The Thanksgiving tool many home cooks forget until it's time to cook

Every Thanksgiving, home cooks spend hours planning menus, prepping side dishes and coordinating family gatherings. Yet one of the most important turkey-cooking tools is often an afterthought.
According to DoorDash's 2025 Thanksgiving data, meat thermometers were the most popular last-minute Thanksgiving Day purchase, with sales increasing 3,000% compared to a typical November day. Cake pans (+1,200%) and measuring cups (+560%) followed behind, highlighting how many shoppers realize at the last minute they're missing essential kitchen tools.
For anyone hoping to avoid a last-minute scramble this holiday season, Chef iQ says its iQ Sense Smart Wireless Meat Thermometer is designed to make cooking Thanksgiving turkey more approachable and less stressful.
More than 100,000 turkeys cooked during Thanksgiving 2025
Chef iQ reports that more than 100,000 turkeys were cooked using its iQ Sense Smart Wireless Meat Thermometer during the 2025 Thanksgiving season.
Rather than simply displaying a temperature reading, the thermometer works with the Chef iQ App to provide real-time updates, estimated cook times, flip reminders and resting alerts. The goal is to help home cooks spend less time constantly checking the oven and more time enjoying the holiday with family and friends.
Buy the iQ Sense Smart Meat Thermometer
What makes the Chef iQ iQ Sense different?
The iQ Sense Smart Wireless Meat Thermometer is designed to guide cooks through the entire process from start to finish.
Key features include:

- Four internal temperature sensors that provide accuracy within 1°F
- An ambient sensor that monitors the surrounding cooking environment
- Real-time temperature tracking through the Chef iQ App
- Estimated cook times and cooking guidance
- Flip reminders and resting alerts
- Unlimited wireless range when paired with the Chef iQ Smart Hub
- Compatibility with ovens, grills, smokers, air fryers, stovetops, deep fryers and sous vide cooking
- Heat resistance up to 1,000°F
- Access to hundreds of chef-tested presets and guided recipes through the Chef iQ App
Built for more than Thanksgiving
While turkey may be top of mind during the holiday season, Chef iQ positions the iQ Sense as a year-round kitchen tool.
The thermometer can be used with a variety of proteins and cooking methods, whether you're grilling steaks in the summer, smoking brisket for a backyard gathering or monitoring chicken during a weeknight dinner.
It's also part of Chef iQ's broader connected-cooking ecosystem and can be used alongside products such as the iQ Mini Oven and iQ Cooker.
Pricing and availability
The Chef iQ iQ Sense Smart Wireless Meat Thermometer is available in Dark Smoke and Sea Salt colorways.
Pricing starts at:
- 1 Probe: $129.99
- 2 Probes: $179.99
- 3 Probes: $219.99
- 4 Probes: $249.99
The thermometer is available through ChefIQ.com as well as Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy and Target.
Shop Chef iQ deals
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 100,000 Thanksgiving turkeys were cooked with this smart thermometer
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