Mecurate IRT600A Digital Infrared Thermometer In-depth Review
The Mecurate IRT600A is a cheap, well-built thermometer that promises to get the job done. Even though it’s not without faults and got a few kinks to iron out, it’s not a bad purchase for the price!
Overall Verdict
Overall, the Mecurate IRT600A is a good buy if you’re looking for a good-looking, comfortable-to-use, and durable infrared thermometer. This thermometer is user-friendly and packed with many great features, such as the ability to set the EMS (Emissivity). The 13-dot laser pattern can also aid with improved accuracy.
However, do note that the accuracy of the IRT600A is questionable, especially when measuring extreme temperatures. We didn’t receive very good readings during our performance tests with the IRT600A.
Things We Like
- Solid build quality.
- Has several measurement modes.
- Practical laser emitter with 13-point patterning.
- Easy to handle with a clicky, tactile trigger.
- Bright, colored VA display panel.
- Comes bundled with a meat thermometer
Things We Don’t Like
- Unreliable readings. Multiple continuous scans are required before the thermometer “re-calibrates” itself and output more accurate results.
The Mecurate IRT600A thermometer is an outlier in our database, performance-wise. It has a notable quirk of giving inaccurate readings in the first few scans. But, after a while, the thermometer seems to “re-calibrate” and give more accurate readings. We couldn’t find any setting, function, or environmental changes that could cause this puzzling phenomenon.
This makes it very difficult to score objectively (but we tried, anyway.)
Besides this strange quirk, the Mecurate infrared thermometer is a decent purchase in design and ease of use, especially when compared to other IR thermometers.
6.9 Performance
As explained earlier, the Mecurate IRT600A has fairly unreliable measuring performance. During our accuracy tests using an ice bath and boiling oil, the Mecurate gives inaccurate readings at first (compared to the temperature probes we use as a reference). However, after a few sessions, the thermometer seemed to “re-calibrate” and began to yield accurate readings.
We cannot pinpoint the exact cause of this significant shift in accuracy. But for the purpose of this test, we use the readings from the Mecurate's most accurate session.
8.6 Cold Test with Ice
The Mecurate provides accurate recordings after three separate test sessions in the ice bath test.
At a distance of 16 inches, the thermometer accurately measured the ice’s temperature at 32°F. Down to 12 inches, the Mecurate displayed a temperature of 30.7°F—which is still fairly good and within the claimed tolerance of ±1°F.
The average temperature of the Mecurate is 31.35°F, decently close to the reference temperature of the ice bath at 32°F. The temperature difference is also within acceptable limits, at just 1.3°F between the two distances of 12 and 16 inches.
Its performance isn't as good as other infrared thermometers, such as the Etekcity Lasergrip 800. But it’s still better than a vast array of infrared thermometers, like the Sovarcate HS980E and the Kizen LaserPro LP300.
However, it’s worth noting that we didn’t arrive at these splendid results right away. As mentioned earlier, the Mecurate suffered from puzzling calibration errors that make its later recordings more accurate (for reasons unknown to us.) It took us three test sessions, each separated by 10-15 minutes before the Mecurate displayed accurate results. The figures above are extracted from the third test.
5.8 Hot Test with Cooking Oil
In the boiling oil calibration test, the Mecurate recorded a temperature of 373°F at a distance of 16 inches from the pan and 365°F at 12 inches.
This comes out as a temperature difference between either height at 8°F. However, compared to other infrared thermometers, such as the Etekcity Lasergrip 800, the Mecurate’s stability isn’t as good as we had hoped.
Averaging it out, the Mecurate recorded a temperature of 369°F against the reference temperature of 361°F by the temperature probe. This is far higher than some results measured by other infrared thermometers, such as the Helect, with an average temperature on record of 364.6°F.
9.5 Design
The Mecurate IRT600A thermometer comes with a meat thermometer and two AAA batteries in a sturdy cardboard box.
The dimensions of the infrared thermometer are average, and it's made of strong industrial-grade plastic. The laser emitter has a special 13-point pattern with a central dot and 12 smaller dots forming a circle that helps visualize the measurement area. Notably, the Mecurate IRT600A has a color VA display panel, allowing it to display data better.
In the Box
The Mecurate IRT600A thermometer comes in a cardboard box. It’s bundled with a meat thermometer and two AAA batteries.
Dimensions
The dimensions of the Mecurate IRT600A is about average for most infrared thermometers. It fits snugly in the hand of the reviewer and can be used one-handed or two-handed with ease.
9.0 Build Quality
We have no complaints about the build quality of the Mecurate. It’s built from strong, industrial-grade plastic. All of the detailing on the thermometer feels very solid. We also found no significant manufacturing defect when the unit was first taken out of the box. As such, the Mecurate IRT600A gets a perfect score in this section.
10 Laser Emitter
The Mecurate IRT600A's laser emitter stands out from most infrared thermometers on the market with its 13-point pattern, as opposed to the standard single-point laser..
The pattern has a central dot that indicates the general area that the IR sensor is directed to. Surrounding the central dot are 12 smaller dots that form a circle. This circle adjusts in size based on the distance to the object being measured.
Because the IR sensor measures temperature in a cone-shaped area, the outer dots can help you visualize the general area where the temperature reading is being taken.
The brightness of the emitter is good. Under harsh studio lighting, we can see the dots clearly, even against an icy surface.
10 Display Panel
The Mecurate infrared thermometer has a color VA panel measuring 1.3 inches across. It’s adequately bright, and we can see all figures and symbols even under harsh studio lighting.
Battery compartment
The thermometer is powered by two triple-A batteries (included in the box.) The battery compartment is located in front of the handle and can be easily opened by leveraging the two small indents to the side.
7.9 Usability
The thermometer is extremely easy to use. For most kitchen applications, you only need to install the batteries,press the trigger to activate the thermometer, point it toward the object or surface you want to measure, and check the readings.
Fortunately, Mecurate puts a couple more functions into the thermometer that’ll be useful for more advanced users.
9.0 Handling
The Mecurate IRT600A thermometer is lightweight and has a textured grip on the handle, making handling very easy. The trigger is clicky and needs a firm press to activate, which can reduce the odds of accidental activation.
With a VA (Vertical Alignment) screen panel, the Mecurate’s display is bright and can be easily read even under harsh studio lighting.
6.0 Measurement Modes
The Mecurate IRT600A can change its EMS (Emissivity) setting to suit your working surface. For example, we changed the EMS value to 0.97 for a more accurate reading when working with ice. You can find a full chart in the accompanying user manual showing the correct EMS value for various types of surfaces.
You can also change the reading modes to display the surface's minimum, maximum, or average temperature.
8.0 Audio Cues
The Mecurate IRT600A comes with a speaker and gives off a very loud beep when it has finished scanning.