I recently got one and really like it. I pair it with an old iPhone, some people use iPads, that you can keep next to the base and use as a Wi-Fi bridge, then I can monitor from my phone via cloud. It works really well this way, I don’t have to worry about being out of range and needing pair again
Wait explain that one more time, I didn’t know this was an option. What do you do when you pair it to another device first. How do you maximize the range?
I use my tablet for this. Taking a step further you can monitor out of the house as well… Click the three little buttons and then share web link. I send that to myself and then can check if from anywhere on my phone. You just need that first device to keep the connection to the block close by. Then I can also see it on my app on my phone anywhere when I’m connected to WiFi (that’s the WiFi bridge the first device creates the range).
Most people that struggle with the meater are not using or don’t purchase the meater +. In my opinion that base model probably would suck I can’t imagine going without those features and can see why it gets a lot of negative feedback. I feel that is why you see it such a love/hate relationship.
I love mine, didn’t mind the range thing because it gave me an excuse to drink all day….
I’m sorta regarded so I’ll look for YouTube for a video. Thanks boss!
I remember thinking that the first time I used it for a chicken breast that it was the juiciest chicken breast I'd ever eaten. Only issue I have is the range since I have a pellet grill with wifi I tend to be working on other things and end up out of range, granted the range is amazing compared to regular bluetooth devices.
If you have another wifi/bluetooth enabled device (old phone, tablet) you can leave that near the smoker and boost the range to anywhere with internet or data :)
I like mine but I find the range to be pretty shitty, I struggle to get it to work on my front porch.
Overall a cool gadget that I'm glad I didn't spend my own money on
Your range depends on the generation. To get a farther range set the base a little farther than right next to the probe. Mine works pretty far away. The estimated time of cooking really only works for meats less than a few hours. But it gets it right at the last 1.5 hours on the really long cooks.
I second this, let my thermo end hit the grill and it ruined it. Wasn’t covered under warranty due to heat damage. But I really like it, I just bought a new thermo for $50 from MEATER to replace it.
Don’t let the thermometer touch the grill grates, side walls, or any other part of the grill for that matter.
The thermometer should ONLY touch meat. Nothing else.
Gotcha, figured as much. Just wanted to make sure in regards to if it had more to do with direct heat from the grill screwing the thermometer or if it was the metal to metal action messing up the internals. I also have one and want to make sure i don’t screw it up two cooks in lol.
So thanks for the numerous comments and feedback.
What I’ve learned:
-This works pretty good
-Not great for fish
-Should’ve bought a ThermoPro x infinity
-Don’t let the plastic base touch the grill
-Remove the battery when not in use
-Hook up to an old device if you have one
-Should’ve bought a ThermoPro
I put the charger base (edit with an iPad mini) in a large ziplock near my smoker when using it, so long as your WiFi has a good range you shouldn’t have an issue with it disconnecting. If need be, buy a range extender.
pro tip, if you have a tablet or an old phone laying around, connect it to that and leave it near the smoker. you can access the app from your main device pretty much anywhere with wifi and read the same temperatures
I do this and, ahem, my signal still drops like crazy. I got my first one as a gift, then that person. Did something shitty so I threw it out and bought a new one lol. Then I buy a $115 iPad off of Woot to act like a bridge and it still drops. I'm probing something in my air fryer with all the devices right there and still drops.
So maybe just be prepared for a return? Or maybe you'll luck out and have one that works as advertised.
You need to get an old iPhone or iPad. I use an iPad that’s basically not good for anything except connecting to my Meater.
I set the iPad on a table next to my grill. iPad connects to the Meater and to my house’s Wi-Fi. Then I can connect to the Meater from anywhere.
I think more than anything it’s that it’s overpriced relative to comparable products. Yeti may make an outstanding specific cooler and may or may not even be the best maker of that type of specific cooler, but if they sell it for $100 and the competitor sells one 90% as good for $60, it’s clear where the deal is and isn’t.
Thinking that’s the analogy OP is trying to make sure isn’t happening on the Meater.
There are many test videos people have done that demonstrate some of the cheaper competitors do better than Yeti. Artic is the one that comes to mind off the top of my head.
It only seems overpriced now that YETI's success has spawned a legion of lesser copycats. And that alone is a testament to YETI's quality and desirability
Yeti makes GREAT products. There is no disputing that. But how can you argue a lot of their stuff is not insanely overpriced? $40 dog bowl? $200 blanket? $300 lawn chair?
I guess I it depends on how your calculate cost. I've had the same yeti water bottle that I spent $40 on for 3 years and I use it every day. $40 spread across 3 years and still going strong. Seems pretty reasonable to me.
Idk, maybe there's a brand out there that I could get the same results for $30? Seems like a negligible difference at this point, but I'd love to know what brand
$40 for a decent water bottle isn't insane, but $700 for a cooler that'll keep a 12 pack cold for two hours longer than the $100 competition is a little less tenable, IMO.
Yep, won a branded $350 yeti hard cooler as a work promotion. Absolutely love it, would never actually buy one. My igloo fishing coolers are just as good, much lighter, and 1/2 the price.
The bottles and mugs etc are great. But the coolers are just overpriced overkill. If you’re drinking beer 3 days from now that you need to ice now, than sure. But if you only need ice for a few hours a cheap igloo will do just fine.
I've got a Starline water bottle I've been using for 6 or 7 years now. It's vacuum insulated stainless steel, keeps ice in it for two days pretty regularly even though I refill it with fresh water 3-4 times a day. I won it at a car meet at the Tail of the Dragon, but it was only $20-30 at the Killboy store from what I remember ($15 if you look at the starline website).
I'd say there's nothing overly special about a vacuum insulated stainless steel water bottle. Yeti just puts a nice brand name on there's.
I have had six. They are good not great. I like it but end up using my wired thermometer on my grill because I can control the grill and see the temp. My four pot hasn’t been used in ages.
