I’m a professional chef and former restaurant owner, so I know the value of using a thermometer. I’ve met plenty of cooks who claim they don’t use recipes, measure ingredients, or test for doneness with thermometers. These people are full of bull. They just use other ways to measure such as odd-shaped containers, their hands, and how the meat looks and feels.
Why not use the best tools for the job? Meat thermometers may be the most valuable tool for cooking on the grill or in the kitchen. I tested a lot of thermometers over the years, and I’ve narrowed them down to the best on the market.
Reviewing features, durability, price, and functionality, I find ThermoPro thermometers like the ThermoPro TP20 Wireless Meat Thermometer to be the best investments for cooks who want precision cooking and spot-on grilling. The ThermoPro, which is one of the best manufacturers, produces three of the top thermometers for different cooking jobs.
ThermoPro TP20 vs TP22 vs TP25
My recommendations are based on years of cooking experience, and I’ve never found a thermometer that matches all of my preferences. Having said that, I do find ThermoPro an excellent brand for most cooking needs. The following are reviews and comparisons of my three top choices.
ThermoPro TP20
The ThermoPro TP20 stands out for its ability to multitask when cooking. Unlike many wireless thermometers, the TP20 comes with dual probes to track multiple cooking processes with flexible programming options.
The social chatter on Facebook and Instagram includes top-tier positive reviews from grilling aficionados and ThermoPro sponsors contests on both platforms. Reviews consistently praise temperature accuracy, the extended wireless range, and a great temperature range for any cooking job.
The unique features of the thermometer include a wide 250-300 foot range and alarms for monitoring the food’s progress at several stages of doneness. The timer can count up or down, and the probes are perfect for use on the grill or smoker.
All ThermoPro instruments give good value for the money, but getting dual probes for just a little more money than a cheap thermometer is a great investment.
This model is more expensive than the TP22, but the programming options and dual temperature monitoring make it perfect for complex grilling, smoking, and cooking processes for demanding chefs.
Benefits Over Other Thermometers:
- The benefits of the thermometer over others include greater control of each stage of the cooking process.
- You don’t have to risk getting burned to know the food’s temperature, and the alarms can warn you of reaching a critical temperature so that you can step away from the grill and socialize with your guests.
- The “lost connection” alarm warns you if you move out of range.
Drawbacks:
- As I said, no thermometer is perfect. The probes aren’t marked, so you have to keep track of which probe goes with which food.
- The controls don’t have a lock button, which I’ve found to be inconvenient.
ThermoPro TP25
The Bluetooth connection extends the wireless range of this thermometer up to 500 feet. I admit that this feature probably benefits busy multitaskers and people with kids more than it does me.
I believe that you should focus exclusively on the food that you’re cooking, but that’s the beauty of the TP25 — you don’t have to do so. The 5.0 Bluetooth feature lets you move 500 feet away, and your phone rings if you move beyond the signal limit.
The TP25 leads the other ThermoPro models when it comes to making the “best thermometer”. Users praise the thermometer on social media for its color-coded probes, extended monitoring range, and Bluetooth capability.
This model is perfect for people who are busy and never far from their phones. The extended range is a lifesaver for people with rambling kids, large backyards, lots of social followers, and big crowds to entertain and greet at backyard barbecues.
Features
- The TP25 features four color-coded probes to keep track of everything that you’re cooking.
- You don’t risk losing track of which probe is in which food, and you can set a high/low-temperature range for convenience.
- The TP25 also estimates cooking time, so you can move away from your food confidently.
Benefits Over Other Thermometers:
- The Bluetooth feature lets cooks monitor food with just their phones, and the range is extended.
- The batteries are rechargeable, and you can use the preset temperatures to ensure food reaches USDA-recommended temperatures for safety.
- You can control temperatures within a 500-foot range.
Drawbacks:
- The color-coded probes are a bit longer than optimal especially when used on the grill.
- The TP25 is more expensive than some models, and despite the color coding, I suspect that some cooks could become confused when trying to use all four probes.
ThermoPro TP22
The ThermoPro TP 22 is the least expensive of the top three thermometers in this review, but it still offers dual probes, a backlit LCD for easy reading, and a phenomenal count-up or count-down timer that counts down from 99 minutes or up to 99 hours, which makes it ideal for slow smoking.
The reviews online generally praise the TP22 for accuracy and ease of use, and customers appreciate the low price for dual probe thermometers.
Users praise the thermometer’s pre-programmed temperature settings that take the guesswork out of cooking to USDA-recommended safe food temperatures. The long battery life is also cited by many users.
I heartily recommend this thermometer for any user, even beginners on the grill. The presets and automated features make it difficult to go wrong, and the price is perfect for a good thermometer at a reasonable price.
Features
- This versatile thermometer lets you monitor up to 300 feet away from the smoker or grill.
- You don’t need to bother with syncing the thermometer. I checked temperature accuracy with boiling water, and I found the TP22 completely accurate on both the Fahrenheit and Centigrade scales.
- The temperature range measures temp from 32 degrees Fahrenheit up to 572 degrees Fahrenheit.
Benefits Over Other Thermometers:
- Unlike most generic thermometers, the TP22 provides 10 meat settings to automate cooking to various levels of doneness.
- This is a great benefit for beginners in the kitchen or on the grill.
- The count-up, count-down timer, and out-of-range warning alarm provide solid benefits over other thermometers.
- The easy-to-read display is especially beneficial for evening and nighttime barbecuing.
Drawbacks:
- If using both probes in the same cut of meat, one reading might be slightly higher than the other.
- I’ve also found that the receiver can lose contact more often than I’d like, but the alarm warns me when that happens.
Insights and Takeaways
Few companies offer the combination of high quality and reasonable prices that ThermoPro does. All three of the TP models of wireless thermometers provide a good range, remote power, two or more probes, and easy operation.
The TP 20 is great for gourmet or professional chefs. The TP22 is the most affordable choice for any user including beginners, and the TP25 is best for people who live a hectic lifestyle.
