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Is Thermapen all that?

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chadpsualum
chadpsualum Posts: 409
in EggHead Forum
So I was thinking of getting the Thermapen as everyone seems to rave about it.  As I was looking at it on Amazon ($96) I also saw a similar one from Alpha Grillers for $23.

Is the Thermapen really worth 4x's the amount?  Is it the speed?  Precision?  Thoughts and opinions appreciated.
North Pittsburgh, PA
1 LGE
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  • YEMTrey
    YEMTrey Posts: 6,829
    edited June 2015
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    Only if you get the one with the flames, it's faster!

    All kidding aside.  It is the most important piece of equipment I've bought.  i always make sure the food I'm cooking is safe to serve.  I use it just about every cook.  It's been the main reason I nail my steak cooks now.  Pulled and served at the perfect finish.
    As far as price.  It's a one time purchase.  For under $100 you can turn out perfectly cooked steaks.  Just my $0.02
    I wouldn't hesitate to buy another at all.
    Steve 
    XL, Mini Max, and a 22" Blackstone in Cincinnati, Ohio
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  • Smokinpig
    Smokinpig Posts: 739
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    Look at the thermopop if price is a concern. 30 bucks well spent, I like mine.

    LBGE Atlanta, GA


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  • bettysnephew
    bettysnephew Posts: 1,189
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    I own a Thermopen and am quite happy with its' performance, BUT! doing it over I would likely buy the Thermopop today. The Pop was not available when I purchased my TPen. The Tpop is not that much slower (in some tests quicker) and the accuracy is good enough for my cooks as I do not really need .1° accuracy. In fact the next time they are on sale I will likely buy one or two.
    A poor widows son.
    See der Rabbits, Iowa
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  • s_austin_egger
    s_austin_egger Posts: 132
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    Well worth the money.  Much more accurate readings because you can quickly check temps in multiple areas.  I was on the fence for a long time because of the price but glad I pulled the trigger. 
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  • Toxarch
    Toxarch Posts: 1,900
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    Yes.

    They go on sale every so often on the manufacturer's website. Around $75+/-. I have 2 of them. Love them for their speed and accuracy. Only missing feature is a back light.
    Aledo, Texas
    Large BGE
    KJ Jr.

    Exodus 12:9 KJV
    Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof.

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  • abpgwolf
    abpgwolf Posts: 559
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    I love my Thermapen! It's improved my results more than any other accessory I own. The thermopop is also nice if you don't mind the longer response time. 

    Lititz, PA – XL BGE

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  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,385
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    The thermopen is great at what it does, measure food temps quickly.  If your cooking style is such that the food temperature rate of change is slow (i.e. low&slow) then the speed of the thermopen is not that much of a necessity.  However, that said, if you even think you will be doing hot and fast cooks then it or the thermopop (mentioned above) should be in your tool kit.  FWIW-
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
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  • DutchMiniMax
    DutchMiniMax Posts: 129
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    I received mine last week (ordered directly from there site) , works pritty need and if you like there is also a version with back light. One thing that i was a bit suprised of was the actual size, to be honest larger then expected.
    BGE MiniMax Rocks!
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  • bigalsworth
    bigalsworth Posts: 685
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    I like the reach of the thermapen, I find my hand stays cooler than when I use the thermapen.  Having said that if thermapops existed when I bought my thermapen I likely would have just bought the tpop
    Large BGE
    BBQ Guru DigiQ II

    Martensville, Saskatchewan Canada
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  • fruitguy
    fruitguy Posts: 303
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    awesome product and support
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  • buzd504
    buzd504 Posts: 3,824
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    I have 2 - I bought a back-lit one after I bought the original.  I use it so often that my wife didn't even inquire as to why a thermapen in another color suddenly appeared.
    NOLA
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  • Parkersquared
    Parkersquared Posts: 82
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    Worth it, i use it for everything.  
    Wiggins, MS
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  • jtcBoynton
    jtcBoynton Posts: 2,814
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    chadpsualum said:
    So I was thinking of getting the Thermapen as everyone seems to rave about it.  As I was looking at it on Amazon ($96) I also saw a similar one from Alpha Grillers for $23.

    Is the Thermapen really worth 4x's the amount?  Is it the speed?  Precision?  Thoughts and opinions appreciated.
    Yes.
    Yes.
    Yes.