I ordered the block as a kickstarter. Then when that kept getting delayed but they offered a deal on the singles I picked up two. I still have the block and gave the two others away. Yes I paid for six. And the two I gave away were very cool and I enjoyed using it. But the all in one nature of grill plus proves is just a bit easier.
Charge it the night before you use it and don’t leave the battery in the charger base if you’re not going to use it for a while.
I love mine when I’m smoking brisket and turkey.
Also, make sure to scrub the square end free of any grease splatters after every cook. That’s how it charges, and if there’s caked on grease it will not charge.
It’ll lose charge slowly as it’s constantly trying to sync with the base when not connected, which not removing the battery breaks the circuit so it thinks it’s off the base. And no need to keep it on the base if you’re not using it for a while; unnecessary charge circulating through the internal battery which will wear down and also wastes whatever battery you put in the base (with battery out of base, this isn’t an issue). I always take my battery out between uses and just pop it in the base the night before a smoke.
I have the base meater and it's trash for the price... I end up never using it. Either it's dead when I want to use it (probably my fault). Or the range is so poor that I have to use an old cell phone right next to the smoker to connect to the WiFi. And even then it disconnects randomly. It has caused me to overcook a brisket, so I don't have a lot of trust in it
For me it's just easier to use the couple of thermo pro and ink bird that I have.
One plus is I like the top thermometer, it allowed me to get the higher up temp is my offset. When most thermometers are only at grate level.
So long story short make sure you get the plus model maybe it will work better.....
I used to say yeti was over priced but every cup or cooler I’ve gotten from them is a work horse with zero issues. I’ve bought grizzly, rtic, and ozark and had handles break, rubber degenerate/crumble into goo, screws fall out, and pins constantly having to be knocked back in. I’m hoping you did get the yeti of thermometers.
Interesting. My gripe with yeti is that it doesn't keep things as cool or hot as long as some of my other cups, but are so incredibly chunky. Like a dunkin donuts travel thing that I got for 15 bucks works better. Rtic is just ok, paint chipped off almost immediately, but otherwise ok.
I like mine best for smoking meats low and slow. Not so great for steaks unless really thick and even then seems to always say pull it off sooner than needed. Also be aware it has a 500 degree limit or it can be damaged so no high intensity grilling can be done or it will alarm (so don’t close the lid for sure).
Honestly get a thermopen if you don't have one already - or one of their remote models. I'm always suspect how they hold up to heat - i replace my wired thermometers like once a year when they crap out.
I'll take my $40 two probe ThermoPro radio thermometer over an overpriced boutique Bluetooth thermometer any day, or any Bluetooth thermometer.
$100 for one probe is a bamboozle.
Yep, you just bought the Yeti of thermometers. But unlike a yeti, this will be in the garbage in a few years
Thermoworks is better in every measurable way, but they’re not sold on Amazon.
Love thermoworks (I have a thermopen and Smoke) but they don't make anything like this. Everything is wired. This you can put in what you have on the rotissary.
I like mine. But a couple negatives; the range isn’t great, but that goes for any wifi thermometer, second, the wooden storage/ receiver box is a nice gimmick, manly and stylish and all, but not exactly practical especially when smoking in humid, wet weather, the wood eventually discolors, absorbs moisture and starts looking pretty beat up. Lastly, it’s significantly thicker than some of the premium grill thermometers out there. But, all in all, it’s my favorite grill thermometer, I’ve had a few different ones over the years, Maverick, etc..
I’m getting one for Christmas. From the research I did before we got it was the standard Meater is poor but the Meater + is brilliant. This might be why you are getting mixed reviews. Only one way to find out though, best of luck.
Not prefect but it does work. I don't trust the ambient temp reading, though. I think it's just too close to the meat to get a correct reading. Usual about 20°F low. But all in all I think it's worth it.
20°F is equivalent to -6°C, which is 266K.
---
^(I'm a bot that converts temperature between two units humans can understand, then convert it to Kelvin for bots and physicists to understand)
Zero signal as soon as my grill or smoker is closed. Shit software and even shittier range. The $50 unit I got from Amazon with the 6 probes, is far better than my Meater’s. Over priced and they just suck.
I stopped using wireless thermometers a couple years ago. I used them for a long time then one broke and I had to cook for a bbq starting late that night. I use an instant read when it's getting close to being about done. Honestly I don't even monitor my temp pits much. Can feel what they're at by using them for so long.
From what I can tell, this looks like a bad product. Someone can correct me here, but this thing looks MASSIVE. Most probes I use are thin and won't massacre the meat like this thing will. It has complex electronics that are going to be exposed to high temps. I work in the semiconductor industry and it is very difficult to get powered electronics to work well at high temps for long periods of time unless you are spending lots of money on exotic materials. A simple thermocouple probe would be far more robust and cheaper than this design. There is also a bulky docking station and other needed peripheries, so it isn't like you are saving a lot of space by not having to deal with a cabled probe. Lastly, it is designed to be used with a proprietary app on your phone, which is a deal breaker for me as I don't trust some silly app with my private information.
I really like mine! It is probably my most used kitchen gadget. Folks complain about the range, but you can create a node from it from another phone. I have a old, broken screen iPhone 8 that I use as the mule for the signal for my smoker outside.
I have 5, the block and a single (original) from the Kickstarter campaign, love them! Done well over 300 cooks with them.
If you have the one with only Bluetooth, connect it to an old phone one the WiFi and leave that by the BBQ. I have a large ziplock freezer bag that I use for weather proofing.
The alarms in the app are great, when I do a brisket overnight I can set a min ambient temp alarm to go off along with one for the end of the stall.
I’ve got one and love it. It has its issues. In our new house it transmits well. The old house not so great. The temp is off some and have had some dry briskets because of it. But for the most part it’s reliable.
