Everyone has a preference when grilling their meat. Some like their steaks well done while others still want it red inside. In order to please everyone at your backyard barbecue, buying the best thermometer for grilling will make your job much easier.
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Steaks, roasts, burgers, poultry, pork, and more will be cooked perfect when you have an accurate thermometer to measure the internal temperature of your foods. Your meat and food will taste much better when you know when to take them off the grill and when they need more time to cook.
A proper meat thermometer for grilling is the only reliable way to be sure your meat is not only cooked to choice, but is not undercooked, allowing bacteria, salmonella, or e. coli. to be present!
Read on for reviews of our top picks for grilling thermometers!
Contents
BRAND | Image | Use | BATTERY | WARRANTY |
#1 Best ChoiceThermoPro TP-16 | BBQ, Oven, Smoker, Candy, Meat, and Food | 1 – AAA Battery Included | 1 Year Warranty Upon Purchase/3 Year Warranty After Registration | |
#2 Weber 6492 | Gas and Charcoal Grills | 1 LR44 Battery Included | 2 Year Warranty | |
#3 Ivation Long Range Wireless Thermometer | BBQ, Smoker, Grill, and Oven | 4 – AAA Batteries per unit Not Included | 1 Year Warranty | |
#4 GDEALER Instant Read Thermometer Super Fast | Grill Cooking, Meat, Kitchen use, Candy | AAA 1.5V Battery Included | Lifetime Warranty | |
# 5 Instant Read Digital Meat Thermometer | BBQ Grill, Smoker, Candy, Kitchen Oven and Cooking | 1 AAA Battery Included | 90 Day Manufacturer Warranties |
ThermoPro TP-16 Large LCD Digital
The ThermoPro TP-16 food thermometer is a great tool for the amateur griller or the experienced Grillmaster! In fact, you can become the Grillmaster when you use an internal thermometer to keep track of the temperature of your food when grilling.
The large LCD display provides accurate and fast temperature readings from the 6.5″ food grade STEP-DOWN stainless steel probe. Included on this thermometer is a timer and preset temperatures for foods at recommended cooking levels for Poultry, Beef Well, Veal/Pork, Beef Medium, Ham, and Beef Rare/Fish.
There’s a flip stand to place this thermometer on your counter for kitchen use or on your grill-side table for barbecuing.
It’s also magnetic so you can attach it to the side of your grill. A 40″ stainless steel mesh cable connects the thermometer to the base and both the probe and cable can withstand temperatures up to 716°F. We made this thermometer our top pick because of its versatility and easy set timer to help you be the very best grill cook!
Weber 6492 Original Instant-Read Thermometer
This Weber Instant Read Thermometer is convenient and accurate. It has an easy to read digital display and works great for gas and charcoal grills.
The head swivels and rotates to make it easy to see no matter what angle you use to read the meat temperature. When not using, it has an auto shut-off to save battery life.
A grill thermometer is a great alternative to slicing your food to check the doneness inside. Taking the internal temperature is the only sure way to know if your food is ready.
Weber has been making grills and grilling accessories for years and this Instant Read Thermometer makes grilling a snap!
Pros
- Temperature range of 32 to 446 degrees F
- Accurate internal temperature in 10 seconds or less
- Display rotates for easy viewing
- Comes with a protective sleeve for the probe
Cons
- Customers had problems with the battery getting corroded or not sitting tight enough in the battery compartment.
Ivation Long Range Wireless Thermometer
Ivation’s Ultimate Long-Range Wireless Meat Thermometer is second generation and includes new features such as its new antenna that has a wireless range up to an amazing 325 feet way!
You can be away from your grill visiting guests and always know the temperature of your food. If you move out of range, the loss-of-signal sounds an audible alarm after 60 seconds.
This handy remote grilling thermometer includes two probes made from stainless steel so you can keep track of two food items at the same time. Or, you can use one of the probes to keep an eye on the temperature inside of the grill and also watch a food temperature.
Ivation includes15 preset temperatures for meat and game meats like beef, veal, chicken, pork, deer, buffalo, rabbit, and fish or seafood. You can also create your own custom temperatures for particular foods.
This is a great grilling thermometer with many great options!
Pros
- Wireless range is 325 feet!
- Each probe features a 3-foot wire
- The probes are 6″ each
- Wires can tolerate temperature up to 716°F
- Transmitter is weather resistant
Cons
- Although this thermometer is great for grilling, customers found the temperatures were not as accurate as they’d like.
