# Sources for Thermapens



## rabbithutch (Apr 4, 2015)

Can anyone suggest places to purchase a Thermapen?  I've been jonesing for one for awhile now and seem always to miss the bargains.  I thought Todd J. sold them on his web site but I could not find them listed there.  Amazon has them.  Are there other sources?


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## dirtsailor2003 (Apr 4, 2015)

You have to go direct to thermapen. You may also want to look at Thermawand Lava Tools. There's a thread here that I started. $25 and works just as good as far as I'm concerned. 













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## rabbithutch (Apr 4, 2015)

Thank you, DirtSailor!  

I will look into it.  The price sure is sweeter.  Giving up a little time to stabilize a reading is a small price to pay.  I always test my thermos with the boiling water ice bath protocol anyway.

Thanks again!


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## jammo (Apr 4, 2015)

If you want in on the thermapen sales you need to go to their website and sign up for email from them. To purchase from their private sales you follow the link from the email.


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## dirtsailor2003 (Apr 4, 2015)

rabbithutch said:


> Thank you, DirtSailor!
> 
> I will look into it.  The price sure is sweeter.  Giving up a little time to stabilize a reading is a small price to pay.  I always test my thermos with the boiling water ice bath protocol anyway.
> 
> Thanks again!



I was skeptical at first, but it is spot on and it reads fast. I really didn't think I'd use it much, but I've been using it all the time.


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## dward51 (Apr 4, 2015)

Thermopen is the way to go. Worth every penny. Also members usually post their sales in SMF as well.

Watch for the "open box" sale.  They sell what is called open box items, but everyone I know got theirs in a factory sealed blister pack (ie, brand new).  I think they just call it that.

Remember, orange is the fastest.....


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## dirtsailor2003 (Apr 4, 2015)

dward51 said:


> Thermopen is the way to go.



Please explain why the Thermopen is the way to go? Per spec it's only 1 second faster than the Thermowand from Lava Tools. Temp ranges are nearly identical. Is the Thermapenpen really worth the $75 more than the Thermowand? 

If I wasn't so cheap I'd buy one to do a side by side comparison. I research the snot out of stuff before I buy anything. I couldn't find anything that would have enticed me to purchase the Thermapen at the higher price over the Thermowand. I looked at the Thermapen for three years trying to justify the expense. Never could as I already had therms that worked perfectly fine. When I saw the Thermowand it was a no brainer. And it has worked flawlessly and is spot on. Another plus is it had free shipping through Amazon Prime. Just saying before you say Thermapen is the way to go be able to have facts to back it up against the other options.


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## ironhorse07 (Apr 4, 2015)

I have just purchased direct from Thermoworks. Like what was mentioned earlier sign up for email and the open box sale. I bought one of those about 3 years ago and it works flawless (orange too) the thing with the open box is you don't get a choice of color. But it was about 10 or 15 bucks cheaper than the one I bought full price. The problem with signing up for their email is they have too much cool stuff.


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## dward51 (Apr 4, 2015)

Ok, let me revise my comment.

Thermopen is a well known and proven product.  I have one, and if it ever craps out will buy another.  However, as Dirtsailor indicated, there are other new products available which are much less in cost that may suit your needs and be very close in performance.  I've not looked at the Thermowand, and my comment was not meant to indicate the Thermopen is a better product as I have nothing to compare.

I was making a general comment about the thermopen, and I do see Dirtsailor's point.  In retrospect, I could have reflected this better in my comment, which was that Themopen's "in general" are a great product.

The "fastest" comment is basically a running joke among thermopen owners, and I also see where that could be confusing to someone who was not familiar with that fact.

The open box sales vary.  Sometimes they have dang near every color available (but may be in limited quantities per color), other times it seems they only have one or two colors.  When I bought mine they had a wide range of choices.  I went with orange because I figured I could see it where I sat it down (getting older). If I got a camouflage one i would never be able to find it


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## daricksta (Apr 5, 2015)

rabbithutch said:


> Can anyone suggest places to purchase a Thermapen? I've been jonesing for one for awhile now and seem always to miss the bargains. I thought Todd J. sold them on his web site but I could not find them listed there. Amazon has them. Are there other sources?


I bought my wife a ThermoPop directly from Thermapen. It was a great price and they shipped very quickly. Check the site out because they're frequently running closeout sales on Thermapens of unpopular colors, ThermoPops, or other therms of theirs.


