HRC_64 (Dec 25, 2019)

Nemo said:


> I was a thermapen sceptic. Then I got one. It's great. Expensive, but worth it.



+1

Buy a classic on sale for $60 usd and its good value for money. It might not sound like it is, but it is.

Consider....you can easily run thru $5-6000 of ingredients/proteins in a residential setting 
somewhere between the first year and its lilfetime

IMHO this is like <1% cost of ingredients investment.


----------



## wilburh (Dec 25, 2019)

Hands down - Thermapen. Their others ain't too shabby neither....!

Double negative seemed appropriate.


----------



## timebard (Dec 25, 2019)

+1 to the thermopop fan list, at least for home use. I haven't tested it beyond boiling water (for which it was accurate) but it reads quickly and easily, and it's cheap.


----------



## daveg (Dec 26, 2019)

bahamaroot said:


> Sign up for ThermoWorks mailing list. They have 25% off sales a lot and open box sales. You will get emails for all their specials.



I did this. Will wait for my screaming deal.


----------



## lemeneid (Dec 29, 2019)

I use a MEATER for all my cooks. Works well for BBQs and oven stuff. My stuff is mostly reverse sear and I got a candy thermometer for most of my other recipes.


----------



## GorillaGrunt (Dec 29, 2019)

Thermapen is worth it. A bunch of my coworkers have shown off whatever other brand saying oh, it’s just like yours but cost (half/third/quarter) as much, and soon enough they’re always reaching for mine anyway. It’s all about the consistent fast response time and lack of messing about.


----------



## lowercasebill (Dec 30, 2019)

daveg said:


> I am a very amateur home chef, however I love my gadgets, and use every advantage I can get to make sure my food is done right as it should be. I have 2 thermometer value and performance inquiries.
> 
> My current thermometer is a BBQ thermometer with remote and 2 probes. Works great for BBQ, and I do use it for some oven stuff too. However it is not so good on a hot grill, or for liquids, and I have to hold the probe above the pot if I do use it in liquids.
> 
> ...



Do not buy thermopen from amazon they will not honor the warranty. Most on amazon are knock offs from china. 
I have IR gun thermopen dual probe thing a small unit with and several different probes including high temp air probe. It is quality stuff. Thermopen gets almost daily use.


----------



## daveg (Jan 1, 2020)

I ended up getting an IR gun to get started from ThermoWorks. It was 50% off, felt I had to. 

and got my little bag of jelly bellies....


----------



## Horsemover (Feb 10, 2020)

Another thermapen user here. Took me awhile to make the leap but no looking back. Wish I had done it sooner.


----------



## inferno (Feb 10, 2020)

i got a few temp toys for my knife production. but i guess they will work just as well for food.

ir gun (almost useless unless you know emissivity, which you dont) https://eshop.wurth.com.au/Product-...oup-Wuerth-3102&SelectedFilterAttribut=%5B%5D

then i got a real industrial meter. with themocouples (probes) good for 1100c or so. 

https://www.amprobe.com/product/tmd-50/ (it has dual inputs)

first probe https://www.fluke.com/en-us/product/accessories/probes/fluke-80pk-22

better longer probes that dont melt when the heat is on.... lol.
https://shop.bb-sensors.com/en/Temp...ted-thermocouple-type-K-3-0-mm-NL-250-mm.html
https://shop.bb-sensors.com/en/Temp...ted-thermocouple-type-K-3-0-mm-NL-500-mm.html


----------



## Brian Weekley (Feb 10, 2020)

Thermapen absolutely rocks! I have one on the boat and two in the kitchen. I’ve gifted several to friends, neighbours and relatives. I also have several other products that I use regularly. I especially love their “Smoke” system. It comes with a remote that uses bluetooth or an optional wifi gateway. I can sit with my remote beside me and get a readout of internal and grill/oven temperature without even setting my drink down. Their four probe unit is also great for multiples ... turkeys, roasts etc., or big chunks of dead animal like brisket or shoulder clods. Here’s a pic of my Christmas turkeys and the four probe unit. 









Like I said ... Thermapen ROCKS!


----------



## inferno (Feb 10, 2020)

Michi said:


> As to infrared thermometers, I have one of these:
> 
> View attachment 67354
> 
> Accuracy is poor, and readings fluctuate by as much 20º C up or down at 200º C. If anyone knows of an infrared thermometer that's reasonably accurate, I'd love to know, because this one just doesn't cut it, IMO.



it doens't exist since the different emissivity of the materials can and will every time skew the readings by several hundreds of degrees at high temps. 
lets say you heat up something to 500C and now have a matte black surface on there vs a shiny polished silver surface. could differ 150C or so up or down. it measures infrared radiation. and that depends on color/emissivity/reflectance and pretty much everything else in the entire universe for you to know before for this thing to be accurate. 

these are very accurate all of them like 1C accurate. if you know the exact emissivity. which you never will. its about as accurate as measuring stuff out with your d1ck most of the time.

i noticed quite a weird thing measuring a blade in my oven. that the blade would reflect the ir radiation of the oven radiating coils, like a mirror. but when i put in a bit of charcoal to measure on it was very accurate, (i did this to simulate ideal black body radiation, which would be at one end of these devices calibration points, in theory)


----------



## Brian Weekley (Feb 10, 2020)

Thanks for that, inferno, I wondered why my infrared device varied so widely. It’s an expensive Fluke device and I ended up not using it because of the lack of consistency. Now that you explain it ... it’s so obvious ... duh!


----------



## WildBoar (Feb 10, 2020)

inferno said:


> its about as accurate as measuring stuff out with your d1ck most of the time.


My wife still doesn't believe me when I tell her our forks and soup spoons are two feet long...


----------



## inferno (Feb 10, 2020)

fluke has a published study about emissivity and ir meters. its worth it to read it. and after that you will understand why there things suck.


----------



## inferno (Feb 10, 2020)

WildBoar said:


> My wife still doesn't believe me when I tell her our forks and soup spoons are two feet long...



maybe i can come over and demonstrate?


----------



## Horsemover (Feb 10, 2020)

Brian Weekley said:


> Thermapen absolutely rocks! I have one on the boat and two in the kitchen. I’ve gifted several to friends, neighbours and relatives. I also have several other products that I use regularly. I especially love their “Smoke” system. It comes with a remote that uses bluetooth or an optional wifi gateway. I can sit with my remote beside me and get a readout of internal and grill/oven temperature without even setting my drink down. Their four probe unit is also great for multiples ... turkeys, roasts etc., or big chunks of dead animal like brisket or shoulder clods. Here’s a pic of my Christmas turkeys and the four probe unit.
> 
> View attachment 71104
> View attachment 71105
> ...



I am going to have to check that setup out for my Egg. I have a 2 probe unit that is on its last leg but this looks sweet.


----------



## Brian Weekley (Feb 10, 2020)

I think you will like it a lot with your egg. I certainly do. I generally reserve one probe for the grill surface and I find quite a bit of variation to the Egg gauge. Briskets get two probes or three. Chickens will get two, ditto for turkeys. When pork roasts are on sale I’ll do two or three roasts for pulled pork. The unit is so versatile. BUT ... I always verify with my Thermapen to be sure.


----------

