Product Review: Challenger Designs Torch 48 Grilling Cart

Earlier this year, Grillin' Garry hosted a raffle fund-raiser benefiting The Center for Violence-Free Relationships.  The project doubled the raised funds thanks to a matching contribution from Blue Cross Blue Shield of California.

Alexis bought an entry ticket and that's the last we thought of it.  We frequently enter various charity raffles but never win, we just consider it a donation.  So Alexis was shocked when she got a notification that she had won the grand prize - a Challenger Designs Torch 48 grilling cart.

Challenger Design grilling carts are recognized as the Ferrari of grilling tables. I've wanted one ever since my sister bought hers several years ago, because of the well thought out design and meticulous construction. 

My sister's challenger cart is over 5 years old and has spent the entire time exposed to the humid elements in Florida, but it remains in fantastic condition.  Here we are using it to smoke green chile pork butt for the North East Florida Eggfest a few years ago.

Why are the Challenger Design carts so good?  For me, it comes down to quality, dry-storage, and durability.

• Quality - The Challenger Designs Torch is designed and made with a focus on "good enough isn't good enough."  Everything fits together, snug and secure.  When you shut a cabinet door, you can hear the quality.  When you slide a drawer out, it feels smooth and steady.  Just looking at the sleek cabinet, the quality is evident.
• Dry-Storage - The cabinets are weatherproof and keep out the dirt and moisture.  Now I can keep things like my Flame Boss, my Thermoworks electronics, and my heat gloves out by the grill all of the time.  No more having to run inside to grab gloves or a Thermapen at the last minute.
• Durability -Let's face it, the Challenger Designs Torch isn't cheap.  It had better last so you can spread the cost out over many, many years.  They use non-corrosive, lightweight aluminum that won't warp, rot, or rust and back it with a limited lifetime warranty.  My sister's cart stays in a rather harsh environment, and it has stood the test of time.

I was THRILLED to add the Challenger Designs Torch 48 to my outdoor line-up.  To the left is a large BGE with a BGE Modular Nest.  Center is a large BGE in the new Challenger Designs cart and to the right is my BGE Mini-Max on a basic stainless cart from Sam's.

Kamado Equipment: Woo Rig 150 for Mini-Max

[FTC Disclaimer] I received no compensation for this post and have no affiliation with Big Green Egg or the Ceramic Grill Store.

My sister gave me a Woo rig and a wok for my Mini-Max for Christmas.  That was fantastic because while I have plenty of accessories for our large kamado grills, I haven't picked up many that fit the pint sized Mini-Max.

Woo rig (#150) and a 12" carbon steel wok for the BGE Mini-Max.

What's A Rig?

Rigs are optional wire racks or frames that kamado users can use in their grills to expand capacity or create specific configurations for cooking.  They aren't required and you can do 90% of everything I do with just a standard heat deflector, grate, and an extended or raised grate.  But they do make things more flexible and fun.  Some examples include:

• Spider Rig - The most basic rig, the main use of this is to hold a stone to serve as a heat deflector.  You can also flip them upside down (legs down, ring up) to hold a wok or raise a grill grate by an inch or so.
• Raiser Rig - I think of this as an advanced spider rig.  It can hold a heat deflector, be used to hold a raised grate, or both at the same time.  
• Roswell Rig - This holds two pizza stones at once, so you can cook two pizzas at once or it doubles your baking space if you are using your kamado grill as a wood fired oven.
• Adjustable Rig - The grand-daddy of rigs, in my opinion.  We use them to get the optimum set ups during our BBQ competitions and at home I use them to double my capacity for big meats or even triple my capacity for ribs and wings.

And that brings us to the Woo Rig, that my sister gave me.  They make them for all kinds of kamado sizes but this specific one is the Woo 150 for the newer Mini-Max.  If you have the first version of the Mini-Max you'd want the Woo 75, I believe.  The Woo rig is made and sold by Ceramic Grill Store in Denton, Texas.  This one for the Mini-Max runs right around $40.  

The Woo rig is useful as a wok stand, a raised grate rig, a heat deflector rig, and gives an easy way to move hot plate setters.

Use the Woo Rig as a Wok Stand

The first thing I used the Woo for is as a wok stand.  It holds the wok at the perfect height over the coals. I made stir fried spicy green beans to go with a grilled flank steak.  That post is coming up.