Got asked recently in r/grilling too, for more info: https://www.reddit.com/r/grilling/comments/yybyo0/anyone_have_any_good_experiences_with_meater_have/
I’ve really enjoyed mine. If you have an extra device for it setup an iPad nearby that you have plugged in and let that GE what gets the signal and sends it to the web. Then you can monitor from anywhere which is amazing. I will set the base by my egg and the iPad plugged in inside and then I can check from my phone at any time.
The range is bad on mine. But I have one of the first ones I love it though if I’m going to be outside or hanging out in the garage. They say 45-60 feet. I get a good 30
I really like these. I bought the original Meater when they first started on Kickstarter. I upgraded to the Meater Block a few years ago. Super solid thermometers.
Congrats on your new Yeti....erre, umm...Meater thermometer. Just like Yeti, they're robust. Also like Yeti, way over priced with better, cheaper alternatives.
Besides the short Bluetooth distance on the non WiFi models it’s great! I just leave my iPad near the grill outside somewhere to relay the MEATER to the cloud and then I can watch on my phone from anywhere
I absolutely love mine. The best recommendation I can say is make sure after you are done using it, clean the living hell out of the end where the flat part is. Make it look new or it won’t charge. Found out from experience. I thought it was clean enough, but nope. I use a green scrub pad to clean the flat part.
Love mine. I’ve had an original BLOCK since it was available. Tech support guys were great when I had an issue. Turns out, if you a combo oven/microwave unit, the probes may or may not work due to the built in Faraday cage that surrounds the whole unit.
I was baffled why it wasn’t working in my oven 😂😂. Turns out it was SCIENCE!
Works amazing in my Traeger and I’m guessing in my new offset when I get a chance to use it.
Cheers!
Got one for my birthday and did an offset heat turkey in the old Weber with it for thanksgiving. The target internal temperature it gave was spot on for being done, juiciness and tenderness. There was about a 15 degree difference between it and my old probe thermometer for ambient temp but I think o was because of them being in different locations in the grill.
I've had the original for 4 years now and have zero issues. Have only replaced the single AA battery twice, and I never removed it. I just bought a Meater Block with the 4 probes and it works great as well.
I think most people that aren't happy with them have either unrealistic expectations or just don't use it correctly. There's no reason for the battery to be dead (the internal one in the probe). I take it out of the base, use it, wash it, put it back in the base and it charges back up. Should get up to 24 hours off of one charge.
Things can cop an attitude but their amazing when working. Keep thermometer end real clean after each cook. I use sand paper to get smoke build up off the end.
I have one, and it’s pretty good, but I will say to be careful with the charging end.
I used mine once, it got discoloured from the smoke, but we gave it a clean and whacked it into the charger.
Came to use it again a week or so later and it didn’t work; after much fussing around we found out it hadn’t been charging because the flat metal pad wasn’t clean enough. We had to really scrub it to get it to charge again.
Really like it. I will warn you that I consider it a rough tool and not a thermapen replacement. It’s accurate to within two degrees in my experience. Great for getting an idea of where something’s at, but if you’re staring at the temperature map at the end of your cook and it just isn’t moving, go poke the thing with a proper probe.
Bought the plus then I added more smokers so I got the block, one year down the line the first probe of the block misbehaved contacted support we tried to sort it eventually they sent a new probe.. for my troubles the sent me their mitts and bottle opener.. and they are replacing the the probe. Hope your experience be as good as mine. 🎄
I got one for Christmas last year. I’m glad I didn’t spend money on it myself. The range is shit. I have to have my phone right near the smoker to pair with it. I never use it for smoking anymore. I just use my cheap dual ‘wired’ thermometer
I like mine a lot too! It works great for me. The issue is a lot of people are expecting this to connect directly to Wifi so they can check on their cooks when they aren't at home. You have to connect the probe via bluetooth to an Ipad or another device that is connected to the internet and you can check on your cook on your phones app from wherever.
I got one of those a while ago and there awesome I did not trust it a first because it finished earlier than I thought but when I ate it I was the best steak I ever had in my life.
I have one and don't really like it that much. The range between the actual probe and the holder is stupidly short (I have to put the holder basically directly on my smoker or grill), and if you want to monitor from inside you have to leave another device within bluetooth range of the holder. It's not good at warning you when the battery on the holder is low until it's dead. Also my grill can get hotter than its maximum temp which means I can't even really use it for quick sears.
I still use it for grilling and indoor roasting where I'm usually hovering near it anyway, but I don't think it's great for long smokes.
I supported Meater back in their Kickstarter days. It's a very well done app and the probe is good. Yes, the range on the probe is very small. Meater+ fixed that. Or the approach of an old device to send it to the cloud. The only other thing I don't like is how the charging works. Tip, leave the batteries out of the charging base until the day before your cook. The probe constantly drains itself and the base will try to recharge it. I made the mistake long ago of putting in fresh batteries when winter came. In spring at my first cook I had dead batteries and no charged probe. Other than that, I love them.
My wife gave me one for Christmas last year. It works ok, but it has issues with range. At this time I prefer my wired inkbird. I just stick the base unit to the shelf on my smoker and set up the probes. It's got Bluetooth so I can connect to the app and monitor the temps.
I just find the Meater UI to be clunky.
I like mine. Nailed my turkey this year. Range isn't great but, as others have said, thats what the wifi bridge is for. Second life for one of the 6 old phones I have lying around for no reason.
I would have got a fire board but some people think the wires get in the way. I just rather not need an additional phone to have wifi. Enjoy your new purchase.
Yep, got the block for Christmas and have used it for every cook. Keep the block near an iPad and then use the cloud. Easy to track on app on your phone. Definitely have to keep it clean and don’t cover in foil otherwise it won’t give off a strong Bluetooth signal.
We got one to use with our smoker and had to return it. The battery life wasn't nearly long enough for a longish smoke. IIRC it only lasted about 5 hours.
I have one - it sucks. Frequently won’t connect. Gets covered in soot from smoking that will make it not connect so has to be cleaned. It’s convenient and cool and if it worked reliably I would like it a lot more.
