The replacement probe has a woven metal jacket that’s allegedly more rugged than the original plastic, but I think the main difference comes from the additional strain relief at the end of the probe:
That still looks abrupt to me, so I wrapped a silicone tape snippet around the joint:
Probably not food-safe, definitely butt-ugly, but I don’t want to replace the probe again for a long time.
FWIW, although the probe description says it’s compatible with Taylor 1970N thermometers and doesn’t mention the 1478 we have, the 2.5 mm plug fits (no suprise there) and the display shows appropriate temperatures; it seems no less accurate than the original probe.
The Smell of Molten Projects in the Morning 