ThermoWorks vs LavaTools

drdeal

im debating between the ThermoWorks Dot and the LavaTools Carbon Lite. Same price point but the Carbon Lite seems to have more features. Does anyone have experience with either of these? Which do you recommend?

blasting

Thermoworks is one of the classiest companies I've ever done business with.  They know who I am when I call, I speak to a person, they make warranty issues, non issues.  Their products just have a well made feel and work well.  And you get a pack of jelly beans with every purchase.

I respect the idea there may be good other brands, but Thermoworks has my business.

SoCalTim

My neighbor is head Chef @ Lawry's The Prime Rib - Downtown LA, had a conversation with him on this same exact subject a few weeks ago, he told me, Lawry's supply's everyone in the kitchen (upon hire) with a brand a new Thermapen the very first day of work - and tells them to use it. He said he wouldn't dream of using or even experiment with any other brand. 

minniemoh

I have two Thermapens, one backlit and one not (not the MK4). I have sent one back for the probe o-ring coming out. I've had great service and love the product. Don't know anything about Lava but I am loyal to Thermoworks as the product works great and I have had great service.

HeavyG

I have Thermapens and other Thermoworks gear and Lavatools Javelins. They are all nice thermos. I'm the odd man out here as I like my Javelin Pro over my Thermapens.

Never used the Carbon Lite.

Both companies are good to deal with.

I'd probably go with the Dot tho unless you just really want the wireless remote read feature of the Carbon Lite. Keep in mind that the range of many Bluetooth devices is pretty short in real life so if you go with the Carbon I'd order from somewhere that you could return it if the range doesn't work in your specific situation.

Photo Egg

HeavyG said:

I have Thermapens and other Thermoworks gear and Lavatools Javelins. They are all nice thermos. I'm the odd man out here as I like my Javelin Pro over my Thermapens.

Never used the Carbon Lite.

Both companies are good to deal with.

I'd probably go with the Dot tho unless you just really want the wireless remote read feature of the Carbon Lite. Keep in mind that the range of many Bluetooth devices is pretty short in real life so if you go with the Carbon I'd order from somewhere that you could return it if the range doesn't work in your specific situation.

Odd but not the only one. I really like my Javelin Pro as well. Thermoworks customer service is awesome and they have helped me out 3 times in the past. How is Lavatools customer service? No idea. Stuff is still all working perfect, have not needed them. I did check my JPs against my Thermopens when I first got them and it was just as fast in ice and boiling water and all 4 read within half a degree. I bought my Javelin Pros on sale for less than $50 each after a tip on the forum, might have been you?

Carolina Q

As you will come to find out, folks around here tend to have certain favorites when it comes to vendors and accessories. Thermoworks, Ceramic Grill Store, Dizzy Pig, to name a few... pretty much anything made by these folks will come out on top if you ask here.

I won't disagree. Thermoworks offers fine products, a fine rep, great customer service. And jelly beans. That said, I have read some nice comments about the LavaTools products too. Their instant read thermos are quite a bit less expensive and are apparently good quality too. I have a Thermapen, not a Javelin, so I can't say from experience. Just what I've read.

I don't personally know what your experience would be with LavaTools. But you won't go wrong with Thermoworks. Pretty much guaranteed. 

BTW, I just looked on Amazon and on the Lavatools site. The Javelin Pro Duo is $49.95, free shipping. Regular price. I might try one out. Don't know why... I already have a T-pen. 

Oh, and don't buy Thermoworks stuff from anyone but them, No support or warranty. See banner at top of their home page.

PatBateman

T Pen!

HeavyG

I have had one interaction with Lavatools customer support. One of my very first Lavatools thermos was the Thermowand. It was renamed to the Javelin (apparently after someone complained about the similarity of the name to Thermapen - I wonder who might have done that? ) not too long after they started selling their thermos.

After about a year one of my Thermowands/Javelins just wouldn't turn on when pulling out the probe. Thought perhaps the battery had died. Changed it. No joy. Emailed Lavatools and they suggested a couple of things to try. No joy. They sent me a new one and a shipping label to send back the dead one. No hassles.

Certainly Thermoworks is a more well established company and may likely be around  for a very long time so I certainly grok the love for them.

However, for about half the price of a Thermapen Mk4 I'd pick the Javelin Pro every day of the week. I can buy a lot of Jelly Belly's with the $$ savings.

minniemoh

I was just checking out the Javelin Pro on their website. It seems it comes with a 3-year warranty as the MK4 only comes with a 2-year. I'm tempted to buy a Javelin Pro for my buddy as a wedding gift.

