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Ooni, Traeger and Oklahoma Joe’s all released some new products for the start of the summer. These aren’t major grill releases, but are neat products nonetheless, so I’ve compiled them into a round-up of what’s new.
Traeger Instant Read Thermometer
Pretty much every major grill company has waded into the waters of temperature measurement. Traeger got in early with their acquisition of MEATER and helped popularize temperature probes.
They’re back with a new Instant Read Thermometer that has some cool features. They thought about how people use them and made it easier to use.
They added a food safety chart to the handle of the thermometer. This is a great idea because that’s why people are checking the temperature in the first place and it saves them from looking it up on their phone.
They also made an opening in the handle to be able to hang off a P.A.L. hook on their grills. This is also a user friendly feature because usually a meat thermometer is taking up valuable side shelf space.
Beyond the ways they’ve added to the thermometer, it also does the basics. It reads temperature in 2-3 seconds, has a rotating LCD display, and it’s water resistant. The new thermometer is competitively priced at $49.99 (check price).
Going back to their MEATER brand, it is notable that this product was released under the Traeger brand and not the MEATER brand. They also offer a temperature probe in the Traeger brand that looks like a re-badged MEATER.
MEATER has had some struggles and restructuring, so it makes me wonder if Traeger is finding more brand equity under the Traeger name. MEATER still has value from their engineering and IP, but maybe Traeger consolidates the brand in the future.
Oklahoma Joe’s SmokeCraft Knives
The Oklahoma Joe’s brand is synonymous with traditional barbecue. They sell an array of smokers including on of my favorites, the Bronco drum smoker.
If you’re cooking barbecue, you need a good set of knives. Oklahoma Joe’s has you covered on that front too with their recently released SmokeCraft Knives.
They released three knives that are all key to the barbecue process. The first is a Chef’s Knife that’s good for all around prep. I use it the most for trimming fat and chopping vegetables.
For breaking down bigger cuts of meat, OKJ’s released a Cleaver Knife. It’s got some heft to it to make it through the tough stuff. It also has a cutout on the back of the blade for hanging it or for added leverage.
Finally, they released a Slicing Knife that has a scalloped blade for cutting things like finished brisket, ribs, or turkey. It’s a similar design to what you’ll find at countless barbecue restaurants across the country and is a great tool for the kitchen.
I’ve been using all three and like the feel of them. They all have good weight in the right places, beyond just being really sharp. They’re a nice upgrade from what I’ve been using from the restaurant supply store.
All the knives are made from high-carbon stainless steel with riveted handles. They retail for $39.99 each, and come with leather sheaths, so they’re a good value.
Highland Green Ooni Koda Pizza Oven
The original name in backyard pizza ovens, Ooni, has a new colorway for their latest propane pizza oven. They launched the Koda 2 line last year with bigger and smarter models.
To celebrate their Scottish roots, they released the Highland Green colorway for Koda 2 ovens. It accompanies the existing Slate Blue and the OG Foundry Black color options.