The Meater Thermometer: Because Who Needs Wires at a BBQ Anyway?

The Meater Plus is an awesome, wire-free dual thermometer with just one probe that’s perfect for grills, smokers, and even rotisseries. It’s like having a cooking assistant with real-time temperature monitoring of both your yummy food and your cooker. With a wireless range of up to 165 feet, it shows you all the juicy details on your smartphone through a handy app. In the app, you’ll discover super-helpful cooking instructions, recipes, and time guesstimates for your culinary masterpiece.

These thermometers are fantastic because you can roam free while your meat cooks to perfection! Just pop the single probe into your meat, and it will chat with your smartphone via Bluetooth, sending all the temperature updates.

There are smart sensors at both ends of the probe that read the meat temperature and the grill or smoker’s ambient temperature simultaneously. The Meater’s wireless magic makes it your perfect cooking companion for camping, tailgating, caravanning, RVing, or any adventure you can think of! With the app, you’ll be a cooking pro, tracking internal and ambient temperatures, picking your meat type and desired doneness, and knowing roughly how long until your feast is ready.

 

What’s in the box?

1 probe

1 charging block

1 AAA battery

1 cute little instruction manual

The brief manual has everything to get you started: where to download the app, basic instructions, and more. The app itself offers even more detailed and easy-to-follow instructions.

 

The Nitty-Gritty: How the Meater Thermometer Functions:

The Meater probe is like having two thermometers in one! It’s divided by the line you see in the image at the bottom of the page. The longer, metallic end on the left is the probe that goes into your food, measuring and reporting its internal temperature. The shorter black end houses a second thermometer, measuring and reporting your grill or smoker’s internal temperature.

Using the Meater is a breeze! Insert the probe into your food right up to the dividing line, and you can monitor the internal temperatures of both your food and pit without a single wire in sight! The single probe sends the temperature data to your phone via Bluetooth, where it’s displayed on the app.

 

Meater Link & Meater Cloud: Stay Connected, Wirelessly

You can even set up MEATER Link to monitor your cook from any Android or Apple device on your home Wi-Fi network or use MEATER Cloud to keep tabs on your cook from anywhere with internet access. The app is user-friendly, allowing you to choose your food type and preset doneness level, or set a custom target temperature. You can also set up various countdown timers and custom labels.

 

Perfectly Cooked Every Time: Preset Timings Uncovered

When you select a meat type and target temperature in the app, an ingenious algorithm estimates how long the cook will take. It even accounts for carryover cooking! The app tells you when to remove your meat (at a temperature below your target), so it will reach the desired temperature while resting. It even tells you how long to rest! If you maintain a constant pit temperature, this feature is surprisingly accurate.

 

Grills or Smokers? The Meater’s Versatility Explored

The Meater shines on a standard grill, cooking meat and poultry cuts to perfection. It’s also great for larger cuts you’re roasting for longer periods. But if you plan to use it in a smoker, consider upgrading to the ‘Plus’ model, as the standard model’s signal might struggle with thick-walled, high-end smokers. However, with the Meater Plus repeater block, it should help with that issue.

 

Alexa, How’s My Steak Doing?” – Voice Assistants Join the BBQ

If you’re using Meater in Cloud mode and own an Amazon Alexa device, you can “talk” to your Meater! Just ask Alexa about your foods progress, and your device will give you the estimated remaining time.

 

A Closer Look at the Meater Plus Probe: What Sets It Apart

The stainless-steel probe resembles a dart without the fins. About 1/3 of the way up from the “pointy end” (as the app calls it) is the internal sensor. At the wide end is the ambient sensor, and on the flat end is the charging contact. You might spot a tiny band around the middle of the probe, affectionately known as the “safety notch.” If you can still see this little guy when the probe is in the meat, it’s not deep enough, and you won’t get a trustworthy reading. Plus, you might accidentally hurt the probe’s delicate “pointy end” that doesn’t like high temperatures.

