Tel-Tru BQ300 Barbecue Thermometer, 7.6cm black dial with zones, 10.2cm stem, 100/500 degrees F

I just got these in today and I switched out the OEM Oklahoma Joe's Highland thermometer with these Tel-Tru thermometers and I have to say that you can just feel the quality in your hands between the two with the Tel-Tru.You can just see in the comparison pictures I uploaded how much bigger and solid this thermometer is. This is a 4 inch stem, so that will be closer to the cook compared to the Oklahoma Joe's thermometer. I haven't tested the thermometers yet, but that will be soon. So far you can see the quality in my pics and it's made in the USA.I also forgot to add that these Tel-Tru thermometers screwed right into the 1/2 inch hole already provided on the Oklahoma Joe's Highland Smoker. There are no holes to drill and no need for the washer and nut.

Mounting this to my Weber Smokey Mountain 22" Bullet Smoker dome lid wasn't too hard. However, I deducted a star for not including the installation Kit (A nut and a washer that seem to be proprietary and unavailable and multiple different hardware stores). The installation kit costs an additional $9.95 [EDIT: As of 7/18/2018, it is now $12.95!!!] for parts that probably cost less than a $1 to make (probably even less than that). It is my opinion, and the opinion of others who have reviewed this product that the kit should be included with the price, even if the price was raised $1-3 dollars more. For that reason, I deducted a star from my review.With that being said though, the product itself is fantastic. I have used it twice now to smoke chicken wings the first time and ribs the second time. In both cases, I was able to monitor the temperature quite well - way better than the factory installed temp gauge - and I am extremely happy with the performance of the product. The numbers and dial are easy to read, and because the stem sticks down 4", I feel like I'm getting a much better idea of what the temp is inside my smoker. Remember to subtract approximately 10-15 degrees off the dial to account for what the temp is on the grate(s) if you are using a Bullet Smoker like the WSM. Otherwise, you'll be ready to smoke to your heart and bellies content with this bad boy!Side note: if you remove the factory thermometer housing on the WSM, you can order high heat silicon from Amazon to plug the other hole that is left over. I don't like my smoker to leak smoke/air anywhere that wasn't originally intended. This helps to maintain temperature control.UPDATE 7/18/18: Now that I’ve been using this product for a while, with my 22” Weber Smokey Mountain smoker, I wanted to let all of you who are considering this product know that you will definitely need to account for the difference in temp at the dome as compared to the top grate. The difference is about 25 degrees in my experience. So, with that being said, when I’m adjusting vents and coal, I’m usually aiming for 250F on the Tel-Tru dial at the top of the dome, and that puts me at 225F on the grate where my ribs are at. I’m not sure what the secondary grate temperature would be at that point, but since most of my smoking is at the top grate, I’m okay with that for now. Aside from that, I’m still very, very happy with the thermometer itself and would most definitely recommend it. My only complaint, which was mentioned before, is the cost of the installation kit, which is now $12.95 for a nut and a washer. So keep that in mind if you decide to purchase one of these.

I'd seen reviews about having to buy this + the install kit. For most grills with pre-threaded 1/2" NPT thermometer holes/plugs installed, this will screw right in - and it DOES include one lock nut (it does NOT contain a washer, but I didn't need one due to how it threaded in). I also chose not to use high-temp loctite, as the threads engaged well. The lock nut is made to fit ONE WAY (the prongs "curve in" towards one side), so you need to look at it and put it "prongs to metal" on the back side, but it secures down like it should.I have yet to fire it up and test it out - I was waiting for it to come it - but these things are the standard to smoke/grill by.

I bought the Tel-Tru as an upgrade from the Old Country bbq thermometer I purchase with my Old Country Bbq Pits Pecos.The Tel-Tru with the black dial is easier for me to read at a glance. YMMVIf you barbecue then you know Tel-Tru is the gold standard.Mine came with a locking nut, however I bought the installation kit, which comes with a washer and differently styled locking nut. Pick your poison.The Tel-Tru read registers quickly, so there’s no guesswork as to which way your fire is going.

I did a boil test against an accurate digital thermometer. At my location water boils at 210.5 degrees Fahrenheit. The digital baseline read 210.5 degrees but the Tel-Tru read 205-206. Another test from the hot water tap (130 degrees) also read about five degrees cooler. Since this measures ambient and not food the five degree difference isn't a deal breaker but documentation says plus or minus 1 degree difference so that's why I give this four instead of five stars.