In the barbecue community, Fireboard has the reputation for producing the most advanced and innovative thermometers on the market. Fireboard thermometers were created by geeks, for geeks. But don’t be turned off, you’re a technophobe. The Fireboad is very user-friendly.
Fireboard has three thermometers (not including the original Fireboard, which is no longer for sale):
- Fireboard 2
- Fireboard Drive
- Fireboard Pro
Fireboard 2 is the best choice for the average backyard barbecue enthusiast. It has all the tech, and 6 probes.
Fireboard Drive is for those wanting an automatic temperature controller. This is most suited barbecue competitors, or for pitmasters who want to convert their charcoal smoker into a set-and-forget.
Fireboard Pro is more suited to caterers and professionals. This thermometer uses specific probes designed to cook at extremely high temperatures.
Differences Between Fireboard Thermometers
Fireboard 1 or the original FB thermometer is no longer for sale.
Fireboard 2 has 6 probes (6 channels), graphing capabilities, and can be used as a standalone unit. You can also control the thermometer via your phone through the Fireboard App.
Fireboard Drive is the same as the Fireboard 2, but with the ability to run a fan blower that can be attached to a charcoal smoker. This feature allows you to control your charcoal smoker with your phone. So essentially, the Fireboard Drive is an automatic barbecue temperature controller. It turns your smoker into a set-and-forget once you attach the fan blower to the vent of your smoker. Then, you are in control of how much air you want the Drive fan to feed your fire.
Fireboard Pro has all the features of the Fireboard 2, and the Fireboard Drive, including the blower fan capabilities. The big difference with the Fireboard Pro is the probes. The FB Pro uses high-quality probes that can withstand extremely high temperatures (like pizza ovens). The Fireboard Pro is more suitable for professionals, caterers, etc rather than the backyard cook.
Fireboard Comparison Specs and Features
| Specs | Fireboard 2 | Fireboard Drive | Fireboard Pro |
| Price | $189 (check latest) | $249 + Blower $69 (check latest) | $299 + Blower $69 (check latest) |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi and Bluetooth | Wi-Fi and Bluetooth | Wi-Fi and Bluetooth |
| Probes | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Probe Inputs | 6 | 6 | 3 |
| Probe Sensors | Thermistor | Thermistor | Type-K Thermocouple |
| Measurement Range | 0.94° F and 752° F | -94 to 752°F | -148 to 1202°F |
| Probe Range | 0 and 572° F. | 0 to 572°F | -148 to 1202 ̊F |
| Operating range | -13 to 140°F | -13 to 140°F | -13 to 140°F |
| Water Proofing | Splash Proof | Splash Proof | Splash Proof |
| Data recording | Graphing, Pictures, Data Recording | Graphing, Pictures, Data Recording | Graphing, Pictures, Data Recording |
| Cloud | Cook Session Backup | Cook Session Backup | Cook Session Backup |
| Display | LCD Display, 256 x 128 with backlight | LCD Display, 256 x 128 with backlight | LCD Display, 256 x 128 with backlight |
| Battery | 30 hour battery life (Li-Ion 4000 mAh) | 30 hour battery life (Li-Ion 4000 mAh) | 30 hour battery life (Li-Ion 4000 mAh) |
| Color | Black and White | Black and White | Black and White |
| App | Android and IOS | Android and IOS | Android and IOS |
| Power | 5VDC-12VDC | 5VDC-12VDC | 5VDC-12VDC |
| Power Connector | USB-C | USB-C | USB-C |
Where To Buy Fireboard Thermometers
The best way to purchase a Fireboard thermometer is directly from the Fireboard website here.
Fireboard 2
The Fireboard 2 can monitor meat from anywhere in the world. As long as you have Wi-Fi, you can access the FB App and monitor your brisket — even if you’re not at home. The FB 2 has several features. You can use the Fireboard 2 as a standalone unit or you can use it to be monitored by your phone.
Fireboard 2 Probes
Fireboard make high-quality probes. Compared to other thermometer companies, the FB probe quality is a very high standard. However, if you don’t treat the probes correctly, they will break. Replacement probes cost $15. The Fireboard website sells a wide variety of probes.
The original Fireboard (now off market) had 6 channels, so it could run six probes at one time. This allowed users to monitor six pieces of meat at one time. Six probes are enough to measure a lot of meat! There aren’t many thermometers on the market that hold this many probes at once. Most other thermometers on the market only hold between 2 and 4 probes.
Although the Fireboard 2 has six channels, it only ships with 4 probes ( 3meat thermometers, and 1 ambient thermometer). So if you want to run six channels, you have to buy additional probes for about 15 to $20 from the Fireboard website.
The Fireboard website sells a variety of different probes designed for certain meats or specific styles of cooking:
- Competition Probes – mini probes small enough to be inserted into a rack of ribs.
- Ambient Probes – thick probes designed to be attached to grill grates to monitor the temperature of a smoker or cooker.