Use the Woo Rig as a Raised Grate

I love my Mini-Max, the size makes it so convenient. But it's compactness puts the grill grate super close to the coals. Here is a shot of my Mini-Max with a full Kick Ash Basket of coal and the grate on the fire ring.

Being so close to the heat source exacerbates any hot spots. 

The Woo lifts the grate up right at 2.5 inches.  This distance balances out the heat from below a bit.

Use the Woo to Handle the Plate Setter More Easily

You can use the Woo to either hold a small stone or your plate setter to create an indirect heat set up in your small kamado grill.  

Mini-Max plate setter in a Woo rig.

The rig raises your cooking grid about an inch above felt line - a bit higher than with the plate setter alone. This set up is good for smoking, baking, and fire roasting.

The plate setter in a Mini-Max is a bit more difficult than the larger versions.  The Woo rig fixes that issue.

Without a Woo rig, you have to reach in like this to take the plate setter out. I don't have sausage fingers and I'm not wearing heat resistant gloves here (grill was cold, just demonstrating) but you can see how little room there is.  Put your gloves on and it gets down right cumbersome sometimes.

With the Woo rig in, you just lift up the edges of the rig and the plate setter comes out without any problems.  Plenty of room to get an easy grip, even with the bulkiest of heat gloves.  Again, the grill was cold, this was just demonstrating how it works. 

I'm quite pleased with the Woo rig for my Mini-Max. It has made it easier to handle the plate setter, cook raised direct, and stir fry on my Mini-Max.  It definitely gives me options.  Thanks for the rig, Rhonda!

How To Pull or Chop Pork

This isn't how to smoke pulled pork, I've already done that before.  

No, this is all about different methods and tools for breaking down that big hunk of smoked pork shoulder down to the delicious bits and pieces that end up your sandwich.

First, some general pointers.

• Smoked pork is best after it has rested for an hour or more.  Known as F.T.C. (foil-towel-cooler), just put your foil wrapped butt into a warm cooler, cover with a towel, and leave it closed until ready to pull.  We usually stick ours into one of our Cambos.  When we have a lot, more than 8 butts, we'll stick them in my Yeti 75 (holds 12) or an Igloo 150 quart.  The trick is to pick something the right size.  For whatever you use, to have as much meat in the cooler/cambro as possible with only a little empty space so it will stay warmer, longer.  
• For transporting pork to a different site for serving.  My first preference is to haul it there whole and pull it on site.  Smoked pork holds better whole and the spectacle of breaking it up in front of your guests adds impact.
• Pulling pork after the butt is cold.  Don't.  If for some reason you can't pull it while still warm, you will need to slowly reheat it.  With it still wrapped in foil, put it in a 200°f cooker or oven for an hour or so to get the chill off first.  
• Work quickly.  The meat will start drying out as soon as you break the butt open until you have it pulled, stored, and covered.  
• Taste and season the pork while pulling.  Sample pieces from all over - the horn, money muscle, and roast muscles - to get a good idea of where the flavor is at before you start adding. We usually use a fine ground, sweet and spicy rub for this.  We'll also drizzle a small amount of Carolina vinegar sauce when chopping pork; not enough to douse it, just enough to add a little flavor.  
• Save the juices from the foil wrapping and add some of it back into the final product for extra flavor and moisture.
• Pulled versus chopped.  This is just a personal preference.  Pulled pork is just that - the meat pulled apart, leaving bigger pieces and strands.  Chopped is further processed into small pieces for a different texture.  You will get a higher percentage yield from chopped pork than pulled pork because you have less waste or scrap.  

Two Forks

This is the original way we first started pulling pork and we still do this depending on what is available.  Break the pork into large chunks and then using two large serving forks, pull the chunks into "threads".  Stick the forks into the middle of a chunk, pressing down on a cutting board, and pull the forks outwards.  

This is the most meticulous of all of the processes.  Look for any gelatinous pieces of fat and discard them.  If you find any pieces of bark (dark outer crust) that overcooked and got hard, discard them as well.  But that is where all of your flavor is so try not to over cook :)

By Hand

The pork should still be very hot so you'll want some heat resistant food gloves.  Silicone gloves are good for this and come in two styles - straight silicone and silicone with a fabric lining.  I use the straight silicone gloves because they are easier to keep dry but that's just a personal preference.

