ThermoPro TP980 TempSpike Pro Review
A smart wireless meat thermometer that focuses on the cook, not bells and whistles
The wireless thermometer category is pretty crowded these days and it seems like every few months there’s another “smart” remote probe promising longer range, more features, more sensors, more apps and more reasons to stare at your phone instead of your fire.
That is exactly why the ThermoPro TP980 TempSpike stands out: it doesn’t try too hard, and that is a big plus.
What I really appreciate about ThermoPro products in general (I reviewed the ThermoPro Lightning instant read thermometer awhile back) is that they tend to just work. This isn’t always the case – especially with some of the “big name” and more expensive remote probes.
Setup for the TP980 is straightforward, the connectivity (both BlueTooth and WiFi) is stable, the readings are accurate and you’re not constantly fiddling around with settings or troubleshooting connection drops when you should be focusing on the cook. There’s nothing worse than tech that complicates your barbecue session.
In a category where I find that too many products feel over-engineered or are unreliable in real-life use, the kind of reliable simplicity of the ThermoPro TP980 really matters.
The TempSpike TP980 cuts through a lot of the noise because it focuses on the fundamentals first.
ThermoPro TP980 TempSpike Pro in the box.
A Remote Spike Thermometer that’s Made for Real Barbecue Cooks
The TP980 TempSpike is a wireless smart thermometer designed for grilling, smoking and live-fire cooking, with WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity that reportedly reaches up to 1060 feet. I’ve never tried anything close to that range, but that’s what they say. Even a fraction of that kind of range is genuinely going to be useful for just about any cook (and especially for longer cooks). So if you have a big country property, you may be able to test it out to its limits. For me, moving around the yard, prepping dishes inside, and tending multiple cookers during a barbecue session were all easily handled by this unit.
But range alone isn’t what impresses me: reliability does, and this is where the TP980 performs well.
The connection remains stable, the hardware experience is clean and responsive (the buttons make sense and are intuitive), and the probes react quickly without giving erratic readings. That sounds basic, but anyone who’s used enough wireless thermometers knows it’s not always guaranteed.
The color-coded probes are also a nice touch. It makes managing multiple cuts of meat a little easier during larger cooks without having to constantly second-guess which probe belongs to which brisket, pork shoulder, steak or chicken.
ThermoPro TempSpike Pro in action on the grill.
A Charging Case that Makes Sense
One feature I unexpectedly liked was the detachable charging case. I’ve had issues with other charging cases over the years, so once again, this was a pleasant surprise.
A lot of thermometer accessories feel like afterthoughts, but this one is very practical. The case doubles as a portable power bank, which is useful during long smoking sessions, tailgates, camping trips or weekends at the cottage where outlets are not always close by.
Battery performance is also pretty strong and reliable. ThermoPro rates the probes for up to 36 hours on a single charge, which puts them comfortably into overnight brisket territory without the stress of the unit dying on you.
That matters for real barbecue cooking. Nobody wants to wake up at 3:00 a.m. wondering whether their thermometer died halfway through a cook.
Designed for Outdoor Cooking
The TP980 feels purpose-built for outdoor cooking instead of simply adapting some indoor kitchen tech for the grill, or rushing out some unproven tech to market.
The probes are waterproof, dishwasher safe and have an internal heat max temperature of 212°F, with an ambient max temperature (the probe end that is exposed to the grill environment) of 572°F. Those numbers are good, but not great. For example, if you’re reverse-searing a Tomahawk steak, the grill will be around 1000°F for a short period of time at the end of the cook. That’s nearly double their stated max. I’ve read elsewhere that the end of the probes are “heat resistant” up to 1050°F, but that is not quoted in the manual. I have used the ThermoPro TempSpike model for reverse searing at these temps and the probe seemed to come out unscathed (it’s only a few minutes in that kind of heay during the searing stage), but you need to be very careful in direct flame environments and be aware of the stated maximum temperatures during live-fire cooking. Do so at your own risk.
