To be upfront, Angry BBQ is a big fan of ThermoWorks. So when the company offered to send me the new ThermoWorks RFX wireless meat thermometer, I jumped at the chance.
When I first opened the box, I was confused because the kit ThermoWorks sent me had a wireless meat thermometer probe in a small charging cradle, a small walkie-talkie-looking device, and a temperature probe with a wire connected to it. It wasn’t like other wireless meat thermometers I or any of us at Angry BBQ have reviewed.
So how does the RFX stack up? Let’s fire this review up.
No more spotty Bluetooth. The RFX by ThermoWorks is a wireless meat thermometer you can rely on. Its astonishingly stable, powerful, and long-range, patent-pending radio frequency technology makes it easier than ever to monitor that brisket in real time from anywhere.
Overview of ThermoWorks
To say we here at Angry BBQ are big fans of ThermoWorks would be an understatement. The company produces some of our favorite thermometers, including the Thermapen ONE and the Signals. ThermoWorks is headquartered in Utah and produces temperature-sensing equipment designed for home-based cooks and pitmasters, professional kitchens, and even manufacturing applications.
ThermoWorks RFX Overview And Specs Table
If you’ve ever gotten a wireless meat thermometer before, you’re probably used to seeing a probe and a charging base when you open a new one. Well, the RFX has all that. But it also has more. Here is a photo of the RFX MEAT probe in a pot roast.
ThermoWorks RFX Specs Table
| Internal Temperature Range | 14°-212°F |
| Ambient Temperature Range | Up to 1000°F |
| Temperature Reading Accuracy | Plus or minus 0.9°F |
| Number Of Temperature Sensors | 4 internal sensors |
| Dimensions, Gateway | 3.5L x 1H x 2.2 W |
| Dimensions, Charging Base | 5.6L x 0.9H x 0.8W |
| Probe Diameter | 5.4mm |
| Battery, Gateway | Rechargeable, power cord and adapter include |
| Battery, Charging Base | 1 AAA battery, 175 charges |
| Battery Life, Gateway | 24 hours, charges in four hours |
| Battery Life, Probe | 60 hours on a 20-minute charge |
| Probe-To-Gateway Connection | 433MHz (radio connection) |
| Gateway Connection | Wi-Fi and Bluetooth |
| App | iOS and Android |
| Warranty | 2 years on Gateway, 1 year on probe |
ThermoWorks RFX Features
Stats are all fine and dandy, but what does the ThermoWorks RFX actually bring to the table?
The MEAT Probe
The RFX MEAT is a wireless temperature probe with a charging block that takes a AAA battery. The charging block has a magnet on the back, so it sticks well to your BBQ or smoker. The probe is dishwasher safe and can handle flames and even deep frying up to 1,000ºF. Calibrated to be accurate within ±0.9°F. ThermoWorks says the probe will last 50 hours on a 10-minute charge from the cradle. I used it for a 10-hour cook, and it worked fine. The tip of this probe is only 2.8 mm wide and gets to 5.4mm wide after about the first inch, so you aren’t punching a big hole in whatever meat you’re temping like many other probes.
That’s not the only difference from the wireless probes of other manufacturers, though. ThermoWorks opted not to include an ambient temperature sensor in the probes. And honestly, that’s pretty great. Ambient sensors aren’t typically as accurate as the internal temperature sensors in probes. They can be fooled by being close to the surface of the meat and return readings that are lower than the actual temperature inside your smoker or grill.
ThermoWorks decided against offering inconsistent temperature readings and included a Pro-Series Air Probe and corresponding clip.
Pro-Series Air Probe – This wired ambient temperature sensor connects to the RFX GATEWAY device with a wire. You don’t need to use it, but I liked seeing how far off the ambient temperature setting on my smoker was. The RFX GATEWAY is also compatible with ThermoWorks’ Billows system. For a quick overview, the Billows unit is a digitally-controlled fan you can attach to a Kamado or kettle grill for temperature control reserved for pellet grills. So the RFX system works with Billows to create the ultimate kettle grill combination.
GATEWAY
RFX GATEWAY – This is the walkie-talkie-looking device that the MEAT probe connects to automatically. No pairing is needed; it connects the RFX MEAT to the RFX GATEWAY from up to 1500 feet away. This is a considerably more extended range than the typical Bluetooth connection. The Gateway also has a magnet on the back so you can stick it to your pellet hopper or BBQ. I had the RFX GATEWAY outside on my smoker and moved my roast inside my house to the oven, and the probe stayed connected through the walls and the oven door. The RFX GATEWAY holds a charge for 24 hours and can be recharged with a USB / USBC charger.
The ThermoWorks App
This app remotely monitors your RFX MEAT probes and your smoker’s true temperatures using the wired ambient temperature probe. Each thermometer that you add shows up separately in the App, and you can have 50+ MEAT probes connected. Yes, you heard me right, 50+ probes can be connected simultaneously. The App allows you to set up simple alerts to notify you when you hit a certain temperature. I easily connected the RFX GATEWAY to my WiFi through the App. Once connected to WiFi, I could monitor my temperature while I went to the store or left the house.
Ownership Experience
It took a few moments to get over the unique look and setup of the RFX. I’ve never seen a wireless meat thermometer using an additional piece of equipment like the RFX GATEWAY. Most thermometers combine the charging block and the Wi-Fi or Bluetooth booster into one device.
But once I got over that initial shock, I thought it was a brilliant addition to a wireless thermometer. You no longer need to worry about range, and you can connect dozens of probes to one RFX GATEWAY without issue. I also like that ThermoWorks opted for a standalone ambient temperature probe rather than including an ambient sensor built into the temperature probe.
ThermoWorks Customer Service And Warranty
You can call ThermoWorks customer service in the United States at 800-393-6434 on Monday through Friday from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm Mountain time. They even have Saturday hours from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. ThermoWorks has a two-year warranty on the Gateway and a one-year warranty on the probe.
Would I Recommend The ThermoWorks RFX?
Yes, I would. I found it to be a fantastic thermometer. Whether you’re using just one probe or are running a catering business where you’re smoking 20+ pork butts at a time, the RFX is expandable to meet (meat?) your needs.
If you’re looking for a true wireless meat thermometer (and want an accurate ambient temperature readout), the ThermoWorks RFX is for you.
What I Like…
- Unbeatable range thanks to the RFX GATEWAY unit
- Separate ambient temperature probe for accurate readings
- Easy-to-use app
What Makes Me Angry…
- The ambient probe didn’t fit through the holes in my Green Mountain Grill Ledge PRIME 2.0. The holes in the side of the GMG Ledge are extremely small. The probe fits fine in my Camp Chef Woodwind Pro.
- The App was pretty basic and could stand to add some features.
