Maverick Pocket Knife PT-60 Review

By: Bill McGrath

The Maverick Pocket Knife Thermometer incorporates a folding instant-read thermometer and some Swiss Army knife tools in one package. The thermometer function has an on/off button, a Fahrenheit/Celsius select button, and a reading hold button. It can be calibrated against an ice water bath if necessary.

The temperature probe folds into a slot in the housing so that it won’t catch on clothing while closed. A small slide switch extends the probe so it can be grabbed with the fingers. The probe will open 180º. The unit is activated with a push button instead of turning on automatically when the probe is extended. If no buttons are pressed for two minutes, the unit will shut itself off to conserve battery power.

The user can select Fahrenheit or Celsius by pressing a button. This button is also used if recalibration is required, as described in the owner’s pamphlet. A third button will hold the current temperature reading until the button is pressed again, making it easy to capture readings while the viewing angle is awkward. The display does not rotate when the unit is rotated.

Accuracy is fair – off by more than 5º at 325ºF. Response time, especially the important 32-212º reading, is very quick.

The unit is hefty with all the knife blade/corkscrew/opener hardware, but not excessively so. The switches should resist moisture and contamination well. The battery cover is not sealed in any way, so you could not rinse the unit off under running water, which could be problematic given all the tight spaces for food residue to hide in the unit.

I will leave it to the reader to decide whether the integration of a Swiss Army knife with a thermometer is a useful concept.

The unit is solidly built and backed by a one year warranty. The owner’s pamphlet is thorough and provides comprehensive contact information with the manufacturer in case of problems. Maverick has a good reputation for customer service.

How to rate this unit? It is solidly built with good response times. Accuracy is only fair, and I’m concerned that schmutz could accumulate in the crevices of the knife housing. It’s not waterproof. However, having some common tools built into your thermometer might have its benefits. l give it a Bronze Medal.

Haven't found what you want?
Click the buttons below to search our complete database of reviews:

Product Information:

Thermometer Function:

Hand Held/Instant Read
Item Price:

$ 49.95
*Price Subject To Change
Where to buy (buying from this supplier supports this website):

Amazon
Probe:

Length: 4" (101mm), diameter: 0.138" (3.5mm), tip: 0.061" (1.55mm)
Battery Type:

2xAAA (included)
Battery Life:

Not specified
Safe Operating Range:

Not Specified
Min & Max Temp:

-4 to 572ºF (-20 to 300ºC)
Display Precision:

0.1º
Actual Temp at 32 Degrees:

33.8
Actual Temp at 130 Degrees:

132.4
Actual Temp at 225 Degrees:

229.2
Actual Temp at 325 Degrees:

330.6
Speed from 32 to 212 Degrees:

2
Speed from 32 to 212 Degrees:

5
Numbers Display Size:

0.40" (10mm)
Water Resistance Rating:

Not waterproof
Weight:

6.05 oz. (171g)
C/F Switch:

Built in CF switch
Backlight:

Built in Backlight
Adjustable Options:

1
Auto shutoff:

1
Color Options:
Red
Thermometer Sensor:

Thermocouple
Included:

Thermometer, batteries, instructions

Published On: 12/30/2017 Last Modified: 1/25/2021

Bill McGrath - Bill McGrath is AmazingRibs.com's Thermometer Maven. He has sophisticated equipment, an electrical engineering degree from Cornell University, and an MBA (almost) from UC Berkeley. Despite being mostly retired, he is still the person responsible for developing and updating all of ExxonMobil's training modules.

High quality websites are expensive to run. If you help us, we’ll pay you back bigtime with an ad-free experience and a lot of freebies!

Millions come to AmazingRibs.com every month for high quality tested recipes, tips on technique, science, mythbusting, product reviews, and inspiration. But it is expensive to run a website with more than 2,000 pages and we don’t have a big corporate partner to subsidize us.

Our most important source of sustenance is people who join our Pitmaster Club. But please don’t think of it as a donation. Members get MANY great benefits. We block all third-party ads, we give members free ebooks, magazines, interviews, webinars, more recipes, a monthly sweepstakes with prizes worth up to $2,000, discounts on products, and best of all a community of like-minded cooks free of flame wars. Click below to see all the benefits, take a free 30 day trial, and help keep this site alive.

Click here to learn more and take a free 30-day trial membership

Post comments and questions below

grouchy?

1) Please try the search box at the top of every page before you ask for help.

2) Try to post your question to the appropriate page.

3) Tell us everything we need to know to help such as the type of cooker and thermometer. Dial thermometers are often off by as much as 50°F so if you are not using a good digital thermometer we probably can’t help you with time and temp questions. Please read this article about thermometers.

4) If you are a member of the Pitmaster Club, your comments login is probably different.

5) Posts with links in them may not appear immediately.