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## rabbithutch (Apr 5, 2015)

I have taken the advice to subscribe to the Thermopen Works web site to receive email notifications of specials.

Being the cheapskate retiree that I am, however, I ordered the Thermowand by Lava Tool recommended by dirtsailor.  I might well buy a Thermopen at some future date, but for now I'm going to give the Thermowand a try.

I have and like the Maverick ET-73 and ET-733 but there are times when I want to check internal temp of smaller pieces or multiple pieces of meat instead of monitoring smoker and meat temperature as I do with the Mavericks.  The Thermowand is intended for that situation.

Thank you all for your advice.


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## WaterinHoleBrew (Apr 5, 2015)

dirtsailor2003 said:


> You have to go direct to thermapen. You may also want to look at Thermawand Lava Tools. There's a thread here that I started. $25 and works just as good as far as I'm concerned.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Just like Case, I have the thermowand as well & have really liked it !


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## dirtsailor2003 (Apr 5, 2015)

rabbithutch said:


> I have taken the advice to subscribe to the Thermopen Works web site to receive email notifications of specials.
> 
> Being the cheapskate retiree that I am, however, I ordered the Thermowand by Lava Tool recommended by dirtsailor.  I might well buy a Thermopen at some future date, but for now I'm going to give the Thermowand a try.
> 
> ...



I hope it works for you as good as mine has for me. If you have problems you should be good to go, because as the package says, Lifetime guarantee!


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## daricksta (Apr 6, 2015)

I started reading good reviews of Thermowands after I'd already bought a CDN knockoff of the Thermapen for myself and a ThermoPop for my wife. I really like the CDN, which costs less than a Thermapen but more than a Thermowand. These two therms are primarily kitchen therms. For smoking I use my trusty ET-733. For grilling I use my Maverick LT03 Wireless Infrared Surface Laser Thermometer Gun which can be also used (very quickly) to check the interior temp of an MES. You just need to immediately aim and pull the trigger after you open the door before too much heat escapes.


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## fwismoker (Apr 6, 2015)

Got a thermowand as well....works for me


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## bruno994 (Apr 6, 2015)

I'm a Thermapen guy (blue, because it's the fastest), but I would have tried out the Thermawand first if I had researched it because I like cheap things.  Thermapens are kind of a status item out here on the competition trail, common question is what color you got?


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## frog1369 (Apr 6, 2015)

I'm a Thermapen guy, too.  Do I need to be that fast?  Probably not, but an expensive steak can overcook awfully fast when searing at 650+ degrees.  Also, being able to probe multiple locations in a very short time is nice.  Like everything else in life, it's up to you to decide what you want or need.  Here is a short video comparing Thermopen, Thermopop and Lave Wand.


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## daricksta (Apr 7, 2015)

I just conducted a test between my wife's ThermoPop (which I bought her) and my CDN. Dipped both probes into a measuring cup of boiling water. I don't know who ThermoWorks conducts their tests but my CDN beat the crap out of the ThermoPop by at least 5 seconds. I say at least because I didn't time them both since I was holding a probe in each hand. I now suspect the veracity of all ThermoWorks "versus" tests if I could so easily disprove their test results in my kitchen.

Just to confirm my results, I did the test twice and the CDN handily beat the ThermoPop both times. This is the one I proudly own: http://www.cdnw.com/product/proaccurate®-folding-thermocouple-thermometer-red


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## bigd3077 (Apr 7, 2015)

Very interesting. I am in the market for another thermometer . Love my maverick 733 for smoking, but want one for the grill. It's funny, I never used a thermometer before I got my smoker. My buddy makes fun of me cause he "just knows" when his meat done. His last cook he admitted he over did it.  My food has been absolutely perfect.:yahoo:


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## dirtsailor2003 (Apr 7, 2015)

I've never timed the Thermowand until tonight's cook. 3 seconds every time I probed. 













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## WaterinHoleBrew (Apr 7, 2015)

dirtsailor2003 said:


> I've never timed the Thermowand until tonight's cook. 3 seconds every time I probed.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I get 3-4 seconds Case....  Pretty nice for the $25 paid !


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## dirtsailor2003 (Apr 7, 2015)

WaterinHoleBrew said:


> I get 3-4 seconds Case....  Pretty nice for the $25 paid !



