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Alpha Grillers Instant Read Meat Thermometer for Grill and Cooking. Best Waterproof Ultra Fast Thermometer with Backlight & Calibration. Digital Food Probe for Kitchen, Outdoor Grilling and BBQ!

4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 63,188 ratings
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Amazon's Choice in Meat Thermometers & Timers by Alpha Grillers

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About this item

  • Instant Read Food Thermometer | Our instant read thermometer features a temperature probe and advanced, highly accurate technology with 2-3 seconds response time; Instructions, 2 CR2 button battery, meat temperature chart, 4 hook and loop dots for storage, comes pre-calibrated for your convenience, and recalibrating feature if needed.
  • Multi-Use | From bbq thermometer to baking thermometer, our digital food thermometer for cooking is perfect for meats, liquids, deep frying and candy making.
  • Easy-Read Digital Thermometer For Cooking | Large instant thermometer dial with bright blue backlight means you can always read the temperature, whether you are grilling in the dark or baking in your kitchen.
  • Water-Resistant | Perfect digital cooking thermometer for meat, our digital meat thermometer for food of any kind is water-resistant IP66 rated and can be washed and cleaned under running water.
  • Wedding Registry Search Digital Food Thermometer | Our meat thermometers for cooking and grilling are delivered in an elegant, foam lined box, making it the ideal gift for any barbecue or cooking enthusiast or professional. Makes for the perfect food thermometer for cooking.

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Customer ratings by feature

Easy to read
4.8 4.8
Easy to use
4.7 4.7
Accuracy
4.7 4.7
Battery life
4.6 4.6

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Alpha Grillers Instant Read Meat Thermometer for Grill and Cooking. Best Waterproof Ultra Fast Thermometer with Backlight & Calibration. Digital Food Probe for Kitchen, Outdoor Grilling and BBQ!
Alpha Grillers Instant Read Meat Thermometer for Grill and Cooking. Best Waterproof Ultra Fast Thermometer with Backlight & Calibration. Digital Food Probe for Kitchen, Outdoor Grilling and BBQ!
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Price-20% $15.99
List:$19.99
-25% $14.99
List:$19.99
$9.97-40% $14.99
List:$24.99
-20% $79.95
List:$99.95
-43% $11.99
List:$20.99
Delivery
Get it as soon as Monday, Mar 25
Get it as soon as Monday, Mar 25
Get it as soon as Monday, Mar 25
Get it as soon as Monday, Mar 25
Get it as soon as Monday, Mar 25
Get it as soon as Monday, Mar 25
Customer Ratings
Easy to read
4.8
4.8
4.5
4.8
4.3
4.7
Easy to use
4.7
4.9
4.4
4.8
4.0
4.6
Accuracy
4.7
4.7
4.4
4.7
4.1
4.5
Battery life
4.6
4.2
4.4
Sold By
Accelerator Store
Intek
SEARON-US
Intek
MEATER US
Intek
power source
Battery Powered
Battery Powered
Battery Powered
Battery Powered
Battery Powered
Battery Powered
lower temperature rate
1 degrees fahrenheit
-58 degrees fahrenheit
-58 degrees fahrenheit
223.15 degrees fahrenheit
212 degrees fahrenheit
-58 degrees fahrenheit
upper temperature rate
300 degrees fahrenheit
572 degrees fahrenheit
572 degrees fahrenheit
300 degrees celsius
527 degrees fahrenheit
300 degrees celsius
response time
3 seconds
2 seconds
3 seconds
3 seconds
3 seconds
3 seconds
specification met
Digital Meat Thermometer
NSF
RoHS, FCC, FDA, ISO 9001
NSF
NSF
battery quantity
1 cr2032, 1 aaa
1 aaa
1 cr2032, 1 lithium ion
1 aaa
1 aaa, 1 product specific
1 aaa, 2 aa

From the brand


Product Description

Grill Thermometer Features
Featured in
Perfect Gift
Use cases
Waterproof

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Customer Reviews
4.7 out of 5 stars
63,188
4.6 out of 5 stars
3,340
4.8 out of 5 stars
5,460
4.8 out of 5 stars
904
4.5 out of 5 stars
14,199
Easy to Use
Easy to Clean
Giftable
Durable
Waterproof

Product information

Warranty & Support

Product Warranty: For warranty information about this product, please click here

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Alpha Grillers Instant Read Meat Thermometer for Grill and Cooking. Best Waterproof Ultra Fast Thermometer with Backlight & Calibration. Digital Food Probe for Kitchen, Outdoor Grilling and BBQ!


