Which thermometer do I trust? Same temps in water (ice and boiling) but diff temps in stove

[solman]

I have a Maverick ET732 thermometer I've been using for years without any issues, and recently picked up an Inkbird IBT-4XS. In ice water and boiling water, both units are within a couple degrees of each other. But a strange thing happens when I put them in a toaster oven or smoker (Masterbuilt 40" propane). The Maverick is either higher or lower by as much as 50 degrees compared to the Inkbird. Even after a couple hours, the difference doesn't get any smaller and is persistent.

Why is it that they're almost the same when testing in water, but so different in actual usage? And how do I determine which one to trust?

 

[hillbillyrkstr]

This is odd.

When you test the thermos in your smoker are they in the exact same spot? Different shelves/sides have different temps.

I know zero about inkbird products. I can’t help you there. Hopefully someone else can chime in on them.

I own multiple maverick units and have had great success with them. That being said I’ve replaced probes on them plenty of times in the past. Usually for spiking big time. Are your maverick probes the original ones? If so try ordering another one and testing that one. They don’t last forever.

All that being said it is odd they are that far apart in the smoker and working properly in boiling water. I still think this is a probe issue and not a thermo issue.

Good luck,
Scott

 

[solman]

Yes, i tested them in the smoker side by side on the same shelf and mounted on identical but separate probe clips. Maybe the Maverick probe is getting old? They are the original probes I bought back in 2011. Maybe they work as intended when only using the tip, e.g. in water, but lose their accuracy when fully immersed, e.g. in a stove or smoker.

 

[bregent]

Just a wild guess. In your water bath test, heat is exchanged via conduction/convection alone. In an oven or smoker, there's probably a good deal of radiant energy - so depending on the emissivity/reflectivity of the probe, you might see a different. Are they both clean and shiny? Still, 50F seems like a lot.

 

[tropics]

I would recheck them with boiling water,the toaster may have damaged the probe JMHO
Richie

 

[solman]

that's a good theory, but my meat probe is the cleaner of the two Maverick probes and has the widest temperature difference. the bbq probe that's covered in gunk is about half the gap (15-25F difference compared to the Inkbird).

 

[dr k]

Keep testing. Thermisor vs. Thermocouple could be a difference and the unit. I have different therms that can be 20° off while preheating but pan out.

 

[Bearcarver]

that's a good theory, but my meat probe is the cleaner of the two Maverick probes and has the widest temperature difference. the bbq probe that's covered in gunk is about half the gap (15-25F difference compared to the Inkbird).

I know people say I'm wrong, but I never trust the Meat probe (Bent one) to measure Smoker Temp.

I believe the straight Smoker Probe to be more accurate at measuring "Air Temp".

And like Richie said, I would check with a boiling test, in case the Toaster oven damaged one.

Bear

 

[solman]

The probes are rated for 716F temperature, and in my toaster oven test it never went higher than 400F so the probes shouldn't have been damaged.

 

[JckDanls 07]

If you get new probes for the Mav. I would suggest getting the hybrid probes that the ET733 uses....And then the probes can be used ether way (food/chamber) That's a little unusual that you got that many years out of the originals... So congrats on that ...

 

[indaswamp]

What is the response time on the units? If they are different, this could be the issue. A lot of ovens can swing + or - 25 or more degrees.
I would trust the thermometer with the fastest response time.

 

[solman]

The inkbird is definitely faster. But as i mentioned, the temp difference was persistent over time, so for example in my propane smoker the inkbird would read a steady 239F but the Maverick would be steady 219F for over an hour.

 

[indaswamp]

Did you have the probes right next to each other in your propane smoker?

 

[hillbillyrkstr]

Yes, i tested them in the smoker side by side on the same shelf and mounted on identical but separate probe clips. Maybe the Maverick probe is getting old? They are the original probes I bought back in 2011. Maybe they work as intended when only using the tip, e.g. in water, but lose their accuracy when fully immersed, e.g. in a stove or smoker.

