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Thermopen Sale

P1800Girl

By P1800Girl
in Kitchen Consumer

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Batard

Batard

Posted
Posted (edited)

It's unusual to see Thermapens on sale. That gets me thinking that they trying to reduce inventory for some reason. Am I being overly suspicious, or is something going on with the company?

Edited by Batard (log)

"There's nothing like a pork belly to steady the nerves."

Fergus Henderson

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RDCollins

RDCollins

Posted
Posted
It's unusual to see Thermapens on sale. That gets me thinking that they trying to reduce inventory for some reason. Am I being overly suspicious, or is something going on with the company?

My guess is that their sales have declined in this bad economy. A Thermapen isn't exactly a necessity, and most folks are really tight with a buck these days.

Douglas Collins

Hermosa Beach, California

Un dîner sans vin est comme un jour sans soleil.

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scubadoo97

scubadoo97

Posted
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That would be my guess too.

The original thermapen is on sale through their "private sale". This link is not accessible via their main web page.

They also have a combo thermapen and IR thermometer on temporary reduction. It has an original price of $89 also on sale for $69.

Measuring Range: -27°F to 428°F, -33°C to 220°C

IR Accuracy: ±2%, or 2°C whichever is greater

Thermocouple Accuracy: ±1% or ±1°C, whichever is greater

IR Repeatability: 0.1°C at 25°C, 0.5°C at 80°C

Resolution: 0.1° from -9.9 to 199.9, 1° beyond

Units: Switchable C or F

The combo has a slightly lower range of temperatures compared to the original but is switchable from C to F.

mmmmm. Which one to get???

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dougal

dougal

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Posted
...

The combo has a slightly lower range of temperatures compared to the original but is switchable from C to F.

...

Perhaps important to note that NOT all Thermapens are "Fast Response" Thermapens, and that it is particularly the Fast Response models that seem to have the cult following.

I don't think the probe part of the combo is 'fast response' - in Thermapen terms.

"If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch ... you must first invent the universe." - Carl Sagan

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slkinsey

slkinsey

Posted
Posted
I don't think the probe part of the combo is 'fast response' - in Thermapen terms.

Actually, the difference between a "fast response" Thermapen and a "regular" Thermapen is the probe. If you have as look here, at the Mini Handheld Thermocouple that takes interchangable Type K Probes, you can see that the different probes have different response times. Interestingly, their "Fast Response Meat Probe" Type K Probe has a faster response than the "Super-Fast" Thermapen (2 seconds versus 4 seconds). I note that the Mini Handheld Thermocouple switches between the Farenheit and Celcius scales and has a range from -83F/-64C to to 1999°F/1400C. This is the one I'd be getting.

--

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dougal

dougal

Posted
Posted (edited)
I don't think the probe part of the combo is 'fast response' - in Thermapen terms.

Actually, the difference between a "fast response" Thermapen and a "regular" Thermapen is the probe. ...

Yes, as I indicated, without a 'fast response' probe, in Thermapen terms its going to be 'slow'.

On the discounted models in question, the probe is not changeable.

It is a (slower) 'thick' one on the combo http://www.thermoworks.com/products/ir/combo_thermapen.html

and a slim-pointed fast one on the 'fast response' units http://www.thermoworks.com/products/thermapen/tpen_home.html

So the combo IS going to be slower. Even before considering whether the internal electronics are comparable.

So the combo is not an FR Thermapen, plus an infra-red one, and °F/C use, and all for less money!

The 'Standard' (not FR) Thermapen has an 8 to 10 second response time. http://www.thermoworks.com/products/therma...tpen_other.html

The Combo is not going to be faster than that. I don't know how much slower it is.

However yes, they do indeed offer an even thinner, faster and more delicate option for their 'interchangeable probe' models. And hey, if you damage that super-slim, ultra-fast probe - then just buy another one and plug it on yourself rather than the return-to-base required with the fixed-probe models. Which might explain why they might only offer the most delicate probe on the interchangeable-probe models.

Edited by dougal (log)

"If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch ... you must first invent the universe." - Carl Sagan

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dougal

dougal

Posted
Posted
Can it also be used as a candy thermometer or mostly for meat?

Check the temperature range - the Thermapen FR goes from below most folk's freezers to above the smoke point of most oils ...

Just be careful with your hands !

"If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch ... you must first invent the universe." - Carl Sagan

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bob.stanton

bob.stanton

Posted
Posted
Can it also be used as a candy thermometer or mostly for meat?

The temerature range is good for candy, but the form factor isn't practical. I think for candy you'll be better off with the traditional snap on the side of the pot style.

But I must say these theropens are great in so many other places for taking quick readings.

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Simon Patrice

Simon Patrice

Posted
Posted
Can it also be used as a candy thermometer or mostly for meat?

The temerature range is good for candy, but the form factor isn't practical. I think for candy you'll be better off with the traditional snap on the side of the pot style.

But I must say these theropens are great in so many other places for taking quick readings.

Thanks! Just what I needed to know.

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Lapin d'Argent

Lapin d'Argent

Posted
Posted
Thanks for the heads up on this. I've always wanted one.  Now, I just need to decide which color I want.  :)

I got mine in red!

Thanks so much for this link...I've hankered after one of these gizmos for years. Now I have no excuse for not knowing whether the Thanksgiving turkey is done or not...

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  • 2 weeks later...
Robert Jueneman

Robert Jueneman

Posted
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As an alternate recommendation, I would favor the $50 All-Clad T201. It has a unique self-set capability, whereby you can calibrate it with an ice bath. I've compared it to my $400 NIST traceable thermometer, and found it to be within 0.1F across most of the range. I don't think the Thermapen will do nearly as well, although I have never tested one.

No matter what kind of a thermometer you get, you simply MUST calibrate it, somehow, and preferably at at least two points. I have found well-known brands to be off by as much as 14 degrees F!

A basal (ovulation) thermometer should be accurate within 0.1F at 100F, and most digital fever thermometers should be within 0.2F.

Trying to test a thermometer at the boiling point of water probably isn't worth doing, except as a very rough check. It is too hard to judge how rapidly the water is boiling, and what the atmospheric pressure is, and those variables can easily make a couple of degree difference. Not worth the effort.

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  • 2 months later...
skipper10

skipper10

Posted
Posted
"The Thermapen Private Sale Has Ended

Thanks for your interest in the private sale. We had a phenomenal response."

Decisions!!!!!Decisions!!!!!!!

Should I get the "old" termapen on sale for $74 or the new improved model for $96?

Has anybody been using the new model? Is it really that much better?

http://www.thermoworks.com/products/thermapen/tpen_home.html

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