Cleaning the probe is a breeze! Just give it a quick rinse under the tap and a gentle scrub with a sponge. A dab of mild dish soap works too. Make sure you get the charging contact end squeaky clean, or it might refuse to charge.

The probe’s water-resistant but not waterproof, so don’t go dunking it in a pool.

 

The Charger:

The difference in the Meater+ lies in the charger block. The Meater+ charger looks identical to the original, but it’s also a sneaky signal repeater, extending the Bluetooth range. The marketing folks say you’ll get up to 5x more range than the standard Meater.

 

Speedy & Spot-on: Meater’s Precision and Efficiency

Connecting the probe to the app is lightning-fast! It hooks up to your phone quicker than you can say “one Mississippi.” The Meater stays speedy even when things heat up, delivering temperature readings in just a few seconds.

According to the manufacturer, the probes have outstanding accuracy, better than +/- 1F. Most top-of-the-line thermometers offer accuracy of +/- 1.8F. I believe them, and I’ve had no issues. The ambient sensor might trip you up, though.

 

Initial Readings: Navigating the Bumps in the Road

With a dual-probe thermometer, the ambient probe stays away from the chilly air created by refrigerated meat. But with the Meater, you’ll get a reading wherever it sticks out from the meat. So, if you jab it into the top of a turkey, it’ll tell you the temp near a cold turkey, which is way off from the actual grill temperature.

When cooking, make sure the ambient sensor is as close to the cooking grate as possible and 90 degrees to the meat surface, so it’s as far from the meat as possible. At the beginning of cooking, when the meat’s fresh from the fridge, the probe’s close proximity to the cold meat will show a temperature much lower than the actual ambient air temperature of your grill or smoker. Keep this in mind and don’t rely on the ‘ambient air temperature’ reading until the meat has warmed up a bit.

One fun little trick to get a more accurate ambient temperature reading at the start of your cook is what is called the “Sacrificial Potato Trick.” Instead of sticking the probe directly into your meat, pop it into a room-temperature potato. This way, there’s no ‘cool pocket of air’ to throw off the reading.

Get your grill or smoker up to temperature and stabilized, then remove the Meater, toss the potato, and insert the probe into your meat. Voilà! Sure, it’s not perfect, but potatoes are cheap, and this workaround does the trick.

 

Going the Distance: Meater’s Wireless Range Breakdown

How far you can roam from your barbecue or smoker depends on your setup.

The manufacturer specs for range are:

With just Bluetooth and a standard Meater, you’ll have a range of about 10 to 33 feet. The lower end is for smokers and kettles, and the upper end is for ceramic grills, gas grills, open grills, and rotisseries. Your environment matters too; walls and fences can limit your range, for example. For extra range, choose MEATER Link with Wi-Fi for up to 165 feet or go for the + model. The Meater+ with its signal repeater boasts a Bluetooth range of up to 165 feet.

With either unit, you can set up MEATER Cloud and monitor your cook from anywhere on the planet. It’s a bit over-the-top, but hey, it’s cool!

 

Design and Build: Meater’s Sleek and Sturdy Construction

As far as barbecue gadgets go, this one’s quite the looker. The real wood used for the block adds a touch of class, and it’s not an eyesore in your kitchen. The wood construction, including the battery cover, is pretty durable and shouldn’t fade or chip easily. Just remember not to get it wet!

Thanks to its wireless design, including the charging system, there are no cables to worry about detaching, crimping, fraying, or wearing out.

On-the-Go Grilling: The Mobile Meater Experience

 

The Meater system’s mobile app is the heart and soul of your cooking experience. This versatile platform is available for Android and iOS users.

Let’s get the party started! Kick-off your app, and you’ll breeze through a quick tutorial that’ll have you set up in no time. Connect your probe and app, and you’re good to go!