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Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
63,188 global ratings

Customers say

Customers like the ease of use, accuracy, value, performance, and readability of the meat thermometer. For example, they mention it's easy to clean, works well, and has a bright backlight. That said, some complain about the price.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

3,744 customers mention3,690 positive54 negative

Customers find the thermometer easy to use and clean. They say it makes life easy when they want to be sure the meat is cooked to the proper temperature. They also say it's compact and easy to get to, with the basic cooking temps written on it. The digital thermometer gives you an instant reading and has a convenient feature that turns off after a certain time. Overall, customers say the improvements are worth it.

"...BIG lighted readout - I don’t need my reading glasses! And it’s truly instant read...." Read more

"Easy to use, very accurate, quickly reads temperature, comes with extra battery and magnetic back to afix to cooking area...." Read more

"...Also magnets, it sticks right to the fridge so it's easy to get to and put back when you've washed it off." Read more

"This is a very good product, and is easy to use, it came with and extra battery...." Read more

3,585 customers mention3,115 positive470 negative

Customers like the performance of the thermometer. They say it works well, is easy to use, and has precise performance. Some say that it works great for quick checking meat on the grill.

"...This model is much sturdier. It works as expected. The temperature display is large and easy to see even in a dim light...." Read more

"...I sure wish I’d found this Alpha Grillers thermometer earlier! It is amazing! Easy to turn on - just unfold the probe...." Read more

"This is a very good product, and is easy to use, it came with and extra battery...." Read more

"This is cheap enough and does the job, seems accurate...." Read more

3,533 customers mention3,115 positive418 negative

Customers like the accuracy of the thermometer. They say it's easy to use and reads temperature accurately. Some appreciate the guide on the thermomer and the basic cooking temps written on the device. Overall, customers are satisfied with the accuracy and functionality of the product.

"...This model is much sturdier. It works as expected. The temperature display is large and easy to see even in a dim light...." Read more

"...And it’s truly instant read. There’s a handy guide printed on the front so you don’t have to memorize the temperature needed for your meat...." Read more

"Easy to use, very accurate, quickly reads temperature, comes with extra battery and magnetic back to afix to cooking area...." Read more

"...When they say instant they mean it. It's very accurate too...." Read more

1,442 customers mention1,221 positive221 negative

Customers like the readability of thermometer. They say it's easy to use, has a bright backlight, and the digital read-out is easy to see. Some say the delivery was prompt and the thermometer is of good quality. They also love that you can read the numbers in dim light.

"...It works as expected. The temperature display is large and easy to see even in a dim light...." Read more

"...This one is so easy to use and with quick results! I wish I had bought one earlier. No more under cooked or over cooked dinners for me!..." Read more

"...Alpha Grillers tapered tip is designed to pierce meat and also responds far quicker since you don't have to heat up a lot of metal...." Read more

"...What impresses me most is the ease of use. The thermometer's design is user-friendly, with a clear display and a probe that easily pierces any meat,..." Read more

1,044 customers mention957 positive87 negative

Customers appreciate the value of the thermometer. They say it is a great tool for the price, and is easy to use and clean.

"...It feels light and a little flimsy, but if it does the job, and is cheap enough, then light and flimsy is fine. You get what you pay for, right?" Read more

"The thermometer works great and it was at a very good price. I really like that it is magnetic so I am able to store on the inside of my grill." Read more

"Very nice for the money. The cheaper type that has the watch batteries in the end piece has problems with battery contact...." Read more

"...Love the way it lights up for easy reading. Great price!" Read more

443 customers mention414 positive29 negative

Customers like the magnet on thermometer. They say it holds it to the fridge, stays in place on the range hood, and is great for outdoor grilling.

