Thermoworks BlueDOT Review

This is a review of the Thermoworks BlueDOT Bluetooth Meat Thermometer. It is a single-probe alarm thermometer that is basically the Bluetooth version of the Thermoworks DOT Oven Alarm Thermometer.

How does the BlueDOT compare to the other Bluetooth meat thermometers on the market?

Review Summary

Best Feature- Its accuracy.

Worst Feature- The Bluetooth signal isn’t good. Fortunately, there is a workaround that no one is talking about.

Thermomeat’s Take- The BlueDOT’s accuracy and mobile app are unrivaled compared to other strictly Bluetooth meat thermometers*. However, the BlueDOT’s single probe and weak Bluetooth signal limit its functionality compared to the other multiple-probe Bluetooth models. The BlueDOT’s true value is when it’s used as a cloud-based meat thermometer monitoring a single piece of meat. It is also the least expensive thermometer allowing you access to the Thermoworks Cloud.

* Other than the Thermoworks ThermaQ Blue.

In this review of the Thermoworks BlueDOT Bluetooth meat thermometer, I’ll examine its features, usability, accuracy, durability, and price to see if it’s a thermometer worth owning.

The Bluetooth Meat Thermometer Category

As consumers, it is easier to compare products when they are grouped into categories. Meat thermometers are no exception.

Instant-read, Bluetooth, WiFi, Remote, Wireless Probe, Frying, and Oven are some of these categories.

The top models in each category have certain features that place them higher than other models. Over time these features become a prerequisite for any thermometer to even be considered a top contender in a category.

Take Bluetooth meat thermometers for example.

Many of the top models feature multiple thermometer probes and a strong Bluetooth wireless signal. If a thermometer doesn’t check these boxes, well then, they’re not a top model. Or that is the logic anyway.

Is that fair though?

This is the gray area where the Thermoworks BlueDOT finds itself, or in my opinion anyway.

It invariably becomes categorized as a Bluetooth thermometer because it has a Bluetooth signal.

With just a single probe, the BlueDOT is at a distinct disadvantage when compared to the other top strictly-Bluetooth models with multiple probes.

You can only use it to track one temperature, whereas the top Bluetooth models allow you to track multiple pieces of meat and the cooking temperature as well. 

Its Bluetooth wireless signal is also subpar when compared to the other top Bluetooth models.

Thus, it makes it hard to rank the BlueDOT as a top Bluetooth meat thermometer with just these parameters in mind.

However, the playing field is somewhat leveled when you take into account that the BlueDOT is more durable, and accurate, and has a better mobile app than the other top non-Thermoworks Bluetooth models.

The Hidden Talents of the BlueDOT

Even though it has a below-average Bluetooth signal and only one probe, the Thermoworks BlueDOT does have some advantages over many of the top Bluetooth meat thermometers.

The most obvious advantage is that the Blue DOT features superior accuracy which is a hallmark of all Thermoworks thermometers.

Another advantage is that the BlueDOT connects to the superior Thermoworks mobile app and the Thermoworks Cloud. (The first hidden talent.)

When you start a cooking session with the BlueDOT and are connected to the Thermoworks mobile app, a cloud session is also started if you’ve signed up for a Thermworks Cloud Account.

If you have more than one smartphone or tablet, you could then leave one device by the BlueDOT to act as an internet liaison. This is also assuming you can connect to the internet with this device either via WiFi or cellular means.

This allows you to then control your BlueDot from a second mobile device anywhere you get an internet signal.

By having a second mobile device on hand you can essentially turn the BlueDOT into a WiFi meat thermometer.

None of the other top Bluetooth meat thermometers give you this option. ( I’m not counting the wireless meat probes such as the MEATER.)

The other hidden talent? There are many different types of Thermoworks probes that you can attach to the BlueDOT, giving it more versatility than other Bluetooth thermometers.

There is the 12-inch high temp probe that you can utilize for deep-frying and brewing. Or, if you do a lot of sous vide cooking, there is the waterproof needle probe that is sealed against moisture.

These are just a few of the probes you can attach to the BlueDOT.

What are the other features of the BlueDOT?

BlueDOT Features and Specs

Here are all of the relevant features and specifications of the Thermoworks BlueDOT thermometer.