You’ll begin by choosing from 5 delightful meat categories: beef, pork (with the quirkiest icon ever), poultry, lamb, and fish. Then, pick the cut you’re about to grill. Say, you’re in the mood for beef; you’ll have options like rib-eye, brisket, prime rib, chuck, sirloin, T-bone, tenderloin, round, shank, and ground.

You’ll then see a smorgasbord of doneness options, with the USDA’s recommended safe temps in the spotlight. There’s even a nifty color icon to preview your meat’s interior appearance – perfect for those who aren’t familiar with the terms. And you can customize the target temperature, too!

While we’re all about cooking to temperature, it’s great to have an inkling of when it’s chow time. The Meater app has your back with time estimates for your cook.

The app’s genius lies in prompting you to remove the meat before it reaches the target temperature, allowing for resting time and carryover cooking. Smokers, rejoice – “smoke” is a doneness setting for cuts like brisket!

You can set alarms for minimum and maximum internal and ambient temperatures, as well as notifications for specific times during the cook. Name the alarm whatever tickles your fancy, like “Wrap the brisket” or “Add more wood.”

Feeling adventurous? Skip the presets and choose a custom cook from the main menu. Set the temperature and alarms for specific times, like “start the corn on the cob” 15 minutes after the cook starts. You’ll get a push notification on your phone when it’s time to act!

 

Effortless Grilling: The Meater’s User-Friendly Approach

The probe is a piece of cake to operate. It’s slightly thicker than others, but the chunky end makes insertion easy-peasy. The safety notch tells you when it’s in just right.

Slide the probe back into the block, and it’s off and charging – no muss, no fuss. Remove it, and it’s on – no buttons to press. The Meater+ base, despite its signal repeater function, doesn’t need any extra effort.

This app is a winner! Intuitive and chock-full of features, it’s a breeze to use for casual smartphone users. It’s well-organized and user-friendly.

 

Room for Improvement: What the Meater Could Do Better

Admittedly, the probe can be a bit tricky to insert into tougher cuts. But that’s a minor issue compared to all it offers. Also, it would be nice to have an option to plug the charger into an outlet instead of relying on the battery. But hey, we’re talking wireless freedom here, and replacing a AAA battery once a year isn’t a big deal.

 

Bang for Your Buck: Is the Meater Worth the Investment?

With about a $30 difference between the Meater and Meater+, the choice is yours, but both are great value. They’re competitively priced with dual-probe digital thermometers and offer the advantage of being totally wireless.

Go for the Meater+ and its extended range. Totally worth it!

 

The Final Verdict: Meater – A Sizzling Success or Lukewarm Letdown?

I recommend giving the Meater a try, but which version depends on your needs. If you use a kettle grill or metal smoker, the Meater+ is your best bet. For regular charcoal and gas grills or “lid open” cooking, the Meater will do just fine.

 

Pros and Cons:

Pros:

Absolutely no wires – freedom!

Dual sensors in one probe for both food and cooker temps

Spot-on temperature readings

Comprehensive, user-friendly smartphone app

Charges while chilling in its storage case

Superb battery life

Customizable cooking alerts, including time to cook, 5-minute warning, and resting time alarms

Possibly the only rotisserie-friendly thermometer (thanks to being wire-free!)

 

Cons:

A tad more expensive compared to other digital thermometers.

The claimed 165-foot range might be a stretch! Metal BBQ walls can cut this down quite a bit

Be careful with the max internal temp of 212 degrees F; not fully inserting the probe might lead to damage.

Screaming hot searing can damage the ambient pit end of the probe.

 

Specs:

Probe length: 5.1”

Probe diameter: 0.24”

Max internal temp: 212F (100C)

Max ambient temp: 527F (275C)

24+ hours of continuous use on one charge

LED battery indicator

Block dimensions (L x W x H): 6.2” x 1.5” x 1.1”

 

Order yours now: MEATER® Wireless Smart Meat Thermometer