- Sous-Vide Probes – water proof probes designed t be submerged in water (specifically water baths for sous-vide cooking).
FB2 Temperature Range
Fireboard 2 uses thermistor sensors on their probes, which will give you a maximum temperature range of 572° F. If you want to cook at higher temperatures such as pizza ovens, you would need to update to the Fireboard Pro which has probes that can reach up to 1400° F.
- The measurement range, meaning the range which you can read the food temperatures, is between 0.94° F and 752° F.
- The operating temperature for the Fireboard 2 is between -13 and 140° F ( the temperature the base unit can withstand, not the probes).
- The probe temperature range is between 0 and 572° F.
The FB2 Display
- The Fireboard 2 is a handheld device with a large display.
- The display has easy-to-read fonts, and shows all six channels on one screen.
- The LCD display gives you different screen options so you can monitor your meat in different ways.
- Each probe has its own channel, and you can name each channel such as “beef”, “chicken”, or “pork”.
The FB2 Base Unit
The Fireboard base unit is a sturdy unit that weighs 8oz. The case protects the device well, making it knock proof and splash proof.
- 4.4″W x 2.8″H x 1.1″D, 8oz
- 6 ports on the side of the unit.
- Water resistant casing.
FB2 Graphing and Cook Data
The graphing and cook data is an area where Fireboard 2 really excels. On the main display, the temperature is displayed on the top of the screen, and the lower part of the screen will show a live temperature graph of the internal meat temperatures, and the temperature of your cooker.
I find the cloud feature useful because I like to learn from your mistakes. This helps me plan future cooks because because I each cook session saved for future reference. Session data is particularly useful when looking at things like the stall, or wrapping stages.
- There are three buttons on the base unit that where you can scroll through different screens.
- You can use the graphing on the base unit, as well as the FB App.
- Has the ability to take pictures of the cook.
- Allows you to access previous cook session data.
- Fireboard Cloud storage to backup sessions.
Timeline Photos. Another great feature that sets Fireboard apart from the competition is the ability to take pictures at various stages of the cook. The pictures get added to the graphing timeline, which is cool because you’re not just looking at raw data. When you’re looking back at previous cooks, you can see what the meat looked like before, during and after the cook. So you end up with a photo journal to go with your session data.
Fireboard Cloud allows you to store and access previous cook sessions. You can access the FB Cloud via the App or the FB website.
Fireboard 2 Connectivity – Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, App and Cloud
- The Fireboard App runs on a Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.
- I recommend running the Fireboard 2 on Wi-Fi because the Bluetooth often drops out — especially if there’s interference.
- A very user-friendly App—especially when compared to other thermometer apps on the market.
- The phone App shows the current temperature, and the other alarms.
- Live graphing of cook sessions.
- Fireboard gives users the ability to look at live cook session graphing on the Fireboard base unit, plus the App.
- You can access your previous cooks and save your cook sessions on the Fireboard Cloud.
Alarms and Custom Settings
You can set the alarms for each channel, meaning you could set a 200° F maximum temperature for your brisket, or a 150° F for your pork, etc. You can select one channel as your ambient probe channel and set an alarm for the parameters. Let’s say, you want to smoke your meat at 225° F, you can set the bottom temperature at 200° F and the maximum temperature at 250° F. Another cool feature is the option to name each channel. For example, “brisket” or “pork butt”. You can set different alarms for each channel.
FB 2 Battery and Charging
Battery and charging the FB2 is powered by a Li-Ion 4000 mAh capital AH battery. The battery should last about 30 hours, but this will depend on how often the thermometer is alarming and how often the thermometer is uploading data to the cloud which can drain the battery.
There’s also a power adaptor, which uses a USB-C cable for recharging.
FB2 Setup
Set up a simple, comes with three probes. It works with iOS and Android, just make sure you’ve got a good Wi-Fi router which is 2.4 gigahertz router because it won’t support a 5 gigahertz.
The Fireboard setup is easy. All you need to do is download the App , then pair the device. Once you connect the Fireboard 2 to your Wi-Fi network, synch the App, then you will be able to control the thermometer from your phone.
No Fan Blower
The Fireboard 2 can only be used for monitoring temperatures. You can’t control your smoker with the Fireboard 2. If you want to control your smoker, you would need to upgrade to the Fireboard Drive or the Fireboard Pro.
Fireboard Drive – The Next Level FB Thermometer
The Fireboard Drive is exactly the same as the Fireboard 2 except it can run a drive fan.
The Fireboard Drive comes with the capability to run a fan. However, the Fireboard Drive doesn’t come with a fan blower. You need to purchase the fan from the Fireboard website for around $70 to $80 (check price here).
Fireboard Drive Features
- Fan blower capability,
- All the features of Fireboard 2 (above). Monitor up to six pieces of meat, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, App, Cloud, Graphing, etc.
- .Turns your smoker into a set-and-forget.
