Saw a competition pitmaster use a $20 Home Depot thermometer over his $400 Fireboard

Was at a backyard cookout last Sunday and this guy who's won 3 state titles in Kansas was checking his brisket with a cheap instant read from the hardware aisle. I asked him about it and he just shrugged and said 'I've broken 4 Fireboards this year, this one works fine.' Made me think about how much money I've blown on gear thinking it'd make my BBQ better. What's the most overpriced tool you've bought that didn't actually improve your cook?

2 comments

2 Comments

barbarahill4d agoTop Commenter

Ever notice how the cheaper stuff sometimes just works better? I spent $150 on a fancy wifi thermometer with all these probes and app features, but half the time the Bluetooth drops and I end up using my old $20 Taylor anyway. That pitmaster's got the right idea, if it reads temp right and you don't cry when it falls in the grease, that's all you really need.

wren6524d ago

...and honestly I've been there too but with a different kind of gear. Couple years back I bought one of those fancy charcoal starters that's supposed to light your coals in two minutes flat with this turbine fan built in. Cost me like 80 bucks and the thing caught fire on the third use. Now I just use a chimney starter and some newspaper. My neighbor still laughs about it every time I fire up the grill.