Review: Maverick Wireless BBQ Thermometer Set - Maverick ET73

[schneemann]

Currently using this product as I write this review.  This thing has so much going for it - the dual probes, the remove receiver, the ability to set min & max temps of the cooker temp & max temp on the meat, and the rain resistance of the transmitter all make this product stand out for smoking.  Unfortunately none of these things are done well.

First, the probes are too short.  You really don't have much option when it comes to placement of the transmitter other than to somehow attach/ hang it off the smoker (mine is placed on top, on a trivet so it doesn't get cooked)

Second, the maximum useful distance for the remote receiver is measured in feet. Another reviewer said "Even less if going through walls". Well right now I'm physically just inside an open door and my smoker is about 12 feet away.  No signal.  I actually have to go outside to use the receiver.  This effectively negates the usefulness of the receiver entirely.

Finally, the setting of temperatures is really really inconvenient.  Setting the food temperature, for instance, defaults to 176 for some reason, with no way to clear it to zero. You must push the button once per each degree to advance it. The max it will go is 392 and the minimum is 32. There is no way to "fast forward" the temperature by holding the button down. So, to get your temp to 165 for pork butt, you must press that button 349 times

I will be returning this product as soon as I find a suitable alternative.

 

[wjordan52]

I would agree with you on the short sensor wires. You can buy replacements that are 6' long, but that's an extra expense. Setting temps should be a bit more user friendly too, but I personally haven't found that a huge drawback.

My main reason for commenting however is your issue with the remote distance. I bought 2 a few months ago (one white, one black) and have had no problem with either of them staying connected when I'm at the far end of the house. Granted our house is small, but the signal is still passing through one exterior and several interior walls. 

It sounds to me like you have a defective unit, and may be able to exchange it to get one that works correctly. That does nothing for the other issues, but it could be a decent alternative while you search for a replacement. 

We also have a member here (Todd) that is a rep for the manufacturer. He may pop in with a better solution. He's a great guy to do business with. 

 

[schneemann]

Thanks for the response.  I'm thinking I might have a defective unit, too. Towards the latter part of the smoke I saw some really weird temperature readings. For instance, the smoker temperature was reading 120 when the temp on the door of the smoker was over 250.

I'll attempt to exchange it and update this review if the 2nd one performs.

 

[s2k9k]

I would agree with you on the short sensor wires. You can buy replacements that are 6' long, but that's an extra expense. Setting temps should be a bit more user friendly too, but I personally haven't found that a huge drawback.

My main reason for commenting however is your issue with the remote distance. I bought 2 a few months ago (one white, one black) and have had no problem with either of them staying connected when I'm at the far end of the house. Granted our house is small, but the signal is still passing through one exterior and several interior walls. 

It sounds to me like you have a defective unit, and may be able to exchange it to get one that works correctly. That does nothing for the other issues, but it could be a decent alternative while you search for a replacement. 

We also have a member here (Todd) that is a rep for the manufacturer. He may pop in with a better solution. He's a great guy to do business with. 

Do you have the ET-73 or ET-732? I've never seen a black 73. I think the OP is talking about a 73, big difference in range.

I have had a 73 for 1 1/2 years and use it almost every weekend and have never had a problem out of it. Yes the probe wires are kind of short but I just place it right next to the smoker and it's not a problem. Yes the range is short but mine does work inside but 20' is right on the edge. I usually just have it sitting on my kitchen windowsill which is about 10' form the smoker. I don't ever program it so that's not a big deal to me, I mainly just use it for a thermometer. I always keep on eye on my smoker so I don't need an alarm to tell me if it's hot or cold.

I just bought a 732 only for the cool factor, it's black! The range is a whole lot longer and I like that you don't have to take off the battery cover to turn it on.

 

[gotribe28]

I received 2 white 732's today.... I finally took the plunge to get them. I think one may be defective as sitting in my living room one probe says 79 and the other 84, the second unit both say 86 so I don't know what the real temp is but at least both of those probes read the same on it...lol  Yes its like 109 in Houston today the AC is having trouble keeping up especially with me cooking all day...  

The reason I did not get the 73's was because of the range of the transmitter...

 

[wjordan52]

My mistake... I was talking about the ET-732. Guess I didn't read the title closely enough. I did have a 73, and the range was less, but it certainly didn't lose signal as soon as the OP described. I still think he should see if he can exchange it, or better yet return it and get the 732.

