You were trying to be the perfect host during that bonfire party you organized last month at your home. But you had also planned an elaborate grill and barbecue menu. Grilled Chicken, Corn On The Cob, Cheese Skewers all of them were part of the plan to display the culinary skills you had acquired during the pandemic. While it got you the compliments and plaudits you expected, you couldn't socialize much with your friends. Most of the time, you were tied to your barbecue, trying to ensure that your delicacies are properly cooked from within and yet not burned from the outside.

Barbecuing is tricky. Perhaps, one of the oldest methods to cook, it has come a long way both in terms of the number of recipes that can be made on a barbecue and the techniques, to the variety of equipment (charcoal grills to gas grills). But no matter what technique or equipment you use, checking how well has the fleshy part of your cuisine cooked, still remains tricky. Thus, most cooks struggle to leave, even for a bit, when they are barbecuing.

Technology may have a perfect solution to that- the Bluetooth BBQ thermometer, or the bluetooth meat thermometer as it is popularly referred to. A simple-to-use wireless device connected to your smartphone/tablet via Bluetooth technology, it can be inserted into the fleshiest part of the cuisine, to transmit the data of the progress in cooking in real time. With the Bluetooth BBQ thermometer, the progress in cooking can be monitored remotely on an app without you having to be near the grill at all times.

These grill thermometers tell you whenever your grill or smoker temperature drops below your target, or when your cuisine needs your attention because of alteration in internal temperature. It is not time controlled, rather temperature controlled, thus eliminating the risk of overcooking or undercooking. The only thing one has to do is check your smartphone intermittently. These wireless thermometers have also unshackled the cooking staff at restaurants, allowing them to focus on other tasks even as they grill something.

Like most new technological devices, these wireless thermometers for barbecuing are compact, wireless, and thus hassle-free. A standard bluetooth meat thermometer has three physical components- the probe, the cable, and the transmitter. The probe that is the pointy stainless steal stem is inserted into the food to check the internal food temperatures and monitor the ambient temperature when you grill, and even while re-heating, cooling, thawing, etc.

A good wireless meat thermometer helps detect the minutest change in temperature, ensuring the user that the meat is perfectly cooked. The probe is attached to the food to send the temperature information through the cable into the transmitter, which is then displayed on the app connected to your cell phone or tablet. In most cases, there is a display dial (could be digital or analog) in the thermometers for you to see the temperature if you're next to it.

As per the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), before using a food thermometer, it's important to read the manufacturer's instructions. Every manufacturer may have its own guidelines on how the thermometer must be inserted in a food to give an accurate reading. The reading is correct only if the thermometer is placed in the proper location in the food. If not inserted correctly, or if inserted in a wrong area, the reading will not accurately reflect the internal temperature of the food. In general, the food thermometer should be placed in the thickest part of the food, away from bone, fat, or gristle.

When the meat's internal temperature increases, the rod tracks it and the display dial displays it on its screen. When connected to your smartphone or tablet through bluetooth, you get notifications on the app on your smart device as well. Most of these wireless thermometers allow you to monitor your food's temperature even from 150 feet away. Some of them have a wireless range of upto 300 feet.

Once done with your cooking, the bluetooth meat thermometers can be pulled out of the meat, washed and stored until next time. USDA recommends taking extra precaution while washing the thermometers- Most thermometers should not be immersed in water. Wash carefully by hand. Also, thermometer probes are sharp and should be handled and stored with care.

The primary job of a Bluetooth Bbq thermometer is to monitor temperature changes in your cooking. But with so many technological advancements happening on a daily basis, it would be undermining the potential of technology if you expect your grill thermometers (now also considered an important device in ensuring food safety) to just monitor temperature. And thus, there are other features faster heat calculation, wireless reading delivery, automatic alerts, that help you in informed cooking decisions. For instance, the ThermoPro TP smart Bluetooth meat thermometer can measure temperatures up to 572 degrees Fahrenheit from 500 feet away.


Some of the most common features of Bluetooth BBQ thermometers include-

1. Heat Resistant- Most of the devices withstand a temperature of up to 600 degree fahrenheit. In fact, it is advisable to thoroughly check the heat resistance feature of a grill thermometer before buying. You don't want the devices to get damaged during the cooking process.
   
2. Easy to pair with a dedicated companion smartphone/tablet app- Bluetooth meat thermometers are usually the most feature-heavy thermometers as compared to a wi-fi thermometer or instant-read thermometer. The latter two have a few limiting features and still need you to be somewhat closer to your grill. With a bluetooth connected device, however, you can relax and still manage your cooking.
   
3. Automatic Alerts- Usually capable of a range of upto 150+ feet, bluetooth thermometers constantly transmit useful information to your connected device. It makes monitoring easier. Most brands like Meater Plus, ThermoPro TP and Weber iGrill can function on both iOS and android.
   
4. Accuracy- Bluetooth probe technology is more accurate than any other thermometer technology. The best grill thermometers provide accurate temperature readings to +/- 2 degrees Fahrenheit or less.
   

While every Bluetooth BBQ thermometer requires battery power to function, different brands have different battery features. Some come with rechargeable batteries and in-built USB ports and charging cable, and some need disposable batteries, but that's really rare. The idea behind a bluetooth BBQ thermometer is to have a really compact device with minimal additional entrapments.

With a rechargeable Bluetooth thermometer, you'll never have to run to the store for replacement batteries. Most devices take up to three hours to get a full charge and can last up to 24 to 40 hours before another round of charging. For instance, Inkbird IBT-4XP comes with a rechargeable battery and a USB charging cable, making it easier to operate. MeatStick Mini, which takes pride in calling itself the smallest meat thermometer, too has a rechargeable battery and comes with a charging holder.

The rare disposable battery operated BBQ thermometers have their own advantages. If a chargeable thermometer is not charged when you need it, you will have to wait for it to charge before you can use it. But with disposable batteries' food thermometer, you're only a battery change away from a working thermometer. Like Weber iGrill's Mini has one CR2032 coin cell battery as its power source. It is included with the first purchase and can be replaced after over 150 hours of use.

Typically, anyone who cooks can use a food thermometer, bluetooth or not. In fact, as per USDA, it is always a good idea to use a food thermometer to ensure Food Safety. It can be used to verify whether the food has reached a safe minimum internal temperature or not. It consequently prevents any foodborne illness. A bluetooth food thermometer, with advanced features and instant reading of temperature, only ensures that you get a more accurate result with more convenience.

The temperature at which different pathogenic microorganisms are destroyed varies, as does the doneness' temperature for different meat and poultry. A consumer looking for a visual sign of doneness' might continue cooking it until it is overcooked and dry. However, a consumer using a food thermometer to check for doneness' can feel assured the food has reached a safe temperature and is not overcooked, the USDA website notes.

A food thermometer can also be used to ensure that cooked food is held at safe temperatures until served.

If you love the pit and enjoy grilling and smoking, Bluetooth enabled thermometers are your best bet to get it right the first time. With continual updates and notifications on your phone about the progress in your cooking, they take away the guesswork and the constant stress of standing next to your pit. But as they say, every device has its own pros and cons, so let's discuss that.

Pros-

• Completely wireless.
  
• Lets you monitor your food even as you do other things.
  
• Accurate, intuitive and easy-to-use.
  
• Bluetooth probe technology, which is more accurate than other thermometer technology, and considered to be the next generation of food safety equipment.
  
• Information is displayed on your phone, something that is anyway with you most times.
  
• Mostly uses a rechargeable battery.
  
• Sends you notifications continually to keep you updated on the progress of your food.
  
• Notifies when it is time to take the food off the grill.
  

Cons-

• For best performance of a bluetooth device, you may have to reduce the number of other bluetooth devices between the grill and the phone to avoid interference.
  
• The closer the phone is to the grill, and the more physical obstruction (like walls, trees, etc) it avoids, the better it would work in case of an alarm.
  
• As with any other meat thermometer, it is always good to keep the probe clean. Build up of layers on the probe can lead to false readings and affect the food.
  

Bluetooth BBQ Thermometers are an essential addition to your kitchen devices if you like to smoke and grill. Most of them can also be used for baking and even for sous vide cooking. The most important criteria for choosing a Bluetooth thermometer should be to consider its price, temperature range, remote range, accuracy and its notification features.

The best thermometers have in-built artificial intelligence apps that take the USDA-recommended safe temperature into consideration and notifies you. These thermometers take advantage of the existing technology to make the cooking process easier for you. An user just has to buy a thermometer, download the app to your phone, and start grilling.