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Credit: Reviewed / Lindsay D. Mattison

The Best Probe Thermometers of 2024

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Credit: Reviewed / Lindsay D. Mattison

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Editor's Choice Product image of ThermoWorks ChefAlarm
Best Overall

ThermoWorks ChefAlarm

Check Price at ThermoWorks

For grilling, cheese making, sugar work, and more, the ThermoWorks ChefAlarm is a top pick among electric probe thermometers. Read More

Pros

  • Accurate
  • Easy to read
  • Adjustable alarm volume

Cons

  • None that we could find
2
Editor's Choice Product image of ThermoWorks DOT
Best Value

ThermoWorks DOT

Check Price at ThermoWorks

If all you want is a thermometer that alerts you when your food reaches a set temperature, the DOT by ThermoWorks is a great buy. Read More

Pros

  • Fast
  • Easy to read
  • Heat-resistant cable

Cons

  • Limited functionality
3
Product image of Meater Plus
Best Wireless

Meater Plus

Check Price at Amazon

Without any wires, the Meater Plus has an extended range so you don’t have to hover over your grill or stove while your food is cooking. Read More

Pros

  • App can estimate cooking times
  • Wireless probe

Cons

  • Range isn't as long as advertised
4
Product image of ThermoWorks Smoke X2

ThermoWorks Smoke X2

Check Price at ThermoWorks

This is a great probe thermometer for grill enthusiasts as its wireless receiver operates long distances away. Read More

Pros

  • Accurate
  • Long-distance wireless receiver

Cons

  • No timer
5
Product image of Weber Connect Smart Grilling Hub

Weber Connect Smart Grilling Hub

Check Price at Amazon

This smartphone-connected probe thermometer performs very well, but has a few quirks such as a finicky display, and its slow to read temperature changes. Read More

Pros

  • Easy to connect
  • Rechargeable battery
  • Remembers your settings

Cons

  • Display is finicky
  • It can’t be calibrated
  • Slow to read temperatures
  • Best Overall ThermoWorks ChefAlarm
  • Best Value ThermoWorks DOT
  • Best Wireless Meater Plus
  • Other Probe Thermometers We Tested
  • How We Tested Probe Thermometers
  • What You Should Know About Probe Thermometers
  • Choosing the Right Probe Thermometer
  • More Articles You Might Enjoy

We should all be aware how important it is to own a quick, accurate, and easy to use digital meat thermometer. It’s the only way to really know whether your meat is finished cooking. The only problem with a digital thermometer? You need to open the oven or smoker door to check the temperature, letting out precious heat or smoke in the process. It would be so much easier to stick a probe into the meat before you start cooking and let it do all the work for you. Our top pick for probe thermometers—the ThermoWorks ChefAlarm (available at ThermoWorks) —does just that.

A probe thermometer is incredibly helpful when cooking large cuts of meat. It will prevent you from overcooking your Thanksgiving turkey, Sunday roast, or pulled pork on the smoker, by alerting you when the meat reaches the right temperature. But, it can do so much more than that. If you're a cheesemaker or dabble in candy making, you can dangle the probe over the side of the pot when heating milk or sugar, keeping your hands safely far away from those dangerously hot temperatures.

We wanted to find the best overall probe thermometer—good for meat and more—so we ordered the top-rated digital probe thermometers and put them through a series of tests.

A probe thermometer sits on a kitchen counter next to freshly sliced brisket.
Credit: Reviewed / Lindsay D. Mattison

The ThermoWorks ChefAlarm is the best probe thermometer we've tested.

Best Overall
ThermoWorks ChefAlarm

It really doesn't get much better than the ThermoWorks ChefAlarm. In addition to being one of the most accurate probes in the group, it's also one of the few that you can calibrate. It has a nice backlight display that might appear to be a little crowded at first, but the "current temp" reading is the largest and easiest number to read. You can use it as a timer, adjust the alarm's volume, and it keeps track of the minimum and maximum readings. It even has a high- and low-temperature alarm, which I really appreciate as a cheesemaker. We especially love that it has a hinged, tilting screen for easy viewing on the countertop (but, it also has a magnet and a clip).

Spending $60 on a thermometer might not be for everyone, but it's well worth it if you're serious about barbecue, making cheese, or boiling sugar for candy. The cable is heat resistant to over 700°F so there's no reason to think that this model won't last a lifetime. Several years later, our ChefAlarm is still working like new, despite being used in the rain and subjecting it to hours in the sun at 90-plus degree weather. Since it aced every single one of our tests, this probe thermometer was a no-brainer choice for our Best Overall.

Pros

  • Accurate

  • Easy to read

  • Adjustable alarm volume

Cons

  • None that we could find

Buy now at ThermoWorks
Credit: Reviewed.com/Lindsay D. Mattison
Best Value
ThermoWorks DOT

The ThermoWorks DOT does one thing and one thing only: It alerts you when your food reaches the target temperature. It doesn't have a timer or any fancy bells and whistles. In fact, it only has three buttons: Increase temperature, decrease temperature, and an on/off button that doubles as the backlight button. That being said, this probe thermometer is accurate, fast, and easy to read. Like the ChefAlarm, the cable is heat resistant to up to 700° F and it's long enough to reach the furthest point in our grill. It can stand up on the counter, it has a magnet that will stick itself to the grill, or you can buy an accessory clip to attach it to the side of your pot.

