The 10 Best Smoker Thermometers

The best place to put a thermometer in a smoker is on the rack that’s closest to, but not directly above, the smoke stack.
The optimal placement for a meat thermometer is on an upper rack about three feet from the heat source. It should be just out of direct contact with hot air from the smoke stack so you get an accurate reading of cooking temperatures inside of your smoker instead of outside air temperature or heat radiation which will give you false readings. A good rule of thumb is to position your probe 30-plus inches from any heat source and allow 10 minutes per pound to come up with a target temperature; this arrangement also gives extra protection against overcooking.

The thermometer on a smoker isn’t that accurate. I have had many smoking sessions with the thermometer reading far higher than actual temperature. The thermostat on your oven is about 10 degrees higher than the actual temperature, so think of it as being 5-10 degrees off. You still need to use it to regulate temperatures, but you can also use a good-quality instant read digital thermometer of your choice instead of relying solely on the smoker’s built-in numbers.

Yes. As long as you don’t turn it on and leave the meat in direct contact with the probe, then food safety is not a concern and you do not need to remove and wash it before using it again.

You can’t get a smoker hot enough if you don’t have good airflow. There needs to be sufficient air going in and out of the smoker for it to maintain an even cooking temperature. If your fire keeps going out, or smokes come up from cracks in the bottom of the smoker, it’s likely because the vents are too small or closed off completely. It might also be that you don’t have enough fuel in your chimney pipe. Another reason could be that if you’re using charcoal for fuel, not briquettes with a hole for air flow through them.