Let's Talk BBQ
General => General Discussion & Topics => General Discussion => Topic started by: CDN Smoker on November 05, 2013, 08:55:30 AM
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Limited Time: Buddy Sale! Buy 2 or more Thermapens and pay only $85 each.
http://www.thermoworks.com/products/thermapen/
In my email inbox this morning.
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You guys REALLY ought to look at the Maverick Pro Temp. better feature set, more practical batteries, BIG back-lit display - just as fast (in real world terms)
AND...it is sold by one of our sponsors here on LTBBQ...Pellet Grill Outfitters! And - Grill Grates sells their version of it as well!
I realize that there is a "fan-boy" effect with Thermapen. And - it is a good product. But, they don't have any interest in us. We get no love from Thermapen.
Isn't it nice to know that you *DO* have a choice?
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I totally agree about ThermoWorks not having interest in sponsoring. They obviously have no interest in discounts other than their email specials. A fellow on another forum contacted them about doing a large group buy and was basically told "we have the buddy promo going on right now." That was their final answer.
As for choosing between the two, I am cettainly not alone in choosing the Thermapen because I knew exactly what it would do without question. I looked at other thermometers including the Maverick (I do own two 732s, so this is not a Maverick bash). All but the Thermapen had a fair amount of detractors. Are some of those reviews plants from Thermapen fanboys?... probably. If the price difference were a bit larger, I might be swayed to give the Maverick a try. It is simply too expensive for me to take the risk. Honestly, if I wanted a cheaper alternative I would probably get one of the less expensive ThermoWorks thermometers as a backup (but I have already got a few "reliable enough/fast enough" backups.
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I find the "negative reviews" overwhelmingly suspect......The handful I have read are just - well not being truthful, by my experience un owning and using one all of the time.
After all - Thermapen has occupied the cat-bird seat for so long...some folks just can't imagine the horror of another company producing a product that is within all practical measurement - just a s fast. From a company that already makes the standard of measurement none the less - the 732!!!! This Pro Temp a BIG backlit screen, gasketed battery door - and uses batteries that everyone has in their home. Their customer service is great. The price is competitive. ( I don't know if it is cheaper - not my point...)
My point is that I find it humorously frustrating that - the BBQ universe is ALWAYS willing to jump on a new grill. Guys take pride in "being the first" or being early adopters - though they know the risks, and when those ( much more expensive items - like pellet grills) do not prove to be perfect - which is often more true than not with any complex device - then - they will find work arounds, or deny the problems!!!
This is a simple frickin' thermometer. With more practical design that the Thermoworks. It is a viable option. But, the "fan-boy" loyalty ( which is a denegrating term - I know, my apology...I just the the the reaction to Thermapen as funny/interesting...o.k. a little crazy... :D and treated as if they are the only game in town! )
What would you think if instead of Themapen - we exchanged the "exuberance" shown for Thermapen with any other name brand of any category of product out there, of your choosing? I would bet that you would marvel at the public reaction - and say to yourself..." Gee - do you think they understand that they have options, and choices? Some that are as good - maybe better? At comparable prices?
Where would we be if there were still only ONE pellet grill? Answer: There would not be a pellet grill industry. Having options and choices grows interest.
So, maybe this ramble explains my amazement that we have 2 site sponsors/companies that have reviewed the products int he marketplace - and THEY have chosen to sell the Maverick Pro Temp 100. Now, these are both companies that we know, and have a level of trust/confidence in.....
Wouldn't you think that alone says...Hey! - there are other products that may be worth consideration? Yet ALL i continue to see is "Themapen"....it is just one of my "isms". Because I think it says alot about how we are swayed into assumptions about a product - often in an un-meritorious fashion, and I know we are all more observant about EVERY other category of product in the outdoor cooking arena.
Hat's off to Thermoworks. Thermapen's branding is better than their product. I say this - because it is the ONLY one that folks think about when they think of this product type. And...you have options. Options from reputable companies, that will support their comparable product - and treat you well.
Off the soap box now...... :D ;D
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A compelling argument Tee. Maybe next time you come to TX, you can bring the maverick with you and we can use it to measure a cook. :D
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Well...I did not intend it to come off as a "rant" or argument....
But, merely an explanation of the facts as I see them ( does not mean I am right - just my perspective) and an observation of a nearly lemming like behavior that I see where this one product is concerned.
When I was a kid - you HAD to have a pair of Converse high tops...Why? Because all of the college and pro basketball players wore them....Did that meant they ware better than other offerings? Absolutely not. They were popular because big names wore them....
I think of the Thermapen the same way. Does not mean it is a bad product, it is not. But it gets all of the attention merely because it was the first of it's kind, and many - perhaps most of the big named BBQ guys use it. Free to them? Maybe...heck - likely. But, smart marketing does not a better product make.
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I do not disagree with you. Had I tested the thermometers before I bought one, I very well may have chose another brand. I am not brand obsessed by any means. I just went with the one product that I was 100% certain would perform as advertised. When I got my 1st 732, I wasn't really that concerned if I tested it and found it lacking (and had to return it). I'm not sure why the difference in my approach except that maybe I had something going on that I really wanted to use the Thermapen for. I honestly do not remember.
