Features:

  • Simple to use: plug it in, set the temp ranges, place the probe, plug in the heater/cooler into the marked outlet.
  • Be able to connect with refrigeration and heating equipment at the same time.
  • Easily calibrated.
  • Can display in Centigrade or Fahrenheit.
  • Whether you need temperature control for fermentation, greenhouse, kombucha control or to set up your temperature project system, the ITC-308 temperature controller is a great choice.
Turn a freezer into a fridge!

I purchased the Inkbird temperature controller to convert a small chest freezer into a chest refrigerator for our off-grid home. I based my purchase on the features (digital readout, compressor delay) and the affordable price point, as well as the reviews. Setup was relatively easy, and the instructions included in the pamphlet are fairly straightforward. I definitely recommend reading the instructions thoroughly. Once the parameters were set, I plugged the freezer into the "cooling" outlet, and the Inkbird did its job. I've only had it for a couple days, so I can't review its longevity. I'll revisit this review in a few weeks and post an update.

Convert Upright Freezer to (beer) Refrigerator IN 2 MINUTES!

Converted my old upright freezer to a beer fridge with only the plug in of this device. After reading tons of online content and YouTube info, found that i could literally MAKE the “new” fridge to freezer appliance now marketed by frigidaire at $700 with THIS device. The old freezer I have can now be used as a beer fridge or programmed back to a freezer if I have the need. So easy to use. Instructions are well written with easy to follow flow charts. Another bonus of this device is that I can limit the compressor use of my old freezer with the controller and lengthen it’s useful life. Setting a higher temp range (like 30-35F) allows for the compressor to rest when not truly needed. Check out some of the beer brewer videos that use this device posted on YouTube... it will all make sense.

Highly recommend for beer brewers!

What can I say, this is the best value out there! excellent range of temps, very customizeable and accurate, lets me stay within a degree. I use this for fermentation control and the price allows a practical solution. Very durable and the prob and cord are water proof. I poked a hole in the carboy stopper and forced this prob and a small length of the cord through and now it hovers in the middle of the carboy for the most accurate control of temps. Highly recommend for beer brewers! Only thing is the cord really has held its shape from packaging even with very careful and drastic effort to make the cord hold a different shape it still maintains the bends from when it was wound up in the package.. kind of annoying cause it takes a lot of persuasion to manipulate.

Cool. (Or Hot!)

This works very well, and keeps my freezer at a constant temp for brewing. I had to return the first one as it quit working but the second one works perfectly. READ THE INSTRUCTIONS first; setting it the first time is kinda confusing. Default setting is C, but you can change it to F. You have a range of + and - variables (default is +- 3*). It has two plug ins - one for heating and one for cooling. In my case, I extended the probe wire and laid the probe on a rack in my freezer, plugged the unit into the wall outlet and plugged the freezer into the “cooling” outlet on the controller. Set the unit, and it does a great job of keeping the temperature where I want it. It is a great unit at a great price.

Simple but all you need for simple temp control!

These things are awesome. I own two now using them for a fermentation fridge and keezer. Note that Amazon seems to stock the older model which does not come with a detachable probe. You would have to cut the probe wire and patch in the new one (if you want to use a long probe for fermentation) or open up the device and remove the short probe from the board. If you can, try to find one with the removable probe that allows you plug in another.

Cold beer is better than frozen beer!

Thermostat failed in my under counter keg refrigerator. This was a custom built draft beer system in my bar making replacement very expensive. The thermostat in my refrigerator worked sometimes...other times not. Decided to go with this versus the traditional dial thermostat as this offered better control and a visual of the temp in the fridge. Set up was a breeze, as others have said find a way to keep the instructions safe as set up without them could be challenging. I would buy again!

Good and accurate.

23 October 2016 Bought this to control the band heater on a 1 gallon jar to make kombucha. I set the temperature differential to 1 degree and every time I check it the temp is +/- 1/2 of a degree from setpoint (78 degrees) every time. And I checked the temp with a separate high quality thermometer and the Inkbird temp and my thermometer temp matched. If it did not match there is a feature on the Inkbird to calibrate it. My only regret is that I wish I would have bought the model with the smaller probe. I thought it would be a good idea to stick the probe down into the kombucha while it was fermenting. But, the long probe interfered with the formation of my scoby. The good news is the probe is removable and a replacement can easily be plugged in. I bought a smaller probe (Amazon # B01AW1PBZ0) and taped it on the outside of the jar and then covered it with a square of Reflectix insulation so the probe sensed just the jar temp and not the ambient air temp.

Works flawlessly! Very happy, AGAIN!

InkBird does it again!! I purchased their 308s to keep my DWC water temps in check, and also purchased this one for my gardens ambient air temps. I plugged in my AC (old window unit sits on floor now) and my space heater (both are analog, not digital), set my desired temp, set my high and low 4deg from desired temp, reset my exsisting temp reader in room (to measure my t-dat the next morning) and walked away. Woke up and my t-dat is 6!!! Worked flawlessly. Not only is my room temp perfect now (all year long), you are saving me money yet again! Much better to have blasts of heating or cooling than to continually run one or the other.

The home winemaker NEEDS this!!!

I, too, ordered this for use with my wine fermentation chamber. My basement is 62 degrees and I need to ferment at 72 to 75 degrees F. This works like a charm! I even had 2 separate thermometers inside my chamber while this was operating, and the temps are all within 1 degree of each other. The nicest feature that I see, is if there is any discrepancy between the "actual" temp and the temp that the Inkbird detects, it is easily compensated for by the "differential" setting. Additionally, I have now moved the sensor into my Refrigeration chamber, and am now bulk-aging my wine at a perfect 55 degrees F. This is an absolute MUST for any home winemaker that needs to stabilize their fermentation/storage temps. The one drawback that I see is that there is only one temperature sensor, so you can not use it for heating and cooling "simultaneously." i.e. one probe in your fermentation chamber while the other is in your refrigeration chamber. Too bad.

Great Temperature Controller

Let me start by saying that I work in calibrations for a living and I have dealt with just about every type of temperature controller on the market. I purchased this controller to use on my refrigerator since the internal thermostat had gone bad. Upon receiving this item, the first thing I did was to check the accuracy with a NIST traceable temperature standard. Out of the box this unit was only off by one tenth of one degree Fahrenheit. I almost never see that kind of accuracy in a $35 instrument. The manual is very easy to read and was well translated. The basic setup on my refrigerator only took ten minutes and having observed this controller in operation, it is doing EXACTLY what it is supposed to do. The only advice I have for anyone using this for a refrigerator is to place the temperature probe in a small vial of water. This will more closely approximate the food temperature and will keep the compressor from cycling too often. If you are using it in a freezer, isopropyl alcohol in a sealed vial works very well. In conclusion, this is a great controller at a fantastic price and I highly recommend it.

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