The Burn Prediction Thermometer Has Eight Sensors to Determine Cooking Time.
Wireless thermometers are not new. For years, cooking enthusiasts have had access to devices that can be read remotely using an additional device that you carry with you, like a barbecue pager. Extremely imperfect, they were famous for their short range and burnt out cords between the probe and the base. The latest generation of wireless thermometers eliminates cords altogether. New wireless probes can travel in greater numbers and don’t need a remote device—you just get the information in an app on your phone, and it’s all handled via Bluetooth. They’ve also added artificial intelligence to the mix to predict cooking times. I’ve tried a few of these systems lately and the Combustion is by far the most reliable and stable, but has still faltered a few times.
Reliable equipment that holds its charge
All the systems I tested have the same basic setup – you have a Bluetooth receiver that also serves as a charger for the probe. The receiver needs to be relatively close to the sensor, and then your phone needs to be within range of the receiver as well. Combustion has a theoretical range of 660 feet. However, as we’ve all learned over the past 10 years, Bluetooth and wireless signals can be interrupted by obstacles such as large appliances, the materials your home was built from, and your microwave. For this reason, Combustion has also created Bluetooth extenders that look exactly like the receiver/charging base.
I immediately liked that the receiver and charger were harmless and small. The receivers charge via USB-C, which I also liked – other devices I tested used batteries. The devices came with enough charge to get through setup, and I haven’t had to charge any of them since, despite using them frequently. Combustion claims they last six months, and after a month there’s no sign of needing to be recharged.
As for probes, they are quite powerful. I reached out to a few BBQ nerd friends to get their general impressions of these new AI probes, and the main complaint was that compared to regular wired models, these probes simply left too much of a hole in the protein. This is a valid complaint: inserting the tubes was a little unpleasant, although I didn’t notice it at any time during dinner.
Excellent Bluetooth connection
I tested several different thermometers in many different cooking experiments and compared them to my ultra-reliable ThermaPen, which was calibrated. I cooked salmon in the oven, grilled chicken lardons, sous vide turkey breast, ribs in the oven, and chicken breast and thick pork chop on the stove. Yes, sous vide: One of the big benefits of a wireless probe is that it can be sealed in a bag. The probes should not be completely submerged; Combustion sells a clamp that will keep them partially submerged.
In all but one experiment, Combustion remained connected via Bluetooth. Even though I had two extenders (the display is an extender in addition to the actual extenders they sell), I never had to use them.
Simple but clear application, but unpredictable AI
Setup was pretty simple: you open the app and remove the probe from the receiver; the app sees this almost immediately and allows you to customize your first cooking experience. You can set a target temperature – this is the basis of the predicted cooking time. It’s worth noting that other apps, like Meater , had a much more detailed interface: you could select what type of protein you were cooking, and it would give you a range of recommended temperatures. This is a useful but optional feature that I would appreciate being added to the Burning app – in most cases I prefer to choose the temperature myself. Once you run it, Combustion has a nice interface that tells you the core, surface, and ambient temperatures of the environment the probe is in, as well as some molecular data about when cooking started, how long it lasted, and when it started . must reach the target temperature. Eight sensors in the probe measure the length and use those temperatures to determine predicted cooking times.
The third metric, which predicts artificial intelligence, was the least useful data, but that was true for all the products I tested. It takes some time for the prediction time to take effect; it changed frequently; and most of the time it was just wrong. The Postmate app is better at predicting when my food will arrive. There is some science behind why this is difficult – even with so many sensors along the length of the probe, the food is not heated evenly, there are factors such as the shape and size of the food, the fact that the meat actually sweats. and sometimes stalls while cooking.
While there are times, such as when grilling, where I might have liked the predictive feature, it didn’t do much to detract from the impression that it was wrong. I might eventually come to trust it, but like most people, I often checked the temperature myself to determine when food was ready, and most of the time, recipes or experience gave me a good idea.
Close (but without cigar) temperature readings
The other thing where all the probe thermometers fell apart was that they gave me an accurate temperature reading. averaging the temperature using some algorithm, rather than simply reading the temperature that ThermaPen uses. If I hadn’t checked the control thermometer, I would never have known it was off.
An expensive but fun tech toy for the cook or the very lazy cook.
Wireless thermometers work, combustion is far superior to the old generation of wireless thermometers with remote beep. Of the new generation of probes, this is the best I have ever tested. Combustion can receive updates via Bluetooth so the AI can get better. The app works well and is likely to get more features in the future. Combustion stayed connected in a variety of locations, events, and proteins without even requiring an extender, but it’s nice to have an extender just in case. In particular, the ability to place the probe into sous vide food is a real bonus, and as a lazy cook, I really like being able to keep an eye on my food from afar.
Do I like it enough to pay $149 for a thermometer? If you’re someone who’s looking to buy a thermometer for just $30 , this is an unlikely purchase. If you’re someone who values accuracy enough to pick up the widely recommended ThermaPen digital thermometer for $100 or so, then another $50 might not seem like such a stretch. This would make a great gift for the BBQ lover you’ve run out of ideas for, or a nerdy chef friend. Above all else, Combustion was a lot of fun.