Today we are going to take a look at the ThermoPro TP-20 wireless digital meat thermometer. This is a nice little gadget to have when grilling foods, as it allows you to walk away from the grill and still know the temperature of the meat cooking inside it. We will take a look at what’s included in the box, some main features of the thermometer, my opinion on the price and value of the product, some other ThermoPro models, as well as some competitor models. Let’s not waste any more time and get down to it!
What’s included
- 1 x Digital Thermometer Receiver
- 1 x Digital Thermometer Transmitter
- 2 x Food Temperature Probe
- 4 x AAA batteries – 2 for the receiver and 2 for the transmitter
- 1 x ThermoPro TP-20 Manual
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Main features
We are about to go over some of the main features of the ThermoPro TP-20, it is a well-built thermometer and can be used in a variety of cooking situations. It really shines while smoking meats for long periods of time and takes the worry of checking the meat too often. The ThermoPro TP-20 is a great thermometer for the price, let’s check it out!
Dual probes
Included with the ThermoPro TP-20 are 2 stainless steel probes to gauge the temperatures of whatever you are cooking. In addition, they can be used to gauge the temperature of the air inside your cooking device. The probes are meant to withstand temperatures of up to 716 degrees Fahrenheit, although I wouldn’t recommend cooking anything at that temperature.
The probes themselves are 6 ½” long and the stainless-steel mesh cables are 40” long, which are long enough to have the probes in the grill and the transmitter at a safe distance from the heat. The probes are covered under the 3-year warranty, you get this free for registering your product on their website.
The great thing about these probes is that they are long enough to get into the center of the meat that your cooking. Additionally, you can leave them in the smoker or grill while your cooking as long as you don’t have them directly on the cooking surface or touching metal parts.
Being able to measure 2 different temperatures at once is a great feature and almost a necessity when smoking meats. You need to be able to tell what temperature your cooker is at, and you can’t always trust the gauge on the lid of the grill.
Wireless WIFI Technology
The ThermoPro TP-20 uses wireless technology to send the temperature readings from the transmitter unit with the probes attached to it to the receiver unit, that you can carry around with you. The receiver unit works up to 300 ft away from the transmitter and does a really good job at picking up the signal. I believe this version of wireless technology to be a better suit for cooking. Bluetooth will have a hard time reaching distances of up to 20 ft, and it also has a harder time reaching on to the other sides of walls.
The ThermoPro TP-20 comes with a belt clip and a table stand for the receiver so you can either carry it on your person or have it standing up, easy to read on a table or a counter. I haven’t had any issues with the clip or stand as of yet, they seem to be built fairly well.
Backlit LCD
The backlit LCD is a great feature that makes the readings much easier to see, especially in lower light situations. A lot of the times when your grilling or smoking food, it’s starting to get dark or already is, therefore, it’s very important to have a backlit LCD in your digital thermometer. I think this is a great design feature and should be included in all wireless digital thermometers.
At 1.5 x 1.3 inches, the LCD screen is large enough to display the information needed. It is very easy to navigate through the settings and I haven’t had any problems with the screen going gull or not being able to read the numbers.
Settings
The ThermoPro TP-20 comes with 9 different pre-programmed temperature and time settings for a variety of different meats. It also has a setting for their levels of doneness as well. These settings are pretty easy to use and the manual does a good job explaining how to access them.
You are also able to program your own times and temperatures for both of the probes separately. Once the timer is done it will alert you with an alarm that is fairly easy to hear.
Ease of Use
The ThermoPro TP-20 is very easy to use. The manual explains the unit in a straight-forward way and within minutes I had the thermometer set up and working properly. It has larger buttons than the Maverick and the Thermoworks models, which makes this model a lot easier to handle. The buttons also have larger print on them making them easier to read than other competitor models.
It’s got a nice bright orange finish which helps a lot when looking for the device. I can’t count how many times I’ve misplaced my Thermoworks smoke, only to find it hiding in plain sight. The print on the screen is large and easy to see as well.
The accuracy of the receiver and the transmitter is on point. After a long time using the probes, they will eventually need to be replaced. You can also purchase extra probes, they are only $7.99 on Amazon. Check them out here.
Durability
The ThermoPro TP-20 feels pretty solid in your hand. You can tell it’s a quality product just by the way it feels and looks. The rubber grip is a nice feature to prevent it from slipping out of your hands. The ThermoPro TP-20 comes with a carryi9ng case to keep the units protected when you put them away.
Extended Warranty
The ThermoPro TP-20 comes with a standard 1-year warranty. This includes replacement of the transmitter, the receiver, and the probes if any of them are not working properly. When you register your product with ThermoPro on their website, you are able to receive a 3-year warranty for your wireless digital thermometer. This the longest warranty offered by any of the other competing companies.
When you have a product that is going to be exposed to high temperatures for long periods of time some things are bound to go wrong. For example, if you place one of the probes directly on the grill or cooking surface, after a good 8 hours or so the probe will stop working properly. To combat this, I recommend purchasing a probe holder like this one to keep your probes off of the cooking surface.
