Tel-Tru BQ300 Barbecue Thermometer, 3 inch black dial with zones, 2.5 inch stem, 100/500 degrees F

Best thermometer you can get for your smoker.

Made in the USA & far superior to the other thermometers on the market.

I bought a different highly rated thermometer and saved about $20 bucks I promptly ruined about $70 of meat because of inaccuracy in it's temp range (after I calibrated it with boiling water @ 212 degrees).

The Tru-Temp thermometers are precision instruments.

The hole required for the thermometer is a little larger (1/2 inch) than other brands.

I got the additional installation kit which consists of a machined nut & washer for about $6 Tel-Tru Thermometer Installation Kit for replacement barbecue thermometers.

Five Stars *****

Here's a bit about me, so you know where this review is coming from.

I've been grilling and smoking food as a hobby for about 25 years (more so in the last 15). I have eight or nine grills and smokers, mostly Weber stuff. My BBQ skills are about the same as my driving skills: "above average".

(For the humor impaired, that's a tiny lil' joke.)

I like to learn about BBQ, try new recipes, etc. And I love to put on BBQ's for friends and family. I've built a reputation among friends and family as turning out some pretty good BBQ. But in all honesty I don't consider myself any more than a backyard griller. There are some truly great barbecuers out there, and I'm not one of them.

About ten years ago someone recommended Tel-Tru to me and I installed a BQ300 on my (pre-2009) Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker. Tel-Tru thermometers weren't available on Amazon, so I ordered it direct.

The Smokey Mountain is a great smoker, but works all the better with an accurate thermometer. There's none better than Tel-Tru. They are relatively expensive but worth every penny. Tel-Tru is my go-to brand for outdoor thermometers.

This thermometer is appropriate for any thin-walled grill or smoker (up to 1/4" thick) that you're willing to drill a hole in. I can't comment about it's suitability for a porcelain or ceramic cooker. I know that kamados can run much hotter than the range on this thermometer (500 degrees F). I'm sure there's a more suitable (Tel-Tru) thermometer for kamado-style or other thick-walled cookers, in terms of design and temperature range.

Some hardcore grillers and smokers will tell you that the only way to fly is with super awesome, fast reading digital probes and whatnot. I think that "going all in" with remote digital probes, forced air controllers, etc. takes all the fun out of BBQ. If you want pushbutton convenience from your BBQ appliance, then have at it. There's nothing wrong with that at all; it's just not for me. A simple thermometer is about as far down Crutch Lane as I want to go. I just feel better knowing how hot things are during the cook, and having a thermometer on my main smoker has been a great learning tool for me.

If you read any BBQ forums, you'll find strong opinions about analog thermometers. Some "internet experts" assert that analog thermometers are wildly inaccurate and/or inconsistent. That may be so (and they may really be experts). I made the mistake of trying a few "value priced" thermometers, so I get it. But it ain't so for this thermometer!! The lesson here is not to avoid analog thermometers, it's DON'T BUY CHEAP STUFF. When I got my Tel-Tru, I tested it in boiling water. It was dead on accurate. Ten years later it is STILL dead on accurate. This is one case where you get what you pay for.

I've had occasion to check out a few BBQ competitions. I've seen the same or similar BQ300 thermometers in use by contestants there, including some who really knew what they were doing. That carries some weight with me.

The thermometer mount is a 1/2" NPT fitting. I marked and drilled a pilot hole in my Weber, covered both sides with blue painter's tape (to try and avoid chipping the porcelain, although I'm not sure how likely that is), used a uni-bit to drill out to the right size, then cleaned up the edges with a reamer (by hand, light pressure). Tighten, but don't overtighten. It took me all of 5 minutes, and I ain't that handy.

Most people think my smoker came from the factory with the Tel-Tru installed. The black face with white markings and zones is a great match for Weber's black porcelain finish, and for that matter I think it would go well with just about anything.