By the way, I'd still be using the 73 if the dog hadn't eaten it! 

 

[s2k9k]

My mistake... I was talking about the ET-732. Guess I didn't read the title closely enough. I did have a 73, and the range was less, but it certainly didn't lose signal as soon as the OP described. I still think he should see if he can exchange it, or better yet return it and get the 732.

By the way, I'd still be using the 73 if the dog hadn't eaten it! 

I still use mine, next to my smoker it is the best thing I ever bought for smoking!

 

[bosox20]

I just got the 732 in mail today ! Question. Do I just have the door close on the wires or should i put them in the vent hole at the top of my MES30? Or does it not matter?

 

[schneemann]

A quick update to my original review:

I've since done a pork butt, a whole chicken, and 2 racks of ribs.  The pork butt came out great, the chicken too dry, and the ribs were horribly overcooked.  Some of this, of course can be chalked up to my own inexperience, but more importantly it gave me an opportunity to determine whether or not there really was something wrong with the thermometer.  There is.

Throughout all three smokes, the thermometer temperature for the smoker tended to vary quite wildly. One minute it'd be 230 and the next it would drop to 180 without any change to the state of the smoker itself and without any change to the built in thermometer on the smoker door.  After the ribs were ruined I decided to actually test the thermometer against an item with a known temperature: boiling water.    The meat probe says 212 and the smoker probe says 187, a 25 degree difference.  In fact, when the water came out of the tap at 66 degrees, the smoker probe said 41.

Unless there's something I'm missing with this 25 degree difference I'd say this is a defective unit.

 

[bama bbq]

Pardon this interuption for a public service announcemt....S2K9k, you can increase the range of the 73 by adding an antena. I did it yrs ago and it really does make a BIG diff...now back to our regularly scheduled thread already in progress.

 

[Bearcarver]

I just got the 732 in mail today ! Question. Do I just have the door close on the wires or should i put them in the vent hole at the top of my MES30? Or does it not matter?

I put mine through the top vent hole.

I love my ET 73 and my ET 732, but my 73 got demoted to indoor meat fridge duty, because of the distance issue.

What I can't understand is why both the 73 and the 732 can't see through my steel front door, but the MES 40 remote control has no problem with it.

Bear

 

[bosox20]

Thanks Bear.

 

[dirtsailor2003]

I have a Mav ET73, Mav ET732, and the iGrill unit. The ET73 remote never worked great and after several years it died. The transmitter still works and I use it as a back up or when I need more probes. The 732 has worked from day one right out of the box. The probes usually read a degrees off from each other and after testing in boiling water and in ice water they are off a few degrees but not enough to worry about. The range on the 732 is decent. I am using the original probes but  I am careful to not get them too hot or wet. My go to is now the iGrill. Excellent range, therms were spot on accurate right out of the box. The additional features such as being able to set custom alarms, and range alarms is great. Battery life seems to be good, but less than the mav's. I want to try rechargeables but haven't yet. The biggest drawback with all of these is that none of them have the capability to go above 400* There times that I'd like to know my grate temp when searing.

 

[jorock]

I have a 732 and have had to replace the grill temp probe twice. The first time after the first use. Now I like the unit. When it works its dead on, with plenty of range, but these probes are expensive. Has anyone else had this problem.

 

[Bearcarver]

I have a 732 and have had to replace the grill temp probe twice. The first time after the first use. Now I like the unit. When it works its dead on, with plenty of range, but these probes are expensive. Has anyone else had this problem.

Yes, I had an ET-73 for two years, before I got my ET-732. I never submerge them in water. I always scrubbed the probes & cables by holding one end & squeezing & pulling the scrub pad along the cable. Never had a problem with the 73, by doing this. Then the first time I cleaned my 732 this way, I pulled the cable right out of the probe. I got a couple extra probes, and now I'm very gentle with the ET-732 cables & probes. I don't know if this was a fluke, or if the 732 probes aren't made as well as the 73 probes.

Bear

 

[fire in the hole]

I have both the 73 and 732 and have had to replace cables twice. I'm not sure what happens to break contact but I lean towards getting kinks in the cables. I have my 2nd 73 now. The on/off switch went bad on the 1st one.