ThermoPro TempSpike Review: Budget Meater Alternative?
The new TempSpike is ThermoPro’s response to the barbecue community’s desire to go fully wireless. With competitors like MEATER, The MeatStick, and Yummly, it was inevitable that ThermoPro would launch their own fully wireless probe option, but did they hit the target or miss the mark?
I recently got to try out the new TempSpike by ThermoPro. Today I’m going to cover the pro’s and con’s and let you know if it’s worth your time.
- Sleek design
- Good connectivity
- User friendly
- Need a separate ThermoPro app
- Preset temperatures cannot be adjusted
First impressions and specifications
When I unboxed the TempSpike, I was immediately impressed with the sleek packaging. A simple black box, emblazoned with the ThermoPro logo. The box is durable enough to be used for future storage and could easily be stored in a kitchen drawer, barbecue kit, or cabinet.
The booster is constructed from a thick plastic, making it heavy duty but lightweight. The probe itself is made of metal and carries a bit of weight to it. It is a very sleek design and feels well-crafted. The manufacturer notes that it is IP67 rated waterproof.
ThermoPro TempSpike specifications:
Thermometer Range | 500 ft |
Internal Temperature Range | 14°F to 212°F |
Ambient Temperature Range | 14°F to 572°F |
Maximum Timer | 23 hours, 59 minutes, 59 seconds |
Price | Check Latest Price |
The TempSpike consists of two components: the actual wireless probe itself and the booster/charger. The booster connects to your phone (both Apple and Android apps are available) and the probe connects via Bluetooth to the booster.
To charge the TempSpike, you just need to ensure the probe is locked into the charger and then ThermoPro supplies a USB cable. While I have not tested it enough to confirm the actual battery life, ThermoPro claims the booster will remain charged for up to 3 months.
There are LED lights integrated in the booster that notify you of both the connection to the probe and also the battery life of both the probe and the booster. There is also a button located on the booster that will allow you to silence notifications during the cooking process if you don’t have your phone in hand.
What I like:
- Overall design – The booster/charger is lightweight and easy to use, the probe is sleek and effective, and the overall design is top notch.
- Zero connection issues – I was impressed that I did not lose connectivity at all throughout the cooking process.
- Easy to use straight out of the box – I didn’t need much instruction on how to use the probe, as the app guided me through every step of the setup process. Very user friendly.
What I don’t like:
- The app – I think the app could be better. It’s easy enough to navigate, but could be brightened up a bit. I also did not like that you cannot connect the TempSpike to the existing ThermoPro app. I use another app for my wired ThermoPro probes, but had to download a brand new app for the TempSpike. It’s just annoying to have to keep two separate apps on my phone for the same company’s products.
- The preset temperature ranges – I didn’t like that I was unable to set a cook for Pork for less than 160°F when the USDA states that minimum safe cooking temp is 145°F. I also wish they had a “I’m going to be doing a reverse sear” option of some type that would let you determine what temp you wanted to pull the meat off to sear it and what the final desired internal temp should be.
Cooking with the TempSpike
With a similar design to other wireless probes on the market, the TempSpike is very easy to use. All you have to do is insert the probe into the thickest part of your meat and keep the booster within 500 feet to maintain connectivity.
I actually left the booster on my kitchen counter indoors, about 250 feet away from the grill in my backyard. I had zero issues maintaining a connection throughout my cook, which surprised me.
I’ve used other fully wireless probes in the past and had connection issues with almost every cook I did. For example, I have a Meater+ probe and I don’t even use it anymore because it gives me connectivity issues every single time I cook with it. I think that MEATER is probably ThermoPro’s biggest competitor in this space, so it was nice to see that they improved some issues I’ve had with other brands.
The initial set up of the probe is extremely easy to navigate. You simply plug the charger in and let it come to a full charge (the light will stop blinking when it is fully charged), then download the TempSpike app and let it guide you. Once the device is charged it only takes 2-3 minutes to connect it to your phone/the app and you are ready to cook.