Keep in mind that these thermometers are accurately and consistently measuring temperature where they're installed. That's different from the temperature surrounding your food! Mine is mounted fairly high in the lid of my Smokey Mountain Cooker. It's about 25 degrees higher than the top grate and 35-40 degrees higher than the bottom grate, for the way I usually set up the smoker. Your mileage WILL vary. For shorter cooks I look for no higher than 240 degrees on the thermometer; for lower and slower stuff I look for 220. I take that difference into account deciding where to put food on the grates, or to determine if I should switch top and bottom, etc.

One more tip for wood/charcoal cookers: don't use the thermometer as an excuse to constantly fool with your cooker. Let it get up to temperature, then make small adjustments if necessary. BE PATIENT. Let things stabilize. Especially for low and slow smoking, get it stable and open the smoker as little as possible.

Tel-Tru makes their products in America. That matters to me. It matters every bit as much that they make very high quality products that stand on their own. Tel-Tru justifies our pride in the "Made in U.S.A" label, and I'm happy to count myself a customer.

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Chef Buddy Adjustable LED Barbeque Grill Light

I received this item in record time. Took it out of the box and put batteries in it and turned it on. Nothing happened. After looking at one of the lights, the inside was broken and would never work. Items should be tested before they are sent out to make sure they work. It was returned.

This looks great but unfortunately fails to light a very expensive paper clip. Don't bother. Hold a flashlight between your teeth.

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This the prefect light for that grill that needs a nite light. PERFECT! I recommend it to everyone that cooks outside at night.

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Didn't work (we tried different bulbs but nothing, dead as a doornail) and was cheaply made, so we returned it.

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George Foreman GR180VP 80 Square Inch Slide Temperature Grill

I have a George Foreman grill with removable grill plates. It works great but you cannot control the cooking temperature and the grill plates are hard to clean. I purchased the GR180VP grill based on the reviews. The grill works great. The temperature control is easy to use. The included manual gives helpful information on cooking times and temperatures. The best part is how easy it is to clean. I brush cooking oil on the grill plates before heating. After cooking, I unplug the grill, then lay a wrung out dishcloth over the bottom grill plate and close the grill. After dinner, and the grill has cooled, I remove the dishcloth and rinse it in hot soapy water. I use the, wrung out, dish cloth to wipe the grill plates. Any leftover food residue and drippings COME RIGHT OFF! No scrubbing required. Rinse out the dishcloth, wipe the grill plates clean and let them dry. It could not be easier!

I wanted to hate this grill, I really did, but I can't. I couldn't believe all the rave over the Foreman grills. Really, how does a boxer get grilling so right, but this little thing makes awesome steaks and burgers. Everything I have cooked on it has turned out quite delectable. The next one I buy, I will definitely spring for the kind with the removable plates because this can get a little tough to clean without making a mess all over the cabinet, but it's doable. I really like the size of this grill, it is perfect for what I make because I am only cooking for two. I have had no problems with this grill at all. It is a great deal.

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I got this grill because of the price. It is sized just right. You can easily make for for 3-4 people on this grill. It is a pain to clean though. I did like some other reviewers did and use wet paper towels to clean it while its still warm.

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I've used the grill less than 5 times. It's broke. I had a lesser, smaller one that wore out. This one is completely inoperable within the first few days of using it. DO NOT BUY.

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BBQ Flint Fire Striker- Square Pocket Size with Attachment Clip

Utter crap, completely fell apart before i even had a chance to fill it....the striker rod and the outer reflective panels fell off....contacted seller, about it, said they'd send a replacement, haven't seen anything in weeks.

I purchased 4 of these for camping, and just for emergencies. All but 1 failed to work at all. i didnt return the bad one but oh well. The others work fairly well. In other words they light about 80% of the time. And yea the other reviewer it right the chrome cover fell off one so far. Thats because I have it on a keychain. I assume these things wont stand up to a bit of wear and tear. Still, they arent bad for the price.

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The bottom will not stay on and the top will leak fluid if on its side. I got it to strike 2 time before the wick burned away and so that was that so much for 15,000 lights maybe out of the flint witch is all it is good for.