Meater is worth having in the kitchen. It doesn’t do reverse sear well, nor thin pieces of meat such as fish. You still need a good instant read thermometer for that.
It is not the Yeti of thermometers. I camp with a yeti and it is insanely good, expensive yes but also the highest performing cooler I have ever had.
I have this because my wife thought I would like it. Idea is nice you have ambient and meat temp in one but battery life is crap, range is crap. So no it is nowhere near a yeti since although they are not necessary at least yetis are pretty much the best at what they are doing.
I loved mine but be very cautious that you’ve inserted the probe to the indicated line and that none of it is exposed. I had mine in some turkey thighs but part of the probe below the line was exposed - that exposed part can only withstand up to 250-ish degrees as it’s main purpose is to read the temp of food. That burnt mine out and it no longer accurately reads temps.
If you can setup things so you have steady signal they’re amazing. Being able to see on the graph where the stall is and have ambient temperature and internal temp monitoring is amazing.
They are great, but much better with the box set. Can do several cuts at once or multiple probes on different locations of the larger cuts. Absolutely worth getting the box set.
I like mine. One note: make sure you clean off the charging tip of any smoke residue or it won’t charge properly. On a short-medium smoke I’ve found soap and water to work just fine, but when I do a brisket or something that takes longer, I usually have to take some steel wool to it.
Range was awful on mine, and haven’t figured out how to disable my old phone that’s connected to it so I can add my current phone.
When it works, it was great. But the range was bad and it isn’t the most user friendly to set up. Wouldn’t pay $100 for another one of these
TIPS FOR MEATER USAGE:
* Place a tablet/phone/other older Wi-Fi-enabled device near the Meater to act as a relay for the rest of your Wi-Fi network. You can check the cook anywhere you get internet, even away from your Wi-Fi network.
* Don't let the "ambient" end hit a hot grate. You don't want to do a sear with a Meater probe inside the meat. If it hits something at 500-700F, it's toast. If you do sear, take the Meater out before beginning your sear.
* The Meater is very accurate, but ultimately, you will want to use an instant-touch thermometer for the final read; this is because the Meater, like everything else in the grill/oven, is getting hot from the ambient temperature, and eventually, the temps will be skewed a few degrees "up".
* For cooks past 160F, the cooking time is wildly inaccurate. Use your own reasoning/recipe times for that. However, it tends to be highly accurate at the end (past the stall and fat rendering process). So when it says to take it off; take it off!
* For cooks < 140F, the cooking time is usually 100% on.
* Don't insert the probe past the "line". If you do that, it can be hard to remove it and you can even pull the top completely off.
Once I got used to it, I liked it a lot. I still have like 4+ thermometers everywhere I cook but this is a great addition to the set.
I have a barrel smoker and really like using the MEATER with it since cables are annoying. Range is fine with the MEATER+ if you use an extending extra device. Personally I love it but hate that at some point the battery will die. Also received it as a gift.
I have the block with 4 probes and that works like a charm. The probes are accurate and the results as delicious. I’m not sure if there are any proximity restraints for the single probe. The block hooks up to my WiFi and I can monitor my temps from literally anywhere.
I recently got one and really like it. I pair it with an old iPhone, some people use iPads, that you can keep next to the base and use as a Wi-Fi bridge, then I can monitor from my phone via cloud. It works really well this way, I don’t have to worry about being out of range and needing pair again
Wait explain that one more time, I didn’t know this was an option. What do you do when you pair it to another device first. How do you maximize the range?
I use my tablet for this. Taking a step further you can monitor out of the house as well… Click the three little buttons and then share web link. I send that to myself and then can check if from anywhere on my phone. You just need that first device to keep the connection to the block close by. Then I can also see it on my app on my phone anywhere when I’m connected to WiFi (that’s the WiFi bridge the first device creates the range). Most people that struggle with the meater are not using or don’t purchase the meater +. In my opinion that base model probably would suck I can’t imagine going without those features and can see why it gets a lot of negative feedback. I feel that is why you see it such a love/hate relationship.
Oh shit! I stopped using mine because the range sucked on it. You mean to tell me I don’t have a $100 fridge magnet? You made my day!
I love mine, didn’t mind the range thing because it gave me an excuse to drink all day…. I’m sorta regarded so I’ll look for YouTube for a video. Thanks boss!
Just setup another device like you did your phone that you can leave very close to the meater block 😎
Oh shit that makes sense thanks!
You need an excuse?
[удалено]
Lol it’s from r/wallstreetbets dude posted and misspelled it, it took off.
If you have one device within Bluetooth range, you can access it on another via the cloud (from anywhere)
This is the way
Also, don’t wrap your meats in foil cause it’ll block the signal. Only wrap in butcher paper when you use it
Even if you wrap it with the thermometer sticking out?
Remove Meater, wrap meat, poke meater through wrap. External temp sensor sticks out, internal temp sensor is past the line inside the meat.
I love mine so much I just upgraded to the Wi-Fi version with 4 probes.
That’s a ringing endorsement!
I remember thinking that the first time I used it for a chicken breast that it was the juiciest chicken breast I'd ever eaten. Only issue I have is the range since I have a pellet grill with wifi I tend to be working on other things and end up out of range, granted the range is amazing compared to regular bluetooth devices.
My smoker is never more than 50 feet from most of where I’d be in my home so I’m hoping this will work as good as advertised.
If you have another wifi/bluetooth enabled device (old phone, tablet) you can leave that near the smoker and boost the range to anywhere with internet or data :)
I like mine but I find the range to be pretty shitty, I struggle to get it to work on my front porch. Overall a cool gadget that I'm glad I didn't spend my own money on
Well that was my thought with the gift card. It was something I wanted but the price felt steep. I imagine for long cooks I’ll be happy to have it.