I picked up this technique from World Champion Pitmaster, Chris Lilly.  He just pops out the bone and then smashes the pork butts down like in this video from the NY Big Apple BBQ Block Party.  It works when you're in a hurry and only requires a set of heat resistant food gloves.  Obviously if you are rushing then you are not going to get the quality control of picking through it.  Usually I'll do this part, push it to the side for a teammate or two to pick through it, and I start on the next one.

There are a TON of these orange style gloves available and the prices vary pretty widely ($9 to $25) so comparison shop.  I haven't come across any that are poor quality yet.  I use them a lot for handling ribs, butts, and briskets as well as pulling the pork.

Bear Paws

Bear Paws are one of the original pork pulling tools.  They are cheap, easy to keep santized, and a slew of people swear by them. You use them just like you would forks, but hold your hands like this.

They are effective and get the job done.  They've just never been my favorite because they feel a little awkward to me.  These are very popular and there's nothing wrong with them, that is just a personal preference.

Meat Rakes

Meat Rakes are similar in concept to the Bear Paws but execute that product in a slightly different way.  They have metal tines for tearing the meat apart instead of plastic tips that can dull.  They are also dishwasher safe.  They cost twice as much as Bear Paws but I prefer them over Bear Paws because

1. The tines are closer together than Bear Paws so they shred the meat smaller than the Bear Paws with each pass, making them work just a little quicker, and 
2. My wrists feel like they are in a more neutral position when I use these vs the position I use with Bear Paws.

Again, this is just my choice.  Pick which is better for you.

Cleaver

At some BBQ joints you can find a worker with a pair of cleavers chopping away at pork in a blur with alternating strokes like he/she is beating a drum.  It amazes me that they have all of their fingers but these folks have been doing this every day for years.

The way I use it is in conjunction with some of the other tools I have mentioned.  I pull the pork first.  If I am wanting chopped pork, I rapidly chop back and forth across the pulled pork in two directions.  

Prices vary, I've seen them as cheap as $15 and almost no limit on the upper end, but you can get a decent one for $50.  Look for one with a thick blade that extends all the way through the handle (full tang).

Drill Attachment

I always thought this was overkill until we started cooking at the Kentucky State BBQ Festival where I cooked with our Memphis In May team.  We go through hundreds of pork butts each day so speed is of the essence.  One of our teammates makes a version of these.  This one is a RO-man pork puller that we bought online.

Best practice is to use this with a brand new drill that is only used for this to avoid cross contamination from a dirty drill that splits time in the work shop.

It works by pulling the bone out of each of 2 to 3 pork butts and putting them in a large stock pot. Then just insert the pork puller, add any additional seasoning, and whirl away.  It breaks down the butts into pulled pork very quickly.  Want chopped pork instead?  Just use it for another minute longer.

We typically only use this for large scale service, like the Kentucky festival, Christmas parade, or charity events.

So there are some options for pulling or chopping pork.  As I mentioned several times, it's all about preference and what works for you.  You don't need anything more than a couple of forks.

[FTC Standard Disclaimer]  I received no compensation for this post and paid full price for all of the tools that I mentioned.

Troubleshooting Temperature Drops For Big Green Eggs and other Kamado Grills

I received the following e-mail from Eger, a new Big Green Egg owner, last week:

I'll address the second part of the question first:

I did encounter that problem when smoking my brisket, my temp dropped by 50 F by the morning and it took me over an hour to bring back up the temp by opening the vents all the way. I didn't know why?!

This has probably happened to any kamado griller who has done a few overnight cooks.  You get everything stable and going well, take a nap, and wake up to find your temperatures have plummeted.  There are a few things that can cause this.

1. Ran out of fuel - highly unlikely.  Every kamado that I have used is capable of going at least 18 hours at low and slow temps on a full load of coal.
2. Fire burned out in a pattern.  This doesn't happen often but I have seen it.  Sometimes the fire burns into a weird pattern where parts of it aren't making good contact so it doesn't pass the fire on to the neighboring coal. So you have fuel left but the fire just burns out.  Typically when I have seen this, the fire was started with a starter cube in the middle of the coal.  The fire burns straight down leaving unburned coal on the sides.  I light my fires in three spots around the edges so the fire will burn inwards and down.
3. Holes in charcoal grate are clogged and blocking airflow.  Very common
4.  and this is exactly what the wiggle rod is for. 

Stock charcoal grate from a Large Big Green Egg like Eger has.