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This item is what it says it is; a "pocket fire" starter! I received the item, and immediately filled it with the appropriate fuel, after testing it's fire starting capability and slipping the lighter into my pocket I caught a strong whiff of lighter fluid. I pulled the lighter out of my pocket to find that all of the fuel was leaking out into my pocket (hence the title). Upon inspection of the fuel reservoir I noticed that the o-ring designed to prevent such leakage was broken. No problem, I bought two! So I pull out the second one, fill it with fuel, attempt to light it, and the striker snapped in two! This lighter is a piece of junk! Do NOT buy this lighter, their are much better brands out there!

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this is a great device i bought it to light my grill thinking it was larger but its only keychain size but it lights and stays lit for a long time and its a great tool to have

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Nuwave 20201 Analog-Controlled Infrared Tabletop Oven, White

Those who purchase the Nuwave Oven usually have in mind a healthier, cleaner, and more efficient way to cook. The Nuwave does indeed deliver on these counts. It is a healthy alternative to conventional ovens in that it eliminates more saturated fatty oils than they do. It is cleaner in that the clean up time in considerably less than with a standard oven. And it is more efficient than a standard oven in that the combination of convection/infrared styles of heating do produce a tastier result. Now having said that, the potential purchaser must consider areas that one might not think of until too late. First, the sturdiness and quality of the device is inherently far less than that of either a standard oven or a microwave. Even for those reviewers who rave about their experiences all too often report control quality issues after the first year of use. In many cases the device simpy ceases to function. This brings me to number two: Repair costs are prohibitive. In fact it is cheaper to buy a new unit than to fix the old one. The warranty does not cover beyond the standard period. Finally, the Nuwave does work well but only on one type of food at a time. If you were to cook meat and vegetables together, the result would be that the former turned out well but not the latter. A minor note is that the instructions and cooking suggestions are both poorly worded and at times incomprehensible. The bottom line is that the Nuwave Oven is probably a good deal for those who do not plan to use it for more than one year and intend to cook only one type of food at a time.

I loved using this in the summertime really keeps the heat out of the kitchen. It works great for cooking fish, chicken, etc. The only problem was after about 15 months it stopped working normally. Now, after about 10 minutes of operation, it shuts off. There's something wrong with a limit inside the cooking apparatus but it is not user serviceable.

I'd buy another one but you know how it goes once bitten, twice shy. Got more than the 100 bucks of use out of it in that year though. If you have a family, even better!

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I have been disappointed with this oven. I have used it for three months on steak, lamb, chicken, vegetables, salmon, and a roast. It always takes way longer to cook than a regular oven or the direction book says even though I always set it on high. There is only one cooking method not several as the ad implies, and it doesn't brown as well as a regular oven. It does clean easily and might be okay for someone who has to have a portable oven, but it definitely takes much longer to cook than a my regular oven with poorer results. I regret buying it.

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I Had a great feeling when I first ordered this product. I wanted to start the New Year off right. Cooking more at home and eating out less. I watched a TV add on this product and decided to buy the Analog version from Amazon to save a few bucks. The first time I tried the product I was very dis-pleased! I followed the directions within the cook book that came with the unit. I tried to cook a small boneless turkey breast. What a mess! I had to keep cooking it longer and longer. Finally it was done inside, but dried out. I now wish I would have bought the digital unit with a thermometer built into it. The TV show made it look so simple. Take my advice, think long and hard before buying this product.

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Does not live up to TV hype. Great for frozen steaks and other items that fit on rack. The instructions are really vague aa to how to cook several items together. Tried several combinations as suggested and wound up with great cooked meat and ruined vegetables. The analog works as advertised and was cheaper. The cooking instructions (besides being hard to read and half in Spanish) are vague as to multiple items. This is not a "plug 'n play" item. Must study every item you place in oven to wind up cooked at same time. Wife went back to crock pot & regular oven and I continue to use for last minute craving like frozen steaks and burgers.