"...reads temperature, comes with extra battery and magnetic back to afix to cooking area. I'm very pleased with purchase." Read more

"...I really like that it is magnetic so I am able to store on the inside of my grill." Read more

"...As far as the design of the unit, like the previous model, it features a hidden magnet to let you stick it to side of your grill which is a great..." Read more

"...calibrate if it needs to be reset, and the best part it, it has a magnetic back so it will stick to the fridge and the ledge on the front of the..." Read more

420 customers mention390 positive30 negative

Customers find the thermometer to be a nice size, compact, and easy to use. They also appreciate the bright colors and the fact that it fits in their hand comfortably. Customers also mention that the backlight and large numbers make it easy to read.

"...The folding style thermometer makes it more compact and easy to grab out of my container of cooking gadgets...." Read more

"...Does not require a case, it flips in like a pocket knife. Easy for storage and safe because kids can’t open it and stab themselves...." Read more

"...But this is more compact because of the folding probe. It is very easy to ready and has the basic cooking temps written on the device." Read more

"...Works great, super compact, and best of all very easy to read! Highly recommend." Read more

1,461 customers mention977 positive484 negative

Customers are mixed about the quality of thermometer. Some mention it's well made, durable, and reliable. They also say it'll last a long time and is waterproof. However, others say that it fell apart and the temperature needle is flimsy.

"...This model is much sturdier. It works as expected. The temperature display is large and easy to see even in a dim light...." Read more

"...I wish I had bought one earlier. No more under cooked or over cooked dinners for me! I highly recommend this product." Read more

"...Make sure to clean the probe off first! It feels light and a little flimsy, but if it does the job, and is cheap enough, then light and flimsy is..." Read more

"...Lithium coin-cells, though more expsnsive, are more reliable, far less likely to leak (and ruin your unit) and operate at lower temperatures...." Read more