We found the DOT to be just as accurate as our top winner, but its lower price tag makes it more attractive for cooks who just want to measure temperatures. Because of that, this one landed itself as our Best Value.

Pros

  • Fast

  • Easy to read

  • Heat-resistant cable

Cons

  • Limited functionality

Buy now at ThermoWorks
The Meater Plus storage case.
Credit: Reviewed / Monica Petrucci

The Meater Plus comes in a sleekly designed charging box that can be stored right on the fridge.

Best Wireless
Meater Plus

If you already love using your smartphone to control household items like refrigerators and coffee machines, you'll love using the Bluetooth-enabled Meater Plus.

This wireless probe thermometer connects to a smartphone app via Bluetooth or WiFi. That means no wires to fuss with! When the probe is inserted into the meat, the tip measures the meat’s internal temperature while the end of the probe monitors the ambient grill or oven temperature.

All the information is recorded on the user-friendly app, and an algorithm calculates the estimated cook time once you set your target temperature. Past cooking sessions and graphs are also available for viewing. And there are a plethora of built-in recipes to guide you through perfectly cooked salmon, lamb, or brisket that will really impress your guests.

One downside of the wireless design is that the probe can't be used for making cheese or candy, since there's no wire. And while the app’s range is greatly extended with the Meater Plus compared to the original Meater (over 165 feet versus 30 feet), we found that the range doesn't actually reach as far as is promised. So don't venture too far while you're waiting for your food to be ready.

Read the full Meater Plus review.

Pros

  • App can estimate cooking times

  • Wireless probe

Cons

  • Range isn't as long as advertised

Buy now at Amazon

Other Probe Thermometers We Tested

Product image of ThermoWorks Smoke X2
ThermoWorks Smoke X2

We’ve tested several ThermoWorks products over the years, and they continue to impress. The Smoke X Long-Range Wireless BBQ Alarm Thermometer certainly doesn’t come cheap, but it’s our top choice for grill enthusiasts. Like the ChefAlarm, the Smoke X can track high- and low-alarms, but it doesn’t have a timer.

It also doesn’t come with a clip, but it is rated for indoor use for making cheese, candy, or measuring deep-fryer oil.

The real benefit of the Smoke X is the wireless receiver. Walk away from the grill, and the receiver will maintain a connection to the base unit up to 6,562 feet (1.24-mile) line-of-sight distance. The receiver did become slightly out of sync when we moved over 200 feet from the base, but it only lagged behind a few degrees. Connect the unit to the Billows BBQ Temp Control Fan, and it can control the temperatures of a charcoal grill, turning it into a set-it-and-forget-it device.

Pros

  • Accurate

  • Long-distance wireless receiver

Cons

  • No timer

Buy now at ThermoWorks
Product image of Weber Connect Smart Grilling Hub
Weber Connect Smart Grilling Hub

All things considered, we were pretty pleased with the Weber 3201 Connect Smart Grilling Hub’s performance. This smartphone-capable probe has four probe channels, including one that lets you view the ambient temperature inside the grill.

Connect the hub to the app via WiFi or Bluetooth, choose from several built-in cooking programs or manual set the target temperature, and you can monitor the cooking activity from afar.

The product had some quirks, and we’re hoping Weber continues to make updates to their app, but the thermometer itself performed as well as many of the other models in our test group.

Check out our full review of the Weber Connect Smart Grilling Hub to learn more.

Pros

  • Easy to connect

  • Rechargeable battery

  • Remembers your settings

Cons

  • Display is finicky

  • It can’t be calibrated

  • Slow to read temperatures

$129.30 from Amazon

$139.99 from Best Buy

$98.00 from Walmart
Product image of ThermoPro TP20
ThermoPro TP20

If you need a thermometer that has more than one probe and you want to monitor the temperature remotely without any fancy apps or gadgets, look to the ThermoPro TP20 Wireless Remote Digital Meat Thermometer with Dual Probe.

It comes with two pieces: a probe base and a wireless transmitter. After you stick your meat with the probe, you can walk away with the transmitter—which still worked when I was 100 feet away in the house—and it will alert you when your smoked food is finished.

The display numbers are smaller than some of the other products, but it has a nice backlight and a clear, loud alarm. The only problems we found is that this model doesn't have any magnets and it chews through batteries faster than we expected.

Pros

  • Good backlight

  • Loud and clear alarm

  • Includes remote readout device

Cons

  • Uses batteries quickly

  • No magnets included

Buy now at Amazon
Product image of ThermoPro TP-16
ThermoPro TP-16

The ThermoPro TP-16 Large LCD Digital Meat Thermometer is a great little budget thermometer. It's small but the display numbers are large enough to see from across the kitchen. It's quick and easy to set the target temperature, and it even comes with a few preset temperatures (which, I would completely ignore unless you want seriously overcooked meat).

