The Maverick XR-40 is a two-channel wireless remote food/cooker thermometer that boasts an extended range of up to 500 feet (152m). This unit does not require, nor can it communicate with, the internet or a Bluetooth device.
The probes plug into a transmitter that alternately displays the temperatures of each probe. The scale on the transmitter can be set to °F or °C independently of the scale chosen on the receiver. The display on the transmitter lacks a backlight, so you’ll need a flashlight in the dark. The jacks for the probes have seals to protect the unit from water, and the battery door is also sealed against moisture. The transmitter can be left out in the rain.
The receiver displays both temperatures simultaneously in either Fahrenheit or Celsius. It is used to set the temperature alarms, and it displays the probe temperatures as well as the alarm limits for each probe. Either probe can be used as a food sensor with a high limit only, or as a cooker sensor with high and low alarm settings. Temperature readings update every 12 seconds.
Pre-programmed settings for the type of meat and doneness can be selected for each probe, or the user can select his or her preferred doneness temperature. There are up and down arrow buttons for selecting the alarm temperatures, so you don’t have to worry about overshooting your desired setting like on some earlier models. When an alarm setting is reached, the temperature for that probe will flash and an audible tone will sound. There are different sounds for upper and lower cooker temp settings and food settings. The audible alert can be silenced with the push of a button, but the temperature reading will continue to flash as long as the temperature is outside the set parameters.
If the receiver loses signal from the transmitter for more than 36 seconds, the display will show three dashes for the temperature, and the receiver will beep every five seconds, alerting the cook of a problem. A quick press of any button will re-sync the receiver and transmitter if they are within range of one another.
The transmitter and the receiver are each powered by two AAA batteries. Battery life is not specified but will undoubtedly depend on the amount of time the receiver backlight is activated. This light can be activated for a few seconds by pressing any button, or it can be illuminated indefinitely by pressing the On/Off/Light switch.
The instruction sheet is comprehensive and includes contact information for the manufacturer, including physical address, e-mail address and telephone number. Replacement probes with 6′ (1.8m) cables are available should the included probes be damaged by heat or moisture. The unit comes with a one-year limited warranty.
This is an attractive unit with all the important features at an attractive price. It is easy to operate, but I would recommend carefully reading the instruction sheet as some features aren’t immediately obvious. My only gripe is that the temperature probes come with measly 3′ (0.9m) cables. These are too short for easy use with an outdoor cooker, IMO. They sell replacement probes with 6′ (1.8m) cables, so why not supply these with the unit? Come on, guys!
This is much like the earlier Maverick ET-733 but with more intuitive controls. Despite my cable gripe, I’m giving this unit a Gold Medal for its feature set, build quality and excellent accuracy.
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