Photo Egg

HeavyG said:

I have had one interaction with Lavatools customer support. One of my very first Lavatools thermos was the Thermowand. It was renamed to the Javelin (apparently after someone complained about the similarity of the name to Thermapen - I wonder who might have done that? ) not too long after they started selling their thermos.

After about a year one of my Thermowands/Javelins just wouldn't turn on when pulling out the probe. Thought perhaps the battery had died. Changed it. No joy. Emailed Lavatools and they suggested a couple of things to try. No joy. They sent me a new one and a shipping label to send back the dead one. No hassles.

Certainly Thermoworks is a more well established company and may likely be around  for a very long time so I certainly grok the love for them.

However, for about half the price of a Thermapen Mk4 I'd pick the Javelin Pro every day of the week. I can buy a lot of Jelly Belly's with the $$ savings.

Good to know on the  Lava Customer Service.
Having similar issue with one of my Thermopens. At times it takes several open/close movements to get the display to come on.

SmokeyPitt

That carbon lite looks pretty slick. At first I thought it was just one probe but there is an ambient sensor at the base of the probe for the cooker temp. I like that because you could stick it in a butt or brisket and it is reading the temp just above the meat. Seems like that would work well, and you don't have to find a place to clip it to the grid. 

One concern be the range. I have an iGrill2 (now owned by Weber) and the range is not great for me. The one place it really bugs me is it doesn't work from my office which is only about 40 feet from my eggs. It has to go through a couple of walls and the chimney to the house though. 

One other thing that might bug me about the Carbon LITE is there is no display on the unit. It is not a big deal as long as you have your phone with you, but I think I would miss having a display on the unit as well. 

PirateBill

I have a Dot, great easy to use instrument ... that being said the jelly beans sold me.

4Runner

I like the Thermoworks.....not talking much $$ difference anyway.  I do prefer the interchangeable probes.  Love the Therma Q as I interchange the probes with my Stoker.  

blasting

Worth mentioning possibly, is the thermopop.

This one just arrived.  In a head to head test with the pen, it was almost identical.

RRog17

I love the Javalin Pro. Dropped the first one and it cracked on the arm where the probe flips out. Contacted customer service. Had no receipt or other requiresd info because it was a gift. They sent me a new one. I like RTIC too. 

Carolina Q

Just found a sponsored promo for the Carbon Lite on Serious Eats. http://www.seriouseats.com/sponsored/2016/11/thanksgiving-turkey-carbon-lite-thermometer.html  

They included a discount code, 16SETREAT, good for 18% off. I tested it on the Lavatools site and it appears to still work, not only on the Carbon Lite, but on the Javelin Pro Duo as well, or both. So $41 each, free shipping, if that helps anyone decide. I assume everything works with the code, but those are the only ones I tried.

I never pay much attention to these Maverick type devices; iGrill, Carbon Lite, Dot, etc. I have an old Maverick and never use it. Seriously, NEVER. But the phone app interests me. BT range shouldn't be an issue, surely it'll make it thru one exterior wall and 25 more feet to the farthest away I would likely be.

Does anyone know if you can set an alarm for grid temps above and below a target range?  Or if you can select any of the ring tones on your phone for the alarm sound? For $40 I'm tempted to give it a try.

cssmd27

I have the Javelin Pro and Themapen.  Love them both.  Thermoworks is the tried and true, but the JP is cheaper by a lot.  I wish I could say the Thermapen is worth the extra coin because they are clearly a great company.  But, I can't.  I've been completely satisfied wih my JP.  I have a lot of other great products from Thermoworks and thus far, I've never had to interact with their customer service, which speaks for itself.

Photo Egg

Carolina Q said:

Just found a sponsored promo for the Carbon Lite on Serious Eats. http://www.seriouseats.com/sponsored/2016/11/thanksgiving-turkey-carbon-lite-thermometer.html  

They included a discount code, 16SETREAT, good for 18% off. I tested it on the Lavatools site and it appears to still work, not only on the Carbon Lite, but on the Javelin Pro Duo as well, or both. So $41 each, free shipping, if that helps anyone decide. I assume everything works with the code, but those are the only ones I tried.

I never pay much attention to these Maverick type devices; iGrill, Carbon Lite, Dot, etc. I have an old Maverick and never use it. Seriously, NEVER. But the phone app interests me. BT range shouldn't be an issue, surely it'll make it thru one exterior wall and 25 more feet to the farthest away I would likely be.

Does anyone know if you can set an alarm for grid temps above and below a target range?  Or if you can select any of the ring tones on your phone for the alarm sound? For $40 I'm tempted to give it a try.

That's the same site I got the discount code when I bought mine.
Thanks for posting.

