# Thermometer Opinions



## bunky (Aug 23, 2007)

My SnP doesn't have a temp gauge in the cooking area, so I was thinking of buying one, I also need a Meat thermometer,  and was looking at digitals,  and have a few people tell me about the Maverick ET-73 , So know I'm thinking 

Should I just buy the Maverick for the same or a little less money as a digital and  a  temp gauge???

What would others do??


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## shellbellc (Aug 23, 2007)

I have the Maverick that has the two probes, one for the meat one for the grill temp...best of both worlds!


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## hawgheaven (Aug 23, 2007)

I'd go with the Maverick ET-73. In my case, I have a Char-Griller w/sfb; I installed a temp guage at either end of the lid, plus I use my ET-73. I know my grate temps at both ends and in the middle...


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## crewdawg52 (Aug 25, 2007)

Just a suggestion, but look at Tel-Tru thermometers at www.teltru.com and click on bbq thermometers (for pits/smokers, anywhere from $15 to $50)  and Acu-Rite probe thermometers ( for meats for about $15.  can find in any grocery stores).


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## bunky (Aug 26, 2007)

Well I ordered me a Maverick Et 73 today..   $44 dollars shipped..  Can't wait to try it out...


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## ajthepoolman (Aug 26, 2007)

I have an Accurite which straight out of the box was defective.  The display just read "Hi".  I don't think it was just greeting me.  Anyway, they sent me a replacement probe in no time.  And I have used it ever since.

I just bought a Taylor at Wal-Mart tonight and was shocked to find out that there is no "On/Off" switch!  It has alarms, temp settings, and all that jazz, but to turn it off you have to remove the battery.  Kind of ticked me off that they wouldn't put a simple switch on it to kill power and conserve the battery.


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## gypsyseagod (Aug 26, 2007)

i got a cheap(18.95) taylor 1471/808 from lowe's- to turn it off just hold the  start/stop button for 3 secs. i was impulse shopping & the wife said i done good for going into a hardware store & not spending $200 on "man stuff"....
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






 course i went back the next day "just to look" & my car picked up a slicer... hehe - good car.


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## hillbillysmoker (Aug 26, 2007)

I have the Maverick 73 also. A great thermometer but don't expect the 100' advertised remote distance.


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## chris_harper (Aug 26, 2007)

gsg, is that the red "weekend warrior" one they have? i saw it there yesterday. my local Target* store has them too. 

*Target is kinda like a regular Wal-Mart- except it has a few grocery items- no meat, except the canned stuff.


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## mossymo (Aug 26, 2007)

I have 2 digital Pampered Chef thermometers with meat probes and alarms and also a digital Redi Check Smoker thermometer with meat and rack probes and alarms, this one also has the remote. Been happy with each of them, the remote with alarm is nice for taking a nap during the overnight smokes !!!


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## pescadero (Sep 5, 2007)

I recently bought a Taylor, single probe digital.  I brought it home and gave it the boiling water test.  I put a pan of water on the stove.  I dropped in two separate dial meat thermometers that I had used for standard oven and rotisserie cooking.  I also put the Taylor probe in the water.  At tap temperature the two dial thermos read the same and the Taylor was a couple of degrees low.  I turned on the stove and the water started to warm.  The dial thermos continued to run close to each other, never getting more than one or two degrees above or below each other.  The Taylor continued to be outside their range.  Initially a couple of degrees low but it got increasingly lower as the temp climbed.  When the water started to boil the dial thermos said 210-213F.  The Taylor said 201F.  I let the boil get as high and rapid as possible.  The dials stayed in their range, between 210 and 215F.  After several minutes the Taylor finally climbed to 205F, but bobbled between 204-205, back and forth.

I called the Taylor factory and talked to a customer service person.  They looked up my model.  There was a temperature deviation chart that went along with it.  At lower temps the established(read that acceptable to them) variance was a couple of degrees As you went higher, say 100F it was 3-4 degrees, at 150F it was 5-6 degrees etc.  Finally at over 200F it was plus or minus 11 degrees.  

So, by their own estimation the best this thermometer would do is give me plus or minus 11 degrees.  That is a possibility of 22 degrees.  Unfortunately, that was totally acceptable to them.  In fact, to keep the cost down, that is all the closer the engineers designed this model.  Kind of hard to get your Brisket or your ribs right with as much as 22 degrees variance.

I let Taylor know how disappointed I was.  They offered to send me a new one, but said mine was working within established and acceptable  norms and that there was absolutely nothing wrong with it.  They went on to say that if they did send another, it would perform to those same acceptable(to them), variances.  They went on to say that all of their thermometers had variance charts like this.  It is just that the more expensive, the lower the variances.

Question:  Have any of you done this similar test to the Maverick ET-73?  If so,  how did yours hold up to the boiling water test?  

I need to switch from this Taylor and move to something more accurate.  Many of you seem to really like this model of Maverick.  I just  don't want to buy another mistake.  Thanks for your input.

Skip


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## gypsyseagod (Sep 5, 2007)

yeah- thats all there was in town, but mine is accurate to w/in 2 degrees-maybe i just got a good 1.


