Which bbq thermometer should I choose for my kamado?
The right thermometer mainly depends on your budget and the type of cook. An analogue meter is cheap but less accurate, a digital pen thermometer is fast but less suited to low and slow, and bluetooth or wifi thermometers give you more convenience and remote control, at a higher price.
- Analogue meter: cheap, but less accurate
- Digital pen thermometer: fast, mainly suited to short grill sessions
- Bluetooth thermometer: accurate and suited to low and slow
- Wifi thermometer: the ultimate gadget, some even control the temperature
- First decide your budget, then look for the right meter
Measuring is knowing, that's what counts with a bbq thermometer. But which one should I get? There are so many different meters, analogue, digital, wireless, bluetooth, wifi. You can make it as fancy and as expensive as you like. You can even buy thermometers that also control the temperature in your kamado bbq.
In this blog we'll gladly explain which thermometer is best for you.
DECIDE YOUR BUDGET
We could of course go straight ahead and recommend the best and most expensive one, but if your budget doesn't allow for that, it's a wasted effort. We might tempt you with lots of nice features, but then the price comes and you back out. So first decide what you want to spend, and search for the right thermometer for your bbq based on your budget
ANALOGUE METERS
Cheap and effective
The cheapest solution is the analogue meter, a kind of clock that measures the core temperature of your dish. You stick the metal pin into your meat, wait a few seconds until the dial stays roughly still and read off the temperature.
- Cheap
- Not very accurate
- No ambient temperature
DIGITAL PEN THERMOMETER
Accurate and fast
The digital pen thermometer is fast and effective, you stick it into your dish just like the analogue meter, and know within a few seconds how your dish is doing. That said, this thermometer is less suited to long low and slow cooks. To read the core temperature you have to open the lid of your kamado bbq, and that means losing heat every time.
- Cheap
- Works fast
- Suited to quick grilling cooks
- Charging the battery or a new one
- Less suited to long low and slow cooks
DIGITAL THERMOMETER BLUETOOTH
Handy gadget
In the world of bluetooth thermometers there's quite a lot to find. Why would you get a bluetooth meter?
- If you're a gadget freak
- If you want certainty about your cooking temperature
- Fun gadget
- Accurate
- Suited to low and slow
- Limited range to smartphone
- Constantly checking your phone
- Needs charging
DIGITAL THERMOMETER WIFI
The ultimate gadget
As with any hobby, or any job, you can make it as fancy and as expensive as you like. The same goes for barbecuing. A wifi thermometer is therefore a handy tool that helps you perfect your bbq cooks down to the last detail. There are even wifi thermometers with a fan that let you not only measure the temperature, but also control it.
- The ultimate BBQ Gadget
- Certainty about temperature
- And even certainty about constant temperature control
- Fun gadget
- Accurate
- Suited to low and slow
- Good range
- Always and everywhere insight into temperature
- Pricey
- Constantly checking your phone
- Needs charging
- Needs to be set up on wifi network and smartphone
