The Tappecue Touch is a four-channel, Internet-enabled food thermometer that works as a stand-alone unit or in conjunction with a mobile phone app. Each probe has a plastic sleeve that is color-coded to the unit’s display colors. Accuracy is very good and it is easy to use.
Although the temperature of each probe is directly readable from the color display, most of the functionality – selecting probes, setting alarms, displaying of graphs – is only accessible via the app. I tested this unit using an Android-powered Samsung Galaxy S6, running the latest version of the app and the latest version – V3 – of the firmware.
Setup
Initial setup pairs the Tappecue to your Internet-connected Wi-Fi router. Unlike the earlier version of this product, setup of this unit was easy and worked flawlessly. Once configured, there is no need to go through the procedure again unless you want to change routers. You can also communicate with the device via your phone/tablet in an off-line mode that doesn’t require a router, although some functionality is lost. You can configure the app to work with multiple phones/tablets and multiple Tappecues. Cooking data can also be shared.
When you start up using the on-line mode, you create a cooking session that is recorded in the cloud and accessible anywhere you can connect with the Internet. You can set alarm thresholds for each probe, selecting from some pre-programmed and pre-named modes, like “Beef, Well Done.” You can create your own profiles or modify the existing ones. There is a “chamber” setting and a “food” setting, and they both appear to work the same way.
Alarms can be enabled or disabled for each probe independently. The alarm is visibly announced by the power button’s illumination changing from green to red. There is also an audible alarm in the app that can take the form of a voice telling you to “Check your meat,” some chimes, or a drum sound. Changes to the alarm threshold setting are displayed on the unit after a short delay.
Construction
The basic display for a given probe includes the probe number, the alarm status with date and time, the temperature profile you have chosen, the temperature (in °F or °C), the lower and upper alarm thresholds used in the profile, and a graph of temperature vs. time. You can swipe from probe to probe. There is a Session Graph that displays the collected data in an expanded format that is easy to read.
The unit has a self-contained Li-Ion battery that will operate the unit for 12 hours, or you can plug in the supplied charger/power supply and run indefinitely. Construction is solid, and the probes are heavier than most. All four of the supplied probes are designed for food, not a cooker. I would have opted to have one of the probes designed for use with a grill clip in the cooker’s “chamber,” although you can jury-rig something easily enough.
Drawbacks
Like most well-made Wi-Fi-enabled remote thermometers, this one carries a hefty price tag, but is in line with the competition. My only gripe would be the battery life. The back-lit color display uses a lot of power, although the 12-hour charge life will probably be adequate for all but the longest cooking sessions, and the AC adapter can be used if needed. Warranty is one year on the device and 90 days on the probes.
Take the reviews on Amazon with a grain of salt; they are comments on the earlier version of this product, which we also reviewed: Tappecue Review. This current iteration of this unit works much better than its predecessor.
Our Tappecue Touch Thermometer Review
Overall, the Tappecue Touch works very well. Accuracy is excellent. It has all the most sought-after features, although it does lack a timer function (which I never use anyway). Construction of the unit and the probes is well above average. Price is competitive. Overall, a Gold Medal.
Addendum: The manufacturer has announced a new family of temperature probes that feature two sensors per probe. One measures the food temperature; the second captures the ambient temperature in the cooker. See the Buy links below.
