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Setup Guide: Predictive ThermometerUpdated 3 days ago
Your Predictive Thermometer needs about half an hour of setup before its first cook, most of which is charging. Do these in order.
What's in the box
- The Predictive Thermometer
- The charging and standby case
You will also need the free Combustion app (free on iOS and Android), and optionally a Display, Booster, or Giant Grill Gauge (each sold separately).
1. Charge it first
Put the thermometer in its charging case and plug it into a standard 5V USB port. A phone charger or a normal power block is fine. A full charge takes about 25 minutes.
Use a standard 5V port only. Avoid "quick charge" and other non-standard USB ports. They rely on the device to negotiate voltage, and if that goes wrong, the charger cooks itself to protect the thermometer.
One specific warning: some ThermoWorks chargers deliver 12V. That will destroy any Combustion tool.
The thermometer is asleep while it charges, and wakes up when you take it out. For runtimes and charging behaviour, see Charging / Battery Life: Predictive Thermometer.
2. Download the app
Get the Combustion Inc app for iOS or Android. It also runs on iPadOS and on macOS with an M1 chip or newer.
Enable Bluetooth before you open it. The app finds your thermometer over Bluetooth, and this is the single most common reason a brand-new thermometer appears not to work.
3. Update the firmware
Most of what makes the thermometer clever is software running on board, and updates improve everyday performance as well as unlocking features.
- Open the app and go to settings
- Tap Update
- Let it finish, then recharge if the battery has dropped
Update one device at a time. If you own a Display or Booster as well, leave the others powered off or in standby while each one updates.
Full details, including what to do if an update stalls, are in Firmware Updates: Complete Guide.
4. Wake it up
Take the thermometer out of its case. That is what turns it on, and it comes up in instant read mode, showing the temperature at the tip within about 4 to 5 seconds.
It should appear in the app within a few seconds. If it does not, see Brand-New Probe Won't Connect?
5. If you have a Display, Booster, or Giant Grill Gauge
Set those up next, then link them to the thermometer:
If you have more than one tool, link them all together in one go. See How to Link All Tools (Multi-Node MeatNet™).
6. Your first cook
- Insert the thermometer to at least the minimum line, about 2 inches (50 mm). The line is marked on the probe, and it must be inside the food, not visible. This matters more than anything else you do.
- Set a target temperature in the app or on the Display. That switches the thermometer from instant read into predictive cooking.
- Apply heat. The app shows how far through the cook you are, and a "ready in" countdown appears around a third of the way through.
- Wait for the alarm, then take the food off the heat.
How It Works explains the two modes and how to read the prediction. Predictive Thermometer Basics explains what the eight sensors are doing.
Before you cook, two things worth knowing
- Never microwave it, and never put it in a trivection oven. The thermometer is largely metal, and its antenna is tuned close to microwave frequency.
- Never quench it. Let it cool before washing. Dropping a hot ceramic handle into cold water can crack it.
Warnings and Watchouts covers the rest.
Still have a question?
If your thermometer will not charge, will not appear in the app, or does not behave as described here, email [email protected] and tell us which generation you have and where in this guide you got stuck.
Brand-New Probe Won't Connect? covers first-connection problems in detail, and Predictive Thermometer: Troubleshooting Guide covers everything after that.
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