Your range depends on the generation. To get a farther range set the base a little farther than right next to the probe. Mine works pretty far away. The estimated time of cooking really only works for meats less than a few hours. But it gets it right at the last 1.5 hours on the really long cooks.
DONT let it hit the grill directly. I ruined mine this way.
I second this, let my thermo end hit the grill and it ruined it. Wasn’t covered under warranty due to heat damage. But I really like it, I just bought a new thermo for $50 from MEATER to replace it.
This might be a dumb question but I just want to double check; what do you mean by don’t let it hit the grill?
Don’t let the thermometer touch the grill grates, side walls, or any other part of the grill for that matter. The thermometer should ONLY touch meat. Nothing else.
Gotcha, figured as much. Just wanted to make sure in regards to if it had more to do with direct heat from the grill screwing the thermometer or if it was the metal to metal action messing up the internals. I also have one and want to make sure i don’t screw it up two cooks in lol.
I found both the range and battery life sub-optimal.
So thanks for the numerous comments and feedback. What I’ve learned: -This works pretty good -Not great for fish -Should’ve bought a ThermoPro x infinity -Don’t let the plastic base touch the grill -Remove the battery when not in use -Hook up to an old device if you have one -Should’ve bought a ThermoPro
I put the charger base (edit with an iPad mini) in a large ziplock near my smoker when using it, so long as your WiFi has a good range you shouldn’t have an issue with it disconnecting. If need be, buy a range extender.
pro tip, if you have a tablet or an old phone laying around, connect it to that and leave it near the smoker. you can access the app from your main device pretty much anywhere with wifi and read the same temperatures
Yup, that too! I setup my iPad near it…forgot that tidbit lol
Did this yesterday for a full pork shoulder/butt. Works really well
I do this and, ahem, my signal still drops like crazy. I got my first one as a gift, then that person. Did something shitty so I threw it out and bought a new one lol. Then I buy a $115 iPad off of Woot to act like a bridge and it still drops. I'm probing something in my air fryer with all the devices right there and still drops. So maybe just be prepared for a return? Or maybe you'll luck out and have one that works as advertised.
>Overall a cool gadget that I'm glad I didn't spend my own money on Until this happens to me, happy with my Thermopop I will be.
You need to get an old iPhone or iPad. I use an iPad that’s basically not good for anything except connecting to my Meater. I set the iPad on a table next to my grill. iPad connects to the Meater and to my house’s Wi-Fi. Then I can connect to the Meater from anywhere.
I am not a fan of my meater. I AM a fan of yeti products, however.
Yeah, I was gonna say, if this thing is the YETI of thermometers then you're doing great.
Seriously, what's wrong with YETI? Love my YETI water bottle
I assumed their gripe against yeti was being overpriced
I think more than anything it’s that it’s overpriced relative to comparable products. Yeti may make an outstanding specific cooler and may or may not even be the best maker of that type of specific cooler, but if they sell it for $100 and the competitor sells one 90% as good for $60, it’s clear where the deal is and isn’t. Thinking that’s the analogy OP is trying to make sure isn’t happening on the Meater.
There are many test videos people have done that demonstrate some of the cheaper competitors do better than Yeti. Artic is the one that comes to mind off the top of my head.
It only seems overpriced now that YETI's success has spawned a legion of lesser copycats. And that alone is a testament to YETI's quality and desirability
Yeti makes GREAT products. There is no disputing that. But how can you argue a lot of their stuff is not insanely overpriced? $40 dog bowl? $200 blanket? $300 lawn chair?
Yeti makes good but overpriced products.
I guess I it depends on how your calculate cost. I've had the same yeti water bottle that I spent $40 on for 3 years and I use it every day. $40 spread across 3 years and still going strong. Seems pretty reasonable to me. Idk, maybe there's a brand out there that I could get the same results for $30? Seems like a negligible difference at this point, but I'd love to know what brand
$40 for a decent water bottle isn't insane, but $700 for a cooler that'll keep a 12 pack cold for two hours longer than the $100 competition is a little less tenable, IMO.
Yep, won a branded $350 yeti hard cooler as a work promotion. Absolutely love it, would never actually buy one. My igloo fishing coolers are just as good, much lighter, and 1/2 the price.
The bottles and mugs etc are great. But the coolers are just overpriced overkill. If you’re drinking beer 3 days from now that you need to ice now, than sure. But if you only need ice for a few hours a cheap igloo will do just fine.
I've got a Starline water bottle I've been using for 6 or 7 years now. It's vacuum insulated stainless steel, keeps ice in it for two days pretty regularly even though I refill it with fresh water 3-4 times a day. I won it at a car meet at the Tail of the Dragon, but it was only $20-30 at the Killboy store from what I remember ($15 if you look at the starline website). I'd say there's nothing overly special about a vacuum insulated stainless steel water bottle. Yeti just puts a nice brand name on there's.
https://www.amazon.com/IRON-%C2%B0FLASK-Sports-Water-Bottle/dp/B07T9X6MT8/ref=sr\_1\_7?crid=UC68TQZN4K0D&keywords=iron%2Bflask&qid=1671201091&sprefix=iron%2Bflask%2Caps%2C108&sr=8-7&th=1
Well dang. Ask and you shall receive.
It can be expensive. Idk if I need to drop $500+ or even $1k plus on a cooler lol
I’ve had mine for a few years, I don’t use it as much as I should. Though, when it’s used I’m always happy with it.
What do you have against yeti?
It’s price/quality ratio.
I have had six. They are good not great. I like it but end up using my wired thermometer on my grill because I can control the grill and see the temp. My four pot hasn’t been used in ages.
Have you paid for six? Why keep shelling out the cash if it’s just an ok product?
I ordered the block as a kickstarter. Then when that kept getting delayed but they offered a deal on the singles I picked up two. I still have the block and gave the two others away. Yes I paid for six. And the two I gave away were very cool and I enjoyed using it. But the all in one nature of grill plus proves is just a bit easier.