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And I did not mean to single you out Chris... It just interests me when I see buying habits like the Thermapen has fomented for itself in the market. I don't think there is a parallel in the industry. Agin, my hat's off to them for figuring US out so well, as a group.
There is always a curmudgeon in the group. It used to be my job to turn observations and data into a calculable hypothesis then plans and strategies....Old habit I suppose.... ;D
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And I had to have those Converse High Tops (black) and that is why I probably have bad flat feet now.
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Well I love my Thermapen and IMHO it is worth the money.
Last summer I had the thing in my pocket and got into the little pool with my daughter. After being in there for 10 minutes I realized that my thermapen was under water all that time ???
Shockingly it still worked!
I think that seeing people on television like Alton Brown really helps their market in the US. They have built a strong reputation that they are the best and most accurate instant read thermometer. And seeing popular television chefs using
them affirms that opinion.
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They have built a strong reputation that they are the best and most accurate instant read thermometer. And seeing popular television chefs using
them affirms that opinion.
Agreed... in the context that they have been early in the game...and GREAT at marketing! But - that is not what I find amusing.
Here it is: What if Treager were the only pellet grill in the market place for a number of years and they established a huge following...( like...they have...)
THEN - another brand or two come along, and offer other features, and comparable pricing.....that really show that Treager has not improved their product in any significant ways in quite a while..... ( 'cause...that has happened too ;) )
You are looking at pellet grills - would you reach fro the Treager - or would you look at GMG, Louisiana, Rec Tec, etc...THEN make a choice?
THat is what I am saying....As a group - outdoor cooks don't even give another brand of Thermapen type products a look.
That is - at the same time - admirable...and humorous. It says we are emotional buyers of certain products, not "fact based" research first.
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How about we all just put away our thermometers and smokers and cook over open fire until "done by feel?" :P
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How about we all just put away our thermometers and smokers and cook over open fire until "done by feel?" :P
Yeah - and the problem with this is... ;) ;D ;D ;D
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Wow! Haven't seen tee so fired up since he heard a (thankfully false) rumor that bacon wasn't Kosher.
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This reminds me a lot of the Apple vs. Android discussions I get into occasionally. Very similar to Thermopen, Apple was first with an innovative and tremendously successful product, the iPhone. They have continued to build on that early success and have done an awesome job with marketing it.
While there are many brands, styles, and quality versions of Android phones; many have grown into worthy competitors to the iPhone. The latest iPhones now come with features first seen on Android. Regardless of worthy competitors, many Apple devotees would never even consider anything else. They march like lemmings to the Apple piper...anxiously awaiting the next opportunity to hand Apple more dollars for the next great thing.
Anyone remember the Apple Superbowl commercial "1984"? Here's a link in case you've forgotten. http://youtu.be/axSnW-ygU5g (http://youtu.be/axSnW-ygU5g)
Ironic huh?
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Marketing can make a company hit the big time, but bad press can be significantly detrimental to a company's bottom line. For instance, I was very interested in the Maverick ET732, and not interested at all in the Thermapen. So, I started researching the ET-732 and found a review on amazingribs.com and started reading. In the article on temperature measuring devices, both Maverick and Thermoworks units were detailed - however, there was a caveat by the author that there are many negative comments on Amazon - off I go to read them. While there are many 5-star reviews, there are nearly 1/3 that number of 1-star reviews, which scared me off the brand. Naturally I started digging into the Thermoworks brand to find problems, but did not discover much negativity, so my decision was to go with that brand.
I'm almost brand new to precise temperature measurement (have always gone with the cheap digital Fred Meyer types) so I had never heard of Thermapen or Maverick before investigating BBQ more deeply. It is a shame that negative reviews often shape the purchasing direction of prospective customers.
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I purchase quite a few items online and I use Amazon reviews as guidelines a lot. I add the top 2 ratings and the bottom 2 ratings and throw out the middle. So, if I wanted an instant read thermometer I would go to Amazon and look at the choices. Using my method, I find that of 591 reviewers of the Splash Proof Thermapen 9 found it unacceptable; that’s a 98.4 percent approval rating. When anything in this life has a 98.4% approval rating out of 591 reviews, that is the item I want. That is a staggering statistic.
If and when Maverick has numbers like those I would certainly consider it, even if it is made in China. Unfortunately for our country the Thermapen is made offshore too.
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Wow! Haven't seen tee so fired up since he heard a (thankfully false) rumor that bacon wasn't Kosher.
I laughed so hard I pulled a muscle ::)
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And...THIS is exactly to my point about marketing:
If and when Maverick has numbers like those I would certainly consider it, even if it is made in China. Unfortunately for our country the Thermapen is made offshore too.
Therein - lies the rub....More than one company produce a good product in this category. But because the FIRST company - captured a large percentage of the market, you may not EVER see those kinds of numbers for the 2nd, and 3rd ( and so on..) place products in the marketplace.
The number of any product sold is not an indicator of how good or bad any product is. It may represent part of that equation, but not by necessity.