Aside from that, the probes are fully wireless, so there’s no cable clutter to manage around rotisserie setups, offset smokers or charcoal grills. For barbecue cooks who value a clean setup, that alone is a noticeable upgrade.
I should clarify that while battery life is stated at 36 hours for a fully-charged probe, it’s 20 hours for the booster (the unit with the screen). I tend to charge after each cook so I haven’t pushed these times to the limit.
TP980 App View.
The App Experience Has Some Room for Improvement
A smart thermometer can live or die by its app experience. You don’t have to use the app at all if you don’t want to (the base unit will show you what’s going on with each probe), but for extra information and long-distance range via WiFi, the app is worth setting up.
I already had the TempSpike app on my phone for the single probe TempSpike, but, unfortunately, that does not work with the TempSpike Pro.
This was disappointing.
So I had to download another ThermoPro app exclusively for this device. It would have be a much better customer experience to be able to simply add the TempSpike Pro to the TempSpike app. But instead, you’ll need yet another separate app for this device. (This unique-app-for-every-device approach will impact my decision to add more ThermoPro products in the future.) There are multiple apps with almost the same name in the app store, so it’s confusing to pick the proper app. The best approach is to use the QR code that comes with the unit to ensure you download the right app for this thermometer. Be forewarned that there will be a persistent (and annoying) loud beeping sound that you cannot stop when you connect to WiFi (so don’t do it early in the morning when people are sleeping).
After updating the firmware on this second ThermoPro app, the device was ready to go.
You can have all the sensors and connectivity in the world, but if the app is confusing, unstable or overloaded with unnecessary features, the whole experience becomes one big frustration.
Thankfully, aside from having to have a second app, ThermoPro keeps things relatively straightforward in this dedicated app (it’s similar to the TempSpike app, which makes it even more puzzling that they did not use the same app). However, I never could figure out how to get the “time remaining” option to work. As you can see in the photos, it just remained blank for the duration of the cook (even though a target temp was set). It’s possible I was supposed to set something somewhere else, but this should be automatic based on the target temp and the ambient temp.
That aside, the app generally gives you the information you need, the alerts are useful, and the interface doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel. For me, that aligns with how barbecue technology should work: support the cook without becoming the main event.
The detachable magnetic main unit is a nice touch.
A Quality Product from ThermoPro
App issues aside, it’s pretty clear that the ThermoPro TP980 TempSpike isn’t trying to be another piece of flashy barbecue tech, just for the sake of it.
It is accurate when tested against a second instant read thermometer, easy to use and clearly designed by people who understand how outdoor cooks actually use thermometers in the real world. The long-range connectivity, durable probes and practical charging system all add genuine value without making the experience more complicated. I did have one defect with this unit. After first use, the white probe would not charge again, or rather the light remained forever-on while resting in the charging station (the lights for the other probes turn off once the probe is fully charged). After waiting a full day and the light still on, I checked the battery level and it says that it’s full. So hopefully it just a glitch that the light won’t go out for the white probe, but it is still charging. I’ll have to see how it performs over time and I will update this review if anything changes. Hopefully this was just an issue with my test model and not indicative of bigger quality control issues.
That aside, in a crowded market full of products trying to outsmart each other, simplicity is exactly what makes the TP980 stand out. You can completely ignore the app and WiFi if you want and still get a good reliable experience with the base unit alone.
So whether you’re a backyard griller, a serious barbecue enthusiast or a live-fire cook, the ThermoPro TP980 feels less like a gadget and more like a dependable cooking tool — which is exactly what a thermometer should be. It is worth trying if you’re looking for a multi-probe wireless thermometer set with good Bluetooth and WiFi capability.
Note: ThermoPro provided a sample unit for review consideration. As always, I only review products that I believe are worth talking about and relevant to real-world barbecue and live-fire cooking.
By Mike Belobradic
Founder of Smoke Fire Grill and the Northern Barbecue™ Method of Live-Fire Cooking