Thermoworks Signal Review - The Grilling Dad

ThermoWorks is essentially THE top dog in cooking thermometers. We’ve covered some competitors and some of them are producing fantastic products (like Typhur), but they are all chasing ThermoWorks. And for good reason: ThermoWorks products just work and they are always super accurate. ThermoWorks has become synonymous with “trust” when it comes to food temperature measurement. I am a Thermapen fanboy (I have a Classic and a ONE) so when I got the opportunity to review the ThermoWorks Signals BBQ Alarm Thermometer (with WiFi) I couldn’t say no. Who is the Signals for? Does it live up to the hype?

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TL;DR

Pros

Easy-to-read backlit LCD display
Splash-proof base (IP66)
Durable
Accurate
Accepts a variety of different ThermoWorks Pro-Series probes
Includes 4 probes (3 meat probes and 1 grill probe)
Probes are color coded
Works as a standalone unit or on your smart device via the ThermoWorks app (WiFi or Bluetooth)
Available in 9 colors

Cons

Pricey ($239 at the time of publication)
Requires a nearby place to set the base unit
Battery life of approximately 16 hours means you’ll be recharging after long cooks
12 hour recharging time

Use Cases

Fantastic for BBQ and long cooks
- Brisket
- Pork butt
- Thanksgiving turkey
- Christmas ham
Perfect for charcoal grills like the Weber kettle

Quick Verdict

Besides some inconveniences due to the relatively short battery life of the base unit, the ThermoWorks Signals is a fantastic BBQ thermometer. It just works. It isn’t complicated to set up, it is accurate (it comes with ThermoWorks’ signature NIST traceable calibration certificate), and the ThermoWorks app is really solid. I have a MEATER Plus wireless meat thermometer and I find myself reaching for the Signals every time because it stays connected to WiFi and is so easy to set up and use. The Signals is a bit pricey, but its 4 probes and overall reliability provide great results and peace of mind. If you’re using a charcoal grill like a Weber kettle the Signals is a no-brainer: just set up the pit thermometer in your grill and set high and low temperature alarms to make sure you always know when you need to add more charcoal or adjust your vents.

GOLD STANDARD

Thermoworks Signals

Easy-to-read backlit LCD display
Splash-proof base (IP66)
Durable and accurate
Works as a standalone unit or on your smart device via the ThermoWorks app (WiFi or Bluetooth)

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Performance

Base Unit (Controller)

The base unit itself is relatively small at 5 inches wide, 3 inches tall, and less than 2 inches thick. It has rubberized bumpers on the bottom and magnets on the back (along with more rubberized bumpers). The magnets are more than up to the task of supporting the base unit’s weight.

ThermoWorks Signals magnetically attached to refrigerator

The base unit has a large backlit LCD screen that is roughly 4 inches wide and 2 inches tall. The screen is divided into (4) sections – one for each possible probe. The screen is always split into quadrants regardless of whether or not you are using all four probes at any given time. The numbers showing the actual probe temperatures are about 0.5 inches tall making them highly readable especially when the backlight is turned on. The screen also shows “system” level indicators such as:

The current volume setting (there are 5 volume levels including silent)
WiFi status
Remaining battery life

Each probe quadrant on the screen shows:

The probe number (1-4)
Probe status (flashes “NO PROBE!” if no probe is plugged into the corresponding numbered probe port)
The first four letters of any name assigned to the probe within the ThermoWorks app
The alarm status for each probe (ON/OFF)
The current probe temperature (to 0.1°F resolution)
The High Alarm temperature
The Low Alarm temperature

There is a POWER button on the back of the unit that can also be used to toggle between Celsius and Fahrenheit as well as turn on the backlight. There are six buttons on the front of the unit that allow you to control all of the functional settings required to use the Signals. You cannot turn WiFi on or off from the base unit and you cannot name the probes from the base unit – those settings are only controlled via the ThermoWorks app. Using the buttons on the base unit, while not super intuitive to me, is simple and the learning curve is under 5 minutes.

Probe Ports and Charging

The base unit has four numbered probe ports on the side as well as a USB-C port for charging. The included power supply is 12V and 1A which means it charges at 12W. The relatively low amperage and wattage is what leads to the long charging time. Many cellphone chargers are now 45W and charge at 20V and 2.25A. It would have been really nice to see charging times similar to what we have come to expect from our smartphones – 12 hours for a full charge is pretty crazy especially when the battery life is only 16 hours.

Bluetooth

I typically avoid using Bluetooth connections on meat thermometers because they are notoriously unreliable and have a relatively short “line of sight” range (95 feet for the Signals) that is further reduced by things like walls and floors – you know all the stuff that makes up the house you’re probably going to be in during your cook. In my mind that kind of defeats the purpose of buying something like a Signals. Lucky for us the Signals also has WiFi. The WiFi connection is very reliable and allows you to monitor your meat and grill temperatures on your smartphone from virtually anywhere.