As the coals burn down, usually about 6 to 8 hours into a low temp cook, smaller coals and rocks may fall into the holes as shown above (I set these for demonstration).  Ash then fills in around the debris and can block air flow.  When enough of the holes get clogged, you will start to see your cooking temps fall because the fire is no longer getting the amount of airflow that it needs to burn.  The fire is being partially smothered from below.  This is where the wiggle rod can help, it's an instant fix for clogged charcoal grates.

Would you mind elaborating more on the wiggle rob please? Did you make it yourself? are you accessing the egg from the bottom vent? or top? taking the grid off etc?

To make a wiggle rod, I just take an 18-inch long metal bbq skewer and bend the tip up as shown.  You can also use a coat hanger if the wire is stiff enough.  

Wiggle rod

You don't have to take anything out of the kamado.  To use the wiggle rod, I access the cooking chamber by going through the bottom vent and then the vent hole of the fire box.  

This can be pretty hot so wear appropriate protective equipment when doing this on a live fire.

You can't really see, so you are going by feel.  Have the tip angled up towards the charcoal grate and drag it along the bottom of the grate to find the holes.  When you find one, poke the tip up and wiggle it to dislodge the coal, debris, and/or ash like this. 

(NOTE:  This is looking down at the charcoal grate in an empty kamado with the wiggle rod coming up from below.  Normally this would be covered with coals and wood, but I wanted to show what's happening when you use a wiggle rod.)

When done, re-position your vents they way that you originally had them and you should see the cooking temps start to rise back up.

Prevention of Air Flow Problems

The best way to minimize chances of these problems is to clean out your kamado grill before setting up for a long cook.  I also try to put larger pieces of coal on the bottom and smaller on top, but not to the extent that I'm sorting coal.  I'll just grab a few of the larger pieces out of the bag and then add the rest.  Even doing this, you can still occasionally run into problems with the hole style charcoal grates.

Some third party solutions also help avoid this.  High airflow grates like Fishbones by Innovations by Chance and High-Que use durable bar style grates that are almost impossible to clog.  I've used this one for over a year and I'm very happy with the results.

Fishbones grate lets plenty of air through and doesn't have holes to clog in the first place.

Grill Dome makes a high air flow grate for their awesome line of kamados and includes a ceramic disk to go on the base of the kamado as an additional heat shield from the higher temps.  My BBQ teammate has suggested that ceramic plate would be a good idea for any other brand of high air flow grates.

Picture from Grill Dome website

The Kick Ash basket is also eliminates this problem by eliminating the holes.  We use 4 of these at BBQ competitions and at home.  They also help us in getting the kamados cooled quickly after a contest or onsite event by getting the hot coals out and letting the ceramics start to cool immediately.

tl;dr
So to deal with those pesky temperature drops in long, overnight cooks:

1. Set up the cook with a clean firebox and neatly stacked fuel,
2. Consider a high air flow charcoal grate, and
3. Use a wiggle rod at the first sign of trouble.  

 Thanks for the question, Eger! 

[Standard FTC Disclaimer]  Grill Dome, Innovations by Chance, and Kick Ash Basket are product sponsors of Nibble Me This. 

Product Review: Flame Boss 200 Electronic Controller for Smokers

Electric controllers for BBQ smokers have been around for quite a while now.  I can remember when they were a pretty brand new thing.  I received a Flame Boss 200 electronic smoker controller to review and for the past two months, I have been putting it through its paces at the NMT Proving Grounds (aka my back deck).   I am impressed with the features, performance, and functionality of the Flame Boss 200 system.

A Bit About Controllers
For folks not familiar with them, electronic controllers are devices that keep an eye on your smoker and maintains a cooking temperature.  In an overly simplified explanation, a processor keeps checking the temperature probe inside your grill and if that is below the goal or "set" temperature that you wanted, it kicks on a fan to stoke the fire and bring up the heat.

What really goes on in the processor (really a PID controller) is much more advanced than a simple if-then feedback loop.  It's constantly measuring data.  It's calculating deviation, rates of change, and making predictions about grill behavior and then adjusting how it controls the blower.

Instant Pitmaster?
Now before you run off thinking all you have to do is buy one of these and you'll be an instant pitmaster, it's not that easy.  My advice to everyone is that you should have at least six months of experience with frequent cooks using the manual controls of your cooker before you begin using an electronic controller.  You need to have an intimate understanding of fire management and how your smoker acts/reacts. An electronic controller won't turn a bad pit monkey into a talented pitmaster, it's not a magic bullet.

