INKBIRD INT-12-BW Dual Probe Meat Thermometer Review

Do you love a perfectly cooked steak or brisket with a hint of pink in the center, or perhaps a tender, juicy chicken breast? The only way to always nail it using a meat thermometer. Maybe you’re still using an old-school instant thermometer, but today’s wireless meat probes are more powerful than ever, and there are more options. They can stay in meat while it cooks in the oven, so you’ll know when it’s cooked just right.

Thanks to my grilling buddies, I recently got my hands on the INKBIRD INT-12-BW, a dual-probe wireless thermometer. At first, I has my doubts, but after a week of testing it out, I was really impressed and ended up buying one for myself. What impressed me most was its two probes, which makes it easier to grill salmon or any other smaller cuts of meats. If you often cook dedicated meats, the INKBIRD INT-12-BW definitely worth considering.

INKBIRD INT-12-BW Overview

Based of my test results, I’d rate this wireless meat thermometer a solid 9 out of 10. Here are the scores.

Design	9/10
Functionality	10/10
Ease of Use	9/10
Accuracy	10/10
Connection Stability	10/10
Charging and Battery Life	10/10
App	9/10
Overall Score	9/10

What I Like:

Two probes, one long and one short, perfect for cooking different types of meat simultaneously
Stable connection supported by WiFi 5GHz/2.4GHz and Bluetooth 5.4
Precise temperature measurement and fast response time
Thinner than most wireless probes on the market
Fast charging and long battery life
Waterproof, dishwasher-safe
Clear display that can be easily read outdoors

What I Dislike:

The base is just for monitoring purposes and can’t be used to control the probes
The short probe lacks ambient temperature sensor

If you want to dive deeper, I’ll review this INT-12-BW from the above aspects one by one.

Design: 9/10

Aesthetics can be very subjective, but I still want to share my thoughts anyway. When I first got the INT-12-BW, I wasn’t really impressed by its appearance, but after using it for a week, I’ve come to accept it, even if I can’t say I truly like it. That’s why I gave it a 9 out of 10.

I prefer the base with a cover like INT-11P-B, even though the probes are securely attached, accidents can happen unexpectedly, and a cover gives me a bot more peace of mind. I also think a metal body would make it look more premium, although a metal body would be probably much heavier.

However, considering its price, I think all of these are acceptable. The craftsmanship is solid, with a sleek black base featuring a ring of gold accents, and the two differently colored probes lie quietly inside. Plus, its packaging is gorgeous, reminiscent of an iPhone box, so it is one of my choices for gifts.

Functionality: 10/10

As mentioned before, the INT-12-BW has two probes, one long and one short, giving it an advantage over other models that only have probes of the same length. I live in a coastal city, so I often grill salmon and other fish. The short probe is perfect for shallow insertion to monitor the internal temperature. Or, if you often cook drumsticks, then you should know how tricky it can be to use the long probe. Unfortunately, the short probe is limited to measuring food temperature, so you’ll need the long one for ambient temperature readings.

Both probes are just 6mm in diameter, which is thinner than most wireless options at 6.5mm, leaving smaller holes in the meat for a nicer finish. Plus, they’re both IP67 waterproof and dishwasher-safe, making them convenient for daily cleaning and maintenance.

Speaking of the base, I have to say the screen is impressive. I was out grilling on a sunny day, and it still displayed everything clearly, which is a big plus. I’ve seen a lot of wireless meat thermometer bases from my friends, but most of their screens are hard to read in bright sunlight.

Another cool feature is that it can display the temperatures from both probes at once, including the food and ambient temperature from the long probe. A lot of other bases only show one reading at a time, forcing you to switch using the button on the base, which can get messy if your hands are greasy. In addition, the base has magnets on the back, making it easy to stick to metal surfaces.

Ease of Use: 9/10

Just like most wireless meat thermometers, the INT-12-BW can connect to your phone through WiFi and Bluetooth. Then, you can manage everything via the app, from choosing menus to setting alarms.

It’s a pity that you can’t adjust these settings directly on the base itself. While smartphones are handy, it's always beneficial to have one more option. I’ve tried their INT-14-BW, which allows for local operation, and I really like that feature. I hope INKBIRD can add it in future upgrades. Still, If you’re just looking for the basic remote monitoring, the base can meet your needs.

In short, the INT-12-BW is very easy to use, and if you’re switching from another wireless meat thermometer, it’s almost seamless. Plus, the local screen monitoring is a nice step up from models that lack a display.

Accuracy: 10/10

My friend had already calibrated the INT-12-BW before I got my hands on it, but I was still curious to test its accuracy myself. I prepared a cup of ice water and a cup of freshly boiled water, which should ideally be at 32 degrees Fahrenheit and 212 degrees Fahrenheit. I inserted the two probes into the cups, and guess what?

The long probe read 31.7 degrees Fahrenheit and 211.5 degrees Fahrenheit, and the short probe read 32.2 degrees Fahrenheit and 212.4 degrees Fahrenheit - that’s pretty spot on! And the readings popped up almost immediately, just like an instant-read thermometer.

In actual use, it also performed very well. I used it to cook lots of meats over the week, and they all turned out tender and juicy. I even checked with a well-calibrated instant thermometer, and it still passed the test.

Connection Stability: 10/10

The INT-12-BW offers dual-band WiFi at 2.4GHz and 5GHz, plus it supports the latest Bluetooth 5.4. INKBIRD has also added seamless switching between connections, so if Bluetooth goes out of range, it automatically connects to WiFi for continuous monitoring.

From my actual test, my oven is about 200 feet from my house, and Bluetooth still holds up. When I go inside, it will automatically switch to WiFi connection with two walls in between.

Just keep in mind that since the phone connects to the base instead of the probes, the base needs to be close to the probes, with a distance of about 19 feet.

Charging and Battery Life: 10/10

The good thing about the INT-12-BW is that it uses a USB-C interface, which means that if you go camping, you only need one cable. In addition, it charges very quickly, with the probe taking only 25 minutes to fully charged and the base taking 3 hours. According to the official website, once charged, each probe lasts 25 hours of continuous use. In the past week, I haven’t smoked much, so I didn’t get the chance to fully test it out, but I didn’t see any low battery alerts during my week of using it.

The App: 9/10

The INKBIRD app is user-friendly and covers all the essentials. You can easily select and customize your menu, with 28 preset options that include 5 doneness levels and USDA-approved temperatures. For those who know their way around the kitchen, there’s the option to set your own temperature too.

The app also features temperature alarms and cooking timers for added convenience. But it would be great if the app included recipes or cooking articles, so I wouldn’t need to switch to another app while cooking.

Should I Buy INT-12-BW?

Let me throw out the conclusion first. If you often cook smaller cuts of meat like fish or chicken, the INT-12-BW is a solid buy since it’s one of the few options available. However, if steak is more your style, the INT-14-BW may be more suitable for you.

As for the performance of INT-12-BW, it’s pretty good overall, especially regarding its functionality, accuracy, connectivity, charging, and battery life. The downside is that the base cannot control the probes, and the short probe cannot measure ambient temperature. Still, given its price, the pros definitely outweigh the cons.

So, if you’re looking for a wireless thermometer that can handle both large cuts like brisket and smaller ones like fish fillet, then the INT-12-BW is a good choice, and I believe it won’t let you down.