Accurate, relatively fast and excellent customer service
5 Stars
Accurate, relatively fast and excellent customer service
This review covers the original Alpha Grillers Instant Read Meat Thermometer I purchased in February of 2017--and the new upgraded model you see here (June 2020 anyway). The original thermometer was purchased for $15 based on users reviews on Amazon. You can't find images of it here anymore (although you can see it in my picture comparing the 2017 model to the 2020 model), but it worked well enough and I've been mostly happy with it for the last three years. Recently it went from unreliably turning on, to not turning without removing the AAA battery and futzing with it (no corrosion) for 10 minutes. I was disappointed but $15 for three years of service and left out in the elements, I can't complain too much. I started to browse for a replacement and see that Alpha Grillers' has a "lifetime warranty" so I email them pictures of the unit, invoice info, etc. I kid you not: two days later, a replacement arrives from Amazon, and it's the latest version. So none of that "pay for shipping" the dead unit back to them, and we'll see what we can do run around. This alone, should convince you that it's worth buying this thermometer since we all know most of the hardware on Amazon is sourced from a giant factory making and selling units to other resellers. It's probably not a question of the difference in the label--it's a difference in the customer support and there, Alpha Grillers gets 5-stars.Accuracy and responseSince I have the new unit, I wanted to see how accurate it was so I compared it to my Fluke 52 thermocouple thermometer with a Fluke 80PK-2A immersion probe that I had calibrated with a GE Druck DPI-822. I then filled a narrow mouth Pyrex 1,000ml flask with water from our hot water pot that had been set to 208 F and tried to hold both probe tips near each other in the hot water while trying to take a picture with the hand on a phone. The Fluke 52 and 80PK-2A read out at 184.4 while the Alpha Grillers displayed 184.1. As you know, water cools off fast and it's you don't uniform temperature in the container so the 0.3 degree difference could be the actual temperature difference from the probe positions in the hot water or even the probe shaft differences. Basically, the accuracy is excellent for a $20 meat thermometer.I also wanted to see how fast the Alpha Grillers unit responds so I filled a second small glass container with ice and water and recorded the display as it was dunked from the ice water back into the hot water (which had now cooled off further). You can watch the video above (it goes from removal from ice bath to hot water, and then back to ice bath and again back to the hot water) but it does respond extremely fast but not necessarily "instant." To be fair, "instant" is more of a marketing term and open to interpretation anyway. "Instant" coffee still takes time to add to water and stir for example.I'd say it takes about 3.5 seconds to respond to the ice bath to hot water--which is "instant" for most of us. For example, the Fluke 80PK-2A is far slower by design because it's a non-tapered, thicker, stainless immersion probe that absorbs a lot of the heat and can take a lot more abuse. The more slender tapered Alpha Grillers tapered tip is designed to pierce meat and also responds far quicker since you don't have to heat up a lot of metal.As far as the design of the unit, like the previous model, it features a hidden magnet to let you stick it to side of your grill which is a great feature, and the hole lets you hang it from a hook as well if your grill's hooks are large enough. The package also comes with four small hook and loop (Velcro) with adhesive on the back if you want to Velcro it to something.The new model's rubber buttons are also far easier to press than the previous design's plastic bubble-type. New to this model is very even white LED backlighting. Yes, it looks blue in the official marketing pictures but that's the digital camera color temperature at work--it's actually white.Hold functionAlso new is a hold, and min max function. The function is unlike most typical thermometers which typically cycle from room temperature to max temp and min temp. It's pretty thought out here for a meat thermometer. On the older model which doesn't have the old function, I would stick the thermometer in to the meat on the grill and twist my head over to see the current temp. On meat on the rear of the grill this means getting your head into odd angles and also pretty close to the grill.With the new model, you insert the probe, press the Hold button to activate the hold (it will display HOLD) and read the temp without all the head craning and heat on your face. Press Hold to release the hold function.One thing I want to point out: the UI for the hold function might be a little confusing because the hold function first requires that you turn on the hold function before you can use it. This occurs from off state to on. So like most, if you have it folded shut, and open to use, you will have to press the Hold button to turn on the mode. That means the first time you want to use it, you'll have to press it twice: Once to activate the hold mode, and once again to do the first hold. After its in its hold mode, it operates the way you expect it to: Into meat, Hold button to read, and Hold button to release. It doesn't turn off until the thermometer is switched off.Max Min FunctionThe same Hold button also activates a max and min temp. This again is unlike the typical user interface of a temperature gauge with room temp / max / min cycle with a single click. To read the maximum temperature, you press and hold the Hold button for 3 seconds and it will display the maximum temperature with MAX in the display. Press again and will see the minimum recorded temperature since the unit was on and MIN in the display. One more press and you exit back into the standard mode. Note: you CANNOT the Max/Min function if it is currently in HOLD. You have to do this from the normal operations. Undocumented feature: Alpha Grillers' documentation say to clear the recorded max/min by turning the unit off (folding the thermometer shut) but if you are in the MAX or MIN mode, you can simply press and hold the Hold button for three seconds and it will reset both recorded max and min memories.Calibration ModeUnlike the 2017 mode, the 2020 version features a calibrate feature. On