Classes of Controllers
When it comes to controllers, I group them into two categories - entry level and premium.  Entry level controllers are low cost ($145-$200), usually have only one temp probe, and have only basic functions.  Some entry level controllers include Auber, iQue120, and PartyQ.  Premium controllers cost more ($300-$400+), have multiple temp probes, and have features like wireless capability, ramp down modes, and open pit detection.   Some premium controllers include DigiQ DX2, CyberQ, Stoker, and both Flame Boss models. (Note: The DigiQ DX2 and Flame Boss 100 don't have wireless but have other premium features.)

When you buy a Flame Boss 200 for kamado grills like the Grill Dome, Big Green Egg, Kamado Joe, etc, it comes with the following items: 

Clockwise from upper left:  PID controller with mounting bracket, power adapter, 2 blower adapters, blower, cooking temp probe, and meat temp probe.

PID controller
This is the heart of the system and does all of the thinking. I like the design, it reminds me of electronics for boats.  The housing is plastic and the faceplate has blister style buttons, which make it a little more splash resistance (that's my opinion, not their claim).

• User Friendly - The display and controls are simple, intuitive, and put everything you need at the touch of a finger tip.
• Backlit LCD display is easy to read day or night.  It has the key information displayed at a glance - your target temp, current temp, fan status as a percentage, and meat temp.
• It has alerts for when you hit your target meat temperature or cook timer.  You can even have them come to your smart phone.
• Auto Learning - The Flame Boss actually learns from how your smoker acts during cooks and applies this information to future cooks.  Yep, Artificial Intelligence for your grill.  (Not sure whether I want to go with a "Hello Professor Falken...would you like to smoke a brisket?" or a Skynet joke here.) 
• Mounting Bracket - The device comes with a mounting bracket so you can permanently install to your table or a base or you can skip the bracket and lay it flat.  I totally would not even mention that except I saw that another controller manufacturer charges $20 for a bracket.
• Keep Warm - You can set the Flame Boss 200 so that when your meat hits the target internal temperature, the controller will drop the pit temp to whatever pit temp you want to just keep the meat warm.  This keeps you from overcooking your meat because sometimes butts and briskets cook faster than others.  
• Open Pit Detection - With my Auber Instruments controller, when I open my kamado, the controller sees the temperature drop and kicks on the fan while the lid is open and stokes the fire trying desperately to raise the temperature.  Then when the lid closes, I have too hot of a fire.  I learned to unplug the fan before opening the smoker because of this.  The Flame Boss 200 is smarter than that.  It detects the temp drop, realizes the pit is open and starts an adjustable timed delay where it does nothing.  Once your lid is closed, it will kick back on and run the fan as needed to restore the normal temps.
• Power Glitch protection - If your electrical power kicks off and back on, the Flame Boss recalls the last settings instead of defaulting to factory settings so it won't mess up your cook.

Flame Boss 200 and Flame Boss 100 shown next to an Auber Instruments controller.

It's important to keep the top vent almost all of the way closed when using a controller at low and slow temps.

 
Temperature Probes

The temperature probe wires for the meat and pit are often a critical failure point in remote probe thermometers and controllers. My sister and I experienced this when the probe wires for a controller we were using died in the middle of the night when cooking for 80 people. The Flame Boss uses ruggedized probes and cables to make their system more robust than others.

• PTFE coating (aka teflon) of the cables keeps them from getting wet and add physical protection.  This coating also makes it easy to wipe the wires clean.
• The Flame Boss uses RTD temperature sensors which are more expensive than thermocouples but they are more accurate, stable, and have a more robust signal.
• Cable Management helps keep things orderly and avoids damage to cords.  The Flame Boss uses right angle 3.5mm jacks for connecting wires to the processor, which has a recessed protected lip where the cables connect.  That's a small detail but I appreciate it.
• Six feet long - some controllers start at 4' cables and offer longer ones as an upgrade.  Believe me, you'll want the 6 feet long cables.

Flame Boss cable on left, Auber Instruments on right.  The flame boss cable is PTFE coated and is at a right angle so it doesn't stick straight out from the processor.  When things stick straight out of a device, they are easier to break (USB cables anyone?) and it puts extra tension on the cable because it has to bend. 

Nice cable management keeps wires out of your way and keeps the wires safe.