That’s a long time for a probe around here. But I use my smokers a lot more than. The average guy.

I’d purchase a new probe from
Maverick. You can buy them on amazon. Test that new one out in boiling water and then put it to the test against the other probe/thermo.

Good luck,
Scott

 

[Bearcarver]

If you get new probes for the Mav. I would suggest getting the hybrid probes that the ET733 uses....And then the probes can be used ether way (food/chamber) That's a little unusual that you got that many years out of the originals... So congrats on that ...

Hi Jack!!
My first Mav---ET73 still has it's original probes, for 10 years now, but that one spent the last 8 years in my curing fridge.

My second Mav---ET732 had a probe go the second time I cleaned it, because the cable wasn't secured right, I pulled it right out while wiping it clean. I replaced it, and those probes are now 6 years old.

My Third Mav---ET732 is about 3 years old & both are still original, but I only use this one when I need 2 in my smoker at once.

Bear

 

[SonnyE]

Because they are not linear.
If you were comparing two of one, or two of the other, you could hope for close results.
But you are comparing a Ford and a Chevy, or Apples and Oranges.
And as I've said before, these are consumer grade thermometers, not precision, Industrial, or Laboratory, calibrated thermometers.
I tested some 5 different thermometers on my stove. I picked the best one of them as the one I trusted the most.
Water boils at 212° F at sea level. So your testing base is flawed from the beginning, unless you live at the beach.

 

[solman]

I tested some 5 different thermometers on my stove. I picked the best one of them as the one I trusted the most.
Water boils at 212° F at sea level. So your testing base is flawed from the beginning, unless you live at the beach.

I live 192' feet above sea level so I'd say it's close enough.

How did you go about testing your 5 thermometers? Ultimately all i care about is how do I know which thermometer to trust.

 

[mosparky]

Only thing I know to do is cook something relatively cheap with one or each. Maybe a pork tenderloin. Cook to 150 IT. If it is still rubbery or really dried out when you cut into it, you know which one not to trust.

 

[noboundaries]

I know people say I'm wrong, but I never trust the Meat probe (Bent one) to measure Smoker Temp.

I believe the straight Smoker Probe to be more accurate at measuring "Air Temp".

And like Richie said, I would check with a boiling test, in case the Toaster oven damaged one.

Bear

Okay, it's not just me. One of the reasons I quit using the meat probe on my 732 was inconsistent temps. Funny thing though, when I hook the meat probe in the chamber plug, it is accurate. That tells me where the problem lies. I use my meat probe for roasting coffee now and leave the chamber probe in the smoker.

 

[SonnyE]

I live 192' feet above sea level so I'd say it's close enough.

How did you go about testing your 5 thermometers? Ultimately all i care about is how do I know which thermometer to trust.

All players in the same pan.
Iced water to start, then low fire to bring them up to a boil.
Those who couldn't be accurate enough to reach 32°, or boiling (210° at my elevation), got left in the drawer.
One instant read digital, and one analog Industrial, were the closest.
But all were in the same bath.
If you have one therm you can truly trust, use it to test any new ones you get. But don't expect them to run linear.

Since then, I've added a ThermoPro TP-08, and recently an Inkbird IBT 4XS.
So far the new Inkbird has proved out all 4 probes to read the same when soaked in the same heat, same way. (1 grate probe, 3 meat probes.) Which is a good start.
I want to use it to monitor a bacon project I'm in the middle of.

I use to work with very large industrial transformers and electrical equipment. Part of annual testing was to test the temperature monitoring to insure its accuracy, and that it would work when needed to avoid electrical failures, explosions, or fires. So we used laboratory tested and certified thermal wells to make sure the readings were as accurate as possible, and record that they were still performing accurately.
Usually, I would find the equipment was much closer than 2% of full scale it was advertised to be.

So I can accept that our commercially available BBQ probes are often more "Rule of Thumb", and not to expect laboratory accuracies from them, ever.
After all, everything we make is to eat. And we all know what it becomes... :rolleyes:
;)