• working on DNS.. links may break temporarily.

Temp Controller

T

Teltum

Knows what a fatty is.
Joined
Mar 26, 2013
Messages
174
Reaction score
41
Points
0
Location
Barberton, Ohio
I am looking for some input.

I am trying to do my homework for a controller for my current smoker and future smokers. I don't mind checking my grill/smoker every hour but my fear is how quickly drippins can catch fire and ruin a cook. The Mavrick 732 looks awesome but I am up at 70+shipping the party Q is only a short jump to 130+shipping$ and I don't have to fuss with my air flow and I have a cheap meat only thermo.

So along that line of thought I have been looking through the Auber, BBQ Guru, and Stoker. Almost all of which cost as much as my current grill with fans and flanges with all the bells and whistles.

Auber is not bad at 145. But when you get the Mavrick 732 it goes to 215+shipping because there is no meat probe.

BBQ Guru is about 300 out the door with the probes and Fans. No option for remoe control (+110 for wifi that is inculded in the stoker so we are kind of apples to apples)

Stoker is 330.

Allchinas.com Tiger is 210/(Lion 258 - Similar to Cyber-Q) with shipping but it is a wait since it is from China.

So the allchinas.com seem to win out on price with remote monitering ability but the probes have a much lower threshhold for destruction <500 degrees.

I am liking the Auber & Mavrick-732 the big reason I like this combo slightly more than the others. 2 grate level probes (redundancy), and the probes appear to be less inclined to melt versus the Allchinas.com deal. and it is a remote monitering & tempature control solution under $300.

The Stoker has WiFi out of the box which I REALLY like and the rest of the kit seems solid.

BBQ Guru - the cases look more hardy then the rest, I think the build quality and the time on the market show in the polish of the unit but the price seems kind of high.

So my question to the brethren: Where are your thoughts? I think the Auber & Maverick 732 is the best value to moniter my food. I think the Stoker is pretty neat but there is a fair jump in price.
 
I have the Aubers. Good units. I also have the Maverick ET 7 as well as the ET 732. The ET 7 is less money and seems to work just as good, if they are still available. Taylors seem to also work good, but no remotes with the Taylor.
 
I have an Auber, works fine. Easy to use

But if your drippings are catching fire a ATC isnt going to be much help.

You need to keep those drippings off the fire before anything else
 
I have a Maverick ET-732 and a BBQ Guru CyberQ WiFi.

For shorter cooks, I generally use the ET-732 and manual control. Sometimes, I don't even use the ET-732, but go by the analog temperature gauges on my WSMs.
For longer cooks, I generally use the CyberQ.

The WiFi is cool, but it's more of a toy than anything. I look at the display on the unit more than my smart phone app or web interface.
Once you set up an ATC on a cook, you aren't supposed to have to fark with it, that's the point of an ATC. :razz: If something goes wrong on a cook, they all have audible alarms.

All the ATCs you listed work well, it's a matter of price and features. You have to decide how you cook, and choose the ATC that best fits your style.

Good luck.
 
You are comparing two different devices.

An ET-732 is a temperature monitoring system. The Guru, Auber, etc, are temperature control devices.
 
"Allchinas.com Tiger is 210/(Lion 258 - Similar to Cyber-Q) with shipping but it is a wait since it is from China.

So the allchinas.com seem to win out on price with remote monitering ability but the probes have a much lower threshhold for destruction <500 degrees."

#1 There is a special mailing service for eBay order by China and American post, which usually takes 1 to 2 weeks
#2.allchinas.com PROBE can withstand 400C or 752 F. and the wire can withstand 300C or 572F. Indeed Allchinas.com uses the best probe available in China, not second to any other a/m brands, guaranteed
 
I use Auber + IGrill, somebody posted a link recently to the white IGrill on Amazon for like $58....so that is 187 for both if the auber is 129.
 
I use the Guru and the Maverick ET-732. The Guru for temp control for the long cooks and the Maverick lets me do other things around the house and I can keep an eye on things.

I am very happy with both.

I don't know what smoker you have or will have but my neighbor has the Party Q and he is not happy with it. He constantly wants to borrow my Digi Q - which is not ever going to happen.
 
Everyone has a story, here's mine. Three years of competition and countless other cooks using two DigiQ dx's, someone recommended I you should have a spare. I have yet to touch the spare. Blackie & Reds have been rained, snowed, sleeted, over 100 degrees, and below freezing all they do is work. Enough said.
 
If you are handy, can soldier, and like to build things i have a HeaterMeter.

Its a quick project. It is wifi capable,has a pit probe, 3 food probes, a fan to control temps, and can be controlled from any smartphone. And there are fancy 3D printed cases available also. Works great for me.

If interested click HeaterMeter!
 
Last edited:
I first got the Maverick 732 for temperature monitoring, and it was neat to begin with, but I don't use it much anymore. I leave the cook alone and use a Thermapen (very easily can use a cheaper meat thermometer in its place) to check meat temperature when I am getting close to done. I am also the owner of the BBQ Guru DigiQ DX2 and a PartyQ. The PartyQ is pretty dang awesome for it's price range. It's limits are the amount of air its fan can move, which may not be enough for some larger pits, I use mine on my various UDS I have built, and it is plenty for that. The batteries pretty much are done after a butt or brisket cook. I just bought some rechargeable batteries to give them a try. The DigiQ is nice in that it plugs in for home cooking, but some people aren't close to power with their pits. DigiQ can definitely use the large fans and control bigger pits. The BBQ Gurus are built like tanks and I recommend them if you get bored checking your pit temperature. They also give me the reassurance to do overnight cooks while I am sleeping.

My recommendation for you is to get a PartyQ and use your meat thermometer you already have, as long as you don't have some giant bbq pit. This gives you great temperature control, no need for electricity, and let's be honest about meat thermometers, they are only useful at about two points, when you want to foil and when you are done. The PartyQ will be useful during the entire cook.
 
Rifraf - as a Computer Science degree holder I will say it looks like a cool project but as someone who has unsteady hands it is not an option (bricked a PS back in the mod chip days) loved those imports when I paid to have that done.
 
I have the Golden Lion from Allchinas...it does work excellent, but I gave up on the wifi..for the money it works great. Since I went to a Pit Barrel smoker, I do not really have a new for a controller. The PBC is so simple and holds the heat for a long time. The only controller you really need is a remote thermometer to monitor the meat.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

S
Who makes affordable 'small' cabinet smokers these days?
Replies
8
Views
965
K-Train
K
S
If not a Shirley 250G trailer traditional flow smoker, who?
Replies
11
Views
588
Sid Post
S
J
Premium/high end offset
2 3
Replies
55
Views
4K
cayenne
cayenne
C
Goldee's Sauce Cheap
Replies
9
Views
920
CaptainQ
C
F
Alternative to a chudbox/direct heat cooker?
Replies
3
Views
847
Robert
R
Back
Top