the button that lets you switch from Fahrenheit to Celsius, pressing the button for 5 seconds will let you calibrate the unit. The instructions say to put the probe into a container of ice and water by using the Cal (f/c) button or the Hold button to set the calibration point to 32 degrees F or 0 degrees C. Obviously out of the box accuracy is excellent and for meat grilling do you really need this kind of accuracy or to even calibrate? I dunno. I was more afraid of accidentally pressing the calibrate button and throwing it out of whack so I went ahead and pressed the Cal button for 5 seconds which causes the display to show "CALL" (yes there's only one L in calibrate) but rather then letting me accidentally mess up the calibration, the thermometer displayed "ERR" and then went back into normal operation. My guess is the unit won't even let you calibrate it unless it's in an ice bath first so my worries about screwing up the calibration are pretty unlikely since you'd have to accidentally dunk it into an ice bath first.Build quality and batteryUnlike the original Alpha Grillers I had which runs off of AAA, the new unit uses (which comes pre-installed) a CR2032 coin cell. I think this is an improvement as AAA kinda stink. They seem to be the most prone to leaking of all the cylinder cells I use (looking at you Kirkland). Lithium coin-cells, though more expsnsive, are more reliable, far less likely to leak (and ruin your unit) and operate at lower temperatures. The higher voltage also means more power for the the advanced functions in the unit too. I can't say anything about battery life as I haven't had the unit long enough, but I'm sure the LED backlight is the largest consumer of power so if you use it sparingly, it'll probably last quite a while.Water resistanceAlpha Grillers calls it "water proof" and in the documentation, it's stated that you can "fully submerge" it in water for a short-time so long as the battery compartment is screwed on tightly. I didn't dunk my unit but I have no reason to doubt the water resistance of it. There are no visible screws anywhere on the unit and there is a gasket in the battery compartment (the gasket could be a little larger though to increase the seal as there are no ridges to mate with the gasket on the actual battery cover, just a flat surface). The only ingress of water would likely come through the gasket flattening over time or through the pivot point of the probe.The previous 2017 model used a small nub switch that the temperature probe boom depresses to switch off or on. This switch has moved to the inside of the unit which also adds to its water resistance. The probe boom itself is very stiff to open and close which also adds to water resistance. I have no idea how the probe is connected to actual controller board inside or how water resistant that is. The 2020 unit actually switches off at about a 45 degrees angle too which is an improvement over the 2017 model which required closing it firmly to switch off. I would often not switch off if you didn't close it correctly.I think this is plenty of water and dirt resistance for a meat thermometer unless you're a Navy Seal Griller who needs to scuba up from a sub before grilling on the beach. The main take away is you can probably leave this on your grill during inclement weather without worrying about it being killed. The previous model I had did not have any weather resistance claims and also no gasket in the battery compartment which might be how I killed it.ImprovementsComing from the previous model, it's a big improvement but it's not without complaints. I think the Hold feature is great, but the button is too close to the temperature scale and backlight button. This means you have to angle your thumb to hit it straight on. You're also going to almost always hit that button from an angle which will put more stress on it over time. The other complaint is the hold button should be activated from power on without having to press it once. I suppose this is done to prevent someone from reading the wrong temperature but I'd rather have it on.Overall the 2020 model is a big improvement over the 2017 model. Currently it's quite a bit more expensive ($15 for 2017 model vs $20 for 2020 model) but I think the improvements are worth it. And let me again point out the customer service Alpha Grillers provides. My old one let go three and half years later and they stood behind it. For a $15 thermometer. Even if they didn't and they said, "it's been three years bud," I'd buy another one with the improvements, accuracy and speed the new model has over the old one.And yes, I received this unit free, because my old unit died. Alpha Grillers sent it to me as a warranty replacement not to have it reviewed. It did not ask me to write my review, I did it because a company that stands behind its products deserves recognition and is worthy of my time spent.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Accurate, relatively fast and excellent customer service
Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2020
This review covers the original Alpha Grillers Instant Read Meat Thermometer I purchased in February of 2017--and the new upgraded model you see here (June 2020 anyway). The original thermometer was purchased for $15 based on users reviews on Amazon. You can't find images of it here anymore (although you can see it in my picture comparing the 2017 model to the 2020 model), but it worked well enough and I've been mostly happy with it for the last three years. Recently it went from unreliably turning on, to not turning without removing the AAA battery and futzing with it (no corrosion) for 10 minutes. I was disappointed but $15 for three years of service and left out in the elements, I can't complain too much. I started to browse for a replacement and see that Alpha Grillers' has a "lifetime warranty" so I email them pictures of the unit, invoice info, etc. I kid you not: two days later, a replacement arrives from Amazon, and it's the latest version. So none of that "pay for shipping" the
dead unit back to them, and we'll see what we can do run around. This alone, should convince you that it's worth buying this thermometer since we all know most of the hardware on Amazon is sourced from a giant factory making and selling units to other resellers. It's probably not a question of the difference in the label--it's a difference in the customer support and there, Alpha Grillers gets 5-stars.

