Start Cooking

Never cook with the thermometer inserted to less than the minimum insertion line.

Never use the thermometer to take an instant read for things significantly hotter than boiling water including deep fryer oil or candy.

Do not use the Predictive Thermometer in a pressure cooker, Instapot, broaster, or microwave.

Do not submerge a hot thermometer into cold water. The shock can crack the handle and cause the seals to fail.

Be careful with open flame. Flare-ups can often exceed the handle's max temperature rating (575ºF/300ºC). Prolonged exposure to direct flame can damage the main seal.

Don't use the Predictive Thermometer in sous vide (at least for now, we're investigating). The negative pressure (vacuum) may distort the main seal.

Cycle through other modes (for up to 4 thermometers) by pressing the temp or time buttons on top of the display.

The temp button will cycle through displaying Core/Instant Read, Surface, or Ambient temperatures for each active thermometer.

The time button will set the display in kitchen timer mode. 

Instant Read Mode

When the thermometer turns on, it always starts in Instant Read mode.

If you need to take an instant read (for hamburgers or bread dough or a million other reasons), it’s always there for you.

Instant Read takes about 3-4 seconds to accurately report the temperature at the pointy end of the thermometer. The mode turns itself off when you set a cooking to target temp.

You will see the Instant Read glyph before that (if the handle sensor is below 130ºF (55ºC).

Note: Instant Read consumes more power (about 7 hrs total battery life) compared to cooking mode (30 hrs battery life). 

Surface Temperature Mode

During cooking, the Predictive Thermometer automatically locates the sensor inside the food that’s closest to the surface. This is the true cooking temperature your food is experiencing.

Press Temp to change mode from Core to Surface.  For sous-vide like results, adjust the heat level in your smoker or oven to keep the displayed surface temp at your ideal doneness temp.

Ambient Temperature Mode

The ambient sensor is the one that most accurately reflects the surrounding cooking temp (usually the handle sensor - t8).

Press Temp to toggle from Core to Surface to Ambient mode.

Don't be surprised if it's much lower than you expected. Your oven might say it's 400ºF (200ºC), but near your food the temp is much lower. Water, evaporating from your food, is only around 212ºF (100ºC). That steam actually cools the nearby air.

You can speed up cooking by starting hotter. Watch the ambient temp and when it’s where you like it, turn the heat down to your usual setting.

Kitchen Timer Mode

Naturally the Combustion Display also functions as a simple kitchen timer—smart products don’t always need to show off.

Press time on the top of the display to enter timer mode.

Press m/+ or s/– to set a countdown timer (up to 24 hrs).

Press start/stop to begin or pause the countdown.

Press m/+ and & s/– at once to reset.

For a full list of Display controls and alerts, scroll to the bottom of the page.

Clear cooking prediction (temp mode)

Press m- and s+ at the same time. 

Clear countdown (timer mode)

Press m- and s+ at the same time. 

Clear temperature alarm

Press start/stop.

Switch between ºC and ºF

Hold temp for 1 second to toggle between American (ºF) and science-units (ºC).

Turn on tenths of a degree

While in temp mode, press m- and temp simultaneously.

Change backlight brightness

Press and hold the backlight button (center button on top of display). The backlight will turn on and then cycle through different brightness levels. Release the button when the backlight is at your preferred brightness.

Unlink all associated thermometers

Do a factory reset (below).

Factory reset

Hold light and start/stop for 1 second simultaneously to erase all settings and forget associated thermometers.

Apps are available for Android and iOS.

Download links in the footer (or search "Combustion Inc" in the App Store or on Google Play).

You’ll need to install the app in order to update the firmware (on-board software) of your thermometer and display.

Firmware updates improve the performance of basic functions (for instance, cooking predictions & battery life). They can also unlock new, advanced cooking features. 

We’ve kept our starter apps as simple as possible for ease-of-use. But we will be adding some very cool features as we go.

Apps will soon let you see, track, and export your cooking data so you can fine-tune your techniques.

You will also be able to rename each of your Predictive Thermometers for easier identification mid-cook. Yes!

A few people have run into trouble during the firmware update process. Here's what to do if that happens to you.