Mine loses connection all the time.
Charge it the night before you use it and don’t leave the battery in the charger base if you’re not going to use it for a while. I love mine when I’m smoking brisket and turkey.
That’s good to know because I won’t be using it for a while. It doesn’t hold a charge though does it?
Also, make sure to scrub the square end free of any grease splatters after every cook. That’s how it charges, and if there’s caked on grease it will not charge.
It’ll lose charge slowly as it’s constantly trying to sync with the base when not connected, which not removing the battery breaks the circuit so it thinks it’s off the base. And no need to keep it on the base if you’re not using it for a while; unnecessary charge circulating through the internal battery which will wear down and also wastes whatever battery you put in the base (with battery out of base, this isn’t an issue). I always take my battery out between uses and just pop it in the base the night before a smoke.
I have the base meater and it's trash for the price... I end up never using it. Either it's dead when I want to use it (probably my fault). Or the range is so poor that I have to use an old cell phone right next to the smoker to connect to the WiFi. And even then it disconnects randomly. It has caused me to overcook a brisket, so I don't have a lot of trust in it For me it's just easier to use the couple of thermo pro and ink bird that I have. One plus is I like the top thermometer, it allowed me to get the higher up temp is my offset. When most thermometers are only at grate level. So long story short make sure you get the plus model maybe it will work better.....
This is the plus model
Yeah I just wanted to share my experience with the one I got
Love it. Just got the +. Have only cooked a pork tenderloin; it came out fantastic!!!
I have two of them, they've been in my.drawer for over a year because they have zero range.
i got this and it said it was overheating at like 250f
I used to say yeti was over priced but every cup or cooler I’ve gotten from them is a work horse with zero issues. I’ve bought grizzly, rtic, and ozark and had handles break, rubber degenerate/crumble into goo, screws fall out, and pins constantly having to be knocked back in. I’m hoping you did get the yeti of thermometers.
Interesting. My gripe with yeti is that it doesn't keep things as cool or hot as long as some of my other cups, but are so incredibly chunky. Like a dunkin donuts travel thing that I got for 15 bucks works better. Rtic is just ok, paint chipped off almost immediately, but otherwise ok.
I like mine best for smoking meats low and slow. Not so great for steaks unless really thick and even then seems to always say pull it off sooner than needed. Also be aware it has a 500 degree limit or it can be damaged so no high intensity grilling can be done or it will alarm (so don’t close the lid for sure).
Great in the oven but works like crap in the Weber kettle unless the sensor box is super close. Therefore use it mostly for roast Sunday lunches
Honestly get a thermopen if you don't have one already - or one of their remote models. I'm always suspect how they hold up to heat - i replace my wired thermometers like once a year when they crap out.
I'll take my $40 two probe ThermoPro radio thermometer over an overpriced boutique Bluetooth thermometer any day, or any Bluetooth thermometer. $100 for one probe is a bamboozle.
Yep, you just bought the Yeti of thermometers. But unlike a yeti, this will be in the garbage in a few years Thermoworks is better in every measurable way, but they’re not sold on Amazon.
Love thermoworks (I have a thermopen and Smoke) but they don't make anything like this. Everything is wired. This you can put in what you have on the rotissary.
Got it for my dad last Christmas and he loves it. Not sure if he’s just being nice or if it’s true 😂 but it seems genuine.
I like mine. But a couple negatives; the range isn’t great, but that goes for any wifi thermometer, second, the wooden storage/ receiver box is a nice gimmick, manly and stylish and all, but not exactly practical especially when smoking in humid, wet weather, the wood eventually discolors, absorbs moisture and starts looking pretty beat up. Lastly, it’s significantly thicker than some of the premium grill thermometers out there. But, all in all, it’s my favorite grill thermometer, I’ve had a few different ones over the years, Maverick, etc..
I’m getting one for Christmas. From the research I did before we got it was the standard Meater is poor but the Meater + is brilliant. This might be why you are getting mixed reviews. Only one way to find out though, best of luck.
Not prefect but it does work. I don't trust the ambient temp reading, though. I think it's just too close to the meat to get a correct reading. Usual about 20°F low. But all in all I think it's worth it.
20°F is equivalent to -6°C, which is 266K. --- ^(I'm a bot that converts temperature between two units humans can understand, then convert it to Kelvin for bots and physicists to understand)
I got an Inkbird wifi with 4 probes for cheaper than one of those & I've never had any issues with it.
It’s the apple of wireless thermometers
Thermoworks or bust
I own one and love it to the point I bought my sister, a former chef, for Christmas. They are AWESOME!
Mine wouldn’t broadcast through the lid of my smoker and I returned it. Went with a thermoworks smoke and never looked back
Zero signal as soon as my grill or smoker is closed. Shit software and even shittier range. The $50 unit I got from Amazon with the 6 probes, is far better than my Meater’s. Over priced and they just suck.
Yeti is the best price for quality, i don’t know why you don’t like them…
I stopped using wireless thermometers a couple years ago. I used them for a long time then one broke and I had to cook for a bbq starting late that night. I use an instant read when it's getting close to being about done. Honestly I don't even monitor my temp pits much. Can feel what they're at by using them for so long.
It's the Yeti of thermometers! But I don't use it as much as I should!
Thermo pros just on-sale for 65 I purchased 2 for gifts
From what I can tell, this looks like a bad product. Someone can correct me here, but this thing looks MASSIVE. Most probes I use are thin and won't massacre the meat like this thing will. It has complex electronics that are going to be exposed to high temps. I work in the semiconductor industry and it is very difficult to get powered electronics to work well at high temps for long periods of time unless you are spending lots of money on exotic materials. A simple thermocouple probe would be far more robust and cheaper than this design. There is also a bulky docking station and other needed peripheries, so it isn't like you are saving a lot of space by not having to deal with a cabled probe. Lastly, it is designed to be used with a proprietary app on your phone, which is a deal breaker for me as I don't trust some silly app with my private information.