Accuracy and response
Since I have the new unit, I wanted to see how accurate it was so I compared it to my Fluke 52 thermocouple thermometer with a Fluke 80PK-2A immersion probe that I had calibrated with a GE Druck DPI-822. I then filled a narrow mouth Pyrex 1,000ml flask with water from our hot water pot that had been set to 208 F and tried to hold both probe tips near each other in the hot water while trying to take a picture with the hand on a phone. The Fluke 52 and 80PK-2A read out at 184.4 while the Alpha Grillers displayed 184.1. As you know, water cools off fast and it's you don't uniform temperature in the container so the 0.3 degree difference could be the actual temperature difference from the probe positions in the hot water or even the probe shaft differences. Basically, the accuracy is excellent for a $20 meat thermometer.

I also wanted to see how fast the Alpha Grillers unit responds so I filled a second small glass container with ice and water and recorded the display as it was dunked from the ice water back into the hot water (which had now cooled off further). You can watch the video above (it goes from removal from ice bath to hot water, and then back to ice bath and again back to the hot water) but it does respond extremely fast but not necessarily "instant." To be fair, "instant" is more of a marketing term and open to interpretation anyway. "Instant" coffee still takes time to add to water and stir for example.

I'd say it takes about 3.5 seconds to respond to the ice bath to hot water--which is "instant" for most of us. For example, the Fluke 80PK-2A is far slower by design because it's a non-tapered, thicker, stainless immersion probe that absorbs a lot of the heat and can take a lot more abuse. The more slender tapered Alpha Grillers tapered tip is designed to pierce meat and also responds far quicker since you don't have to heat up a lot of metal.

As far as the design of the unit, like the previous model, it features a hidden magnet to let you stick it to side of your grill which is a great feature, and the hole lets you hang it from a hook as well if your grill's hooks are large enough. The package also comes with four small hook and loop (Velcro) with adhesive on the back if you want to Velcro it to something.

The new model's rubber buttons are also far easier to press than the previous design's plastic bubble-type. New to this model is very even white LED backlighting. Yes, it looks blue in the official marketing pictures but that's the digital camera color temperature at work--it's actually white.

Hold function
Also new is a hold, and min max function. The function is unlike most typical thermometers which typically cycle from room temperature to max temp and min temp. It's pretty thought out here for a meat thermometer. On the older model which doesn't have the old function, I would stick the thermometer in to the meat on the grill and twist my head over to see the current temp. On meat on the rear of the grill this means getting your head into odd angles and also pretty close to the grill.

With the new model, you insert the probe, press the Hold button to activate the hold (it will display HOLD) and read the temp without all the head craning and heat on your face. Press Hold to release the hold function.

One thing I want to point out: the UI for the hold function might be a little confusing because the hold function first requires that you turn on the hold function before you can use it. This occurs from off state to on. So like most, if you have it folded shut, and open to use, you will have to press the Hold button to turn on the mode. That means the first time you want to use it, you'll have to press it twice: Once to activate the hold mode, and once again to do the first hold. After its in its hold mode, it operates the way you expect it to: Into meat, Hold button to read, and Hold button to release. It doesn't turn off until the thermometer is switched off.

Max Min Function
The same Hold button also activates a max and min temp. This again is unlike the typical user interface of a temperature gauge with room temp / max / min cycle with a single click. To read the maximum temperature, you press and hold the Hold button for 3 seconds and it will display the maximum temperature with MAX in the display. Press again and will see the minimum recorded temperature since the unit was on and MIN in the display. One more press and you exit back into the standard mode. Note: you CANNOT the Max/Min function if it is currently in HOLD. You have to do this from the normal operations. Undocumented feature: Alpha Grillers' documentation say to clear the recorded max/min by turning the unit off (folding the thermometer shut) but if you are in the MAX or MIN mode, you can simply press and hold the Hold button for three seconds and it will reset both recorded max and min memories.

