How do you track the temperature of the protein you’re cooking? Guess? Poke it? Cut it open? Set a timer and hope it comes out, right?
If your answer matches any of the above, it’s time to stop guessing and add some precision to your cooking with a digital BBQ meat probe.
Digital BBQ meat probes take all the hassles out of outdoor cooking. They ensure that your food has reached the perfect temperature before you pull it off of the grill or out of the smoker. That means no more overcooked meat. No more dried-out meat from cutting it open or poking it too many times with an instant-read thermometer.
But the benefits of a digital BBQ meat probe aren’t just about convenience and the taste and texture of your finished product.
Ensuring your proteins are cooked to the right temperature could be the difference between a fun backyard barbecue and a trip to the urgent care clinic with food poisoning.
With a digital BBQ meat probe, you’ll have peace of mind that your meat is at the right temperature before you serve it.
But the benefits keep adding up from there! Let’s learn more about the reasons why you should add a digital BBQ meat probe to your arsenal of cooking tools.
Table of Contents
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What Are Digital BBQ Meat Probes & What Are They Used For?
BBQ meat probes are thermometers that allow you to track the temperature of your protein while it cooks. All without having to continuously open the lid of your grill or smoker.
Instead, you simply insert the probe into your food. Now you just check the external digital display (or even watch it from your phone if your model has Bluetooth) from time to time.
Why Buy a Digital BBQ Meat Probe?
There are several reasons why dropping the guesswork and switching to a digital BBQ meat probe is the way to go.
The main reasons to buy a digital BBQ meat probe are:
They Simplify the Cooking Process With Hassle-Free Cooking
A digital BBQ meat probe will instantly tell you the temperature of your protein without the need to open your grill or smoker and throw off the cooking process or let out that valuable smoke.
They Help You Cook With Precision to Produce Perfect Food
A BBQ meat probe is a surefire way to get a consistent and accurate temperature reading on your food and know when it’s cooked to perfection. Different proteins require different cooking times and temperatures. A digital probe can help you know exactly when it’s safe to eat without any guesswork.
Allows You to Easily Maintain the Desired Temperature
A BBQ meat probe is a surefire way to get consistent and accurate temperatures from your grill or smoker. Many digital meat probes come with an ambient temperature probe option that lets you track the heat inside the grill as well as the meat. You will receive an alert when the grill falls outside of your desired cooking temp.
This means easily maintaining an even and consistent cooking temperature throughout your cook. A digital thermometer probe lets you walk away and track from a distance. No more hovering over your grill, making sure your fire stays at the perfect temperature. Yay!
You Can Take Them Everywhere, Including Your Local Cook-Offs
BBQ meat probes are small, easy-to-use, and battery-powered. You can take them just about anywhere and always be confident that your food is perfectly cooked. Planning a tailgate party at the stadium for the next home game? No problem. Your digital meat probe is there!
Cutting Into Meat to Check Temperature Is Not the Way
You may think you’re saving time by cutting into a piece of meat to see if it’s cooked, but you’re sacrificing a lot of flavorful juice that way. That’s a surefire path to dried-out meat. Use a BBQ meat probe instead, and you’ll know exactly when your food is cooked without the risk of drying it out.
Saves You Money & Wastes Less Food
With a BBQ meat probe, you can cut the risk of keeping your food on the heat too long and overcooking it. Less tossing out tough, overcooked steaks means more money in your wallet and more delicious food on your table instead of the trash can.
You Can Guarantee Food Safety
Foodborne illness is no joke. With a BBQ meat probe, you’ll know exactly when your proteins have reached an internal temperature where they’re safe to eat and serve to your guests. Meat thermometers are the one sure way to guarantee your food comes off at the appropriate temperatures to kill food-borne illnesses and prevent a trip to the emergency room.
Lets You Observe Food Safety From Afar With Confidence
Digital BBQ meat probes take all of the hassles out of monitoring the temperature of your food. No poking your meat or guessing if it’s cooked long enough, and no repeatedly opening the grill lid to check. Just insert the probe, close the lid, and let it go!
Produces Better Tasting Food
Different types and cuts of meat will have different temperatures where they’re at their juiciest and tastiest. So knowing exactly when to pull your food off of the heat for the perfect doneness produces the best-tasting results.
A Digital BBQ Meat Probe Will Give You Peace of Mind
Stressed about how much longer your meat needs to cook before it’s safe to eat? With a BBQ meat probe, you don’t need to be. The probe’s display will help you know exactly when your food is safe and ready to serve at your next cookout.
