Which FireBoard is right for Dad??

Our products are quite versatile with each unit having multiple practical applications.  This guide allows newcomers to our product line to weed through the specs and descriptions and pinpoints the right gift by focusing on how your dad cooks.

FireBoard’s Spark is the fastest cloud-connected instant-read thermometer on the market.

Where does your dad do most of his cooking? If he spends most of his time outside barbecuing, smoking meats, or grilling, skip down to the next section “What kind of grill does your dad use?”

If your dad is a foodie who enjoys cooking in the kitchen, the Spark instant-read thermometer is a must.  With read times of less than a second, no other thermometer on the market is faster than the FireBoard Spark.  This level of speed and accuracy is super helpful with a variety of culinary disciplines, from making sauces, candy or proofing bread just to mention a few.  Further, the Spark has a port for a second corded probe to be attached.  Which allows continuous temperature monitoring in an oven for roasts. 

FireBoard’s Spark has a port for a second corded probe to be attached.  Which allows continuous temperature monitoring in an oven for roasts.

What Kind of grill does your dad use?

The Type of grill your dad uses is key to which FireBoard will be the most useful Father’s Day Gift.

For starters, if he is doing any sort of outdoor grilling a Spark is a perfect instant-read thermometer and is loaded with features to grow with.  Being the fastest probe on the market it’s perfect for food safety and pinpointing doneness.  To help out every Spark comes with a food temperature guide listing doneness temps and USDA minimum temperatures. This way Dad will be able to cook to everyone’s preferred doneness be it beef, chicken, fish, or even duck!

Even on a classic grill like the Weber Kettle or a Kamado like the Big Green Egg your dad could benefit from FireBoard tech.  For simple grilling, the instant-read Spark is a fantastic way of multitasking a grill loaded up with chicken, steaks, burgers, and Brats. 

A Primo Kamado Grill upgraded with a FireBoard 2 Drive and Drive Blower.

If Dad is considering branching out into smoking some ribs or brisket, the FireBoard 2 Drive and Drive Blower fan can turn these classic charcoal grills into a capable smoker, with no need to purchase a dedicated meat smoker.  This is accomplished by an ambient probe clipped to the grilling surface, and the blower fan installed to the firebox’s vent.  The FireBoard Drive monitors the temperature and modulates the Blower fan to maintain your desired temperature.   You’ll also use the deflector plate that came with your kamado or strategically stack your charcoal briquettes.  This is perfect for the dad that is just starting down the path to meat smoking. 

A Weber Kettle Grill with a FireBoard 2 Drive, Blower and Nozzle Adapter kit installed.

If your dad is already up a running and has been smoking for a bit, FireBoard has the precision instruments that will help him elevate his barbecue to the competition circuits!

If he is using a pellet smoker like a Yoder YS640s then he will definitely appreciate some competition probes.  The body of this style of probe is thinner than standard probes which allows you to take temperature readings in smaller spaces like the meat on a slab of ribs, without letting the bone affect your temp readings.

FireBoard’s slender competition probes give you the ability to take temperature readings in small areas like between the bones of this slab of ribs.

If he is using a pellet grill that isn’t wifi connected, a FireBoard 2 is a great upgrade to his existing smokers.   It will allow him to monitor up to 6 different probes via FireBoard’s app.  This could be the ambient temperature of his grill and up to 5 different pieces of meat.  Plus FireBoard’s app is simple to use and has useful features that allow you to watch the progress of your cook from your smartphone or smartwatch.  You can even set SMS alerts so Dad will get a text or email from his FireBoard when his ribs are getting close to done.    The app also will archive all past cooks and has a helpful tool called  Analyze that analyzes your cook’s progress and will predict when a slow-and-low smoking session will be ready to eat.

The FireBoard App’s graphic representations: the Predictive Analysis, inset left, at right Paul Skelton (proud father of 2) checks in on a live cook he has going in real time.

Even if your dad is a full-on BBQ Pitmaster, using a traditional offset, drum, or gravity-fed smokers FireBoard has some products that would be especially useful to him.  If he is competing in BBQ contests, a Spark will allow him to quickly double-check that his entry is at the right temperature before turning it into judging.  

Dad, and Award winning BBQ Pitmaster Jason Day of Burnt Finger BBQ checks a pan of his AMAZING burnt ends with a FireBoard Spark.

Taking it a step further, the FireBoard 2 Drive was born out of competitions like The American Royal World Series of BBQ, and Memphis in May.  Having the ability to set alerts on 6 different thermometers and set a Drive program to manipulate the pit temperature, ensuring that the ribs don’t get overcooked.  

Plus, every cooking session is added to an archive on the app.  This level of detail gives competitors ample data to attribute success allowing them to easily recreate award-winning results.  All of these cook sessions are searchable and can easily be shared.  In fact, sessions can be shared in real-time, allowing Dad to share his cooking experiences with family and friends.

The Spark and FireBoard 2 Drive are our best sellers,  and both are the best tools on the market for speed, accuracy, and monitoring.  If your dad is cooking at temperatures over 570ºF, like with a wood-fired pizza oven, we designed the FireBoard 2 Pro, with Type K thermocouple probes that are rated up to 1400ºF!  

Dad and content creator, Jeff turning a pizza.  Most pizza ovens are fast and hot cookers and operate in excess of 800ºF. Which is above the range of most thermometers but perfect for the K-Type thermocouple probes of a FireBoard 2 Pro.

Honorable Mentions: 

Even if your father is already set up with a Spark and a FireBoard 2, be sure to visit our store for some other Father’s Day gift ideas like cookbooks, sauces & rubs to inspire his next cooking session, or some great FireBoard accessories and apparel.