Calibration Mode
Unlike the 2017 mode, the 2020 version features a calibrate feature. On the button that lets you switch from Fahrenheit to Celsius, pressing the button for 5 seconds will let you calibrate the unit. The instructions say to put the probe into a container of ice and water by using the Cal (f/c) button or the Hold button to set the calibration point to 32 degrees F or 0 degrees C. Obviously out of the box accuracy is excellent and for meat grilling do you really need this kind of accuracy or to even calibrate? I dunno. I was more afraid of accidentally pressing the calibrate button and throwing it out of whack so I went ahead and pressed the Cal button for 5 seconds which causes the display to show "CALL" (yes there's only one L in calibrate) but rather then letting me accidentally mess up the calibration, the thermometer displayed "ERR" and then went back into normal operation. My guess is the unit won't even let you calibrate it unless it's in an ice bath first so my worries about screwing up the calibration are pretty unlikely since you'd have to accidentally dunk it into an ice bath first.

Build quality and battery
Unlike the original Alpha Grillers I had which runs off of AAA, the new unit uses (which comes pre-installed) a CR2032 coin cell. I think this is an improvement as AAA kinda stink. They seem to be the most prone to leaking of all the cylinder cells I use (looking at you Kirkland). Lithium coin-cells, though more expsnsive, are more reliable, far less likely to leak (and ruin your unit) and operate at lower temperatures. The higher voltage also means more power for the the advanced functions in the unit too. I can't say anything about battery life as I haven't had the unit long enough, but I'm sure the LED backlight is the largest consumer of power so if you use it sparingly, it'll probably last quite a while.

Water resistance
Alpha Grillers calls it "water proof" and in the documentation, it's stated that you can "fully submerge" it in water for a short-time so long as the battery compartment is screwed on tightly. I didn't dunk my unit but I have no reason to doubt the water resistance of it. There are no visible screws anywhere on the unit and there is a gasket in the battery compartment (the gasket could be a little larger though to increase the seal as there are no ridges to mate with the gasket on the actual battery cover, just a flat surface). The only ingress of water would likely come through the gasket flattening over time or through the pivot point of the probe.

The previous 2017 model used a small nub switch that the temperature probe boom depresses to switch off or on. This switch has moved to the inside of the unit which also adds to its water resistance. The probe boom itself is very stiff to open and close which also adds to water resistance. I have no idea how the probe is connected to actual controller board inside or how water resistant that is. The 2020 unit actually switches off at about a 45 degrees angle too which is an improvement over the 2017 model which required closing it firmly to switch off. I would often not switch off if you didn't close it correctly.

I think this is plenty of water and dirt resistance for a meat thermometer unless you're a Navy Seal Griller who needs to scuba up from a sub before grilling on the beach. The main take away is you can probably leave this on your grill during inclement weather without worrying about it being killed. The previous model I had did not have any weather resistance claims and also no gasket in the battery compartment which might be how I killed it.

Improvements
Coming from the previous model, it's a big improvement but it's not without complaints. I think the Hold feature is great, but the button is too close to the temperature scale and backlight button. This means you have to angle your thumb to hit it straight on. You're also going to almost always hit that button from an angle which will put more stress on it over time. The other complaint is the hold button should be activated from power on without having to press it once. I suppose this is done to prevent someone from reading the wrong temperature but I'd rather have it on.

Overall the 2020 model is a big improvement over the 2017 model. Currently it's quite a bit more expensive ($15 for 2017 model vs $20 for 2020 model) but I think the improvements are worth it. And let me again point out the customer service Alpha Grillers provides. My old one let go three and half years later and they stood behind it. For a $15 thermometer. Even if they didn't and they said, "it's been three years bud," I'd buy another one with the improvements, accuracy and speed the new model has over the old one.

And yes, I received this unit free, because my old unit died. Alpha Grillers sent it to me as a warranty replacement not to have it reviewed. It did not ask me to write my review, I did it because a company that stands behind its products deserves recognition and is worthy of my time spent.
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