More cable protection where the cable enters the meat probe.

Blower

The blower for the Flame Boss is powered by the same Delta brushless 6.5 cfm fan that Auber Instruments use.  It is a variable speed fan so it lets the controller tailor the amount of air blowing into your smoker.  The status of the fan is on the home screen and listed as a percentage.  I have found it to be more than adequate and I have rarely seen it run at 100% except for start ups. It is super easy to install on a kamado grill.

Auber Instruments on top uses a spring loaded connection.  The Flame Boss on bottom simply utilizes gravity to hold in place.  Springs wear out, gravity doesn't.

 

Flame Boss 200 fits on a variety of kamado grills, Weber Smoky Mountain smokers, and many other cookers.  Here it is shown mounted on the different vents of 3 of our kamado grills.

Dashboard

Easily my favorite feature!  The Flame Boss 200 connects through your home WiFi to access a web based application.  It's a super easy set up, all you do is enter your network name and password.  No installing software, no fiddling with laptop settings or ports.  You can even use a hot spot connection at a remote location, ideal for BBQ contests.

 

The Dashboard works the same on your phone, tablet, or computer, no different versions to contend with.  It's so freaking awesome on overnight cooks to be able to check my temps and even adjust them without even getting out of bed! 

The set up was very easy and worked on the first try.

Screenshot of the Dashboard from my laptop.  This was a saved cook, otherwise, the 4 tiles at the top would disply set temp, pit temp, fan output, and current meat temp. The drops in the red line (cooking temp) are from me opening the lid a lot for spritzing, taking pictures, etc.

Screenshot from my mobile phone during a cook.  The 4 tiles give you at a glance information while the detailed graph would be scrolled down below.  You can change the cooking and internal meat temps right from your phone.

Returns and Warranty

Flame Boss offers a satisfaction guaranteed, 30 day return policy.  When you are spending hundreds of dollars you would expect that, right?  As Lee Corso would say, not so fast! One leading controller company won't accept returns if the controller has been used at all.  Another one will only accept it if it is in "resellable condition".

Flame Boss backs their product with a full 1 year warranty compared to 90 and 180 days from other controller makers. 

Features I'd Like To See

This is a short list because there are so many bells and whistles built into the Flame Boss.

• High/low cook temp alarms - while the controller keeps the temps steady so there shouldn't be high or low cook temps, there are things outside of the Flame Boss' control, like running out of coal or someone leaving the top vent open.  Good news is this feature is coming in an upcoming firmware update.
• Deadman Alert - I haven't seen any controller with this yet. Premium ones like Flame Boss remember the settings once the power comes back on. But what if you are asleep and the power goes out for longer?  The fire could die by the time power is back on. It would be cool to have an alert from the Dashboard that it lost the controller connection for more than "x" length of time. 
• Edit capability to add information with the historical graphs.  It would be nice to have a field to add ad hoc information to be saved, such as meat (weight, source), prep (injections, rubs used, trimming), and other cook details. 

 

Summary

The Flame Boss 200 is a top of the line electric controller for your kamado smoker/grill.  It is packed with features, performs well, and I have no problem giving it a "highly recommended" rating.  If you don't want or need the Wifi capability (you do, you really do), you can get the Flame Boss 100 for $60 less and still get all of the other great features.

[Standard FTC Disclaimer] I got the review sample for free but I put my money where my mouth is and just bought another Flame Boss 200 at full price for our BBQ team.

Product Review: Thermoworks ThermaQ

The ThermaQ is a professional dual probe remote thermometer from Thermoworks, the Thermapen people. I bought mine back in February (paid full price) but haven't gotten around to reviewing it yet. This morning Kathy from Fuggs and Foach asked what I thought about it so I thought I'd better get to it.

The ThermaQ is industrial quality and is built for use by food service kitchens and commercial pitmasters.  I say that because of its rugged design, tight accuracy, and features.  Here's what you get for $139 (base unit) or $208 (pitmaster kit).

Features

• Dual probes let you monitor two meats, two oven/pit temps, or one meat/one pit
• Splash resistant seams and buttons for a IP67 water resistance rating
• backlit display makes it easy to view in poor lighting conditions
• high degree of accuracy +/- 0.7°f, yes, less than one degree
• long battery life 3,000 hours on 3 AAA batteries
• high/low alarms for both channels
• max/min temperature data logging for both channels
• variable volume alarms, adjustable from 94dB to 100dB
• split screen shows all information for both channels without toggling 
• impact resistant rubber boot 
• carrying case to hold the ThermaQ and accessories.

