ThermoWorks Combo Thermometer Review

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By: Bill McGrath, AmazingRibs.com Chief Thermometer Reviewer

The ThermoWorks Combo Thermometer combines a high-accuracy probe with good response times and an infrared sensor to check surface temperatures. It cannot be left in the oven/grill while cooking.

The thermometer can be used to measure the temperature of a surface, such as the bottom of a frying pan, by measuring its infrared emissions. In this mode, there is a min/max function and a lock mode which will prevent the unit from turning itself off for an hour. Normally, it will auto-off after a few seconds. The readout can be changed between F and C scales. The emissivity settings can be changed from the default 0.95 to anywhere in the range of 0.1 to 1. The optical sensing cone is 5:1, meaning that at 5″ from the surface, it will be taking its reading from a 1″ diameter circle.

In the probe mode, the min/max and lock modes do not work. There is only the probe readout in either F or C. The unit will auto-shutoff after a few minutes. There is a battery icon to indicate the state of the battery’s charge.

The manufacturer’s contact info, including telephone number and website, is found on the instruction sheet. The unit is covered by a 1 year warranty. There is a number listed should warranty service be needed.

If the ability to measure the temperature of a surface is important to you, this is a versatile unit. We don’t have the equipment to test the infrared portion of the thermometer, but the probe displays good accuracy and fairly good response times. It’s too bad that the min/max and hold functions don’t work in that mode. Overall, we’ll give it a Silver medal for versatility, construction and probe performance.

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Product Information:

Thermometer Function:

Hand Held/Instant Read, Infrared Gun
Item Price :

69.00
*Price Subject To Change
Where to buy (buying from this supplier supports this website):

Thermometer: ThermoWorks
Probe:

Length: 4.25" (11.0cm), diameter: 0.13" (4.2mm)
Battery Type:

CR2032 (included)
Battery Life:

not specified
Safe Operating Range:

Not Specified
Min & Max Temp:

IR: -27 to 428ºF (-33 to 220ºC), Probe: -67 to 626ºF (-55 to 330ºC)
Display Precision:

0.1º
Actual Temp at 32 Degrees:

32.6
Actual Temp at 130 Degrees:

130.4
Actual Temp at 225 Degrees:

225
Actual Temp at 325 Degrees:

326
Speed from 32 to 212 Degrees:

10
Speed from 32 to 212 Degrees:

13
Numbers Display Size:

0.24" (6mm)
Water Resistance Rating:

Not specified
Weight:

2.5oz (71g)
C/F Switch:

Built in CF switch
Backlight:

No Backlight
Adjustable Options:

1
Color Options:

White
Thermometer Sensor:

Thermocouple
App:

No
Logging:

No
Included:

Thermometer, instructions
Available Accessories:

None
Alarms:

None

Manufacturer:

6/24/2024

Published On: 5/7/2014

Bill McGrath, AmazingRibs.com Chief Thermometer Reviewer - 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.

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