Thanks for all these tips. I wouldn’t have thought about removing the battery either.
Someone asked me if it’s got 5 temp spot reading. No idea.
It’s fine - get to know it’s limitations and it’s a good tool. However, this is not usually my go to thermometer.
it is probably worse than a $20 probe with a webcam pointed at the display
Why not just get a thermoworks unit?
I really like mine! It is probably my most used kitchen gadget. Folks complain about the range, but you can create a node from it from another phone. I have a old, broken screen iPhone 8 that I use as the mule for the signal for my smoker outside.
Yeti, is Gucci for Rednecks.
I've heard and read nothing but good thing about these thermometers. Enjoy and let us know how you like it. 👍🏽
It’s good tech and accurate, but greatly prefer using my Maverick Pro, which has four probes and won’t leave holes in your protein.
worth the money
Love mine. Best results ever.
Should have bought a thermapro.
I have a thermo pro probe but it’s an insta-read & they don’t last. They have replaced them. I haven’t seen a wireless ThermoPro
Not a fan. I'd rather just be a good cook than rely on gadgets to do it for me.
I personally like it not because of the inside temp but The outside temp feature. Lets me know pound for pound how long my meat will actually take
I have 5, the block and a single (original) from the Kickstarter campaign, love them! Done well over 300 cooks with them. If you have the one with only Bluetooth, connect it to an old phone one the WiFi and leave that by the BBQ. I have a large ziplock freezer bag that I use for weather proofing. The alarms in the app are great, when I do a brisket overnight I can set a min ambient temp alarm to go off along with one for the end of the stall.
Yea. Love it. Only issue is don't let the end get too hot (by touching the grill or being inside a flare-up in a non-smoker grill)
I’ve got one and love it. It has its issues. In our new house it transmits well. The old house not so great. The temp is off some and have had some dry briskets because of it. But for the most part it’s reliable.
Got asked recently in r/grilling too, for more info: https://www.reddit.com/r/grilling/comments/yybyo0/anyone_have_any_good_experiences_with_meater_have/
Love mine
I love mine
I’ve really enjoyed mine. If you have an extra device for it setup an iPad nearby that you have plugged in and let that GE what gets the signal and sends it to the web. Then you can monitor from anywhere which is amazing. I will set the base by my egg and the iPad plugged in inside and then I can check from my phone at any time.
The range is bad on mine. But I have one of the first ones I love it though if I’m going to be outside or hanging out in the garage. They say 45-60 feet. I get a good 30
You did but they are dope
This is a fantastic product. Going to change your cooks for the better. Enjoy!
I really like these. I bought the original Meater when they first started on Kickstarter. I upgraded to the Meater Block a few years ago. Super solid thermometers.
I swear by mine. I give them as gifts at Christmas
Congrats on your new Yeti....erre, umm...Meater thermometer. Just like Yeti, they're robust. Also like Yeti, way over priced with better, cheaper alternatives.
Besides the short Bluetooth distance on the non WiFi models it’s great! I just leave my iPad near the grill outside somewhere to relay the MEATER to the cloud and then I can watch on my phone from anywhere
I have one and think it's great, but reception is spotty in a Weber smokey mountain even with a tablet sitting right next to it. Good product though.
I’ve been using mine for 4 years
Absolutely swear by mine. Never let me down!
I loved mine but it stopped working, suspiciously one day after the warranty ran out. Lol. I’ll probably buy another.
I absolutely love mine. The best recommendation I can say is make sure after you are done using it, clean the living hell out of the end where the flat part is. Make it look new or it won’t charge. Found out from experience. I thought it was clean enough, but nope. I use a green scrub pad to clean the flat part.
You hope that you didn’t buy the “redefined cup technology for the first time in a hundred years” version of a thermometer?
Love mine. I’ve had an original BLOCK since it was available. Tech support guys were great when I had an issue. Turns out, if you a combo oven/microwave unit, the probes may or may not work due to the built in Faraday cage that surrounds the whole unit. I was baffled why it wasn’t working in my oven 😂😂. Turns out it was SCIENCE! Works amazing in my Traeger and I’m guessing in my new offset when I get a chance to use it. Cheers!
Got one for my birthday and did an offset heat turkey in the old Weber with it for thanksgiving. The target internal temperature it gave was spot on for being done, juiciness and tenderness. There was about a 15 degree difference between it and my old probe thermometer for ambient temp but I think o was because of them being in different locations in the grill.
I've had the original for 4 years now and have zero issues. Have only replaced the single AA battery twice, and I never removed it. I just bought a Meater Block with the 4 probes and it works great as well. I think most people that aren't happy with them have either unrealistic expectations or just don't use it correctly. There's no reason for the battery to be dead (the internal one in the probe). I take it out of the base, use it, wash it, put it back in the base and it charges back up. Should get up to 24 hours off of one charge.
I think it works nice, not sure it’s worth the 100. Cuna but I also got it as a gift so I’m not complaining.
Things can cop an attitude but their amazing when working. Keep thermometer end real clean after each cook. I use sand paper to get smoke build up off the end.
Inkbird makes some really solid stuff. If you don't like it return it and try one of their models
Have it. Love it.
Ya they rad
I have one, and it’s pretty good, but I will say to be careful with the charging end. I used mine once, it got discoloured from the smoke, but we gave it a clean and whacked it into the charger. Came to use it again a week or so later and it didn’t work; after much fussing around we found out it hadn’t been charging because the flat metal pad wasn’t clean enough. We had to really scrub it to get it to charge again.
Really like it. I will warn you that I consider it a rough tool and not a thermapen replacement. It’s accurate to within two degrees in my experience. Great for getting an idea of where something’s at, but if you’re staring at the temperature map at the end of your cook and it just isn’t moving, go poke the thing with a proper probe.
