ThermoPro TP-17 Review

ThermoPro Tp17 on smoker

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Barbecue thermometers have been getting more and more complicated.

These days manufactures are cramming in as many features as they can, including Bluetooth and fancy companion apps so they can charge a premium.

So I decided to do a review of an older, simple ThermoPro TP-17.

Read on to find out how it performed.

ThermoPro TP-17 Overview and First Impressions

With the ThermoPro TP17 you get a good basic dual probe meat thermometer.

You don’t get any of the fancy features you would expect on a more expensive model.

But if you are looking for an affordable dual probe thermometer to keep an eye on temperatures while you barbecue then this is a good option to consider.

Key features:

  • Dual stainless-steel probes with steel mesh cables to measure and monitor temperatures of two pieces of meat or one piece of meat and your BBQ/SMOKER temp or two sections of the same large piece of meat simultaneously.
  • Large 2.5” LCD Backlit display to easily determine meat temperature and current settings.
  • Programmed with preset temperatures for meats at various cooking levels recommended (Poultry, Beef Well, Veal/Pork, Beef Medium, Ham, Beef Rare/Fish).
  • Can also set temperature manually.
  • 99-hour and 59-minute countdown timer and count up timer.
  • Flip-out counter top stand and Magnetic Back.
  • Comes with a 1 year warranty.

I tested the TP-17 out by cooking some chicken legs on my Pit Boss Pellet Smoker.

What we like:

  • Customization – the ability to be able to select a custom temperature or use presets already built into the thermometer.
  • Calibration is fairly accurate – One probe measured spot on, the other was only off by 2°. Not too shabby for an economically priced unit.
  • Good versatility – Probes can be used for monitoring meat or ambient cooking temps. Thermometer can also be used as a timer instead while still monitoring food temps.

What we don’t like:

  • The backlight – only comes on when you push a button and stays on only momentarily. It would be nice if it could be set to stay on (in case a person was cooking outdoors at night).
  • Inaccurate presets – I found the meat preset temps to be way off on most of the meats. Beef Medium at 160°F? That’s typically well done by most standards.Pork well done at 170°F? Even the USDA has lowered this temp down to 145°F.

I found most of the preset temps I checked to be off. Just be aware of this if this is the feature you’re depending on.

Luckily the thermometer is easy to program and set your own done temperatures.

Get the latest price on Amazon.

What’s in the box & specifications

The thermometer contents comes packaged well in a plastic tray inside a thin cardboard style box.

The probes have throw-away plastic covers on the sharp points. The thermometer display also has a thin plastic cover to prevent scratching during shipping. Everything is nice and neat.

The contents of the package:

  • 1x digital meat thermometer display
  • 2x stainless steel probes
  • 1x AAA battery
  • Probe clip for rack usage
  • Setup manual

The thermometer comes with its own AAA battery, so thermometer is ready to go out of the box.

Setup manual is very simple and easy to understand.

The probes are neither amazing nor terrible in length measuring in at 6.5” on the length of the probes and 40” in cable length.

The knurled handle on the probes up’s the cool factor though!

ThermoPro TP-17 Specifications:

Temperature Range14˚F to 572˚F (-10˚C to 300˚C)
Battery: 1 x AAA battery
Temperature Accuracy:±1.8°F (±1°C) from 32 to 212°F (0 to 100°C)
Resolution:
Probe Length: 6.5″ food grade stainless probe
Cable Length: 40″ stainless steel mesh cable
Uses: BBQ, Oven, Smoker, Candy, Meat, Food

Using the ThermoPro-TP17

Before using this thermometer, I performed a boil test on the probes to determine their measuring accuracy.

The 1st probe measured spot on at 212°F. The 2nd probe measured 210°F.

I found this to be acceptable and within the manufacturer’s range of accuracy.

Prior to setup of the thermometer, the bbq master (that’s you!) needs to decide if you are cooking to temperature or cooking to time.

This thermometer has the capability to do either one. This unit can count down or count up, if desired.

It is controlled by the on/off switch on back of the display block.

Setup below is based off of using temperature:

  1. Turn of the thermometer (on/off button is back on display block).
  2. Plug in the probes (depending if you are using one or two).
  3. Hit the probe button on the lower left side to choose a probe. The numbers will begin blinking.
  4. Set the desired probe alarm temperature. The temp is set when the number stops blinking.
  5. (Optional) If you are using the 2nd probe, push the probe button again, and continuing pushing until you toggle to the 2nd probe line on the display. Then set the alarm temp for this probe just as previously instructed. Note – 2nd probe can be used for another food item temp or used for monitoring ambient temperature. Set the alarm temp accordingly!
  6. You’re ready to cook!

Overall I found the setup for the thermometer to be quick and easy.

Alternative thermometers you might want to consider

This product works very similar to a Thermoworks Smoke that I have used as well.

Obviously, it doesn’t have the same bells and whistles as the Smoke does. But when you get down to the bare bones of it, it is still just a leave-in thermometer and a fairly accurate one at that.

The probes for the Smoke are more heavy duty/industrial looking, but I would also expect that with the larger price tag that the Smoke carries.

Get the latest price on the Smoke on the ThermoWorks website.

hand holding Thermopro tp 08 in front of smoker

Otherwise the main alternatives to the TP-17 are already produced by ThermoPro. The TP-20 wireless digital cooking thermometer and TP-08 are both newer and more expensive models.

They both come with a hands free monitor so you don’t have to walk back to your smoker and check the screen every time.

Should you buy the ThermoPro TP-17?

All in all, the ThermoPro TP-17 thermometer does its job. It accurately measures food internal temp and displays the numbers in a manner that is easy to read.

While this unit won’t satisfy the die hard pitmasters out there or wow the techy grilling enthusiasts, it is a well performing contender for those needing an economical option for a leave-in thermometer.

One additional take away. Don’t depend on this device’s meat presets.

Do your research, find the right temps to cook to for the meat, and set YOUR OWN temp. You don’t want to put all this effort into your food only for it to turn out dry and overcooked. No one wants that!

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