The app (or display) doesn’t detect or connect to the thermometer? Usually that means the Predictive Thermometer isn’t fully charged. Charge it for a full 20 min (or until the light on the charger turns green).

Don’t update more than one tool at a time. This can cause the app to get stuck. Turn on only one Combustion device at a time when updating.

What if the firmware update gets stuck or fails to complete? First, try closing and re-opening the app. If that doesn't help, reboot/restart your mobile device (yes, that’s a pain, sorry about that). Restarting clears the Bluetooth cache. After you restart, update one device at a time as described above.

If that doesn’t solve the issue, please let us know. 

Until you update the firmware on your set, you may see some unusual behavior under certain cooking conditions.

• Occasional erratic countdowns (happens when the prediction changes mid-cook, usually during reverse-sear)

• Low battery life during low-and-slow cooking

• Unstable display of instant-read temps

Detailed notes, bug fixes, and planned features are available on our product release notes page.

“The Display turned RED and started BEEPING and FLASHING. Why?”

Bad things can happen when you exceed safe operating temps. The "red alert" is a warning that your thermometer is in the danger zone. 

TEMPERATURE LIMITS:

> 105ºC (sensors below the min line aka "pointy end")

> 300ºC (sensors above the min line aka "handle")

If you get a red alert:

1) Immediately remove food from heat

2) Check temps on Display - see if any reading (core, surface, ambient) is near or above the temp limits

3) Check insertion: is it at least to the min line? Was any of the lower part (below the min-line) visible (not inside the food)? 

If the lower sensors have exceeded safe operating temp, the electronics may have been damaged. If the thermometer is still broadcasting (the technical term is "advertising" temps) – if you're seeing temps on your display, it's probably ok. 

Follow these steps if a lower sensor overheat happened:

• Confirm that the thermometer is still connecting to the display (temps are showing/updating)
• Look for any erratic changes or strange temp readings (that would indicate a damaged sensor)
• If you can’t connect or see erratic temps, contact support 
• Otherwise the thermometer should continue to work normally   

If the higher sensors (handle end) have exceeded safe operating temp, it's possible the high heat has damaged the main seal (inside the handle). Your thermometer will most likely still work properly, if you follow some extra precautions.

Follow these precautions after a handle-overheat red alert:

• Hand-wash only
• Do not immerse/submerge the thermometer when cooking or washing

The risk is that the seal is damaged, which may allow fluid into the interior, which can eventually cause the internal electronics to short-circuit. 

Damage to the seal is cumulative. The first overheating incident may or may not damage it, but the more times it happens (and the longer it stays overheated), the more likely it is that water-resistance is compromised. There is also no way to inspect the seals for their integrity. 

Exceeding safe operating temperatures voids the warranty. If you have more questions, please contact support.

The most important functions of the Predictive Thermometer are software-controlled. (There’s a teensy computer in there, FYI.)

Updating the onboard software (aka firmware) will improve the everyday performance of all the basic stuff. It can also unlock new, advanced cooking features. It’s like a free upgrade to your entire set.

To get firmware updates, you’ll need the mobile app. Once you’ve got that, we’ve made it ludicrously simple to update your devices (really; press “yes” to an onscreen prompt and your work is done). With the app, you’ll be notified as soon as new firmware is available.

The Dec 2022 update included:

• Better instant read response time

• More accurate Predictive Engine

• Longer battery life

• More robust surface temp detection

For spring 2023 we’re working on sophisticated new features including:

• Carry-over cooking predictions

• Stall predictions for low-and-slow

• Improved range/signal strength

More details on the latest and upcoming releases here.

Visit the FAQ

If you're confused, try the FAQ first. It's possible someone else had that same question.

Questions about cooking with the Predictive Thermometer?

For more specific questions, check the subreddit (r/combustion_inc). Chris (our owner/resident expert on everything cooking-related) reads every post and often responds personally.

You also get the bonus of community expertise. Frankly, there are some pretty amazing and friendly cooks on there who may have the same questions and/or already figured out the answers.

Other issues?

Email: help@combustion.inc

If there's a problem or defect with your Predictive Thermometer, Predictive Timer, or the Combustion App, we're here to help.

We stand behind our stuff and will do whatever we can to make it right.