So I was the lucky winner of the Inkbird IBT-6XS (6 probe thermometer). I can't seem to start a new thread -- maybe because I'm a newbie -- but wanted to leave a few comments now that I've got a little experience with this unit.
First off, background info. I've only been playing with the smoker for about 6 weeks now, and rarely have enough time except on weekends -- so a certifiable newbie here. I started with a cheap but recommended remote thermometer that only monitors one temp and cost around $20. It did the job, but adjusting settings using the buttons on the unit was frustrating and the alarm often didn't want to shut off when it was going off and getting on my nerves. And then, there's only one probe. Fine for starters I guess, but after only a few weeks I was wishing for something better.
A minor miracle then happens and a free Inkbird shows up in my mailbox courtesy of Inkbird via this forum. Sweet!
The Inkbird's alarms are MUCH more easily adjustable and also less annoying than on the cheaper unit I was using. Some of the internal temp range pre-sets are for things don’t make sense to me, but you can easily modify settings or program your own and even use custom names if you like. Nice feature made possible by the app.
The Inkbird, the old cheap remote, and our 10-year-old
Thermapen all read about the same. I have complete faith in the
Thermapen, so that faith transfers to the others. For whatever reason, when the temp is rising the Inkbird tends to jump 2 degrees at an increment most of the time. In a practical sense I don't think this affects anything.
Internal battery, not replaceable, charges with a supplied USB cable. Holds the charge for a long time, but you do have to shut it off manually when you're done or it will continue to monitor and you’ll have a dead unit the next time you need it. Been there, done that.
I didn't notice right away, but 5 probes are designed to monitor meat temperatures, and the 6th is designed differently -- for air temps I presume. I was just using one of the 5 for that, but am now using that probe. Works great either way.
One thing I really like about the app is the graphing feature for each sensor, graphs from the moment you plug it in or turn the unit on. I gather that some more expensive units might allow for saving those graphs, but this does not and I don't think I'd miss that feature. I have a couple of minor quibbles about the graphs; one is that the graph resets at midnight, so your late night smoke graph will restart at that time. Another is that if the base unit loses the Bluetooth connection with your phone, it will reset the graph. I live in a brick house and the Bluetooth signal won't penetrate the brick, so it resets when I forget and go too far with my phone. YMMV. I would rather the unit just recognized that the phone was out of range, no data, but picked back up when the phone came back in range rather than resetting the graph. But again, it's just a minor quirk that does not really affect its main job, monitoring the temp and doing so accurately.
This is a big improvement over a cheap single probe unit, and it seems to me that everyone has need for a remote thermometer that monitors at least 3 or 4 different probes. You will soon surpass the single probe level if you are new to this game. Better to invest in a good, accurate unit like this, which will monitor more probes.
The graphing feature is helpful to get a feel for what's going on in your cook, but isn't a requirement. The quirks with the graphing on this unit are not dealbreakers.
Taking a step back... of all the purchases we’ve ever made for the kitchen etc., our
Thermapen has been the very best value — expensive though it is. It instantly (hah!) made a big difference in our cooking. As a remote thermometer the
Inkbird IBT-6XS is more of a specialized tool for the smoker (and oven), so you may or may not use it as often -- but it does not have to save your (pork) butt very often to pay for itself by delivering you to the perfect temperature or alerting you to a problem that needs to be corrected before it ruins your smoke. I have not researched other units in this price range nor looked at pricier products, but I think this is all the remote thermometer I'll ever need and it's a bargain for the $60.99
Amazon price. You might even catch a flash sale if you watch this subforum for fresh threads.
Thanks for Inkbird for their generosity and their support of this forum from which I have already learned so much.