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## pescadero (Sep 7, 2007)

A couple days ago I posted to this thread, regarding my troubles with the Taylor probe thermometer.  _[That post is just a couple ahead of this one]_  Not satisfied with the answers I had received and posted here, I decided to double check by calling their engineering department, today.  It wasn't a mistake.  I received the same information from engineering.  I asked if I was willing to pay the price, did they have any model that would give me better accuracy.  They took a few minutes and confirmed that every probe thermometer they make has the same 11-12 degree variance.  Today, I took mine back for a full refund.

Next, I called Maverick.  I contacted their engineering department.  Here, I was told that the all their probe thermometers were based on the same internal component.  They went on to say that the ET-7, ET-73 and their other probe styled thermometers will give accuracy, within 2 degrees, throughout the cooking heat ranges.  Today, I ordered my ET-73.

Skip


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## Deer Meat (Sep 7, 2007)

I have been using an ET-73 for a while now and have no problems with the temperature. When I received it the first thing i did was the boiling water test. It gave me a consistent 213Â° reading, which I was happy with. There a re a few problems I have though, the 100' range I have never been able to obtain, and the switch on the remote is hard to turn on and off. I have to use a bent paperclip. I stick it beside the switch to turn it on, if not the switch just bends and will not click to the on position. And the third thing I do not like is having to pop off the stand and take the cover off the transmiter to turn it on and off everytime. But besides these few minor things the thermometer works flawlessly. I would buy another one.


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## crewdawg52 (Sep 7, 2007)

Ordered a Tel-Tru thermometer for the BDS.  When it came, I did the boil test with it, my Acurite, and my ET-73.  All three were within 3* of each other at the boil.  Case in point, the acurite is $15 at darn near any grocery store, the ET -73 is around $45.  Yeah, the Acurite is not a remote, but I know when the temp is approaching the desired setting so as to keep an eye on things (usually watching the idiot box with the other eye looking outside).


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## db bbq (Sep 7, 2007)

I have a Maverick ET-72 that I have been using for a couple years with no problems, I am usually within the 100' remote distance so not much trouble there either...but I am looking @ purchasing at least one dual probe for those multiple meat smokes....(Moving the single probe around all the time is getting old!!!!!)


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## ron50 (Sep 7, 2007)

I have had good success with my Maverick Et-73. The smoker temp is dead on with the temp on smoker's thermometer and the meat probe was 211-213 when I checked it in boiling water.


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## pescadero (Sep 7, 2007)

Hey guys, thanks for the input.

Sounds like I will be happy making the switch.  

They said up to 10 biz days before I get it, so will have to wait.  Soon as it gets in, I'll give it the boiling water test and post the results.

Thanks again,

Skip


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## pescadero (Sep 20, 2007)

On 9/5, I posted regarding the troubles I was having with the Taylor Meat probe. On 9/7, I made a followup post, after talking with the Taylor factory. I returned my Taylor for a refund and ordered a Maverick ET-73. Just received the Maverick and ran the boiling water test on it. I started with room temprature water, at which time the two probes were one degree apart. I turned on the burner and watched the tempratures climb, recording the readings as they progressed.

#1 #2 Diff
59 58 -1
79 75 -4
83 81 -2
100 99 -1
109 106 -3
120 116 -4
125 125 Even
138 140 +2
145 149 +4
152 155 +3
160 163 +3
172 175 +3
179 182 +3
189 193 +4
197 199 +2
205 206 +1
211 210 -1 (First sign of bubbles)
212 212 Even (Full Boil)

You will see that until 125F the Food probe was running slightly lower than the Oven probe. Above 125F this situation reversed itself and the Food probe ran slightly higher. There was never more than 4 degrees difference, however. 

The next to last reading (211F vs. 210F) is when I saw the first hint of a few bubbles boiling up to hit the surface, but it was not a true boil. Within seconds the water was at Full Boil and the last reading shows that both thermometers stabilized at 212F. I let the pot boil for another 2-3 minutes to see what would happen and both probes continued to show 212F.


I have not cooked/smoked with it so don't know how it will measure up to the GOSM door thermometer. They will probably differ quite a bit. They usually do. Regardless, I have much more confidence in the ET-73 than I ever did with the Taylor.


Skip


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## sqwib (Oct 5, 2007)

Donâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t mean to HiJack this thread but wanted to know, Can you stick the magnetic type Taylor thermometers directly onto the smoker or will it get too hot?

Bunky, I just purchased the Taylor and it seems fine, Have used a similar Pyrex one for grilling and that seemed fine until the wifey left it outside for a couple of weeks.

I now keep the Taylor Hidden for smoking only in my Secret Smoke Box


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## smokin for life (Oct 5, 2007)

I have the E-7... and also the E-73. the last time I use the both of them together and found out that's not a good idea. I was using the 73 for meat temps. and the 7 for smoker temp. I couldn't understand why the temp on the smoker one  (7) was so far off the temp. gauge on the door of the smoker. Around 15 degree's. It turns out that they both share the same frequency. When I finished the one meat I pulled out the probe and took it out of the transmitter. But the #2 showed the temp of the smoker
even though  there wasn't a probe in the hole on the transmitter. The probe reading was comming from the probe on the Maverick-7.


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