Campfire Popcorn Holder for Jiffy Pop or Similar Poppers

Bought a case of popcorn for use at the fire pit. I got tired of losing the hair on the back of my hand, so I bought this extension. Holds the Jiffy Pop perfectly.

I took it camping with several children at different ages. It was a hit from everyone from the age of 7 to the 37.

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Easy to use and so much fun to use with 5 yr old granddaughter! Simply insert a Jiffy Pop and use it over an outside fire pit or indoor fireplace.

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Very good for enjoying a campfire and popcorn. Just be sure you have it right side up so the Jiffy Popcorn doesn't fall out ~ oops! Great time was had by all.

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I would recommend these popcorn holders for use with jiffy pop popcorn for a campfire or bonfire! They worked great!!!

Factory-Reconditioned Cuisinart GR-4 Griddler

I bought the Griddler in February of 2005 and have taken care to ensure it lasts. The Griddler is heavy and sturdily constructed. It heats up quickly, and cleans up even faster. We have used it for panini, grilling meat, and toasting burger buns. The unit can be used either as a panini/grill press with the floating top or opened up to use as a griddle.

The base of the unit heats up and maintains temperature better than the top. This creates uneven toasting of the Panini or other items. It's not so much of a problem using as a griddle, since one side will simply cook faster than the other.

After a year the nonstick surface has started pealing off of the grill plates. I have never used metal on the nonstick surface and have taken great care to preserve the finish. Perhaps it is in the design or a fate of nonstick coated products in general, but the now I will have to take care not to get pieces of the nonstick surface in my food.

The Griddler comes with interchangeable dishwasher safe griddle and grill plates with a lock and release system that is intuitive to use. The plates easily release with the press of a button for cleaning. To place the plates back on the Griddler, one simply rests the plates in the groves located towards the rear or bottom and snaps the front or top into place. The plates don't consistently stay attached in the top section like they once did. It's very annoying trying to reposition a hot plate back into place.

On the surface, the Griddler has the looks and design to be a great product. Cuisinart has some bugs to work out to attain even heating and plates that last. If I were to buy a new panini press, I would not look to Cuisinart again. As a matter of fact, I now enjoy using a Breville 800GRXL Indoor Barbeque and Grill instead.

PROS:

Heavy and sturdily construction

Heats up and cleans quickly

CONS:

Non-stick surface does not last

Uneven heating

This is the fourth countertop grill I've purchasedwhich says something about the quality of most consumer grillsand I was hoping it woul;d be the best, given the price. It does look substantial, and it is in some waysbut not all.

On the plus side, the grill and griddle plates are indeed substantial. They take a while to heat upmuch longer than the grills I've had in the pastand they hold their heat well. You can put a piece of frozen meat on the grill and it won't cool down. That's a big plus when you're cooking preformed hamburgers, as many like to do. And the grill plates remove from the unit for cleaninga very big plus, in my book.

It's large enough to cook two large sandwiches, or four (or more) small burgers, at once. You can do enough chicken breasts or thighs for a family of four. High points there.

What troubles me are some of the details. The switches look substantial, but they're really quite flimsy, and I think a possible failure point. The power cord is really minimal, and you have to be carefull not to let it near the cook top, as it could melt and short in an instant. I think this is a rather serious flaw. And like most table-top griddles, the provision for collecting excess grease and water is nothing more than a pair of plastic cups.

As for the dual-purpose designyes, you can open the grill up and use it as a griddle, but why would you want to? It's much easier, and much less messy, to cook your pancakes and bacon on the kitchen range. This "feature" adds complexity without adding much functionality.

As mine is a reconditioned unit, these objections aren't as important as if I'd paid the full price, but they're still areas for concern. I'll just have to see how well it lasts.

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This is one of the best counter top grills I have ever had. Its very high quality and is built very well. There are only two bad things I can think of with this product. It does make a mess more so then the regular George Forman type grill. The lack of sides around the grill plates means that greese gets all over the area you are cooking. So clean up is much more frequent. The other problem is getting replacement grills. The teflon does wear out over time and i found getting replacments are almost 40.00. Its cheaper to buy another grill with 2 new sets of grilling surfaces. Other then these two itemsits a great unit.

