Thermo Pro TP-08 Wireless Thermometer

Botch

I really enjoyed using my Maverick 732 when I got it last summer, sittin' in the A/C watching for the stall to finish, and having it wake me up in the middle of the night when my Egg started dying (not an issue now with the KAB).  Unfortunately, it quit working for me after only a couple uses; from what I've read on Amazon (and here) half the folks use it for years and the other half have reliability issues.
So, I've been using my trusty Polder since, but it doesn't have a radio linkup, have to walk out to the porch to check temps (ah, First-World problems).  Then I saw in Popular Mechanics, or Consumer Reports, a glowing review of another model by Oregon Scientific, and it was reasonably priced.  Checking the reviews on Amazon, however, showed the same reliability issues as the Maverick (I had an Oregon Scientific video camera that wasn't a very good design, either).  
Anyhoo, Amazon also showed me a Thermo Works, that had mostly 5-star reviews, $40, and a bit more looking around found a $50 unit that also included a second probe for pit temp.  I just got it:
 

 
It's built a little better than the Maverick (nice rubber jackets around the cases), and has real buttons rather than the membrane switches on the Maverick (I hate those things).  Reading the instructions it seemed just as difficult to set up, but it was actually pretty easy.  It also linked up perfectly, each unit uses 2 AAA batteries, has a timer built-in that can be used simultaneously, and has a good range (about 25' from my recliner to my Egg, through two walls).  
Will have to wait until next weekend to test it out, I'll report back.  I did a search of this forum and no one else has this one that I could see.  

texaswig

Those look like a good deal. More people could use them.  even people who are just cooking in the oven. I've got a cheaper one.  I may have to move up to one of these. 

Botch

Well, semi-success.  

Wanted to try this out and also see if I could do a low-und-slow when it was really cold (hit 13º two nights ago).  I had the Egg dialed in at 225 but it couldn't maintain that temp, I had to restart it twice.  The second time I bumped it up to ~250 and it held that the rest of the cook.

 

 

The Thermo Pro worked well, although the kettle temp (bottom number) read about 250 too high at first, when I rebooted it at the first relight, it worked fine after that (don't know if it was a bug or operator error).  Brisket was done about noon:

 

 

Question: that vein of fat running through the briskie, almost makes it look like a packer (flat on the bottom and point on the top) yet it was sold as a flat; have any of you ever seen that before, or did I get a smallish, mismarked packer?

 

Homemade potato salad rounded the meal out nicely, with leftovers for eight or so more meals.

 

 

I'm happy with the new Thermo Pro, and if I have to boost my low-und-slows to 250 in mid-winter, well, I can live with that. 

bgebrent

Either way brother, looks like a killer cook!  Very nice.

Jeepster47

Hey @Botch , that's just plain mean my friend ... checked out the ThermoPro TP-08 on Amazon and this is what I found:

Currently unavailable.
We don't know when or if this item will be back in stock.

Looks like you got the last one.

Sure wish ThermoWorks would come out with a wireless or wifi unit similar in functionality to the Maverick.  With Thermowork's 700 degree wires on their probes it'd be a killer unit for sure.

SmokeyPitt

Great looking brisket!  IMO it looks like you got a nice section of point left on the brisket.  I don't think it is necessarily a small packer, but just a section where the point/flat overlap. 

The display on that looks identical to a Maverick.  I wonder if they just made a new case and used the board/display from the Mav? 

Botch

Jeepster47 said:

Hey @Botch , that's just plain mean my friend ... checked out the ThermoPro TP-08 on Amazon and this is what I found:

Currently unavailable.
We don't know when or if this item will be back in stock.

Looks like you got the last one.

Sure wish ThermoWorks would come out with a wireless or wifi unit similar in functionality to the Maverick.  With Thermowork's 700 degree wires on their probes it'd be a killer unit for sure.

  Hopefully they just depleted from christmas rush and will have more soon, not a bad unit for the price.
 
I think ThermoWorks just came out with a wireless unit, on a recent thread.  It cost a lot more, but I sure wish I'd bought the Thermopen right off the bat, instead of buying several "instant-read" thermometers that didn't; I'd rather spend the money up front and get something good.  

Botch

SmokeyPitt said:

The display on that looks identical to a Maverick.  I wonder if they just made a new case and used the board/display from the Mav? 

Possible; it certainly was easier to program than the Maverick, and uses hardware buttons rather than membrane switches.  

stlcharcoal

Looks cool.....might have to get one of those.  Never had any problems with my Mav-733, but it is a total PIA to program!!!!

Jeepster47

Botch said:

... I think ThermoWorks just came out with a wireless unit, on a recent thread.  ...

For remote reading in our application, they only have bluetooth (BlueTherm) connectivity.  They do have some wifi data loggers (EasyLog), but they only handle up to 275*F.  I suspect you're remembering @blasting joking about a new wifi unit for BBQ because he had just bought a ThermaQ unit.

JNJGoeders

Thanks for your review on this! Your brisket looked great! 
I just got on Amazon and ordered this therm cuz my Maverick has been giving me trouble for a year now and I'm sick of it.... Hopefully this one will be better! I also bought the extended warranty that Amazon offered...fingers crossed