I'd agree!


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## welshrarebit (Apr 8, 2015)

I paid $20 for my cosmark therm pen and it takes six seconds to read temps; that is when it works! Yesterday I couldn't get the dang thing to work at all! Today it worked fine... Luckily I borrowed the chefs therm to do my HACCP paperwork...


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## dr k (Apr 8, 2015)

daRicksta said:


> I just conducted a test between my wife's ThermoPop (which I bought her) and my CDN. Dipped both probes into a measuring cup of boiling water. I don't know who ThermoWorks conducts their tests but my CDN beat the crap out of the ThermoPop by at least 5 seconds. I say at least because I didn't time them both since I was holding a probe in each hand. I now suspect the veracity of all ThermoWorks "versus" tests if I could so easily disprove their test results in my kitchen.
> 
> Just to confirm my results, I did the test twice and the CDN handily beat the ThermoPop both times. This is the one I proudly own: http://www.cdnw.com/product/proaccurate®-folding-thermocouple-thermometer-red





dirtsailor2003 said:


> I've never timed the Thermowand until tonight's cook. 3 seconds every time I probed.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


This link below proves there are faster Thermapens than others: 



Some Thermapens read in less than 3 seconds.  Some read in 6 seconds in this test.  Wow some are 1/2 the speed?!  I'll take the light green one not the red one!  That being said.

daRicksta,

The CDN in this speed test doesn't reflect your great experience with your CDN therm.  I believe you.  I have to go with a SMF member because my Thermowand does not take over 8 seconds to go from room temp to 32*F as shown in the speed test from post # 17.  Your test was with hot water and beat the ThermoPop.  I wonder if a test going from room temp to 32*F vs. room temp to boiling would affect speed (sucking the heat out of the probe vs. adding heat to it.)  I use an ice water bath for calibration purposes but don't have applications to use it for cold purposes.

dirtsailor2003,

Our Thermowand package says response time: 4-5 seconds from room to 1*F of boiling water.  Four seconds is where I'm at.  I watched the link I posted several times and wonder if Thermapen has any comments on why their Thermapens in the test aren't consistent.  I would like to see speed tests going from room temp to boiling like the way most of us use therms.  My Thermowand does everything it's said to do (I won't put it in the dishwasher.  As advertised being top rack dishwasher safe.)  If it no longer meets the specifications on the package, then I'll have to exercise the lifetime warranty.  I have 4,000 hours of battery life to find out. LOL

-Kurt


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## daricksta (Apr 8, 2015)

dirtsailor2003 said:


> I've never timed the Thermowand until tonight's cook. 3 seconds every time I probed.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I suspect those Thermapen trials were somehow fudged, especially since you got similar faster results with your Thermowand like I got with my CDN ProAccurate.


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## daricksta (Apr 8, 2015)

Dr K said:


> This link below proves there are faster Thermapens than others:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Dr. K;, believe me, I was cursing my CDN for being so slow after watching the video so I just had to test it against my wife's ThermoPop. As I said, I ran the test twice inserting the probes at the same time. Before insertion into the water, I looked at the ambient air temp displays for each. I can't remember exactly but I think the ThermoPop showed a higher temp display by 2-3 degrees, which is statistically meaningless in my opinion. But it took quite longer for the ThermoPop to catch up to the CDN after latter had stabilized at the water temp. I think both therms displayed the same temp or were within 1 degree of each other. Bottom line is the CDN was much faster. However, I use the ThermoPop a great deal for testing the I/T of smaller cuts of meat like burgers and pork chops so that the insertion holes are smaller.


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## dr k (Apr 8, 2015)

daRicksta said:


> Dr. K;, believe me, I was cursing my CDN for being so slow after watching the video so I just had to test it against my wife's ThermoPop. As I said, I ran the test twice inserting the probes at the same time. Before insertion into the water, I looked at the ambient air temp displays for each. I can't remember exactly but I think the ThermoPop showed a higher temp display by 2-3 degrees, which is statistically meaningless in my opinion. But it took quite longer for the ThermoPop to catch up to the CDN after latter had stabilized at the water temp. I think both therms displayed the same temp or were within 1 degree of each other. Bottom line is the CDN was much faster. However, I use the ThermoPop a great deal for testing the I/T of smaller cuts of meat like burgers and pork chops so that the insertion holes are smaller.