The TempSpike has two thermometers integrated into its design. There is the tip of the probe (the side inserted into meat) that will measure the internal temperature of your food. There is also a thermometer on the end of the probe that will measure ambient temperature during your cook.
I found this feature to be helpful because it would notify me if and when I needed to check my grill. You can set both a minimum and maximum ambient temperature right in the app. If your grill/pit gets above or below your set temperatures, an alarm will go off and notify you that you need to check your grill. It’s a nice feature because it makes cooking even more hands-off.
ThermoPro launched a new app on both the Apple App Store and the Android app store that is made specifically for use with the TempSpike. It is not the same app that they offer for their other devices, which I found to be a bit annoying because I had to download two separate apps for the same brand’s products.
The TempSpike app
The TempSpike App is very simple to download and access. When you open the app for the first time, it asks you to ensure that your TempSpike is fully charged prior to pairing the booster with the app.
Once your TempSpike is charged, simply remove the probe from the booster and follow the directions in the app to guide you with pairing. Pairing the device took all of about 10 seconds.
The design of the app is extremely basic but functional.
While I like sleek design, I was really more focused on whether it did the job I needed it to do – which it does. The app allows you to control multiple devices at the same time. So, if you purchased multiple TempSpikes you could use them all simultaneously, which is a fantastic function. It also offers category settings for your cooks.
The app offers all of the major meat categories: beef, fish, lamb, pork, poultry, etc. If it is a meat that can vary in temperature based on preference (e.g. a rare steak versus a well-done steak), the app gives you options to choose from and includes the corresponding temperature.
One thing I noticed is that if you are cooking pork, it will not allow you to set the temperature to less than a medium temperature (160°F).
While this was relevant historically, the USDA now states that pork can be cooked to a temperature of 145°F without risking foodborne illness. I was unable to set the probe to 145°F inside of the Pork setting, which I did not care for.
On a positive note, you are able to set your own custom temperature settings in the app so it essentially solves the problem. You can also make notes for each temperature setting and set alarms to go off throughout the cooking process (e.g. “Go Spritz Your Brisket Now”).
Final thoughts
Overall, I would say the TempSpike is definitely a strong contender in the fully wireless probe category. It works just as well as other, more highly priced items (e.g. Meater+). The only place where it is really lacking is in the functionality and aesthetic of the app itself.
If you are looking for a fully wireless probe and want more flexibility in your barbecue, I recommend checking out the TempSpike. I found the probe to be accurate, easy to use, and it has a solid design.
- Sleek design
- Good connectivity
- User friendly
- Need a separate ThermoPro app
- Preset temperatures cannot be adjusted
Nice review Breanna! I agree with you on most points. Speaking to the customization of the presets, I found that once you select a given preset, rather than tapping on the doneness to the right you can select edit at the top-right. This allows you to change the preset temperature of each of the doneness levels. Additionally, at the bottom of the list is the “+” from which we can create our own desired profiles. My TempSpike seemed to have lost its charge in the base and probe a week after recharging following my first use for a brisket. I found your review while searching to see if this was a common problem. I’m giving it another try on this point after I use it later today for a tri tip. I’ll be contacting Thermopro if this issue persists. I’m wondering if you have tested it for its ability to hold a charge between uses
Hey Chris! Thank you so much. I have not experienced issues with my TempSpike staying charged between cooks as long as I store the probe in the booster. I have not yet had to recharge my booster and I’ve been using it for 3 to 4 weeks. This may be a manufacturer error that you are experiencing and I would recommend reaching out to ThermoPro because I have not had that issue thus far.
I just received one and you can now change the preset temps. Might just be an update since your review. If you check the meat then click on edit on the top left of the screen you can adjust the temps. Great review.
Yes, you can create custom temperature settings for any temperature range – that is correct!
Do you know if there is any difference between the orange and red versions of the TempSpike? The product descriptions on Amazon are almost identical except the red version is identified as “TempSpike Premium” and is $50 more!