INKBIRD Wireless Meat Thermometer INT-11P-B Review INKBIRD has been a solid manufacturer of quality but well priced thermometers for many years now. They have a large range of models for many scenarios and we even rated one of their...
INKBIRD Wireless Meat Thermometer INT-11P-B Review
INKBIRD has been a solid manufacturer of quality but well priced thermometers for many years now. They have a large range of models for many scenarios and we even rated one of their bluetooth variations as one of our favourite budget BBQ thermometers. So when we got the opportunity to test their new, fully wireless meat thermometer, we jumped at the opportunity and can safely say that we are very impressed.
INKBIRD kindly provided an INKBIRD Wireless Meat Thermometer INT-11P-B in return for our honest review. All thoughts and opinions herein are our own and are not influenced by the related company in any way.
Quick Look
Great user experience through some very nice design features which simplifies the whole process drastically. Nice app that can be updated over time. Good battery life and nice charging experience. Great build quality and design.What’s Included with the INKBIRD INT-11P-B?
1 wireless meat probe 1 charge box 1 USB type C cable Various instructions and boxes
Manufacturer Specs
Dual Temperature Sensor Food Temperature Range: 14?F to 212?F (-10?C to 100?C) Ambient Temperature Range: 32?F to 572?F (0?C to 300?C) Battery life: The charging case has a built-in 500mAh battery, it takes about 3 hours to fully charge and can last for 8 days. The case can fully charge the probe within 25 minutes which lasts up to 25 hours at high temperatures and 7 days at room temperatures. Temperature Accuracy: ±1.8?F (±1?C) Remote Range: Up to 300 feet (requires the case as a repeater) Uses: BBQ, Oven, Smoker, Meat
Features of the INKBIRD INT-11P-B
The main feature that makes this what it is, is the completely wireless design with the dual temperature sensor. In the past you would need a small transmitter that would connect with wires to two thermometers that would sit in the meat and the smoker as an ambient measure. It would all be done through the physical receivers. This is a thing of the past. The dual sensor design in addition to an accompanying mobile app is brilliant and makes all other thermometers feel really quite archaic in comparison.
How this works instead, is by bluetooth. Like airpods, it comes with its own carry case, which also acts as a charging station and bluetooth extender. So no more wires. This was a slight concern when I first learned about it as bluetooth thermometers have previously been less reliable than wired alternatives, but from our testing, this is not a problem. It can even reach a total of 300 ft when using the case as an extender. In our tests we didn’t take it to the maximum range but it was more than enough to go from the far side of the house and to the bottom of the garden, through walls and more. In addition to this, it can locally store 30 minutes of offline data and automatically synchronise with the app after a Bluetooth connection without lost data. This is an amazing feature and means you will realistically never lose any of that sweet, sweet cooking data.
Another feature we love is just how much more practical this is over the older types of thermometers. The wireless design makes setup much easier, the probe comes with IP67 waterproof rating, making it easy to clean and dishwasher safe and it feels less delicate when washing and drying compared to wired probes. The dock has a built-in 500mAh lithium battery and can fully charge the probe in just 25 minutes which leads to a battery life for the probe of around 25 hours. We did an 8 hour cook and the battery life was just fine.
It also comes with a mobile app, which is how the cooks are managed. This includes 26 USDA presets or you can set your own based on our Smoking Times and Temperature Chart. The app also includes various alarm functions such as target temperature alerts, high/low-temperature alarms, and count-up/down timers all within the app. One of the things we like with this approach is that the software is updateable. If you buy an old style thermometer you’re locked into the software included on the physical devices. This is different, if there’s anything that can be added in the future, INKBIRD has the ability to add it and fix any issues. Another game changer in our opinion.
Design and Build Quality
Another thing we love about this product (there’s a lot), is the minimalist design of both the case and the probe. They look amazing and even the packaging made me think of a premium Apple product rather than a meat thermometer. The actual build quality seems good at first glance, the case can be a little flimsy but does the job well and the probe is exactly what you would expect. It’s made from food-grade stainless steel and is rust/corrosion resistant, which helps to preserve the original meat taste. It also has a Zirconia ceramic handle that is highly resistant to wear and heat. Time will tell if it maintains its performance but so far this has been flawless.
One tiny complaint is that the temperature range of the food part of the probe is a bit low on the upper end, i.e. 212?F. In reality this shouldn’t be a problem as most food will be ready by then. But it would have been nice to have that number a bit higher, just in case you overcook something or it gets exposed to higher temperatures. I’d hate to lose the probe because of an accidental exposure to a much higher temperature. But the quality of the probe itself is high enough that I would expect this not to be much of a problem. Fingers crossed.
Ease of Use
Like we’ve mentioned before, the ease of use of this type of thermometer is orders of magnitude ahead of our older style meat thermometers. The setup, the cleaning and the monitoring are all so much better, I can’t emphasise this enough.
The setup of the app was fine. I think there could be some slight improvements here and the instructions could have been written a little better, but these are nit-picky complaints as it really isn’t that difficult to figure it out, even without instructions at all.
Overall Thoughts
As you can probably tell, we’re big fans of the INKBIRD Wireless Meat Thermometer INT-11P-B. It has a great range of features and is incredibly easy to use, completely converting both of us away from the more traditional wired thermometers. There are a few problems with the clarity of the app and instructions, but overall this is a great product that will make cooking outdoors, indoors or wherever you are a lot easier and more rewarding.
If you’re looking for a first time wireless thermometer or want to update away from an older version then this is an excellent choice. It will save you loads of time and will help you perfect the results of your cook, all at a very reasonable price. We would highly recommend this product.
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How to make the most out of your INKBIRD INT-11P-B
Try to keep the temperatures that you expose the probes to below the highest rated temperature. This is one of the biggest killers of probes and is a probable cause as to why people have problems with them. We’d also recommend being careful that they don’t touch the grate of your grill or smoker as the metal is likely to be a lot hotter than the surrounding air and could cause the probe some damage. This is likely to be less of a problem with the INKBIRD INT-11P-B due to the design but it is still an issue to be aware of. Keep the tips of the probes nice and clean. A build-up of carbon on the tip can insulate the sensor, giving a false reading. Obviously, this is bad for cooking, but it also increases the risk of overshooting the maximum temperature. Simply grab a wet sponge or paper towel and wipe off any carbon you see. One of the most important parts of using a digital smoker thermometer correctly is the placement of the probe. If you’re looking to place the probe on the outside of the meat then we recommend keeping it around 2 inches away from the surface of the meat and about 1 inch above the grate. Feel free to play around, but you’ll see some surprisingly drastic changes in temperatures with very little movement of the probe. When placing a probe inside the meat, try and aim for the very center.
We hope this has helped you decide if the INKBIRD INT-11P-B is the right BBQ thermometer for you. Let us know in the comments if you have any questions and we’ll get back to you.
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