PirateBill

PirateBill said:

I have a Dot, great easy to use instrument ... that being said the jelly beans sold me.

meant I have a ThermoPop ... said Dot meant POP ... long day at work yesterday. still the ThermoPop is great would buy again and recommend

odie91

blasting said:

Worth mentioning possibly, is the thermopop.

This one just arrived.  In a head to head test with the pen, it was almost identical.

Meaning it was just as fast?

lousubcap

@odie91 - the pop is slightly slower in response but not enough to make a difference in my world.  Give the company web site a look.  I have given the pop for Xmas gifts-always well received.  Had it been on the market years ago, I would have gone with it instead of the pen.  FWIW-

dougcrann

Thermoworks for me. Had some problems with my 2 probe "handheld" thermometer.  Tech spent 10 minutes on the phone with me...avoided returning it for a repair. Have 2 Thermapens....one of the older style and one newer. Use them almost daily. 
I bought a Maverick 2 probe wireless remote pile-o-crap. Probes read +/- 9 degrees of what my Thermoworks read. Traded several emails with Maverick...told that this is acceptable...my trash can "accepted" the device....

blasting

odie91 said:

blasting said:

Worth mentioning possibly, is the thermopop.

This one just arrived.  In a head to head test with the pen, it was almost identical.

Meaning it was just as fast?

About a second different.  In the lit, the refer to it as a 3 second read.

Thomasc18

i own two thermoworks products. Mk4 and smoke, no issues works great. Love their products. 

Photo Egg

blasting said:

odie91 said:

blasting said:

Worth mentioning possibly, is the thermopop.

This one just arrived.  In a head to head test with the pen, it was almost identical.

Meaning it was just as fast?

About a second different.  In the lit, the refer to it as a 3 second read.

I know the POP is a fairly new product. But they are already selling one as "new and faster". Do you have the new POP?
All of mine are the first Gen and still pretty damn fast.
I don't find it necessary to get my reading super exact until it gets very close to my desired temp. If I stick the POP into a brisket and it starts displaying temps and changing rapidly and then slows as it nears the actual temp. That is normally close enough. I don't need to get exact if it starts slowing at 170 for example. Same holds true for my Thermapens. For the money, the POPs are great deal.

Carolina Q

I don't own a Pop, though I probably would if they had been available when I bought my T-pen. What I don't like though, is the fact that it's in two pieces, the pop and the sheath for the probe. Seems like something just begging to be lost forever. And if you lose it, you sure don't want to put the Pop in your pocket!

For a little bit more, I think I'd rather have the Lavatools Javelin Pro Duo.

Photo Egg

Carolina Q said:

I don't own a Pop, though I probably would if they had been available when I bought my T-pen. What I don't like though, is the fact that it's in two pieces, the pop and the sheath for the probe. Seems like something just begging to be lost forever. And if you lose it, you sure don't want to put the Pop in your pocket!

For a little bit more, I think I'd rather have the Lavatools Javelin Pro Duo.

I don't disagree with your logic and yes to the JP. But 2 of my problems with T-pens have been related to unit not displaying when probe is swiveled out.
No moving parts to activate the POP. But my 2 Javelins with pivoting probes have been solid so far, knock on wood.

HeavyG

I hate the ThermoPop. Digits too tiny for me to read sans reading glasses, the buttons are too stiff, and I don't like the separate little sheath to keep me from stabbing myself.

Mine is in the back of a drawer somewhere and hasn't seen the light of day for well over a year.

For a few bucks less than the ThermoPop the Lavatools Javelin is worth a look. It fits in a pocket (stabby-free) and has a magnet on the back (I keep  a couple stuck under my stainless steel prep table).

Carolina Q

Photo Egg said:

Carolina Q said:

I don't own a Pop, though I probably would if they had been available when I bought my T-pen. What I don't like though, is the fact that it's in two pieces, the pop and the sheath for the probe. Seems like something just begging to be lost forever. And if you lose it, you sure don't want to put the Pop in your pocket!

For a little bit more, I think I'd rather have the Lavatools Javelin Pro Duo.

I don't disagree with your logic and yes to the JP. But 2 of my problems with T-pens have been related to unit not displaying when probe is swiveled out.
No moving parts to activate the POP. But my 2 Javelins with pivoting probes have been solid so far, knock on wood.

Yeah, my T-pen does that sometimes too. Haven't contacted them yet though. Did they repair yours? Send you a new one? Or tell you how to fix it? Was there a charge? I know mine's out of warranty. If you've already answered somewhere, my apologies.

Photo Egg

HeavyG said:

 (I keep  a couple stuck under my stainless steel prep table).

Great idea, thanks. Now I keep one stuck on the side of my refrigerator next to the back door.