GDEALER Instant Read Thermometer
This is a simple to use grilling thermometer; open and insert the probe into your food and in a few seconds the LCD screen will display the temperature.
This GDEALER thermometer is accurate to plus or minus 1F and can measure a wide range of temperatures. It makes a perfect accessory for grilling on your gas or charcoal barbecue or when using a turkey fryer. An auto shut-off will turn the thermometer off after 10 minutes of no use to save battery life. The probe is made from stainless steel and is easy to clean.
The plastic case is food-safe ABS plastic. A switch under the battery cover allows you to set the temperature reading to Fahrenheit or Celsius. There’s a handy meat temperature chart on the thermometer case and we liked the small size!
Pros
- Digital readout within 4-6 seconds for meat and 4-20 seconds for liquid
- Auto Shut-off and HOLD
- Large LCD display
- Wide Temperature Range of -58℉ to 572℉
- Thermometer is waterproof
Cons
- According to several customers, tends to stop working after a month.
Instant Read Digital Meat Thermometer – Ultra Fast Electronic BBQ and Kitchen Food Thermometer
Palermo is a family operated company and is so sure of their Meat Thermometer they will completely replace it within 45 days of purchase if you’re not satisfied.
This precise thermometer reads the internal temperature of your meats and foods within 4 seconds and displays it on the easy to read screen. It’s a great tool for grilling, baking, cooking a roast in the oven, and making candy. This handy thermometer was featured on the morning shows for NBC, CBS, and FOX news.
Palermo made this probe with a slim profile so when inserted in your food, it leaves an almost unnoticeable mark while still measuring temperatures with accuracy. This thermometer folds up, using little storage space in your kitchen or patio barbecue storage cabinet.
Pros
- Accurate temperature reading within 4 seconds
- Choose between Fahrenheit or Celsius
- Auto-off function is triggered when the probe is closed
- One AAA battery will last up to 4,000 hours of continuous use
Cons
- Users did not like how the temperature fluctuated while using.
Can a Grilling Thermometer Really Help?
A grill thermometer has many valuable uses from keeping track of how fast your food is cooking to knowing when it’s at the perfect temperature. It’s almost as important and forks and knives. If you want your food to be safe, tender, juicy, and bursting with flavor, temperature is everything! Knowing the right temperatures for the food you’re grilling is at the basis of being a good barbecue grill cook.
Just about all barbecue teams that are competing for prizes have a digital meat thermometer in their hand! They keep the food from being dry and overcooked or so undercooked, food borne illness is a risk.
Benefits of a Digital Meat Thermometer
Often backyard barbecue cooks will cut their meat to test if it is done. But the color isn’t actually accurate. The color is affected by the meat absorbing oxygen, so it’s not an accurate way to check for proper cooking time. And it disfigures your food for serving aesthetics!
Most meats like beef will continue to cook for 10 minutes extra even after it’s removed from the grill. Let the meat rest and remove it when the grilling thermometer reads 10 degrees less than desired. This allows the meat to finish getting to the right doneness and lets the juices distribute evenly.
Where to Place the Meat Thermometer
It’s best to insert your digital meat thermometer through the side of your food for the most accurate reading. Be sure not to place the probe up against bone or any inside stuffing. We like the flexibility of the Weber 6492 Original Instant-Read Thermometer with its rotating display.
For chicken, place the probe in the thickest part of the meat.
For a whole chicken or turkey, place the probe in the inner thigh near the breast.
Insert in the side for ground beef patties.
For steaks or pork chops, insert the probe in the center and thickest part of the meat away from bone and fat.
A Digital Grilling Thermometer is Your Best BBQ Tool
As you’ve seen, a great digital thermometer like our top pick, the ThermoPro TP-16 Large LCD Digital Cooking Food Meat Thermometer for Smoker Oven Kitchen BBQ Grill, is a necessary grilling tool and one that will enhance your grilling skills.
It’s not the best to leave your food and meat to chance when checking to see if it’s cooked. You don’t want to cause illness with undercooked food and you certainly want to make your guests and family happy with meat grilled to their preference! No more hamburgers that taste like hockey pucks and no more steaks with red throughout; the best thermometer for grilling is a click away! Choose one of our favorites and be on your way to the family’s own Grillmaster!