Any good pellet griller knows a meat thermometer is an absolute if you want to cook your meats to perfect and have that juicy, flavorful, smoked meat. And even more important is that eating undercooked meat may pose health risks. The perfect and affordable solution to this dilemna is a meat thermometer, specifically a digital meat thermometer for the best results.
Most meat thermometers listed below are accurate within 2°F unless otherwise stated in the review. The advantage to digital thermometers is they generally perform better and are more accurate, consistent, and convenient to use than analog. Digital thermometers can give you accurate readings in less than 5 seconds.
With so many digital thermometers for grilling out there we have reviewed the most popular for you and have included ratings based off of accuracy, price, features, and quality. If you have used one of these thermometers please give an honest review for others to make an informed decision.
How we rated these digital thermometers
Price
Our digital grilling thermometers price rating is not based on the cheapest, but the price for the overall product you are getting. Some items that may have scored low on quality may score high on price. Usually with digital grilling thermometers the saying “you get what you pay for” is accurate.
Quality
Quality is based off the construction and research related to problems from previous customers and complaints of warranties.
Accuracy
A score on how accurate the thermometer readings were compared to actual temperatures.
Features
Based off the bells and whistles and what makes the product stand out from other products.
Types of Grilling Thermometers
Instant Read Digital Grilling Thermometers
Instant read digital grilling thermometers are exactly what they say they are. You just turn them on, stick them in your meat, and within 2-5 seconds you have an accurate internal temperature of the meat you are smoking or grilling. They are preferred for thin cuts of meat and can easily check numerous spots on a large cut of meat within seconds. Most have auto shutoff and temperature hold features. These types of grilling thermometers are not intended to be left in meats while grilling.
Leave In Digital Grilling Thermometers
These have probes with long cords and remain in the meat while grilling or smoking the meat on your pellet grill. You can accurately get the internal temperature of your meat without opening the lid of your grill and messing up the consistent grilling temperature. The digital control head usually sits on the side of the grill and some models have wireless display heads that can be several hundred feet away from the grill and still give you accurate readings. The leave in grilling thermometers have the most features including timers, audible alerts, and programmable temperatures. The best units have downloaded apps where you can monitor and be alerted to when your meats are done directly on your smart phone.
Leave In Analog Grilling Thermometers
These are the old traditional thermometers that have a round dial that shows the temperature. They are not accurate and are hard to read. Stay away from these old things.