The green Thermapen in the test was reading in less than 3 seconds.  The other Thermapens in 4-6 seconds.  Unknowingly Thermapen showed their product's inconsistencies while comparing it to other therms in this test. LOL  For a $90 therm I can't seem to steer myself clear from this issue when some of the Thermapens take 100% longer than other identical Thermapens tested one right after the other. Some people may think well one or two seconds.  Percentages are everything!  Do people really know what the read speed is if it's longer than 3 seconds but less than 6 seconds?  Probably not.  Just like Dirtsailor said his reading on the Thermowand was in 3 seconds and that was the first time he timed it.  So there you have it everyone.  If all therm readings take at least 3 seconds and yours takes up to 6 seconds, you have a fast therm.  Take your pick Chinese or UK made.  None that are entirely made in the USA that I know of.  Nothing is forever.  So price and warranty are everything.  Too bad Thermapens don't have a lifetime warranty for the money. 

-Kurt


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## daricksta (Apr 9, 2015)

Dr K said:


> The green Thermapen in the test was reading in less than 3 seconds.  The other Thermapens in 4-6 seconds.  Unknowingly Thermapen showed their product's inconsistencies while comparing it to other therms in this test. LOL  For a $90 therm I can't seem to steer myself clear from this issue when some of the Thermapens take 100% longer than other identical Thermapens tested one right after the other. Some people may think well one or two seconds.  Percentages are everything!  Do people really know what the read speed is if it's longer than 3 seconds but less than 6 seconds?  Probably not.  Just like Dirtsailor said his reading on the Thermowand was in 3 seconds and that was the first time he timed it.  So there you have it everyone.  If all therm readings take at least 3 seconds and yours takes up to 6 seconds, you have a fast therm.  Take your pick Chinese or UK made.  None that are entirely made in the USA that I know of.  Nothing is forever.  So price and warranty are everything.  Too bad Thermapens don't have a lifetime warranty for the money.
> 
> -Kurt


So, I wonder which it is: certain colors of Thermapens are faster than others or the faster Thermapens just happen to come in certain colors?

I hate buying Chinese but I thought the CDN was made in Oregon until I read the packaging _after_ I bought it. But the thing is, my Cuisinart kitchen appliances are made in China, my MES 30 smoker is made in China, my flat screen TV and audio system are made in China. Almost everything inside and outside my house is made in China. It's what American industry and politics have done to us. And I'm fully aware that if all that stuff were American or Japanese-made I most likely couldn't afford it. $60 for a CDN was more in my price range than $90 for a Thermapen, sadly.


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## sb59 (Apr 9, 2015)

We could bring manufacturing back to this country but our govt. won't let 10 & 12 year old kids work in factories!

BTW I've given a few Thermawands as gifts! No complaints yet!


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## daricksta (Apr 10, 2015)

SB59 said:


> We could bring manufacturing back to this country but our govt. won't let 10 & 12 year old kids work in factories!
> 
> BTW I've given a few Thermawands as gifts! No complaints yet!


That's what's wrong with this country: we're mollycoddling our youngins!


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## gary s (Apr 10, 2015)

I have a Thermo wand. works great and it was pretty cheap

Gary


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## rabbithutch (Apr 15, 2015)

FWIW:
I bought the Lava Tool Thermowand probe thermo and am very well pleased with it.  I've used it on the grill, on smoked meat and in the kitchen.

Thanks for the advice!  :bluesbros:


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## beatnikrogers (Apr 16, 2015)

Another thumbs up to Thermowand. I had a problem with my first one but after I emailed the company, they sent me a replacement no problemo. It works great, super fast, super accurate for 25 bucks is a steal.


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## welshrarebit (Apr 16, 2015)

I hope my cosmark therm has a lifetime warranty because it lasted only two months!!!! I can't get the dang thing to work...

I'll try and return to my local food service supplier Friday!


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## westby (Apr 16, 2015)

Comparing the CDN thermocouple thermometer to a Thermopop isn't an apples to apples comparison.  The thermopop is not a thermocouple thermometer.  Comparing a CDN thermocouple to a Thermapen is an apples to apples comparison.  For comparison's sake - a thermapen is $96 and a thermopop is $29.


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