TECH SPOTLIGHT

Thermometers use apps to tell you when steak's ready

Special to the Democrat-Gazette/MELISSA L. JONES
The Grill-Right from Oregon Scientific (left) and the iGrill Mini from iDevices use Bluetooth to connect wirelessly to a smartphone, where apps can display the cooking temperature from their probes.
Special to the Democrat-Gazette/MELISSA L. JONES The Grill-Right from Oregon Scientific (left) and the iGrill Mini from iDevices use Bluetooth to connect wirelessly to a smartphone, where apps can display the cooking temperature from their probes.

This is one of the tastiest reviews I've ever done.

Over the past week, I tried out a couple of products that are supposed to help people grill better.

where it’s @

The iDevices iGrill Mini requires a CR2032 battery (which is included) and the free iGrill app for iOS or Android smartphones. The Grill-Right from Oregon Scientific requires two AA batteries (which are included) and the Grill Right app for iOS or Android. The iGrill retails for $39.99, and the Grill-Right retails for $59.99. More information on the iGrill is available at idevicesinc.com. More information on the Grill-Right is at oregonscientific.com.

Now, I know this is the South, and we usually don't need much help with grilling. If there's one thing we Southerners know, it's how to cook meat with fire. However, it can be easy to overcook meat at times, particularly steak. We all know, an overcooked steak is a ruined steak.

For those who aren't quite the grillmasters they think they are, Oregon Scientific and iDevices have a couple of solutions.

Oregon Scientific offers the Grill-Right Bluetooth BBQ Thermometer, and iDevices has the iGrill Mini.

These devices are somewhat similar. Both include a metal probe; both connect to a smartphone via Bluetooth; and both have free apps that keep track of temperature, offer timers and suggest recipes.

The apps for both devices work with either iOS or Android smartphones. The iDevices Connected works with the iGrill Mini as well as the same company's Kitchen Thermometer. While the Grill Right app works mainly with the thermometer, it also can be used with multiple Grill-Right devices.

The Grill-Right is a large, square device with an orange LCD screen enabling a cook to easily see the temperature and timer. It's a bit bulky, but that makes it easy to read. A piece of plastic on the back flips out, so it can rest upright and be more easily seen. And, if you prefer to leave the kitchen while the steak cooks, the display's information can also be seen in the app if the Grill-Right is connected via Bluetooth.

The iGrill Mini is about the size of a half-dollar. It includes a metal base with a magnet, which can be mounted to a stovetop or oven door if necessary. The only light on the device is one that shows whether it's connected via Bluetooth. The display itself is in the app.

Both devices include metal probes with long, heat-resistant wires. The wires can handle temperatures above 700 degrees Fahrenheit, but they can't take direct fire, so you have to be careful when using them on a charcoal grill or gas stove. The iGrill comes with a small piece of rubber on the bend of the probe to make it easier to grip the probe. Unfortunately, it gets almost as hot as the probe.

The apps are similar as well. Both prominently display temperatures and both offer presets and lists of temperatures for various foods, from steak to lamb to chicken.

The Grill-Right offers a history list, which I like. It shows past use, so you can cook food the same way as before or make slight changes if needed.

The iGrill app offers the iDevices Globe, which displays a map showing where the device is being used or has been used. It's, well, weird. Why do I want to know who is grilling in Toledo, Ohio? It's a cute concept, but unnecessary. Also, I'm not a big fan of others seeing what I'm cooking.

Once everything was assembled, downloaded and figured out, it was time to put them to the test. I figured if I'm going to test these, I might as well do it right.

I went to my local market and chose some very nice filet mignon. After all, if we're going to do the steak test, we ought to do it well, right? OK, maybe not well ... that's overcooked.

In fact, I set the probes to medium when I tested each one. The Grill-Right can be set and started on the actual device by cycling through buttons to choose the type of meat, the temperature and the timer. The iGrill requires the app to set, though the Grill-Right can be set through the app as well. Both apps accurately tracked the temperature, and both sounded an alert when the meat reached the appropriate temperature.

The probes are said to work best in the center of the meat, which makes sense. After all, the center usually is the last to be finished. I generally left the probes undisturbed unless I had to flip the meat.

Of the two, the Oregon Scientific seemed to have a bit more trouble settling on the correct temperature if the probe was moved. It took a little longer to settle down, but even then only about 30 seconds or so. Unless you're flipping the steak at the last minute, it should recover quickly enough to sound the alarm when the proper temperature is reached. The iGrill went a bit haywire for a few seconds as well, but it tended to settle down faster.

In the end, both of these products performed very well. They produced steaks cooked just as I requested, at a perfect medium. I must say, I enjoyed determining how well the thermometers worked in cooking the meat. It's by far the most delicious test I've ever done. I would say if you wanted a nice grilling thermometer, either of these would do the job.

Of course, I could be wrong. Just to be sure, I think I'd better test them again, perhaps on a good New York strip. All in the name of research, of course.

Melissa L. Jones can be reached via email at [email protected].

SundayMonday Business on 08/18/2014

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