Williams Sonoma wireless thermometer

[Hitman]

Picked one up last weekend for just under $50. I figured it was worth it, just because I knew they would take it back if I didn't like it, without a fuss.

Once I got it, looks like it is a repackaged Maverick unit, single probe. I doesn't have a probe to measure the pit temp, nor a warning for if the fire gets too cool --- just a warning when the desired cooking temp is reached.

I am planning to take it back, as the probe will not fit through the little port on the side of the Kamado. The probe end is bent at a 90 degree angle, and the connector on the other end is set at a 90 degree angle. No way to feed it through the port.

Just for grins, I stuck the temperature probe through the middle of the silicon plug while I was cooking some chicken thighs last night, to see if I could use it to measure temps in the dome. I had the heat deflector in, and the probe temp was about 40 degrees hotter than what was shown on the Tru-Temp (or whatever the dome thermometer is called). Just shows how much hotter the air is flowing around the heat deflector.

Then I tried connecting the temperature probe from my old Acurite thermometer to the new unit, and to my suprise, it worked fine. My Acurite probe has a straight connector, so it will fit through the port OK.

I think I'm still going to take it back, just get a Guru, & don't use the fan.

[Conodo12]

Re: Williams Sonoma wireless thermometer

I think I'm still going to take it back' date=' just get a Guru, & don't use the fan.[/quote']

Heh heh, Once you have that Guru - you'll be using that fan!! Don't worry though, you won't have to tell us - we'll see it in the pics! jk!

[primeats]

I just replaced my competitor that I bought from Tobias(Tlinder).Trust me, the fan works great at starting the charcoal if nothing else!

[Firemonkey]

I have a couple of Mavericks, with the 90 degree probes. You just have to straighten the bend slightly and they will fit and work fine. They bend easily.

[JeffB]

I have a couple of Mavericks' date=' with the 90 degree probes. You just have to straighten the bend slightly and they will fit and work fine. They bend easily.[/quote']

I did the same thing and it works fine (no harm done to the probe). Even with that I would still return the thermometer. You can get a Maverick ET-73 for just a couple bucks more and it has two probes (meat and cooker) and alarms.

[mguerra]

idea

You might want to keep that thermometer. When you get your Guru, you can count on it to regulate your fire. It also has all the alarms you need if you are within earshot of the cooker. The only extra thermometer you might need is the one you have. Why? If you have a cook going that might get done during the night while you are sleeping. All you need is a "meat done" alarm. The Guru WILL keep the fire at the right temp, so you don't need any bedside alarms for high or low temp. And even if you did, the Guru has those, which you can enable or disable, if your bed is within earshot of your cooker. And after a while, you probably won't be starting any cooks that could finish in the night. But it's nice to have that "night thermometer" at your bedside just for peace of mind. Plus, you can use it for your indoor oven cooking.

[Hitman]

Excellent points!

Question: on the Maverick, is the probe that measures the pit temp the same style as the food probe? If so, how do you prevent measuring the hotter air rushing up the side of the dome, as opposed to the temp in the center? As I noted in an earlier post, when I stuck the probe into the dome through the center of the silicon blockoff, it registered quite a bit higher than the regular dome thermometer.

Second question: does the Guru have two probes, or one?

[JeffB]

Question: on the Maverick' date=' is the probe that measures the pit temp the same style as the food probe? If so, how do you prevent measuring the hotter air rushing up the side of the dome, as opposed to the temp in the center? As I noted in an earlier post, when I stuck the probe into the dome through the center of the silicon blockoff, it registered quite a bit higher than the regular dome thermometer.[/quote']

The pit probe is a different shape (shorter and straight) but it functions in the same way as the meat probe (interchangeable as far as I know). When cooking indirect probe placement is key to not registering the rush of hot air around the deflector. It is best to experiment with where you put the probe and then correlate it to dome temps on the Tel-Tru. It is obviously best to avoid the outer edges but sometimes you have enough food that there are no other choices so you just mentally adjust as necessary.

[Syzygies]

Lithium batteries

To boost the performance of any wireless link like this, consider using lithium batteries, the AA or AAA cells designed for cameras and such. They're $2-$4 a cell, but can solve problems cheaper than needlessly replacing the unit.

Lithium, NiMH rechargeable, and alkaline batteries differ in the voltage graph as they discharge. Alkaline batteries lose voltage steadily as they discharge, ok for dim flashlights long after they're of any use in electronics. Both lithium and NiMH offer fairly flat voltages until nearly exhausted. NiMH rechargeable batteries lose charge quickly even when not in use, while lithium and alkaline hold their charge for years.

1.5V is a "nominal" voltage, as in there will still be 1.5V left in an alkaline battery by the pull date. Electronics that accepts AA or AAA cells is fairly tolerant of a range around 1.5V, although each circuit has a minimum voltage below which it fails. The flat voltage offered by NiMH is below 1.5V (more like 1.4V) and some gadgets don't like this. The flat voltage offered by lithium cells is above 1.5V (more like 1.6V), and some gadgets love this.

There are several generations of lithium cells for sale in drugstores, often side-by-side with confusing labeling. One gets pretty much what one pays for in "capacity" (how long they last); they all have the same discharge curve. So go for the cheapest, unless you're seriously not interested in ever changing the battery once installed.

I've fixed devices such as wireless indoor-outdoor temperature probes that I was about to replace, by swapping in lithium AAA cells. I don't know for a fact that feeding them 1.6V increases their range, but watching alkaline cells in such a device is like watching a balloon leak.

[Hitman]

I got a set of lithium batteries for it, and I think I'm going to keep it. I can always use the Acurite probe, which is straight. We mostly use the Acurite head unit as an exercise/stretching timer anyway, so now I won't have to track it down every time I want to do some grilling or smoking.

[Firemonkey]

IF you just want to measure the cooker temp, stick the probe in through the tru-tel hole when you are cooking indirect. That way you can monitor the dome temp from inside.

I will do this with a spare maverick when I do an overnight cook. I set the meat done alarm at about 270 so it will alarm if the temp runs up while I sleep. I dont worry about the fire going out...that just doesnt happen.

I dont have the 2 probe maverick, but i have a few of the single probe units that i found for about $10 each a couple of summers ago.

[Hitman]

IF you just want to measure the cooker temp, stick the probe in through the tru-tel hole when you are cooking indirect. That way you can monitor the dome temp from inside.

I will do this with a spare maverick when I do an overnight cook. I set the meat done alarm at about 270 so it will alarm if the temp runs up while I sleep. I dont worry about the fire going out...that just doesnt happen.

I dont have the 2 probe maverick, but i have a few of the single probe units that i found for about $10 each a couple of summers ago.

Great minds must think alike! I came up with the same idea just as I went to read this. Thanks!

[Hitman]

Nice idea, but bad execution. The highest temp you can set is 180, for well-done chicken. So I would start getting voice alerts at 170, saying "your food is almost done!!" By the time the dome temp got up to 225 or so, it would probably already have had a nervous breakdown.

Also, the effective wireless range appears to be about 15 feet. I'm sitting in our second bedroom/TV room, directly above the KK, and it's already lost the signal a couple of times, emitting dire sounding squawks and beeps. I don't want to be hearing electronic sound effects all night long.

This turkey is going back to Williams Sonoma at first opportunity.

[Firemonkey]

That sucks. The Maverick, as cheap as they are at least allows you to manually set your temps - and it goes up higher than I have ever wanted to set it...at least 300 degrees.

You can usually find them cheap in the warehouse clubs this time of year, and sometimes at lowes or Home Depot. For $10-12 they are disposable, though I have yet to have to toss one.

[mguerra]

good transmission range

The Oregon Scientific AW-131 will work like a champ for your application. Transmits far, you can set the high temp alarm to any value. It is a solid "night thermometer"; or "inside thermometer" when you are awake. You won't need a Maverick dual probe if you get a Guru or a Stoker. Haven't used my Maverick since I got the Guru and the Stoker. Just the AW-131.

[primeats]

For what it's worth, here is a dual sensor from Polder, works good enough if YOU are the only one using the KK and the OTHER person in your life knows to keep it out of the flames, or to tuck the probe into the protective sleeve I bought! http://www.polder.com/894-90.html

[JeffB]

I really don't understand why the Guru folks don't add radio broadcast to their units. All I would want is the ability to monitor and have alarms. I cant believe it would cost more than 20-30 dollars to add. Even if I wasn't going to use the fan I would buy one for the higher quality versus the standard maverick-class of devices.

[Firemonkey]

I would even step up to the pro-comm if they would just update the case to an aluminum water resistant one, like the competitors.

$700 is kind of steep for what it is, especially compared to the cost of a stoker. But convenience/ease of setup is worth *something*. Well, maybe not $500, but something.

[Hitman]

For what it's worth' date=' here is a dual sensor from Polder, works good enough if YOU are the only one using the KK and the OTHER person in your life knows to keep it out of the flames, or to tuck the probe into the protective sleeve I bought! http://www.polder.com/894-90.html

Looks pretty good, except that it's not wireless.

[Syzygies]

Yeah, it completely baffles me that a cordless phone with a $14 bump for one more handset gets reception corners of our yard, and this entire category is complete junk.

Trusting the guru to do its job, and springing for a thermapen (now on $74 special!) to accurately check the temps manually in various places now and then, we no longer need to know anything a Maverick could tell us. The category is junk, move on? I was hoping you guys had discovered they'd cleaned up their act; our weather station probes do work.