Cheesehead_Griller Posted January 3 Report Share Posted January 3 I see Meater, Fireboard, and Thermoworks all released new wireless probes. I'm curious if anyone on here has tried them. If so, how was your experience? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C6Bill Posted January 3 Report Share Posted January 3 I have the new fireboard one, and other than charging it and getting it connected I haven't used it. But i will soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
braindoc Posted January 4 Report Share Posted January 4 Not answering your specific question, but I’ve used the Combustion Predictive thermometer. Very happy with it though I only used the thermometer and not the predictive software. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wrandyr Posted January 4 Report Share Posted January 4 I have two of the Combustion thermometers. If you lean towards the geeky, they are lots of fun. Users on reddit have reported reliability issues, but it's not clear what percentage of the user base they represent. I did have one go bad and they replaced it right away. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dono Posted January 4 Report Share Posted January 4 I have used the Meater brand for almost 2 years and love the Block!! Will be upgrading to the newest Pro very soon as I’m thoroughly sold on the brand. The app is also awesome! And although not strictly unique to Meater (Pro), any probe I can throw in the dishwasher is a huge plus. I really like Thermapens and looked at the new RFX. I’m not convinced and will be sticking with Meater. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C6Bill Posted January 4 Report Share Posted January 4 I have a Meater probe but don't find it reliable, mine is only the single not the block. It is always disconnecting. I have heard the Block is much better than the single. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffshoaf Posted January 4 Report Share Posted January 4 I upgrades from a Meater+ to the Meater Block several years ago and have been reasonably happy with it; my only complaints is that the ambient (pit) temperature measurement is generally low and the wooden case, while definitely attractive, isn't really very tough. I knocked the block off a table onto concrete while prepping for a grilling session and cracked the wooden battery cover in half and now have to tape it together and onto the body of the block. The software has some handy features but the predictive stuff is a bit gimmicky. I'll probably switch over to the new Thermoworks version at some point; I'm a bit fan of their products but them probably be a bit of time to get bugs and issues worked out. Their probes don't include an ambient sensor; they say their testing shows the food acts as a heat sink and prevents accurate ambient temperature measurements. Instead, their base units include a wired probe to monitor the ambient temperature; that doesn't really help with open fire rotisserie cooks but I found that the meater ambient and old style dual mechanical thermometers don't really work for that either - get both measure the ambient way too low (I assume due to the time when pointed away from the fire). I'd really like one of these that displays the temperature on the base station as well as in their apps (like Thermoworks Signals wired thermometer) even if i have to set up the alerts, etc. In the app. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonj Posted January 4 Report Share Posted January 4 I have the ThermoWorks system so bought the RFX / Gateway when released. I used two probes on a turkey last month. Excellent connectivity and accurate readings (compared to a manual probe). The screen is a little different than the Signals screen I usually use but once I used it a bit, it was fine. I was satisfied with the system enough to order two more probes (4 total) during the initial period. I like that I can use them with my other ThermoWorks devices at the same time. The probes have a IP69K water resistance rating so I would assume dishwasher use would be okay, but I haven't specifically checked (I just hand wash my probes). The only negative I have found so far is each probe counts as one "device" in the ThermoWorks app, which has a free use limit of 6 at a time (the app's device limit is unlimited with a paid subscription). However, removing and adding back devices from the app is very easy. I do have two Meater units (the original and a 2nd generation); I never use them. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wrandyr Posted January 5 Report Share Posted January 5 11 hours ago, jeffshoaf said: Their probes don't include an ambient sensor; they say their testing shows the food acts as a heat sink and prevents accurate ambient temperature measurements. This is true, but that does not mean it is useless information. It indicates the temperature the food is actually "feeling" due to it's own evaporative cooling. This opens up an entirely new way of managing a cook. Although not that practical in a KK, you can start with a high "oven" temperature, than dial it back as the cooling cloud around the food dissipates to avoid overshooting the desired internal food temperature. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheesehead_Griller Posted January 6 Author Report Share Posted January 6 On 1/3/2025 at 9:39 PM, Dono said: I have used the Meater brand for almost 2 years and love the Block!! Will be upgrading to the newest Pro very soon as I’m thoroughly sold on the brand. The app is also awesome! And although not strictly unique to Meater (Pro), any probe I can throw in the dishwasher is a huge plus. I really like Thermapens and looked at the new RFX. I’m not convinced and will be sticking with Meater. I had the original Meater and Meater Block. I really liked both. I ended up selling them and going all-in on Fireboard. As a wired unit the Fireboard is awesome. I ordered two of the Pulses and received them over the weekend. One died on me and the other worked very well. I am so fed up with the whole wires, controllers, connections, etc. I just said F it and sold the Fireboard and fan. I also initiated a return and sent the Pulse probes back. Time to start over. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DennisLinkletter Posted January 12 Report Share Posted January 12 Doug from the Naked Whiz and a very early supporter of Komodo Kamado, does the best BBQ product reviews online. I always suggest starting there. https://nakedwhiz.com/productreviews/ultraq/ultraq-1.htm#features 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wineman Posted May 1 Report Share Posted May 1 I'll be joining the KK Community soon with the purchase of a 32" Big Bad. Are the Meater probes, and their Bluetooth technology, able to penetrate the thickness of KK's insulation so you can get a read on your phone/receiver? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wrandyr Posted May 1 Report Share Posted May 1 I don't know about Meater, but the Combustion probes don't have any problems for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony b Posted May 1 Report Share Posted May 1 (edited) Meaters work on a KK. Looking forward to the pics of your new KK when it arrives! Edited May 1 by tony b Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C6Bill Posted May 1 Report Share Posted May 1 I like the Fireboard Pulse much better than the Meater Probe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Syzygies Posted yesterday at 06:48 PM Report Share Posted yesterday at 06:48 PM On 1/12/2025 at 10:21 AM, DennisLinkletter said: Doug from the Naked Whiz and a very early supporter of Komodo Kamado, does the best BBQ product reviews online. I always suggest starting there. https://nakedwhiz.com/productreviews/ultraq/ultraq-1.htm#features Quote Now that a few firmware levels have been released and the few problems that we experienced have been fixed, the UltraQ is a first rate temperature controller. I really wish I'd never bought my UltraQ. I've been a BBQ Guru fan since they were the best option, which was apparently long ago. That mechanical dial thingy, then two DigiQs, and now (for some reason, the DigiQs both work) the UltraQ. I love how I can mount the UltraQ on my garage wall, and see the pit temp from far away. One would think I bought the UltraQ so my phone would tell me the pit temp from far away? Even after deleting ShareMyCook and standing right next to the UtraQ, the phone will show stale data while lying about the update time. This is inexcusably stupid. It's not rocket science to handle messages so that one never falsely depends on stale data. I want a warning if my actual data is more than a minute old, not a lie. I should only see that warning when I'm out of bluetooth range. For those of us good at programming computers, it comes as a surprise how well or badly such apps work. My ceiling fan app is unpredictable, from an upscale company. I always thought of Leviton as generic box store stuff, but their smart switches are bomb-proof. One can stand in the garage and manually flip a switch while my wife watches the Leviton phone app in the house, and the new state shows instantly. From this perspective, whomever BBQ Guru hired are the dumb kids in the class. My various AI consoles tell me people think more highly of FireBoard products. The kicker for me was intermittent connectivity for my meat probe, in any UltraQ meat port. AI tells me this could be the probe (out of warranty) or the UltraQ (still under warranty). I just don't have time for this, I'd rather pay top dollar for something that just works. Wireless probes? Huh. For now, given that I'm this close to offering my UltraQ here for $25, I decided that for $25 I'd buy it as a pit temp monitor and fan controller with a nice display. So I'm keeping it, but one further failure and I trash it, move on. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheesehead_Griller Posted 4 hours ago Author Report Share Posted 4 hours ago I've tried the Fireboard Pulse as well as the Thermoworks RFX. Both had issues and didn't come close to the "specs" listed on their site. I ended up sending both units back. Fireboard Pulse - I liked these the best paired with my Fireboard 2 Pro. The App and Controller work flawlessly. Of my two units, one died. They replaced it without issues. The replacement unit didn't work so I ended up sending them both back. The "ambient" sensor was certainly off compared to the true ambient temp in the pit. The only other downside to the Pulse was the weight of the ambient sensor. It had to be placed strategically in the protein due to the depth of the sensor. This could cause issues in some situations. Thermoworks RFX - I bought the two pack of the RFX units. The small size of these probes was awesome. Fit in any piece of protein without issue. However, one of my units wouldn't hold a charge. I was shocked at this next revelation. I setup the RFX through the Thermoworks app using the "Anonymous" login. When I spoke to the Thermoworks customer service guy and provided my unit ID he could see my name, location, and all the other details. This was NOT COOL in my opinion. I struggled with these RFX units holding a charge for the length of time stated by Thermoworks. I changed all of the settings Thermoworks suggested with no beneficial results. I ended up deleting the app and sending the RFX back for a refund. One additional consideration, these do not work through tinfoil. I could get them to connect to the RFX unit through my KK and 3/8" offset but not through tinfoil. In the end, I decided to sell my Fireboard 2 Pro, Pit Viper Fan, and all of there electronic cooking equipment. I'm done. I bought my KK to not deal with controllers, extension cords, etc. I wanted something simplistic and reliable. Adding these electronics just creates more headaches. It's so much better not having all the "stuff" when I relax and smoke some meat over the weekends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Syzygies Posted 1 hour ago Report Share Posted 1 hour ago 2 hours ago, Cheesehead_Griller said: In the end, I decided to sell my Fireboard 2 Pro, Pit Viper Fan, and all of there electronic cooking equipment. I'm almost there, but I like to sleep through overnight cooks. One can nail 225 F manually "most of the time" and sleep through the night, but "most of the time" doesn't cut it when 50 people are depending on the result, or the brisket cost $120. I like to measure my pit temp by sticking my probe through the TelTru dome thermometer hole. This is contrary to most advice, but it doesn't matter as long as one is consistent and understands one's cooks. The dome runs hotter till the KK stabilizes, so this yields a more gentle approach to cruising altitude. And I can set 450 F for bread without heat damage to the probe wire. So yes, my lesson has been to not overreach, just use a feedback loop without embarrassment to set my pit temp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
