Quick FAQs: Giant Grill GaugeUpdated 3 days ago

Will the Giant Grill Gauge fit my grill?

Most likely yes. It replaces the analog dome thermometer on the great majority of grills and smokers.

The reliable way to check is the printable template. Print it, hold it against your grill, and confirm the mounting area is flat enough and has the clearance:

• The sensor tube is 3.8 mm across, and any existing hole from 5/32" to 1/4" works
• You need 2.5 in (64 mm) of clearance around the mounting point
• Total mounting diameter is 4.3 in (109 mm)

Will It Fit? Fitment Guide for Giant Grill Gauge & Combustion Engine includes templates in both Letter and A4, plus full measurements.

We also keep a running list of grills confirmed compatible, with the mount each one needs: GGG: Compatible Grills and Smokers.

Never drill a ceramic grill. Ceramic cracks, and the crack will not stop. If your kamado has no existing thermometer hole, contact us before you do anything.

Two things that catch people out:

• A leftover gap. On some grills, the factory thermometer leaves a larger hole than the Gauge covers. Check the hole diameter against the template before you remove anything.
• Very thick walls. On heavily insulated ceramic grills, the sensor tube may not reach past the interior wall. The tube is 86 mm long, so if your existing thermometer probe is substantially longer, ask us first.

Which mount do I need, the Heat Shield or the Heat Deflector?

It depends on where the Gauge sits and how hot that spot gets.

 If you are unsure, choose the Heat Shield. There is no real downside to extra heat protection unless you specifically want the slim profile.

My grill is not on the compatible list. Now what?

Do not read that as incompatible. The list is what we have confirmed, not the limit of what works, and it grows as people report back.

Print the template, check it against your grill, and email us at [email protected] with your grill make and model. We will tell you what we know and add your grill to the list.

Does the Combustion Engine need the Giant Grill Gauge?

For automatic temperature control, the Engine needs either a Giant Grill Gauge or a Predictive Thermometer to tell it how hot the grill is. The Giant Grill Gauge is the better of the two for this job because it measures the grill's internal temperature most accurately, which makes it the preferred control device.

Without one of them, the Engine still runs, but only as a variable-speed fan you set by hand. It cannot hold a target temperature on its own.

So yes, there is a fan controller for temperature control, and if you already have a Giant Grill Gauge, you have the ideal partner for it. See Getting started with your Combustion Engine and Specs & Tech: Combustion Engine.

Do I also need a WiFi Display or a WiFi Booster?

No. One WiFi tool covers your whole setup. The Giant Grill Gauge, the WiFi Display, and the WiFi Booster each do the same bridging job, and any one of them connects up to 4 Predictive Thermometers to the cloud so you can watch a cook from anywhere with internet.

If the Gauge is your WiFi tool, your thermometers reach the app through it. You do not need a WiFi Display as well.

What each one adds beyond that:

• Giant Grill Gauge: measures pit temperature, large display, mounts on the grill, doubles as a countertop or fridge display
• WiFi Display: pocket-sized, kitchen timer, rechargeable
• WiFi Booster: no screen, and recharges your thermometer while it is stored

Your thermometers themselves always talk over Bluetooth. The WiFi tool is what carries their data onward to the cloud.

Why does the Gauge read a different temperature than my Predictive Thermometer?

Because they are measuring two different things, and both numbers are right.

• The Giant Grill Gauge reads the temperature of the grill at the lid, where the old dome thermometer sat
• The Predictive Thermometer's ambient sensor reads the air immediately around your food, down at grate level

Food absorbs heat and cools the air right next to it, and the grate is usually cooler than the dome anyway. A Gauge reading well above the probe's ambient reading is normal, and the gap is widest early in a cook when the food is coldest.

Which one should you control? Use the Gauge reading to manage your fire and your vents, the same way you always used the dome thermometer. Use the Predictive Thermometer for anything about the food itself.

If you are running a Combustion Engine, whichever device you pair as its control source is the temperature it will hold, so the two setups behave differently on purpose.

If the difference looks extreme, or the Gauge reading jumps around by a hundred degrees or more between glances, that is not normal. Send us a screenshot.

Can I take the display off and use it indoors?

Yes. The display is held to its mount by magnets, so you can lift it off and carry it inside. It works just as well on the fridge or the counter as it does on the grill, which makes it a year-round display for your Predictive Thermometer rather than a barbecue-only tool.

Can I leave it on the grill in the rain?

The Gauge is built for outdoor life. The display is rated IP66, dust-tight and protected against powerful water jets, and the Heat Shield is IP67.

That said, we recommend bringing it indoors when you are not using it. It is weather-resistant rather than designed to live outside permanently, and the display lifts off in a second.

How hot can it get before something is damaged?

• The sensor reads accurately up to 1000°F (538°C)
• The mount is the limiting part: 750°F lid temp with the Heat Shield, 600°F with the Heat Deflector
• The display is rated for -4 to 185°F (-20 to 85°C) at its own body, which is what the mount protects it from

A clean-out burn or a pizza cook that takes the lid past your mount's limit is the case to watch. If you regularly run very hot, use the Heat Shield and mount on the cooler front face if your grill allows it.

What batteries does it take?

Two CR2450 coin cells, and two are included in the box. They are a common size, available in any supermarket, hardware store, or online. The batteries we ship are rated to 85°C for heat.

Replacing them means removing the battery door on the back of the display with a Phillips screwdriver. Fit them with the plus (+) side facing up.

Why aren't the batteries rechargeable?

The Gauge is designed for extreme outdoor conditions. Rechargeable lithium-polymer batteries can be compromised above 149°F (65°C), which the Gauge may exceed on a hot day in direct sun. High-capacity coin cells tolerate those temperatures, so we chose reliability over recharging.

How do I set it up?

The full walkthrough, including the video, is the Giant Grill Gauge setup guide on our site. Allow 10 to 15 minutes and follow it in order rather than winging it.

For what the buttons do once it is running, see Giant Grill Gauge (GGG): Button Controls & Commands.

Why isn't it available in black?

Heat management. Black absorbs more heat, and lighter colours stay cooler. Think of wearing a black T-shirt on a sunny day. Combustion yellow keeps the Gauge from overheating in direct sunlight.

What is the warranty, and what if something goes wrong?

Every Combustion product carries a 2-year warranty against hardware defects, and returns are accepted within 30 days of shipment for a full refund.

Email [email protected] and tell us your grill make and model, which mount you have, and what you are seeing. Photos help enormously with anything physical. You may well hear back from our engineers, or from our founder Chris, as well as from the support team.

You can also compare notes with other owners on Reddit at r/combustion_inc.

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