The split screen shows everything for both channels in one view.  It shows your current temp, max and mins, alarm settings, volume level, and battery life gauge.

The controls are simple, intuitive, and splash resistant.

Briefly pressing the on/off button activates the back light for the display which is helpful when you are doing those overnight or early hours smoking sessions.

The rubber boot is like an OtterBox for your phone - it makes the unit more splash and impact resistant.

The boot also has a powerful magnet for mounting on metal smokers or grills.  Just be sure not to stick it on a hot surface.

The protective boot also has a flip out stand so you can angle it for easy viewing.

 

The carrying case has plenty of room for the unit and all of the accessories.

Like the Thermapen, the ThermaQ comes with certification about its accuracy and calibration.

"It's a Probe"

The temperature probes are commercial quality K-type thermocouple probes.  They use a thermocouple for wide temperature ranges, accuracy, and fast response compared to thermistors used on cheaper remote probe thermomters. The probe wires are thicker than inexpensive sets and toughened with boots at critical stress points where other probe wires typically wear out. The wires are also longer at 79 inches than most probes I have used such as the ChefAlarm's, which are almost half as long at 45 inches.  The extra length makes a big difference when cooking on big commercial pits or just navigating around a grill.  Some of the probes that I like are 

• high temp air probe (-58f to 752f, $44), 
• smokehouse penetration probe (-103f to 482f, $52), 
• armored smokehouse penetration probe (-103f to 662f, $65) 
• sous vide mini needle probe (-103f to 482f, $42 to $51), 
• and the 12" deep frying penetration probe (-58f to 482f, $55). 

The base of the wires are rubberized to help prevent wear and tear on the stress points.

ThermaQ's (top) Smokehouse Probe compared to a ChefAlarm Pro Series (bottom). Again, notice the rugged spring sleeve that keeps the tension off of the cable where it connects to the probe.

Pro-Series ambient air probe (left) compared to the K-type ambient air probe (right) that the ThermaQ uses.

Put To Use

I have been using the ThermaQ for several months now and the money spent was worth it.  I use it frequently for monitoring the air temp in a smoker/grill and a big meat like briskets or butts.  But I have used it just as often as a reference to double check other thermometers. 

ThermaQ used on my Grill Dome kamado grill.

Using the ThermaQ to validate the built in thermometer of a Char-Broil smoker.  It's helpful for determining the temperature differences between the installed thermometer and other areas of the cooker.

Thermoworks TimeStick (yellow), Thermapen (red), and the ThermaQ.

Competitive Products

Pricing the ThermaQ against competitive products is something you have to consider when thinking about buying one.  

1. Compared to the ThermaQ Kit ($208), you could buy two ChefAlarms ($59 each) and a Pro-Series Air Probe ($17) that would let you monitor two meats or a meat and air temp for less money.  But you have to juggle two units, aren't getting all of the same features, and can't get all of the same probes.
2. A Maverick ET-732 is a dual probe AND wireless for just $69.  However it uses the less accurate thermistors for probes and only comes with a 90 day warranty compared to the ThermaQ's 2 year warranty.  
3. BlueTherm Duo is another Thermoworks product.  It costs more ($199 base unit, $239 kit price) but has similar features AND has bluetooth for linking to your smart device.

ThermaQ next to a Thermoworks ChefAlarm.

Summary

I think that the ThermaQ is reference grade equipment.  I used to be an audiophile and here's an analogy: the ThermaQ is to consumer grade remote probe thermometers like a pair of studio monitors are to a set of cheap bookshelf home speakers.

For me, I think this purchase was money well spent.  Is it for everyone?  If you're a weekend warrior, something like the less expensive ChefAlarm is more than adequate.  But if you need a heavy duty, flexible, and accurate remote probe thermometer, then it might be the one for you.

Speaking of Thermapens, did you see that they released a new version of the Thermapen last week - the Thermapen Mark IV?  The main difference to my Thermapen (Mark II) seems to be that the new Mark IV is backlit, has a rotating display, and takes AAA batteries instead of a pair of CR2032's.  

[FTC Standard Disclaimer] I have received free samples from Thermoworks in past years; however, I have not received any compensation from them for this post and paid full price for the ThermaQ and accessories.