    The Thermapen is a well made precision piece of equipment that will last many years. I have had mine for several years (my yearly cost is now down to about $12 or $1 per month or <10¢ per cook). A Thermapen is an investment in good cooking. By the time it wears out, it will have cost you less than 10 cents per cook. Considering you may be cooking a $50 steak or $60 of salmon, etc, spending 10¢ to make sure you get it right is something I wouldn't worry about.

    CDN makes a competing product that has specs similar to the Thermapen. The Thermapen just has a lot of satisfied users on this forum.  I just don't know how well the CDN products last. 
    Southeast Florida - LBGE
    In cooking, often we implement steps for which we have no explanations other than ‘that’s what everybody else does’ or ‘that’s what I have been told.’  Dare to think for yourself.
     
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  • Nanook
    Nanook Posts: 846
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    Absolutely!!
    GWN
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  • Fred19Flintstone
    Fred19Flintstone Posts: 8,168
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    Thermapen is all that AND a bag of chips!

    Flint, Michigan
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  • blasting
    blasting Posts: 6,262
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    chadpsualum said:
    So I was thinking of getting the Thermapen as everyone seems to rave about it.  As I was looking at it on Amazon ($96) I also saw a similar one from Alpha Grillers for $23.

    Is the Thermapen really worth 4x's the amount?  Is it the speed?  Precision?  Thoughts and opinions appreciated.
    @chadpsualum   yes, I believe it is worth it.  It is the one, almost universally endorsed, products discussed here.  I'll say personally that it has changed the way I cook.

    The pens do go on sale every 30-60 days, so no need to pay full price.  I'll add that I wouldn't obsess about color, because I also give the nod to the available magnetic silicone cover.  The cover gives good protection,  is magnetic, as well as glow in the dark.
    Phoenix 
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  • Spaightlabs
    Spaightlabs Posts: 2,349
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    as  said previously - among the best accessories there is.  Imagine buying 4 gorgeous tomahawk steaks for a special occasion.  you are in for over $100 on meat alone.  Now imagine you need one to be cooked black and blue, one med rare two medium.  no better tool to get it right.

    And for foods with varying thicknesses that you may have to probe several times, that super fast reading helps a lot.

    They were just on sale for $78, and they go on sale pretty often.

    My first was backlit, turns out that wasn't a big deal for me and seemed to burn batteries quickly.

    No backlight on the most recent one.


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  • jtcBoynton
    jtcBoynton Posts: 2,814
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    But color is important. Red one for meat - yellow one for chicken - blue one for fish - and green one for veggies!!!!!  :lol: 
    Southeast Florida - LBGE
    In cooking, often we implement steps for which we have no explanations other than ‘that’s what everybody else does’ or ‘that’s what I have been told.’  Dare to think for yourself.
     
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  • SaskNortherner
    SaskNortherner Posts: 96
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    I have one in Rider Green. Use it all the time both in the house and outdoor grilling. I even use it to bake bread by temp. Would not be without one.
    LBGE,Mini Max,Stoker Meadow Lake Sask.
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  • SoCalTim
    SoCalTim Posts: 2,158
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    chadpsualum said:
    So I was thinking of getting the Thermapen as everyone seems to rave about it.  As I was looking at it on Amazon ($96) I also saw a similar one from Alpha Grillers for $23.

    Is the Thermapen really worth 4x's the amount?  Is it the speed?  Precision?  Thoughts and opinions appreciated.
    Is it worth it? lol ... 

    You just spent $1100 for a Big Green Egg ... you could have saved alot of $$ by buying an Akorn.

    Buy cheap, buy twice. Get the Thermopen.
    I've slow smoked and eaten so much pork, I'm legally recognized as being part swine - Chatsworth Ca.
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  • GATraveller
    GATraveller Posts: 8,207
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    Yes.

    "Social media gives legions of idiots the right to speak when they once only spoke at a bar after a glass of wine, without harming the community [...] but now they have the same right to speak as a Nobel Prize winner. It's the invasion of the idiots."
                                                                                  -Umberto Eco

    2 Large
    Peachtree Corners, GA
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  • caliking
    caliking Posts: 18,731
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    Smokinpig said:
    Look at the thermopop if price is a concern. 30 bucks well spent, I like mine.
    +1. I have both. The thermapen works well, but i'm still not convinced its worth the price I paid for it.