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mediocre design heats unevenly, overcooks directly over heat coils while center area undercooks. Grease from top grill drips down on to counter when the top of the unit is lifted. Can do as well with a cheap foreman grill..

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I bought it thinking it would be an improvement over my older George Foreman since it had removable griddles for easy clean-up. Turns out cleaning the griddles is easier BUT the splatter from anything other than thin, flat sandwiches is a 30-minute clean-up with 409 [countertops, counter backsplash, under-cabinet, unit's exterior especially knobs]. And I'm talking about cooking with the cover DOWN! I would never try cooking any meats or vegetables with the lid open. And I'm surprised they couldn't engineer it so that the griddles would fit either side.

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Sponable's Bar & Grill 14'' x 11'' Collectible Stretched Canvas

• 14'' x 11'' Ready to hang
• Gallery wrapped on stretcher bars - No frame needed
• Archival quality canvas and inks
• UV Coated for durability
• 100% Satisfaction guarantee

Nice quality, would buy again. Nice quality, would buy again.Nice quality, would buy again.Nice quality, would buy again.Nice quality, would buy again.Nice quality, would buy again.Nice quality, would buy again.Nice quality, would buy again. Nice quality, would buy again.Nice quality, would buy again..

Rattleware 931050 Group Brush, Drip Guard, Set of 2

These brushes are as good as I have purchased locally at the coffee equipment shop or the restaurant supply, and at a lower price. Good stiff bristles.

I usually pull 3-4 shots daily, and use this brush after every shot.

These brushes work well, and fit into the grouphead of my machine quite snug, making it easy to do a quick pass and clean any residue, grounds, etc. left from pulling shots. It is sturdy, so I can apply a fair amount of force. The bristles are relatively hard plastic, which is a pretty nice plus for one key reason you can clean the brush itself. I run it under hot water, a little bit of dish soap, and rub the bristles together. looks like new.

As such, seems to me like the two brushes should last me a very long time it's been about a month and one hasn't been used at all, and the other still looks brand new (once washed).

I'd buy 'em again, but it doesn't seem like I'll need to. My guess is you'll like them too.

Buy Rattleware 931050 Group Brush, Drip Guard, Set of 2 Now

I haven't been disappointed yet by anything I've owned from this company, and these brushes do exactly what they're supposed to do and I suspect that they will last a very long time. Thanks for offering a set of 2 for a little less $!

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The brush has the right flexibility to get into the crevices & clean things up well. Getting a set of two was nice, as I gave one to my son.

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Perfect angle of the bristles, which have gained a beautiful color. Very well made should last a lifetime. Use it!!!

S'more to Love STL-611 6-S'more Maker

Having had to put off planned backyard S'mores several weekends in a row due to inclement weather, I was happy to find this little devise. I was able to make S'mores in the oven on a rainy night so the kids were happy. Easy to use, easy to clean. We did need to cook a bit longer than they mentioned, but perhaps we like our marshmallows more melted. Overall we are pleased with the purchase.

great item love it but boxes came damaged kinda a bummer cause I was giving one as a gift I do like the product though very easy to use with young kids

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The fun part of smores is melting the marshmallow over an open fire. I realize that. For pure convenience though, the Cuisinart Smore Maker is AWESOME! Build the Smore, close the cage, melt on either a BBQ or in the oven. 6 perfect Smores within minutes. We have one at our cabin, had to purchase another for home. FYI, leftover, cold smores are great too. Taste like Moon Pies!!!

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There are lots of smore cookers out there but this one is the best. Easy to use, nicely designed and made. My family loves it.

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my Husband purchased this s'more maker and it worked out great for making s'mores at home! They don't slide like they do in the microwave when you make them at home. the cracker stays nice and crunchy and the s'mores turn out perfect!

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