Inkbird IBBQ-4T Review: The Thermometer I Actually Use

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The short version: I’ve used the Inkbird IBBQ-4T for about 3 or 4 years and I’d buy it again. Four probes let me watch the meat and the smoker from my phone, so I don’t have to hover over the thing. The one real catch is the alarm: my phone only does the steady alarm beeping if the app is open.

I bought it because I wanted to check temps from my phone. On a long cook, I wanted to be able to go out and do other things instead of constantly checking on the pit. It’s held up well and I still use it, but it’s not perfect, so here’s what I like and what I don’t.

How It Works

The probes are wired to a small base unit that sits by the smoker. The base unit joins your home Wi-Fi, and then you can check your temps from anywhere on the phone app. My smoker is a good distance from my router and I’ve never had a connection problem. Once it was set up the first time, it was pretty well good to go.

The base unit has its own screen too, so you can read your temps right at the smoker without the app.

It’s also rechargeable, so there are no batteries to buy. A charge lasts quite a while, and recharging doesn’t take long.

My Favorite Part: Four Probes

This is the main reason I like it. I put one probe in the meat and leave another one out of the meat, just sitting in the smoker, so I get an accurate read of the temperature in there.

That second probe matters more than you’d think. I’ve found it more accurate than the thermometer built into my Pit Boss, and I think that’s probably true of most smokers and grills. It’s also how I can tell the smoker is holding its temperature without walking out there.

It helps on the bad days too. My Pit Boss won’t tell me if the fire goes out, but with the pit probe on my phone, I can see the temp dropping. I wrote more about that in my Pit Boss flameout guide.

How Accurate Is It?

Very accurate, and a good gauge of how the cook is going. But I do trust my ThermoWorks Thermapen ONE slightly more, because I can put it exactly where I want it.

So I use them together. The Inkbird tells me how things are moving, like a pork butt heading toward about 204°F. When it gets close, I spot-check with the Thermapen, since the two might be a couple of degrees apart. If you’re not sure what temp to aim for, my meat temperature guide can help.

Here’s a real example. When I made my smoked cranberry turkey breast, my Pit Boss was set to 225°F, but the pit probe was reading about 238 to 242°F. That’s a decent difference, and it’s exactly why I trust the Inkbird over the thermometer on the smoker. In this screenshot, the turkey was at 81°F and the pit was at 238°F.

Near the end of that cook, I checked a few spots with the Thermapen before taking it off.

The One Real Catch: The Alarm

You can set a maximum temperature, or a high and low range, in the app. It has presets with the temps things should normally be done to, or you can set your own.

For a long time I thought the alarm only went off on the base unit, so before writing this I tested it. Here’s what happened on mine:

• App open: my phone does the steady alarm beeping and the base unit beeps too. That works great.
• App closed: the base unit still beeps, but my phone only gets a regular notification, not the steady alarm. If your phone’s on silent, you won’t hear anything and you’d have to notice it in your list. When I opened the app, the alarm came up after a second.

So it half works. I’m usually not sitting in the app, I’m off doing something else, and a steady alarm on the phone would have been really nice. If you’re counting on the alarm, stay close enough to hear the base unit, or keep checking the app.

How It’s Held Up

Really well. After 3 or 4 years, I have no frayed wires, I’ve never replaced a probe, and all four ports still work.

The base unit has little caps that close off the ports you aren’t using, which keeps dirt and debris out. Mine’s got some dust and scuffs, but it’s a thing that lives next to a smoker.

I don’t do anything fancy to take care of it. After each cook, I wash the probes and wrap up the wires.

Who Should Get One

It’s most valuable on longer cooks, the 4 or 5 hours and up kind, or anything that has to hit a target temp over more than an hour or so. If you don’t want to babysit the cook, this gives you peace of mind no matter where you’re at.

You probably don’t need it for an hour or hour-and-a-half cook, but anyone could use it. It’s still handy on short cooks to get a good gauge on temps and keep an eye out for a flameout.

I paid around $100 for mine. Prices move around, so check the current price before you decide.

Someday I’d like to try a model with fully wireless probes, like this fully wireless Inkbird. I haven’t used one, so I can’t tell you how it compares, but it’s on my list. For now, the IBBQ-4T has been a great, cost-effective option. If you want to compare a few, I put together my best BBQ thermometers guide.

Inkbird IBBQ-4T FAQ

Can you check it when you’re away from home?
Yes. The base unit stays on your home Wi-Fi, so I can check temps on the phone app when I’m out.

Does the alarm go off on your phone?
On mine, the steady alarm only happens on the phone if the app is open. With the app closed, I just get a regular notification, and the base unit does the beeping.

Is it better than the thermometer on my smoker?
It has been for me. I trust the pit probe more than the one built into my Pit Boss.

Do I still need an instant-read thermometer?
I still use one. When the meat gets close, I spot-check it with my Thermapen so I can test exactly where I want.

Final Thoughts

After 3 or 4 years, this is still the thermometer I reach for. A few things to think about:

• Use one probe for the pit. Leave it out of the meat. It’s the easiest way to see what your smoker is really doing.
• Test your alarm before a long cook. With the app closed, you may only get a regular notification, so know how yours behaves.
• Double-check when it counts. When the meat gets close, a quick check with an instant-read thermometer is worth it.
• Wash the probes and wrap the wires. It takes a minute, and mine have held up for years.

🔥 So fire up the pit, and let’s grill and chill.