Price and Value
The ThermoPro TP-20 costs $59.99 and is a great wireless meat thermometer. Additionally, it can be used to gauge the temperature of the air in the grill. It’s a great thermometer if you can’t be right beside your grill at all times, or don’t want to check your meat as often. For example, when you are cooking on a charcoal or pellet smoker and every time you open the lid, you lose precious heat and extend the overall cooking time.
It’s a handy tool that I surely enjoy having around. It’s great for smoking meats when it’s a little bit cooler outside and you really don’t want to open your smoker often. Overall, I think it is a very good option for the price.
Compared to other dual-probe meat thermometers, this one is one of the cheaper options. They all pretty much do the same thing, they just have slightly different designs. That being said, I would lean more towards this ThermoPro TP-20 than the more expensive versions like the Maverick or the Thermoworks.
Other ThermoPro Model Comparison
ThermoPro TP-20 vs ThermoPro TP-08
Differences in Thermopro tp20 VS thermopro tp08
- The TP20 has a few more gadgets. Preloaded meat cooking temps etc
- Thermopro tp20 has meat preset temperatures.
- TP20 meat thermometer has high-temperature alarms.
- TP08 has low temperature alarms.
- TP08 is best for smoking because of low temperature alarms
- TP20 is not much suited for smoking because of high temperature alarms
- With Charcoal tp08 low-temperature alarms could be a real benefit.
- TP20 is #1Bestseller Item while TP08 is not yet #1Bestseller Item at the time of writing.
- Screen size of tp20 is large as compared to tp08
- Thermopro tp 20 is a splash proof thermometer while thermopro tp 08 is not splash proof.
- Thermopro tp-08 is low priced as compared to thermopro tp20
- Tp20 seems to be more user friendly because of its large LCD as compared to thermopro tp08.
- Thermopro tp08 is more suited for smoking rather than grilling. It includes one meat probe and one ambient probe.
At $5 less than the ThermoPro TP-20, the TP-08 does a decent job, although it lacks many features the TP-20 has. One of the main features this model doesn’t include is the preprogrammed temperatures and times for various types of meat. It also has a different button layout than the TP-20 but it isn’t any harder to use. The ThermoPro TP-08 as a low-temperature alarm, where the ThermoPro TP-20 has a high-temperature alarm, as well as the cooking time alarms. These two thermometers are used for different types of cooking.
See also:
Competitor Model Comparison
ThermoPro TP-20 vs ThermoWorks Smoke
The ThermoWorks Smoke is also a wireless dual probe grilling and smoking thermometer. It comes with two different probes, one to put directly into the meat and another ambient heat probe to measure the temperature inside the grill. Just like the TP-20, it has one transmitter and one receiver. This model takes 4 AA batteries to run.
It has a built-in kickstand for the transmitter unit and a lanyard for the receiver. The units come pre-synced and are ready to go right of the box. IT has both a high-temperature alarm as well as a low-temperature alarm making this a very versatile thermometer.
The screen is also a bit bigger than the ThermoPro TP-20 and has a 15-second built-in backlight. Overall this is a really nice thermometer and at $74.99 this is in the higher end of wireless thermometers.
ThermoPro TP-20 vs Maverick ET-733
Maverick ET-733 Wireless BBQ Meat Thermometer – Includes Original Bear Paws Meat Shredder – Master the BBQ and Smoker Without Being There
The Maverick ET-733 isn’t a bad little gadget, but for the same price as the ThermoPro TP-20, it doesn’t feel like it has the same value. The probes are very similar to the TP-20, and it also comes with an ambient probe stand to get the pit temperature. This model uses 4 AAA batteries as well.
A lot like the ThermoPro TP-20, the controls are on the receiver unit so you can adjust the temperature from the handheld device instead of the base station. The built-in stands on the back of the receiver and transmitter are really flimsy and feel like they could break off without any trouble. Overall, if the Maverick ET-733 is in your price range for a wireless thermometer, I would go with the TP-20 instead.
Overall Thoughts
The ThermoPro TP-20 is a solid choice for a wireless grilling thermometer. It will save you a lot of time cooking by giving you the ability to have the temperature of the meat and the grill right in your hands. With a 300’ range, it will work throughout your house and even down the street. I hear their customer service is great and responsive, but I haven’t had any issues with the product so far. Some people have complained about the probes malfunctioning, but ThermoPro offers replacement probes for free.
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Last Updated on August 6, 2020 by Judith Fertig
coinseasygenerator says
The general design of the ThermoPro TP20 is very good. It’s quite standard on the face of things, but this isn’t a bad thing as the two unit system works well and is tried and tested. The units look good and the user interface is simple enough for anyone to use with a little practice. The fact that the receiver has a built in backlit screen is a great feature that many other BBQ thermometers don’t have and it makes using it much easier. The design of the probes is the stand-out feature for us. Having the step down tip is such a simple but effective feature that we’re not sure why all companies haven’t incorporated it yet.