Indeed I did. Introducing the Stufz Burger Press. Is this really necessary? Nope. But it was fun.

So awhile back, I saw this little dandy on one of the bbq forums. BBQBrethren, SmokingMeatForums, I forget which.
Anyway, once I saw it, I knew I had to have it. Sooo.. I bought one.

The Stufz burger press is exactly what it sounds like. A relatively easy way to stuff a hamburger patty with whatever fillings you so desire. This product enables you to stuff the patty without fear of blowouts or leaks.

My first venture is probably playing it a little safe, but hey, I love a good bacon cheeseburger. So why not stuff it.

First, the ingredients:
I started with some cooked crumbled bacon, nicely caramelized onions, and a mix of a couple different cheeses. In this pic, you can also see the naked burger press.

Then we add the meat. and make no mistake, it takes a lot. This is no wimpy burger. I figure I was well into the 3/4lb range, not even counting the filling.

Next I added cheese. This is a mix of mozzarella, cheddar and havarti.

And some caramelized onions, mmmmmm..

Toss in some of the good stuff: crumbled bacon.

Add the top layer of meat, close the Stufz and give it a little push and voila, you get a massive, cheese and bacon filled patty of doom!

And finally… Man I wish I was a better photographer. I’m definitely putting that on the list of things to do. That and purchase better buns for the next Stufz test!  Behold this Beast!

I recently had a chance to test out the Thermoworks MTC Mini Handheld Thermocouple. That’s a whole lotta words for such a small package. I have to say, I’m once again really, really impressed with the quality and accuracy of the products coming from these guys.

Without rehashing every thing on their own webpage, I’d like to give you my impression of this device.
For starters, I’m going to call this thermometer “modular”. Basically you purchase a handheld unit, not much bigger than your thumb. Then you purchase the probes you think you might need. It can get a bit pricey, but I’ve never had a problem handing over a few bucks to Thermoworks. I’ll pay for quality every time, and their products have yet to disappoint.

My kit contains the handheld unit, a fast response meat probe, and a smokehouse penetration probe. The Smokehouse probe is similar to what you would see on other units. A stainless steel probe, that gets inserted and left in the meat during the entire cook.
The fast response probe is my new best friend. More on this in a bit.

Back to the modular aspect. One of the things I find most appealing about this thermometer is the ability to remove and replace probes on the fly. This means when I’m cooking a shoulder, or other big cut, I can leave one probe in place, and then when the meat is almost to temp, I can simply unplug the “leave-in” probe (leaving it in place), and plug in the insanely fast meat probe to check other areas for proper temp. After I’m done, I can just plug the leave-in probe back into the device.

My original Thermapen will register accurate temps in 3-5 seconds. The fast response meat probe, mentioned above, gives me a reading within 2 seconds. You read that right. Less than 2 seconds. I think I actually giggled like a school girl, the first time I used it on a thin cut ribeye. The probe was designed for fast cooking items like burgers and thin steaks, and it serves this purpose very very well.

My first concern, upon receiving the MTC, was the way the probes plug in. Rather than a clip in, or locking style connection, the prongs are exposed and just get pushed directly into the handheld. There is no clip or lock, and I was worried the prongs might bend, or the probe might fall out.
After using it a few times, I’m no longer concerned about this. The probes fit very snugly, and there has been no give or play in them after a few uses.

If you hop on over to the Thermoworks Site, you can check out the MTC and all it’s options. There are bags, cases, clips, probe extensions, and more.

I’ve had this probe for about a week now, and I have to say, I haven’t picked up my trusty Thermapen since getting this one. Call me a gadget geek, but I really like this thing.
Will this replace your Thermapen? Honestly, it could, but there is still something special about whipping a Thermapen out of your pocket and unfolding it. It makes a nice show

I’ll do a more formal review later on, but for now, let’s just say.. I LOVE MY THERMAPEN.

I have yellow splashproof Thermapen, and I wouldn’t trade it for a wireless, talking, fancy schmancy thermometer that rubbed my feet before singing me to sleep.  These things rock.

The HUGE difference between Thermapen and most other “instant read” thermometers is the time it takes to get an accurate temperature. With every other instant read thermo I’ve purchased, it would take up to 15-20 seconds to get an accurate reading. When you are working in your bbq pit, you need to be as expedient as possible. Open lids mean lost heat. Which means fluctuations in temp, and longer times to get back to your magic temperature. My Thermapen gets to temp in about 3 seconds. That’s awesome!

Why do you need an instant read thermometer? If you are like me you probably have a ton of bbq and smoker thermometers lying around. Every time I fire up the smoker, I jab a probe into the meat to give me a clear picture of what’s going on with my cook. The problem here is some meats (ribs) are pretty thin. If the probe is left in the meat, it can easily pick up radiant heat from the smoker, giving you false readings. With an instant read, you just open the lid, when you think you are about done, stick the probe in and Voila!, you have an accurate read.

The other big use for me, is when doing large cuts of meat like pork shoulder and brisket. When the one probe I have buried in the deepest part of the cut reads what I want it it, there can still be areas of the cut that are not cooked. Moving the slow-reading probe to another area just takes time. After 12-14 hours of cooking, I like to move quick and get it done. I LOVE being able to just grab the Pen and jab it where I need it. I get lightning quick read and can get my bbq off the smoker at exactly the right moment.

The price might seem a bit steep, around $90, but this little bugger is worth every cent. Given that my wife uses it as much in the kitchen as I do outside, I’m about to kick down for another one.  It’s that good.