Inkbird IRF-4S Thermometer Review

[bmudd14474]

For full disclosure this product was provided for free by Ink-Bird for us to review. Also they are a sponsor of www.smokingmeatforums.com.


Review of Inkbird IRF-4S Wireless Water Proof Digital Thermometer

From the time you open the box until the time you can use it all depends on you. This unit comes linked together already. So you turn it on and put the probes into it. It’s that simple. The unit I received had about ½ battery which will get you about 30 hours of run time.


Now the way I do things is to take it out and make sure the units are charged. I then do a boil test to see if the probes are accurate. Now at this altitude the temperature that water boils is at 202°. This is very important for you to know if you are not located at sea level. When I completed the boil test checking with a calibrated control unit I found that this unit was reading 200° and the control unit was at 202.2°


I used a vertical pellet smoker for the test. The transmitter attached to the side of it nicely. The transmitter didn’t state what the rating was for the unit but other inkbird units are rated up to 176F degrees for the casing. The pellet smoker has an insulated wall so it never gets above 120F degrees. If you are unsure of what your surface temperature then I would recommend an IR Laser Thermometer for checking before using.


The thermometer connections are a little tight and required some force to insert. This isn’t a bad thing as it will stay put and be nice and tight.

The probes that are provided are average units from what I have seen. If you want some heavier duty ones I am sure you can get them. The read time on the probes was quick. Appears to be reading every second. When I put 1 in the Chicken Leg ¼’s and 1 in the Smoker the chicken came to temp in 30 seconds. The chamber probe took 2 minutes to level out.


The preset alarms on this unit are very simple to use. You go to the meat you want then you can use the preset for doneness or do a custom temperature. The only thing I didn’t like about them was that for Chicken it only gives you a doneness option of “Medium”. Now it does show the temp of 165° which is correct but it concerns me that some people may not realize that chicken doesn’t have a medium. Just something small but it’s a concern I have with it.

This also has a preset for using with your oven and a program feature. It also has a countdown timer if you cooking to time and not temp like if you’re doing 3-2-1 ribs.


You can find it on amazon and here is the link https://amzn.to/2GJgOry

Initial impression

· Nice and Compact. Simple packaging and instructions.

What was included?

· 1x Receiver/Control unit

· 1x Transmitter Unit

· 2x Grate Clips

· 4x Temperature Probe

· 2x Micro C-USB Cable

Battery

· 1000mah rechargeable lithium battery.

· Advertised at approx. 60hrs run time.


Features

· Magnetic Back to mount unit to the smoker/oven

· Monitor 4 channels at once

Accuracy

· -2°F at boiling

Connectivity: Wifi:Yes between the units only. Bluetooth:No

· Advertised at 1500’+. Tested at 1200’ with an obstructed line of site and 50’ elevation change.



Temp Range

· Controller: 32F – 572F

· Probe: 30F-482F



Controller

· Simple and user friendly

Pro’s

· Easy setup.

· Quick charging and long battery life

· 4 probes at once

· Magnetic back

Con’s

· Can’t track sessions.

· Only reads down to 32F degrees.

· Battery is not replaceable.

· No App for your phone

· No Bluetooth connection

Overall

This unit may not have an app or Bluetooth connectivity but it is really nice. It has a no frills kind of feel but is a great bang for the buck at $75.00 for the unit and 4 probes or for $59.99 you can get the unit and only 2 probes. I do not think you can go wrong.


I give this unit 8/10 or 4 stars.

You can find it on amazon and here is the link https://amzn.to/2GJgOry

 

[SGMan]

This is the unit that I have and I am pretty happy with it.

My initial concern was when I wasn't getting any temp readings, but quickly realized that I had to REALLY push the probe monitor into the parent unit. Once I did this, it works flawlessly.
The bluetooth range is also a plus, as I can sit on my couch with the remote monitor and still keep a close eye on my temps.

 

[Winterrider]

This is my Go-To thermometer now. The Maverick 733 and thermpro 20 have taken a backseat. Love the accuracy and the ease of temp sets. Always check with the therma pen or pop and temps are always the same.

 

[Rafter H BBQ]

Thanks for the review Brian! I ordered one of these on a previous lightning deal, just have not had the chance to use it.

 

[dubob]

I've had mine for about a month now and I'm very pleased with it so far. Did my own temp check on a sous vide 160*F cook and an ice water check. All 4 probes were reading within tolerances for the temps checked. I'ved used it on a pulled pork cook which was perfect and on a recent turkey jerky cook. The jerky was the best I've ever done. Never did a jerky cook with a temp probe before. Will never do one again without it.

 

[chef jimmyj]

I struggled a bit go get the Probes to connect. I was surprised how much force you had apply to get the probe to work.
I'm glad to hear this is normal and not a defect in my unit. Thanks Brian...JJ

 

[Inkbirdbbq]

Thanks for your awesome review Brian!

 

[chef jimmyj]

This Therm works very well. Response time is much faster than my old MAV 732. The IRF-4S actually has MORE Bell's and Whistles than this, " Old School Analog Instant Read Therm, " Chef needs. But with the Discount Code Inkbirdbbq gave SMF members, a few months ago, the IRF-4 can't be beat...JJ

 

[jokensmoken]

I was so pleased with my first unit I just purchased a second unit duringbacrecent "flash sale". Now I can monitor multiple smokers.
Its accuracy and ease of use make it a pleasure to use...IMO this unit has a lot of "bang for the buck"
Walt