{"id":1913945,"date":"2023-09-14T14:01:08","date_gmt":"2023-09-14T19:01:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/?p=1913945"},"modified":"2023-09-14T14:02:53","modified_gmt":"2023-09-14T19:02:53","slug":"thermoworks-smoke-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tasteofhome.com\/article\/thermoworks-smoke-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Thermoworks Smoke X Review: This Dual-Probe Thermometer Is the Secret to the Juiciest Meat"},"content":{"rendered":"\"Thermoworks\r\n\r\nI'm now the designated griller and smoker on the Taste Recipes<\/em> Test Kitchen team, but I only first tried my hand at the latter cooking method a few years back. For my initial go, not yet willing to invest in a full-blown smoker, I figured out how to smoke meat on a grill. The charcoal grill<\/a> I used had no bells or whistles (i.e., no internal thermometer, no side table, no segmented racks), so I was in for a challenge.\r\n\r\nMaintaining a consistent pit temperature is vital for successful smoking, and the only reason I was able to eventually excel at the cooking method with my jury-rigged grill-turned-smoker was because of the Thermoworks Smoke X Dual-Probe Meat Thermometer<\/a>. The smart Thermoworks product gauges the internal temperature of my cooking vessel (e.g., smoker, grill or oven) and the internal temperature of the meat\u2014simultaneously.\r\n\r\nI've since upgraded to cooking on a smoker with a built-in thermometer at Taste Recipes<\/em> headquarters (looking at you, Traeger<\/a>), but I still rely on my trusty thermometer when I smoke on my Kettle grill and roast poultry at home. So, whether you're a novice or a meat master, there's reason to add the Thermoworks Smoke X to your repertoire.\r\n\r\n[dam-video dam-id=\"53124\" type_of_player=\"jw\" \/]\r\n

What is the Thermoworks Smoke X?<\/h2>\r\nThe Thermoworks Smoke X<\/a> is a thermometer that comes with two commercial-grade, high-temperature probes, each of which serves a different purpose.\r\n\r\nThe shorter, fatter probe fits into a clip that attaches to the grate or rack of your smoker, grill<\/a> or oven. It measures the internal temperature of the appliance. This is essential if your appliance doesn't have a built-in thermometer. But even if it does, you can count on boosted accuracy from the Thermoworks Smoke X.\r\n\r\nThe second probe is longer and thinner and is inserted into the center of your meat. There is the option to buy a two-channel or four-channel model. The latter comes with multiple of these longer, thinner probes. This is ideal when you're cooking more than one type of meat at once or looking to gauge the internal temperatures of both the dark and light meat on a single piece of poultry.\r\n\r\nWhen you close the lid or door of your appliance, the wires from the probes thread out the side or the bottom. These wires connect to a base unit that has a magnetic backing and plastic kickstand for placement on any desired surface. Lastly, the receiver is a portable piece that communicates with the base unit and reflects the same readings, but from afar. Talk about a great grilling gift<\/a>!\r\n\r\n[embed_shop_button shop_btn_text=\"Shop Now\" shop_btn_url=\"https:\/\/fave.co\/45QykDd\" shop_btn_tab=\"true\" \/]\r\n

Thermoworks Smoke X Features<\/h2>\r\n\"Thermoworks\r\n\r\nThe Thermoworks Smoke X is smart as can be, with a slew of cool features, so I consider it just as much an essential for holiday cooking as it is an essential for summer grilling<\/a>.\r\n\r\nThe probes arrive pre-synced to the base unit, so there's no need to calibrate before use. The base unit runs on AA batteries and is connected to an RF receiver, so it's not Wi-Fi- or Bluetooth-based. Rather, the signals are transmitted by radio frequency and travel up to 6,500 feet. So, even if you're cooking in an area without Wi-Fi or solid service, this unit will still perform, unlike other smart appliances<\/a> that rely on phone apps, Bluetooth, etc.\r\n\r\nThere are control buttons on the front and back of the base unit. You can toy around with the volume of the alarm, alarm settings for both the meat<\/a> and pit, temperature, screen light, Celsius and Fahrenheit settings. The probes and base unit communicate, as do the base unit and the receiver. The receiver, which comes with a lanyard so you can wear it while performing other tasks, shows the same readings as those on the base unit and updates in real-time.\r\n

How We Tested It<\/h2>\r\nLet's rewind to the first time I used this product. (I've used it more than 30 times since and continue to use the same steps!)\r\n\r\nFirst, I read the directions for about 10 minutes, though I could've figured out how to use the thermometer without them because it's that intuitive. I soaked my smoking wood for 30 minutes while I added my dry rub<\/a> to the meat.\u00a0After positioning and lighting my coals, I set up the thermometer by inputting \"low\" and \"high\" temperatures for the meat and the pit. An alarm sounds when any of these temperatures are met.\r\n\r\nThe pit temperature is especially important to me because I live in Wisconsin and smoke all year\u2014yes, even when it's nearly 0 degrees. On these days, the pit temperature can quickly become too low, and the low-temperature alarm will alert me to that. Conversely, I can't have the temperature getting too high because a low-and-slow cook is what I'm after. High heat makes tough meat, so the high-temperature alarm sounds when things get too hot.\r\n

Probing the Pork<\/h3>\r\nWhen my starter coals glowed red and were covered with ash, I added my smoking wood and then clipped the pit thermometer to the grate. I then placed a pork shoulder in the center of the grate. From there, I inserted the meat probe into the center of the pork shoulder. Mine was boneless, but if I were cooking a bone-in pork shoulder, I'd have been sure to insert the probe about an inch from the bone.\r\n\r\nOnce the meat \"stalled\" (i.e., stopped increasing in temperature) around 180 degrees, I wrapped it in a double layer of foil, reinserted the probe and returned everything to the smoker for the back half of the cook. I always use heatproof gloves for this portion because the cables get hot. I then waited for the shoulder to reach an internal temperature of 205 degrees. The alarm let me know when I reached that temperature, which I'd preset.\r\n\r\nNow that it was up to temperature, I removed the meat probe and brought the pork shoulder inside. I waited until the pit was cool to remove the clip and probe. For good measure, I used my Thermapen<\/a> to take another reading of the center of the meat. Out of habit, I still do this and\u2014wouldn't you know it!\u2014the temperature is always the same as what my meat probe read.\r\n\r\n\"Thermoworks\r\n

Pros<\/h3>\r\n