The readings are accurate and it has a magnet that can attach to the side of the grill or smoker. Our only complaint is there's no way to prop this model up to see it on the countertop. That aside, if you're looking for a probe thermometer for under $20, this is the one to get.

Pros

  • Large display numbers

  • Easy to set

  • Magnet included

Cons

  • Doesn't prop up for countertop use

Buy now at Amazon
Product image of Polder 362-90
Polder 362-90

We love that you can use the Polder 362-90 Digital In-Oven Thermometer/Timer as a cooking timer and a probe thermometer, but unfortunately, it missed the mark a bit as a thermometer.

We liked that the magnet on the back was strong enough to clip onto the side of our grill and smoker, and it was nice that this product also has a tilting screen if you want to set it up on the countertop. The numbers are nice and large on the display and the timer can be heard from across the room. But, compared to the other thermometers, it's slow to read and not quite as accurate.

Pros

  • Includes timer

  • Includes magnet

  • Screen tilts

Cons

  • Slow

  • Not as accurate as others we tested

Buy now at Amazon

$36.70 from Walmart

How We Tested Probe Thermometers

Credit: Reviewed.com/Lindsay D. Mattison

The Tester

Hi, I’m Lindsay Mattison, a trained professional chef and barbecue enthusiast. There’s nothing I love more than throwing a tough cut of meat like pork shoulder or brisket onto the smoker and watching the transformation. All it needs to do is hit the right temperature and it magically turns into a shreddable, melt-in-your-mouth tender meal.

I gained the confidence to cook these kinds of meats because of a good probe thermometer that precisely and accurately alerts me when the meat is finished. I’d love to help you do the same!

The Tests

After selecting top-rated wired and wireless probe thermometers, we put them through a series of tests to see if they would earn our seal of approval. We were looking for thermometers that were accurate, fast, and easy to use.

Accuracy is the most important aspect of any thermometer. You need to be able to trust that your food is the temperature it says, otherwise there’s no point in using a thermometer at all! We dropped the thermometers in ice water to make sure they read 32° F before testing them in boiling water (which should register 212° F at sea level, or 200.5° F at my elevation).

Next up were our speed tests. Speed isn’t as important for a probe thermometer as it is for an instant-read thermometer, but it still gives us a good indicator at how well-constructed the product is. We clocked the speed at which each probe measured ice and boiling water and averaged the results.

Finally, a probe thermometer is no good if it’s not easy to use. We stuck the probes in a pork loin and threw it in the smoker. We tried to set the target temperatures without consulting the manual and listened to make sure the alarm was loud enough to hear. If the probe was a wireless model, we assessed whether the sync was intuitive and how far it would work away from the probe itself.

What You Should Know About Probe Thermometers

Unlike instant-read thermometers, probe thermometers are designed to monitor real-time internal temperatures. They’re inserted into the thickest part of the meat while it’s still raw, allowing you to pinpoint the exact moment your food reaches its ideal temperature. It’s a fool-proof way to ensure you don’t accidentally overcook a chicken in a moment of distraction, and it’s almost essential for low-and-slow cooking projects like smoked brisket.

The wires are usually designed to withstand hot oven and grill temperatures. Most probe thermometers have a magnet that can attach to the side of a grill, and some also come with a clip that allows you to use them when making cheese, candy, or measuring deep-fryer oil temperatures.

Many models only have one probe channel and require your presence to view the temperature data. Others are wireless, using Bluetooth or WiFi to connect to your smartphone via an app, or use a wireless remote to allow you to view the temperature remotely.

Choosing the Right Probe Thermometer

There are a few things to consider when picking up a probe thermometer. If you do a lot of backyard grilling or smoking, you may want a base unit that has multiple channels to monitor several different roasts at once. Some models are even compatible with ambient temperature probes, allowing you to measure the temp inside the grill.

From there, think about the functionality you need. Do you need a probe with a built-in timer? Or the ability to set a high- and low-temperature alarm? That might be helpful in recipes that call for increasing or decreasing the oven or grill temperature during certain cooking periods. Will you need to monitor the temperature from afar? This functionality is fantastic for long-cooking items like pulled pork and brisket, so you can go inside and still hear the alarm when it sounds. Are graphs, cooking tutorials, and advanced data collection important to you? A probe thermometer with a smartphone app might be right for you.

Finally, the ability to calibrate a thermometer is a serious bonus. Accuracy tends to creep as the probe ages, and being able to reset the thermometer keeps you from spending extra money. The only probes we tested that had calibration functionality were from ThermoWorks, but many companies sell replacement probes that aren’t too expensive.

Meet the tester

Lindsay D. Mattison

Lindsay D. Mattison

Professional Chef

@linzdmattison

Lindsay is a professional chef, recipe developer, writer, and developmental editor. After years of working in restaurant kitchens, she turned to writing to share her passion for local, organic, and seasonal ingredients with home cooks and food enthusiasts.

See all of Lindsay D. Mattison's reviews

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