ThermoWorks App

There is no reason to bury the lead here – the ThermoWorks app is great. It offers a ton of functionality and is very easy to use. It was super easy for me to find and connect to my Signals and get my unit connected to WiFi. The main screen on the app shows the current temperature reading of each connected probe and what device you are connected to. You can even color code the Signals icon to match your specific unit, so if you have multiple different devices connected to the app it is easy to differentiate them. Selecting your Signals from the list brings you to a new screen that effectively serves as a dashboard for your unit. This dashboard shows additional information about each probe’s settings. It also has a NOTES section where you can record important information about your current cooking session which can then be saved and archived so you can look back at it next time. This is a really great feature for anyone, but is particularly useful for new cooks and for competition cooks.

Probe Controls

From the dashboard you can also view a graph of each probe temperature over the duration of the session. You can also access device settings for your Signals (device name, remaining battery %, device color, display units, transmission rate, and Bluetooth and WiFi settings). From the dashboard you can click on any probe channel to bring up the settings for that particular probe. This is where you can name your probe (the first four letters of this name will display on the base unit), set the High and Low temperature alarms (there is a “Chef-Recommended Temperatures” guide to help you), and set the “Ring Color” that corresponds to the o-rings you have put on both ends of the probe for that particular probe channel. The ThermoWorks app does NOT offer any predictive metrics such as cook time remaining and I am fine with that because in my experience those predictions are rarely accurate. The ThermoWorks app is simple to use and provides functionality that makes it suitable for both beginner and pro grillers.

Probes

There are three Pro-Series High Temperature cooking probes and one Pro-Series High Temperature air probe included with the ThermoWorks Signals. It is AWESOME that ThermoWorks includes a full set of probes. One of the things I really hate is having to buy additional accessories to get the full use out of a product. Pellet grill manufacturers do this sometimes by having more thermometer probe ports than probes (I’m looking at you Z Grills). Unless you run a restaurant or are a competition cook I don’t think you’re ever really going to need more than three meat probes. I rarely use more than two meat probes at a time. That being the case I may decide to buy another air probe at some point (only $19!). That would allow me to monitor grill temperatures on two different grills (like my Weber k ettle and my Z Grills pellet grill) simultaneously. Multiple air probes would also allow us to collect much more robust temperature data on all the grills we test.

The wires on all four probes are 47 inches long and for my purposes that has been more than adequate. Much shorter than that would be too short, but much longer would make for a cable management nightmare. If you really need a longer probe cable ThermoWorks sells 1 meter extension cables for $9. The probes are accurate to +/-1.8°F from -4 to 248°F which is perfect for monitoring the internal temperature of your meat.

O-rings

ThermoWorks includes four pairs of o-rings with the Signals (two blue, two green, two red, and two yellow). These o-rings slide on the probe end and the connector end of each thermometer to help you easily identify which thermometer is where during your cook. This is a super helpful feature because it will keep you from having to trace wires from the meat to the base unit or vice versa. While I do love this thoughtful addition to the Signals I wish that ThermoWorks would have molded the colors in. That would make the product look more refined and would make the probes easier to clean up after a cook. My o-rings have darkened significantly over the course of several cooks. While the colors are still easily distinguishable I am concerned that eventually they will all just be dark grey. ThermoWorks does sell complete sets of replacement probe rings for $4.

Setup

Setting up the Signals using the base unit is very simple and you could be up and running on a cook within 5 minutes.

Turn on the Signals
Plug in the probes you intend to use
Press the “CH” button on the base unit to select the probe you’d like to setup. The selected probe will flash on the screen.
Press the “SET” button. This will allow you to cycle through the settings that can be modified for that probe.
1. Alarm (ON/OFF)
2. High Alarm temperature
3. Low Alarm temperature
The selected setting will flash on the screen. Use the up and down arrows to change the setting.
To exit the settings you can either leave the unit for 8 seconds or press set until you have cycled past Low Alarm.

That’s all there is to it – easy peazy!

Price

The ThermoWorks Signals BBQ thermometer and alarm is relatively expensive at $239, but is a great value for a 4 probe meat thermometer with flawless WiFi connectivity and a stellar app. The Signals alarm notifications have saved me on more than one occasion and are particularly helpful when I want to do a long cook on my Weber kettle without having to babysit it all day.

Durability

The ThermoWorks Signals has a similar design aesthetic as the Thermapens. Obviously, the form factor is very different, but the materials and color combinations appear to be identical. That is a great thing in my mind because the Thermapens are very durable and the Signals appears to be as well. We got ours in “The Grilling Dad Red” and the plastic has a nice texture that helps it feel secure in your hand. Additionally, all the seams are sealed with a rubber-like material that helps give the base unit its IP66 rating (splash-proof) and also helps prevent the unit from sliding off a table.

Who Is It For?

The ThermoWorks Signals is a great 4-probe thermometer for anyone who regularly does long cooks like pork butt, brisket, or ribs. The thermometers are very accurate and the WiFi is reliable. This makes the Signals great for beginners too because it allows you to focus on honing your skills and perfecting your cooks instead fighting to get the technology to work for you. The ThermoWorks Signals is also great for those of us who grill on old-school charcoal grills like a Weber kettle because it allows you to measure and track the temperature of the grill in addition to the meat. The Signals is build to last and is a tool worth investing in.

Final Thoughts

If you frequently have multiple cooks going on at one time and want a reliable way to monitor your meat AND grill temperatures while you’re away from your grills the ThermoWorks Signals is well worth the investment.