Nothing’s more reassuring than knowing your guests are safe from undercooked food.
Frees You for Multi-Tasking & Hosting
When you’re entertaining guests, the last thing you want to do is be stuck hovering near the grill or smoker to check on your food’s doneness. A BBQ meat probe can do the checking for you, so you can focus on your guests and preparing the rest of the meal.
Allows You to Retain the Heat by Opening the Lid Less
When you’re not popping the lid of your grill or smoker to check the temperature, the heat and smoke that you’ve worked to build up will stay inside where it can do its job. This means food gets on the table quicker too.
Minimize Putting Multiple Holes in Your Meat to Keep Juices In
With a typical probe thermometer, you’ll likely need to pierce the meat multiple times to monitor its temperature, which can lead to precious liquid leaking out. With a BBQ meat probe, you just stick it in once and let it get to work.
They Make Great Gifts for the Grill Master in Your Life
What do you get for the outdoor cook who has everything? A BBQ meat probe makes a great gift that the recipient will actually use and get tons of value out of. As I point out below, no outdoor kitchen is complete without one!
A Must Have to Complete Your Outdoor Kitchen Toolkit
It’s hard to realize just how much of a difference a BBQ meat probe thermometer can make in our outdoor cooking until you have one. Once you do, you’ll wonder how you ever went without it.
What’s My Favorite Brand of Digital BBQ Meat Probes?
Like just about everything, there is a great variety of digital BBQ meat probes available online! We’re fans of ThermoWorks offering instant read and leave-in probe thermometers. They are truly the cream of the crop when it comes to thermometers and they’re incredibly knowledgeable about all things outdoor cooking. They have a great selection of folding and stationary-style thermometers, wireless and Bluetooth probe thermometers, and temperature controller thermometers.
Their customer service and support are second to none and they offer a best-in-class warranty. They really stand by their products.
Final Thoughts on the Benefits of a Digital BBQ Meat Probe
We hope this article has shown you that if you aren’t using a digital BBQ meat thermometer yet, now is the time to start!
Without it, you’re missing out on guaranteed safety, peace of mind, convenience, and delicious results. You can’t get that when you’re trying to judge the temperature of your food using a less fool-proof method.
Perhaps most importantly, a digital BBQ meat thermometer will help you avoid undercooking your food and serving it up before it’s at a safe temperature for you and your guests to enjoy.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, foodborne illness leads to more than 100,000 hospitalizations each year and as many as 3,000 fatalities. A digital BBQ meat probe will help you make sure you and your dinner guests don’t become part of those statistics!
Once you’ve invested in a digital BBQ meat probe of your own, we have a feeling you’ll be such a fan you’ll want to start giving them away as gifts. They make a great stocking stuffer for the outdoor cooking enthusiast in your life. You can think of it as giving a gift to yourself as well — the gift of a safely cooked, juicy, and delicious barbecue every time you visit their house.
Next Steps:
Wireless Digital BBQ Meat Probe Buyers Guide
Benefits of Instant Read Meat Thermometers
Ultimate Instant Read Meat Thermometer FAQ
Now It’s Your Turn
I want to hear from you:
Have you ever purchased a digital BBQ probe thermometer before?
Do you have any tips on buying meat probe thermometers or have any feedback on a particular brand to share?
What features do you typically like to see in a food thermometer?
Are you going to be purchasing a new grill in the future? Do you plan on looking at a Pellet Grill, Smoker, Built-In Gas Grill, or Charcoal Model?
Let me know by leaving a quick comment below.
If you still have questions, please feel free to send me a message.
Cheers,
Pat G.
Disclosure – At The Grilling Life, I am committed to researching and writing thoughtful, informative and editorially independent reviews of the best products for your outdoor cooking needs. If you like what I do, you can support me through my chosen links, which earn me a commission. This allows me to continue sharing with you my love for all things barbecue. Your support is truly appreciated.
A backyard warrior, certified carnivore, lover of good whiskey, self-proclaimed grill master and I’m Living The Grilling Life!
I have a passion for cooking with live fire and smoke, no matter the weather. I’m a real person just like you, who loves outdoor cooking and BBQ. Food, fun, and time spent with family and friends are what it’s all about! It is my mission to take my passion and knowledge for outdoor cooking and all things BBQ and share this expertise in techniques and grilling equipment with you. In other words, Living The Grilling Life!