If you're a fan of grilling and smoking meat, you know how important it is to monitor the temperature of your food and your grill. In this article, we'll explore the different types of BBQ thermometers available, including meat probes, wireless, and Bluetooth options.

We'll also provide a guide on the temperatures you need to monitor for different types of meat and share our top picks for the best BBQ thermometers on the market. So, whether you're a beginner or a pro, read on to find the best BBQ or meat thermometer for you.

What BBQ temperatures do you need to monitor?

Meat

Meat temperatures are crucial when cooking over fire. From a safety perspective, grilling can often make meats look cooked on the outside whilst still raw on the inside. And while you might find one sausage perfectly done, another might still be undercooked.

In addition to this, your meal can be equally spoiled if your food is overcooked and dry. The more you cook to temperature, the more you'll find your sweet spot for all your favourite foods. Everyone has slightly different temperatures they enjoy taking their chicken wings or ribs to and discovering these temperatures means you can make them just how you like them every time.

Check out our temperature guide for meat temperatures.

Pit

BBQ pits don't have the consistent temperature of an oven. And whilst many models often have a gauge for you to check the pit temperature, it's not as accurate as having an air probe clipped to the grill next to your meat. Proximity to the flame makes all the difference. This is crucial for all sorts of cooks, but largely low and slow where it's really important the temperature doesn't rise or fall too much.

What are the different types of BBQ thermometers?

Instant-read meat thermometers

If you start with one thermometer, it needs to be a meat probe. Use it for quick dishes like chicken wings, sausages and burgers to ensure they're safe throughout, steaks to get that perfect finish, and even longer and larger cooks for spot-checking all over. Not just for meat and BBQs, temperature probes are great for sweet treats, baking, reheating leftovers, and even checking your bath water!

Leave-in BBQ thermometers

Leave-in or oven thermometer probes stay inside your meat as they cook, enabling you to track your temps with the lid closed and all the delicious smoke and flavours staying inside. They range from simple alarm thermometers that sound when your food is cooked to Bluetooth and Wi-Fi models for remote tracking. Some have multiple probes for meat and pit temperatures. 

Bluetooth BBQ thermometers

Bluetooth and Wi-Fi thermometers are the most advanced tools for your temperature tracking. Connecting to an app on your phone, you can keep an eye on your cooks from the comfort of your sofa. Great for low and slow recipes.

Top 5 BBQ thermometers

Best meat probe thermometer 

— Thermapen ONE. Best for: Grilling

When it comes to probes, the most important factors tend to be reliability, performance and ease of use. All of which the Thermapen One is famous for. It provides accurate readings in just one second, while its design is sleek and sturdy. And with useful features like the 360° rotating display, automatic backlight and on/off functions, it couldn't be easier to check your BBQ temperatures.

Loved by professional chefs and featured on popular cooking shows worldwide, you can always count on the Thermapen to confirm when your dish is done. And with a five-year guarantee, you know you've got accurate temperatures for years to come.

Best leave-in digital BBQ thermometer — DOT. Best for: Roasts

So you want to monitor your meat while it cooks, but you don't want to blow your budget or get overly techy? The DOT has got you covered. Insert your probe, set your temperature using the up/down arrows and away you go. Watch the temperature climb as it cooks and wait for the alarm to sound once your meat is perfectly smoked.

Check out the Bluetooth DOT if you'd like the added benefit of app monitoring.

Best wireless BBQ thermometer — Smoke

Best for: Low and slow

The Smoke is one of our favourite BBQ thermometers because the pre-paired wireless receiver makes wireless monitoring super simple and reliable. 

It has two probes: one for your meat and one for your pit. Set your temperatures, insert your probes, and you can watch the temperature climb on both the digital display and the wireless receiver. 

You can also set high/low limits, which is great for making adjustments to your BBQ if your pit temperature changes, particularly during low and slow cooks. 

The receiver maintains a strong connection up to 90 metres away, so you're free to venture away from the BBQ without missing a temperature change. 

Best Bluetooth meat thermometer — Signals 

Best for: Large BBQ feasts

The Signals BBQ thermometer is the ultimate wireless meat thermometer. Supplied with three cooking probes and one air probe, it's ideal for anyone looking to monitor the temperature of their pit, plus up to three different meats at once.

The Signals comes with both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi onboard, seamlessly switching between the two, so you get a continuous signal and real-time alerts whether you're in a field or across town.

Used by competition BBQ teams and professional chefs, the Signals is great for preparing large feasts on the BBQ.

Complete thermometer kits

By now, you're probably torn between a digital instant-read thermometer and a leave-in or wireless meat thermometer. Both are super important for your BBQ, which is why we created BBQ bundles: to give you the best of both worlds (with a great saving, of course).

Firstly we have the Beginner's Bundle, comprised of the Thermapen Classic (the Thermapen One's sleek but slightly simpler cousin) and the DOT. Both tools enable easy and accurate temperature monitoring of any BBQ dish, just without any frills and fancy features.

If you want to step it up, there's the Expert Bundle. With the Thermapen One's unrivalled speed and intelligent screen, and the Smoke's wireless monitoring of meat and pit temperatures, this pro kit will take any BBQ lover's skills to the next level.

Summary

In conclusion, choosing the best BBQ thermometer is crucial for achieving perfectly cooked and safe-to-eat meat. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned pro, having the right tool to monitor both meat and pit temperatures can make a significant difference.

From the versatile Thermapen ONE to the budget-friendly DOT and the wireless capabilities of the Smoke and Signals, there are options for every preference. Consider investing in a reliable thermometer or opt for our convenient bundles to elevate your grilling skills and ensure precise temperature monitoring for delicious BBQ results. Happy grilling!