Thermoworks Dot alarm thermometer- Full review

anton

Bought the Thermoworks Dot, thought I would keep it simple, low price, simple unit.

Came with one straight probe and standard bag of jelly bellys.
I purchased 90 degree probe as an accessory for $16.00
Dot is $39.00 from manufacturer Thermoworks (maker of the Thermapen)

I used it to cook a turkey, I set the finish temp with the arrow buttons up or down, insert probe in meat, alarm went off at target temp of 160F,
that's it, simple, easy, didn't need directions.
Large easy to read, magnets on back stick to handle.
Probe wires rated at 700F
No backlight or other stuff, no remote, no wifi/bluetooth.One probe only.

I think it was an excellent value at the price point,and
I would recommend it to my fellow eggers..
I am satisfied with it, helped a lot, only opened egg twice during whole cook, mostly for pics.
Quality construction, as accurate as my thermapen.

DMW

Nice! I'm considering adding one to my kit along with their needle probe to use with foam tape to monitor food core temps during sous vide cooking.

theyolksonyou

Thanks for the review. Seems like a good value at that price. I'd likely go that route if the maverick played out, I just don't use the grid probe all that much.

Jeepster47

anton said:

... magnets on back stick to handle. ...

Good review ... thanks,  I went with the Chef Alarm as a present for the missus to use indoors ... she was getting frustrated with the no-name unit she was using.  Many of the things you mentioned apply to the Chef Alarm as well.  Not quite as simple in readouts, but quite simple to set up ... very intuitive.

They say a picture is worth a 1000 words ... yours above turned on a light bulb.  My egg rests in it's nest ... no table other than the wings on my gasser.  I have a Maverick 732 that hangs off one of the legs.  It would be a simple matter to make a small magnetic hanger to attach to the lower hinge band.  Then the Maverick could hang off it.  Or, attach a magnet to the back of the Maverick ... same as the Dot.

Thanks for the review and the idea!

caliking

Pretty neat. I like how it sticks to the handle, and is large enough to read form afar. But why not make it backlit?? I don't do a lot of lo n slo or overnight cooks, but it does often get dark outside when I'm cooking. The price sounds reasonable for a quality product though.

I'm not sure how much I liked the 90° probes on my Maverick, so I would be eager to hear what your take on the straight vs. angled probe is.

@DMW - have you done this before i.e. measure the core temp of food during SV cooking? I would think that it would be a no-no, unless the whole temp unit can be submerged?

DMW

@caliking I have not, but Thermoworks specifically mentions SV applications for their Pro-Series Needle Probe as completely immersible. I'm still not convinced I need to monitor food core temp with SV though...

anton

@caliking I got the 90 degree probe because I have a medium egg and I wanted to make sure the wire was pointed toward the side, in retrospect i probably did not need it, the straight probe that came with it would be adequate I'm sure. @DMW, I saw the sous vide probes in the catalog or on their website, it is a needle probe special for you sv use.

The 90 Degree worked great though, here it is on my turkey, today was my thanksgiving, I'll probably brag post my turkey on a separate thread11

loveTheEgg

If that is the Dot probe wire you are using in the pix why do u have the wire wrapped in foil?

Jeepster47

loveTheEgg said:

If that is the Dot probe wire you are using in the pix why do u have the wire wrapped in foil?

The foil is the "suspenders" to his high temp "belt" probes.

@anton ... Slightly off topic for a sec please.  Looks like a Woo2 supporting the grid and a foil wrapped round stone sticking out from the edge of the drip pan ... yes?  Can't see it, but assume the stone is supported by a spider ... built into the Woo or free standing.  Is that a set up that you bought instead of the BGE plate setter, or a set up in addition to the plate setter?

anton

@loveTheEgg, extra added security, even though it is rated for 700F, flames can lick at it that pass by my indirect stone, or a platesetter for that matter.I have seen someone use a high heat sleeve they bought somewhere, I ultimately would like to do same.

@Jeepster47 no worries on off topic, you are correct, and what I have is the woo2, there are two crossbars you can't see that support my 10" stone,not a spider, but part of the woo2 package, they do remove, they just sit in place. I never bought a platesetter, I can do all my set ups with this. Plus sadly it is the only accessory for the medium, the medium does not have an AR rig or any of the other cool guy stuff.This pretty much replaces the platesetter completely.

Jeepster47

anton said:

... the only accessory for the medium ...

Thanks for the answer.  Didn't realize it was a medium and that the full compliment of accessories wasn't available from CGS.  With your explanation and the CGS website, I now fully understand your set up.

anton

@Jeepster47, you can imagine my dismay when I realized the limited options for a medium, but I actually inherited this one from my late father, I would buy a large if I get another.

Jeepster47

Please keep this quiet from the AR owners ... don't want to send their blood pressure skyward.

Mine is a large that was purchased with a BGE plate setter.  I've been back-and-forth for the last month on what to buy next.  With CGS promising a sale next week, the pressure is on to reach a decision.  I'm planning on buying a PSWoo2 this time around.  And, build a raised grid with bolts until I've more experience.

We're turning our son into an egghead for Christmas.  Since he's been grilling and smoking with an assortment of Weber units for about a dozen years, he's reasonably knowledgeable about what he needs.  We went over an XL package and he voted to skip the BGE plate setter and go with CGS.  Not the AR rig like I thought he would want, but with a Woo2/stone set up.

Check back with us in a year and we might have changed our minds, but for right now we're following in your footsteps. That's the back story of why I led you off topic.

lkapigian

Thank You

blind99

Thanks for the review. That thing looks really nice, especially like the probe options. I may get one for indoor cooks where i don't need remote. Or for summer cooks where I can stand by with a beer!

anton

@Jeepster47, that sounds good, I believe you will be satisfied with the ease of use and the versatility. Most of all it warms my heart to hear your son is following in the egging legacy. Too cool.
:-bd

Terrebandit

I bought the model that came before this. They cleared them out before the DOT arrived, so I bought a couple, plus extra probes. Suffice to say that I have enough of them to last me a lifetime.

SGH

@anton‌
My wife ordered me a Tempest II for my pending birthday. Hope that it's not a dud. I picked it out so I can't really complain if it is.

anton

@SGH, just looked at that, it's a super thermapen and it is perfect for lefties as the display moves as you turn it ,like a smartphone screen. Great choice, when it comes in please give us a full review, thanks brother!
:-bd

SGH

@anton‌
If I can figure out how to work it I will be glad to offer my thoughts. I have had a iphone for about 7 months now and still haven't figured it out. Not to tech savy my friend.