- Wi-Fi
- Bluetooth
- 6 Channels (can run up to 6 probes)
- Ships with 3 meat probes and 1 ambient probe
- Thermistor sensors on probes
- Measurement range between 0.94° F and 752° F
- Probe range between 0 and 572° F.
- Thermometer operating range between -13 and 140° F
- Water resistant
- Graphing and cook data
- LCD Display
- 30 hour battery life
What’s An Automatic Barbecue Temperature Controller?
The Fireboard Drive is essentially an automatic barbecue temperature controller. I live near the ocean, so my charcoal smokers fluctuate because the breeze. By plugging in a temperature controller (like the FB Drive),the fire of my smoker is controlled by a fan blower rather than the natural wind through the vents. If you want to know exactly what that is, check out my Guide To Automatic Temperature Controllers (ATC’s).
Here’s what you need to know:
- Automatic temperature controllers allow you to take full control over your charcoal grill.
- ATC’s remove unpredictability. When you are relying on the airflow through your vents naturally, temperatures can fluctuate due to wind, etc.
- Set your desired cooking temperature on your phone via the App, and the fan will provide enough airflow to maintain the target temperature.
- Most ATC’s require you to purchase a fan blower that attaches to the vent of your smoker.
So before you purchase a FB Drive and a fan blower, make sure that there is an attachment that is going to fit your smoker, otherwise the fan will not run. The FB Drive fan blower has attachments that will fit these common smokers.
Fan controllers are only necessary for charcoal grills such as:
- Big Green Eggs/Kamado Joe’s
- Weber Smokey Mountains
- Weber Kettles
- Drum Smokers (with commonly used intake valves)
Take Control Of Your Smoker Using A Phone
The Fireboard Drive allows you to use your mobile phone to control your smoker from anywhere. You can raise or lower temperature lower the temperature without having to tinker with vents.
This gives users a great advantage, and takes out a lot of the stress. Often cooks go longer or shorter depending on the weather, and the airflow. You no longer have to worry about temperatures fluctuating because of changing winds.
Fireboard Drive Features
- The Fireboard Drives gives you the ability to control the fan speed of the blower, which is the only one on the market that can do such a thing. You can run the fan blower at 100%, 30%, etc.
- There are several advanced settings which you can tweak, it can adjust from Fahrenheit to Celsius
- Drive has the ability to calibrate probes. All you need to do is go into the settings and adjust any probes that may be off a little. So if yo find the probe is out by 10°, you can go into the settings, and readjust it.
- The side of the controller has three buttons, which allow you to cycle through all the different probes and viewing angles or viewing modes.
- The Drive base unit also have access to the live graphing and session recordings, pictures (all the features available on FB2).
- The Fireboard Drive ships with 3 meat probes and 1 ambient temperature probe.
- Probes are color coded which makes cooking multiple meats less confusing.
- You can run up to six probes at once.
Fireboard Drive Specs
- 4.4″W x 2.8″H x 1.1″D, 8oz.
- 5VDC-12VDC
- USB-C Power
- Li-Ion 4000 mAh (30 hours)
Makes Cooking Safer
Having a fan blower and a drive enables you to do overnight cooks, something that many pitmasters don’t often recommend. Charcoal smokers are unpredictable, so overnight cooks can be dangerous. If there’s a change in temperature, or a sudden wind, all of a sudden your smoker can spike in temperature and make things unsafe if not supervised. The FB Drive makes things more predictable, therefore safer.
Fireboard Drive Features
- FB2 driver has a large base unit with a large LCD screen
- 6 thermometer ports with the ability to name each channel
- Wi-Fi App works with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi is Fireboard 2.
- The probes are the same as the FB2. They have a maximum temperature 5 from 72° F to the ambient.
- The fan blower is adequate, but you can run a pit viper fan on this with the drive unit. You don’t have to run the file works fan.
Fireboard Pro – The Next-Level Thermometer
The Fireboard Pro is the newest of the Fireboard thermometers. The Fireboard Pro can do everything that the FB2, and the FB Drive can do— except it uses better quality probes. The FB Pro is designed for professionals, caterers, restaurants, or people who want to cook food at extremely high temperatures.
Fireboard Pro Features
- The major difference is the probes, and the probes can withstand a higher temperature.
- The FB Drive uses the best probes on the market. They can reach extremely high temperatures. The FB Pro probes have a high heat threshold, so they can operate between -148 and 1202°F.
- The other major differences between the FB Pro and other Fireboard thermometers is that the Drive can only monitor or track 4 pieces of meat though the 4 channels. The FB2 and FB Drive have six channels.
- So with the Pro, you can only monitor 3 meats if you’re using a 4th probe to monitor your cooker.
- The price difference between the Fireboard 2 and the Fireboard Pro is $110, but you get the high quality probes.
- The Fireboard Pro can also run a fan blower, but you will need to buy the fan separately.
