ThermoPro TP-08 Review: The Best Budget BBQ Thermometer?

hand holding Thermopro tp 08 in front of smoker

SmokedBBQSource is supported by its readers. We may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you if you buy through a link on this page. Learn more

If you need a leave-in thermometer to manage temperatures in your smoker and can’t afford to spend the money on the ThermoWorks Smoke, the TP-08 is worth your consideration.

For a lot less money than the Smoke, you get a two-probe thermometer that isn’t quite as user friendly or reliable, but will still get the job done.

If you need to measure multiple smokers at once, or lots of food, the TP-27 long range thermometer has an updated design and four probes so check that out as well.

ThermoPro Tp-08 overview and first impressions

All pit masters know the golden rule, “if you’re looking, you ain’t cooking”. With a range of 300 ft, a 3-inch grill probe, and a 6.5 inch probe for the meat itself, the TP-08 allows you to be sure of your temperatures without having to open your grill or be right beside it the entire time.

This gives you the freedom to entertain if you’re throwing a party, ready your side dishes or just kick back and watch the game.

For added peace of mind the TP-08 comes with an alarm that can go off when your meat reaches a specified internal temperature, which you can set for anywhere between 32° and 572° Fahrenheit.

The TP-08 also comes with a timer that can either count up or down. Meaning you can also use it as an all in one tool to keep track of vegetables or any other side dishes you choose to cook along with your meats.

Settings are saved when the unit is turned off. Thermometer pre-sets aren’t the most useful for barbecue. There are some good resources out there, including our own correct finished temperature for different types of meat.

What’s in the box & manufacturer specifications

Every TP-08 comes with the transmitter and receiver, food and oven probes, 4 AAA batteries and the owners manual.

Thermopro tp08 box contents on table

Features

  • Backlit LCD display
  • Manual temperature settings
  • Alarm
  • Display in either Celsius or Fahrenheit
  • Receiver belt clip and pullout stand
  • Durable rubber sleeve
  • Lost link distance alert

Technical specifications:

  • Temperature range of 32°- 572° Fahrenheit (0-300 Celsius)
  • Probe length, 3” for grill probe and 6.5” for meat thermometer
  • Cable Length: 40″ stainless steel mesh cable
  • Remote Range: Up to 300 feet
  • Receiver Display Size: 1.5×1.3 inches (39×34 mm)
  • Transmitter Display Size: 1×0.55 inches (26×14 mm)
  • Certifications: FCC certified, CE certified, ROHS, FDA approved probe
  • Probe and Wire can withstand up to 716˚F (380˚C)

Ease of use

Lets be honest, cooking thermometers all do the same thing.  They should be a very simple piece of technology but manufacturers  insist on making them more and more complex as time progresses. Now it seems that to operate one the owners manual should read as follows:

Step 1 – Get a degree in mechanical engineering

Step 2 –  Use thermometer

So it came as a rather pleasant surprise to realize that the people over at ThermoPro didn’t go overboard with the features on this particular model. As such the positive traits are both numerous and refreshingly straight forward.

  • Easy to read backlit display
  • Ability to switch between Fahrenheit and Celsius
  • Temperature alerts
  • Lost link warning
  • Countdown and up timer
  • Can be used on a variety of food items (candy, meat, vegetables, cakes)

It came as a rather pleasant surprise to realize that the people over at ThermoPro didn’t go overboard with the features

Cons

  • There is no indication which is probe 1 and probe 2 for the initial setup. This is where the multi purpose dual probes in the Maverick ET-733 come in handy.
  • Button configuration can be a little tricky. For the sake of space ThermoPro has decided to use the same button for a number of choices. Meaning you have to press the equivalent of a shift key to achieve the desired affect. Which can be annoying.
  • There are no up or down buttons on the unit. So if you overshoot your desired food temperature you have to cycle all the way through again. Holding the button increases the temperature by ten degree increments.

This is an annoying oversight in the design, and something that Maverick addressed in the ET-733.

It should be said here that ThermoPro offers excellent customer service. Their website allows you to live chat with a representative right away and they are aware of their customer bases needs. If you have any concerns or qualms they will be more than happy to assist you with them.

Accuracy & speed

One majorly positive trait of the TP-08 is that customers have consistently praised it for its accuracy, so much so that it can function as a candy thermometer if desired, an impressive feat.

When stacked up against other thermometers it reads accurately and stays that way. Though it is good practice to use an ice water bath every so often to ensure accuracy in your readings.

The TP-08 has a tolerance of 4°- 6° Fahrenheit within the first few hundred degrees, after that the discrepancy can grow larger. But this should be of no issue to the average chef.

As for its speed, the TP-08 isn’t the fastest draw in the west. But for measuring your pit temperature and monitoring the internal temp of your meat it this won’t be a problem. 

If you need to do instant readings probably best to opt for an instant read thermometer like the Themapen.

Build quality

The TP-08 does suffer with some quality issues that are inherent of its price point. The rubber bumper around the edge of the transmitter and receiver become loose easily, and both units are neither water nor heat proof.

back view of thermpro tp08 thermometer

Leaving it outside in the rain, or for too long in the hot sun could spell the end for this unit. So it’s advisable to at least place the transmitter in a plastic bag if its going to sit outdoors unattended.

It’s advisable to at least place the transmitter in a plastic bag if its going to sit outdoors unattended.

The probes are of sufficient quality, though they should never be cleaned in water, but disinfected with a paper towel. And we have received no complaints about the cables coming apart.

The ThermoPro or the ThermoWorks Smoke

It’s going to cost you twice the money, but for us, it’s well worth the investment to step up to the ThermoWorks Smoke.

Thermoworks Smoke bbq thermometer review

The design is much more user-friendly, and the construction of the receiver and handheld unit is a lot more rugged.

I’ve had my original Smoke since it was first released and it’s still going strong. The Smoke is available exclusively from ThermoWorks.

ThermoWorks Smoke™ 2-Channel BBQ Thermometer
4.8

The outstanding build quality, user-friendly design, and the best in class probes make the Smoke our top pick for any serious smoking enthusiast.

Check latest price

Where to buy

The easiest place to buy the Thermopro is on Amazon. Make sure you buy the TP08. The TP07 is still for sale, a little bit cheaper but we wouldn’t recommend buying older technology.

If you ever need to replace the probe you can grab a spare probe. Let us know in the comments below if you go ahead and buy the ThermoPro.

Similar Posts

4 Comments

  1. Michael Leonard says:

    Bought this and using for first time this Saturday night on an 8lb pork butt.

    1. joseph.clements12@gmail.com says:

      Nice one, how did you find it?

    2. BreAna Cannon says:

      Bought this thermometer on Amazon. So far, I really like it. One of my favourite features, is that you can set the alarm to sound if the cooker goes either above or below a set temperature. Definitely have to read the manual on this one, but once you figure it out… it is a breeze!

  2. I got the therm-pro TP-08S to monitor the IT of poultry (chicken, turkey) pork roast and beef chuck roast. No more guessing and getting either under cooked or over cooked meat when smoking on UDS or WSM. the price was just right for my first thermometer.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *