Independent comparisons. We may earn from shop links. More info

Thermometer for low and slow smoking

Updated: 23 October 2026

A thermometer for low and slow smoking has to show the pit and the middle of the meat for the whole cook, including the hours when the internal number barely moves. A lid dial cannot see that stall. This page stays with brisket and pork shoulder. Format shopping is the [smoking thermometer buying guide](/hub/grill-accessories/smoking-thermometer/sub/smoking-thermometer-buying-guide). The price table is the [smoking thermometer comparison](/hub/grill-accessories/smoking-thermometer). A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. Stall figures below are barbecue practice, not a Food Standards Agency rule.

A thermometer for low and slow smoking has to show the pit and the middle of the meat for the whole cook, including the hours when the internal number barely moves. A lid dial cannot see that stall.

Our top picks

ETI Thermapen Smoke

Best overall

ETI Thermapen Smoke
8.6/10about £108
View offer
ThermoMaven ThermoMaven G2

Rank 2

ThermoMaven ThermoMaven G2
9.3/10about £109.99
View offer
ThermoPro ThermoPro TP904

Best value

ThermoPro ThermoPro TP904
8.4/10about £26.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Two numbers for the whole cook
  2. 2.The stall is not a dead thermometer
  3. 3.Safe pork and a shoulder you can pull
  4. 4.What lasts overnight in this set

Two numbers for the whole cook

Hold a pit band and an internal reading at the same time. Opening the lid to check either one dumps heat you then spend an hour replacing. United Kingdom Smoke reviews describe Weber low-and-slow, a WSM, brisket and a 12-hour prime rib on the receiver: numbers visible without a phone and without a lift of the lid. Two channels in this set are the ThermoMaven G2 and X2, the Thermapen Smoke, the ThermoPro TP904 and TP17, the SENSTREE’s four cables, and the Inkbird’s four spikes. A YOTOM lid gauge at £8.99 cannot show a stall in the joint. A single probe such as the G1 can show the meat and the air beside that tip. It cannot watch a second joint. If the pit and the meat are both decisions, buy two channels. Where those probes sit is the how to use a smoker thermometer page.

The stall is not a dead thermometer

On a large brisket or pork shoulder the internal temperature often climbs, sits almost flat, then climbs again. AmazingRibs describes that plateau as evaporative cooling, often starting around 150°F, about 65°C, and lasting for hours. That is their example, not an FSA figure. Wrapping slows the surface drying. It is a technique, not a hygiene rule. A flat line is a reason to check the setup, not to declare the probe broken. Confirm the tip is still in the thickest lean part, and that the pit has not fallen. If a second thermometer agrees, the probe is reporting the cook. One United Kingdom Inkbird unit read 5–10 degrees high in meat. Do not serve on a single drifted number.
ETI Thermapen Smoke

Testsieger

ETI Thermapen Smoke
8.6/10about £108
View offer

Safe pork and a shoulder you can pull

The Food Standards Agency says pork and poultry need to be cooked through: 70°C for 2 minutes in the centre, or an equivalent, with a clean probe kept out of bone. That line is the safety floor. It is not a pulled-pork texture. Thermapen’s UK pork guide gives a shoulder tenderness band around 96–100°C for collagen. At 70°C a shoulder can be safe and still will not pull. Brisket is beef, and a sliced brisket is still judged on tenderness. Do not turn that habit into an FSA finishing temperature. Burgers and sausages stay cooked through.

What lasts overnight in this set

Charge a wireless probe the night before, and check the base. United Kingdom reviews already include a cook missed because the base was flat. The G2 bullet claims the base for over 24 hours, with Wi-Fi if you sleep upstairs. That claim is not a lab result we repeated. The Smoke’s manufacturer page states about 1,800 hours on AA cells. That is the calm overnight option if you accept cables and a 300°C ceiling. The X2 does not state a battery life on the attribute line. One X2 review lost the link at 30 m through walls. TempSpike probes stop pairing after months, and a P1 probe stopped charging after about six months. The TP17 is a poor unattended pit tool: one UK review melted the case, and another alarmed while chicken was still raw. The TP904 at £26.99 is the best value if you stay near the cooker. If you leave the pit, the top pick is the G2. Who those roles are for is the best smoker thermometer page.

Common questions

What temperature is a brisket stall?
AmazingRibs describes evaporative cooling that often begins around 150°F, about 65°C, and can hold for hours. Treat that as their example. Your brisket can flatten at a different point.
Is a flat graph a broken probe?
Often it is the stall. Check the tip, the pit temperature, and a second thermometer in the same spot. A probe that will not pair, or sits many degrees away from that second thermometer, is the broken case.
What internal temperature should pork shoulder reach in the UK?
For safety, the Food Standards Agency’s reference is 70°C for 2 minutes in the centre, or the equivalent times at 60°C, 65°C, 75°C and 80°C. For pulling, Thermapen’s UK guide talks about 96–100°C. That hotter band is tenderness, not the safety floor.
Is 70°C enough to pull a shoulder?
It meets the FSA line if the centre holds 70°C for 2 minutes. It is not the shredded texture people smoke a shoulder for. Plan on about 96–100°C in Thermapen’s guide, and keep the probe out of bone.
Which thermometer can run overnight?
The Smoke’s manufacturer page states about 1,800 hours on AA cells, and the G2’s base bullet says over 24 hours. Neither figure is a test we ran. The X2 does not state a battery life. A TempSpike that has stopped pairing will not finish the night.
Do I need a pit alarm as well as a meat alarm?
Yes, if you are leaving the cooker. The high and low pit alarms tell you the fire has run away or gone out, hours before the meat would have beeped. A lid dial with no alarm cannot do this while you sleep.
Should I wrap when the temperature stalls?
Wrapping slows the evaporative cooling AmazingRibs describes. It is not required for food safety, and it changes the bark. If you wrap, keep the probe in the meat and do not ignore a falling pit temperature.

Related pages

Wireless or wired smoker thermometer

Smoking thermometer

Best smoker thermometer: top pick and who skips it

Smoking thermometer buying guide: lid, wire, spike

How to use a smoker thermometer while the lid stays shut

Sources

Public UK sources used for this comparison. Listing prices, stars, and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures captured for these ASINs. Updated 22 October 2026.

  1. Food Standards Agency — Cooking your food (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  2. Food Standards Agency — BBQ food safety (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  3. Food Standards Agency — Bank holiday barbecue checklist (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  4. Thermapen — Smoke wireless barbecue thermometer (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  5. General Product Safety Regulations 2005 (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  6. GOV.UK — batteries guidance (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  7. Smoke & Soil — dual probe thermometer (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  8. ThermoWorks — which BBQ thermometer (retrieved 22.10.2026)