    I would definitely recommend buying a Thermoworks product though. Great customer service (they replaced my thermopop free of charge a few months ago), and their products are rock solid. They also have some other thermos that are about $30 (besides the thermopop). 

    If you are sold on the thermapen, they have sales from time to time. I think they had a $77 sale this week. 

    #1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
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  • SmyrnaGA
    SmyrnaGA Posts: 438
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    Definitely worth it!  I got the "normal" one and tried to upgrade to the backlit & give the normal one to the brother-in-law for his birthday.  SWMBO didn't like the idea of gifting the used one so he got the backlit one while I kept the old one...

    Large BGE, Small BGE, KJ Jr, and a Cracked Vision Kub.

    in Smyrna GA.


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  • Dave in Florida
    Dave in Florida Posts: 1,157
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     Yes...I have the thermapen and the thermapop.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Welcome to the Swamp.....GO GATORS!!!!
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
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    The T-pen is the darling of the forum, along with the adjustable rig and the egg itself. You won't find anyone here with a bad word to say about any of them.

    And you probably won't find anyone with ANY word to say about the Alpha Grillers device. I've never heard anyone mention it. Might be a great thermometer, they might have a great product line and great customer service... but no one here knows. 

    In my case, I sometimes don't pay much attention and still overcook, even with the pen. However, when I finally do check, I know instantly that it is overcooked! =) So yeah, on those occasions I kick myself for paying so much.

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • JohnnyTarheel
    JohnnyTarheel Posts: 6,541
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    Yes buy the Thermopen. It is well worth the quality and price.  We use it both outdoors grilling and inside the kitchen.  Handsdown the one item that ensures you turn out good food. 
    Charlotte, NC - Large BGE 2014, Maverick ET 733, Thermopen, Nest, Platesetter, Woo2 and Extender w/Grid, Kick Ash Basket, Pizza Stone, SS Smokeware Cap, Blackstone 36"
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  • Ozzie_Isaac
    Ozzie_Isaac Posts: 19,107
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    I have both a Thermopop and a back-lit thermopen.

    They both work really well.  I prefer the thermopen because I can change the probe angle and it does stabalize faster then the thermopop.

    My view is 4 good steaks could easily cost $80.  So the price to get them done to perfection is very reasonable.
    They don’t want a population of citizens capable of critical thinking. They don’t want well informed, well educated people capable of critical thinking. They’re not interested in that. That doesn’t help them. That's against their interests. - George Carlin
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  • chadpsualum
    chadpsualum Posts: 409
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    Carolina Q said:

    And you probably won't find anyone with ANY word to say about the Alpha Grillers device. I've never heard anyone mention it. Might be a great thermometer, they might have a great product line and great customer service... but no one here knows. 

    I just used Alpha Grillers as a representative "other choice" since it was ~20% of the cost.  I don't have any tie to that brand.

    With that said, a ton of great points made here.  It's clear that the speed, accuracy and robustness of the Thermapen is well worth it.  I appreciate all of the opinions here.
    North Pittsburgh, PA
    1 LGE
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  • Ladeback69
    Ladeback69 Posts: 4,482
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    I have the ThermoPop and it can take about 4 to 6 seconds to get a reading and the the Thermopen does it in about 2 seconds.  They just recently had a one sale for them at $77.  I like my TPop and 5 seconds is good for me.  You can also move the readout so you can take a reading from about anywhere and it has a back-lit button.  I had some cheaper ones and they lasted about 2 cooks.  I have had mine for over a year and it is still going strong on the same battery.
    XL, WSM, Coleman Road Trip Gas Grill

    Kansas City, Mo.
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  • HoustonEgger
    HoustonEgger Posts: 616
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    Yes - it's awesome.

    Like others, I was thrown by the price and never bought one for myself. Then I got one as a gift and kicked myself for not getting one sooner.

    $99 for perfectly cooked food is well worth it
    Formerly of Houston, TX - Now Located in Bastrop, TX
    I work in the 'que business now (since 2017)

    6 Eggs: (1) XL, (2) Large, (1) Small, (1) Minimax & (1) Mini - Egging since 2007
    Also recently gained: (1) Gas Thing (came with the house), (1) 36" Blackstone Griddle & (1) Pitts & Spitts Pellet Smoker
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