• Probe Temperature Range- -58 to 572°F (-50 to 300°C)
• Cable Maximum Temp- 700°F (370°C)
• Accuracy rating +- 1.8°F (+-1.0°C)
• Bluetooth 4.1 Technology
• Bluetooth Range – 95 feet line-of-sight
• IP65 Waterproof rating (Splashproof)
• Thermistor type sensor
• 2-AAA Batteries (included)
• 10-second Backlight
• Celsius/Fahrenheit switchable

Usability

The main emphasis of the BlueDOT is its simplicity. It is very easy to use.

It is designed specifically to track the internal temperature of a single food item. Insert the temperature probe into your food and then use the arrow buttons on either side of the display to set the alarm temperature.

This is a high-temperature alarm only.

This is also how the Thermoworks DOT Oven Alarm thermometer operates. However, the BlueDOT also can set a low-temperature alarm as well via the Thermoworks mobile app.

This is helpful if you’re holding your food above a certain temperature and want to be alerted if it dips below that temperature.

You can download the Thermoworks app from the Apple store or Google Play store.

The Thermoworks mobile app is light-years ahead of any of the mobile apps that you’ll encounter with the other Bluetooth thermometers on the market.

You can also save your cooking sessions as well. These saved sessions include extensive, scrollable temperature graphs.

And as I mentioned earlier, you can access your cooking session from a second device via the Cloud if your initial mobile phone or tablet is connected to the internet.

This gives you the ability to monitor your cook with this second device from anywhere you are connected to the internet.

None of the other non-Thermoworks Bluetooth thermometers give you this ability. (Again, not including the wireless meat probes such as the MEATER, MeatStick et al.)

Accuracy

Thermoworks thermometers are the most accurate meat thermometers on the market. The BlueDOT is no exception.

It comes with its own NIST-traceable certificate of calibration.

If I have one complaint it is that BlueDOT doesn’t show temperatures to the tenth degree. This is a minor inconvenience but also something to be noted.

I tested the accuracy of the BlueDOT alongside the incredibly-accurate Thermoworks ThermaQ Blue thermocouple meat thermometer in a water bath.

I used a sous vide machine to regulate the water temperature during these tests, monitoring the thermometers’ responses to increasing temperatures.

While not as responsive as its thermocouple sibling, the BlueDOT held its own, displaying similar temperatures throughout.

While not as pinpoint accurate as the ThermaQ Blue, the BlueDOT is more accurate than the other Bluetooth thermometers on the market.

Durability

The BlueDOT features molded-in splashproof seals with an IP65 waterproof rating. There aren’t many splashproof IP65 Bluetooth meat thermometers on the market.

The Thermoworks ThermaQ Blue features the same IP65 rating. The InkBird IBT-4XC is really the only other Bluetooth model with any sort of waterproof rating. It is rated IPX5 waterproof.

The build quality of Thermoworks thermometers is unsurpassed and I would trust the BlueDOT and ThermaQ Blue outside in the rain over any other Bluetooth thermometer currently on the market.

The BlueDOT is also backed by a 2-year warranty and best-in-class Thermoworks customer service.

Price

The BlueDOT is priced at $69 at the time of this review. Other Bluetooth meat thermometers in this price range include the ThermoPro TP25, ThermoPro TP930, and the InkBird IBT-4XC.

These Bluetooth thermometers feature four temperature probes. I recommend these models if you need a Bluetooth thermometer with multiple probes in this price range.

Verdict

The Thermoworks BlueDOT still garners a surprising third place in my Bluetooth meat thermometer rankings despite its lackluster Bluetooth signal range and its single temperature probe.

That is saying something considering that its Bluetooth signal range came in dead last in my testing.

However, there is a way around this issue by having a second mobile device on hand to act as a signal liaison.

It is limited by having just one temperature probe and I won’t pretend that it can do the job of a multiple temperature probe model, it can’t.

However, it is better than the other Bluetooth models in its accuracy, mobile app, and build quality. These categories perform the heavy lifting and make up for the BlueDOT’s deficiencies.

The BlueDOT is also the least expensive option in the Thermoworks lineup of thermometers that will give you access to its excellent mobile app and data storage of the Thermoworks cloud.

With all of this in mind, the BlueDOT is good value for the money and I rate it a buy.