Yet, we all feel safe with "numbers". But you must understand HOW the numbers are generated, and HOW the votes are counted, as positive, negative and neutral. There *IS* subjectivity in polling data even if the the questions and the interpretation of them are absolutes. When we put too much faith in others "5 star rating" - what we cannot know is that the emotional value of the product is to them. It may be just a "feel good" purchasing decision because "so-and so" uses one on TV.....
What I have been pointing to is that we all weigh OTHER products on their own merit in a far more individual manner than I believe we have done in this case.
I have owned both. I only currently own a Maverick product. Why? Features. That is all. Features that are practical to the operation of the device and for the uses I will need it for. Speed that is humanely imperceptibly no different. Is it 100 of a second slower? 1/10th? Who cares? Can I get batteries for it ANYWHERE ( and everyone always has AAA batteries around) DId I like cramping my neck holding a flashlight to read the Thermapen? nope...But - I don't do that now because the "Chines made" product does more than what the Thermapen did for me. ( BTW - the Thermapen is "assembled in England - from Chinese parts! :D )
And - lastly, the Maverick Pro Temp is good enough for Sparky, and I know he would not steer me wrong! ;D
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Wow! Haven't seen tee so fired up since he heard a (thankfully false) rumor that bacon wasn't Kosher.
I laughed so hard I pulled a muscle ::)
Please keep your hand off that muscle when seeing my name...It makes me nervous as a sheep in dark barn full of guys named Mohammed .... ??? ;D
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Does anyone know what the actual market share for Thermapen is?
Could be that Maverick outsells Thermoworks 3 to 1.
The Thermapen is a great product. I believe that most of their success is from word of mouth. I know that people sharing their opinion about it swayed my purchase choice.
There are Maverick products available at big box stores. I am unaware of any big box stores that carry any Thermoworks products.
I don't think that they have cornered the market share. I think that people who own Thermapens are just very happy with the product and not afraid to say it. When you hold it in your hand it just feels solid. The swing out probe does not feel loose or it is gonna break in three months. And very accurate and a quick reading. Long battery life from what I can tell. And the thing is seems to be water proof!
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Let's not forget about their great service. Replaced mine way after warranty
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I don't think that they have cornered the market share. I think that people who own Thermapens are just very happy with the product and not afraid to say it. When you hold it in your hand it just feels solid. The swing out probe does not feel loose or it is gonna break in three months. And very accurate and a quick reading. Long battery life from what I can tell. And the thing is seems to be water proof!
What I am trying ot point out here is that BOTH companies offer this same kind of quality, service and support. And - across the board, if a company is overall successful in any market, they WILL be great to deal with - or they will not continue to be successful.
Nope...Not a chance...all you need to do is ask around, and walk around BBQ comps to see this is true. Agin, a great testament to being the first in the marketplace, and building on that with good marketing.
The summation of everything I have pointed to is this: We have SO many quality choices in outdoor cooking gear. We really do, and it's great. I just find is funny - o.k.....hysterical - that almost no one thinks about even trying ANYTHING other than a Thermapen - in that product category.
Two takeaways:
1. Thermoworks has marketed their product so well - that there is not a close second product in most minds. That is a matter of fact even tho the facts are that the Maverick product has more features, and is within reason as fast.
2.WE as consumers forget HOW to "look outside of the box" pretty easily. We are swayed by popularity and numbers. Allow me to challenge all of us to think differently about the mechanics of HOW we choose any product. You may find yourself re-thinking some decisions, and be surprised by the answers.
Here is one example: In most categories of products, almost never is the most popular one - the best. There are a lot of variable we can apply to justify an outcome that we want - but, ont he face of merit and fact alone...almost never is it that the most popular product in any category the "best".
I am NOT saying that the Thermapen is inferior. I am saying that the market can and often does have biases for or against a product - and those biases can be sheerly due to the momentum of the leading product. That's it.
Jus always recognize the choices we have for all products. Compare features and benefits. Use LTBBQ members - because you KNOW us, and can trust that we will not steer you wrong. Post polls - but ask for "logical reasons" for the response. Ask our sponsors about product warranties, support, trials, etc. Post reviews.
Use THIS discussion to re-analyse how we look at stuff we use. It may not change you final decision - but it will make you really understand how you make choices.
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I'm finding this dialogue very entertaining as I am in the market for a more accurate device than what I now use. I will/have looked at both, but the decision is not done...... I do not believe in paying for the name, just the quality.
Here is something I came across tho.
www.kamadoguru.com/topic/2791-thermapen-vs-maverick-pt-100/
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As one of our brethren occasionally says, that's why they make chocolate and vanilla.
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As one of our brethren occasionally says, that's why they make chocolate and vanilla.
Amen to that sir! But you know, I might wanna try vanilla someday.
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As one of our brethren occasionally says, that's why they make chocolate and vanilla.
Amen to that sir! But you know, I might wanna try vanilla someday.
NOW...we are getting somewhere! PLEASE tell us what you find, why you chose it - and compare features and benefits. We have a product review section...But I should probably create an outline within that section...Thoughts?