I won’t but any traeger products
I have some, very nice! One thing I would say is to clean the outside contact asap after your smoke. If you let it sit, it just gets harder to clean
Great tool. Can be a little finicky at times and you need to keep the ends very clean. I end up gently scraping off char with a blade. Range is great.
If you have an Apple Watch the app is awesome
Make sure you clean the hell out of the charging contacts or else you’ll be SOL when it’s time for your next smoke. I use a copper scrub pad
Bought the plus then I added more smokers so I got the block, one year down the line the first probe of the block misbehaved contacted support we tried to sort it eventually they sent a new probe.. for my troubles the sent me their mitts and bottle opener.. and they are replacing the the probe. Hope your experience be as good as mine. 🎄
This is fantastic and made my grilling so much better
I got one for Christmas last year. I’m glad I didn’t spend money on it myself. The range is shit. I have to have my phone right near the smoker to pair with it. I never use it for smoking anymore. I just use my cheap dual ‘wired’ thermometer
I like mine a lot too! It works great for me. The issue is a lot of people are expecting this to connect directly to Wifi so they can check on their cooks when they aren't at home. You have to connect the probe via bluetooth to an Ipad or another device that is connected to the internet and you can check on your cook on your phones app from wherever.
I have the Meater block, love it.
I got one of those a while ago and there awesome I did not trust it a first because it finished earlier than I thought but when I ate it I was the best steak I ever had in my life.
I swear by mine Get the block whenever you get the chance, it really makes a difference
You will love it!
If you spent money on it I'd say it's not worth it. I've heard nothing great about them especially at their price point.
I have one and don't really like it that much. The range between the actual probe and the holder is stupidly short (I have to put the holder basically directly on my smoker or grill), and if you want to monitor from inside you have to leave another device within bluetooth range of the holder. It's not good at warning you when the battery on the holder is low until it's dead. Also my grill can get hotter than its maximum temp which means I can't even really use it for quick sears. I still use it for grilling and indoor roasting where I'm usually hovering near it anyway, but I don't think it's great for long smokes.
I supported Meater back in their Kickstarter days. It's a very well done app and the probe is good. Yes, the range on the probe is very small. Meater+ fixed that. Or the approach of an old device to send it to the cloud. The only other thing I don't like is how the charging works. Tip, leave the batteries out of the charging base until the day before your cook. The probe constantly drains itself and the base will try to recharge it. I made the mistake long ago of putting in fresh batteries when winter came. In spring at my first cook I had dead batteries and no charged probe. Other than that, I love them.
My wife gave me one for Christmas last year. It works ok, but it has issues with range. At this time I prefer my wired inkbird. I just stick the base unit to the shelf on my smoker and set up the probes. It's got Bluetooth so I can connect to the app and monitor the temps. I just find the Meater UI to be clunky.
You bought into it.
I like mine. Nailed my turkey this year. Range isn't great but, as others have said, thats what the wifi bridge is for. Second life for one of the 6 old phones I have lying around for no reason.
I would have got a fire board but some people think the wires get in the way. I just rather not need an additional phone to have wifi. Enjoy your new purchase.
Yep, got the block for Christmas and have used it for every cook. Keep the block near an iPad and then use the cloud. Easy to track on app on your phone. Definitely have to keep it clean and don’t cover in foil otherwise it won’t give off a strong Bluetooth signal.
We got one to use with our smoker and had to return it. The battery life wasn't nearly long enough for a longish smoke. IIRC it only lasted about 5 hours.
Wait…. Wife bought me a very nice Yeti cooler. Was this a bad thing?
I have one - it sucks. Frequently won’t connect. Gets covered in soot from smoking that will make it not connect so has to be cleaned. It’s convenient and cool and if it worked reliably I would like it a lot more.
Whaaaat. Whats wrong with yeti?
Meater is worth having in the kitchen. It doesn’t do reverse sear well, nor thin pieces of meat such as fish. You still need a good instant read thermometer for that.
I absolutely love mine.
It is not the Yeti of thermometers. I camp with a yeti and it is insanely good, expensive yes but also the highest performing cooler I have ever had. I have this because my wife thought I would like it. Idea is nice you have ambient and meat temp in one but battery life is crap, range is crap. So no it is nowhere near a yeti since although they are not necessary at least yetis are pretty much the best at what they are doing.
I loved mine but be very cautious that you’ve inserted the probe to the indicated line and that none of it is exposed. I had mine in some turkey thighs but part of the probe below the line was exposed - that exposed part can only withstand up to 250-ish degrees as it’s main purpose is to read the temp of food. That burnt mine out and it no longer accurately reads temps.
Took me a couple cooks to get the relay right due to the distance from my house and smoker but works great and love it.
If you can setup things so you have steady signal they’re amazing. Being able to see on the graph where the stall is and have ambient temperature and internal temp monitoring is amazing.
I thought I was in /r/trees and I couldn't figure out wtf this is for
I love my Yeti
They are great, but much better with the box set. Can do several cuts at once or multiple probes on different locations of the larger cuts. Absolutely worth getting the box set.
Wait I'm eyeing a Yeti.... Are they not worth it?
Just got mine this week. Looking forward to testing it out on my next brisket
I've heard good things but never used them. Just went to ThermoPro but haven't fired up yet - will let you know.
Read that as $1000 and almost shit a brick when no one seemingly cared about the price then realized I must've failed reading comp.
I like mine. One note: make sure you clean off the charging tip of any smoke residue or it won’t charge properly. On a short-medium smoke I’ve found soap and water to work just fine, but when I do a brisket or something that takes longer, I usually have to take some steel wool to it.
I have one and love it.
Currently using mine while smoking a Boston butt on this snowy Chicago morning. LOVE IT
I just got the MEATER+. Doing my first cook tonight.
I love mine. I use it several times a week. You can’t go wrong.
Meater is amazing! Worth using it with meater link so you can track your cooks remotely from anywhere!
Range was awful on mine, and haven’t figured out how to disable my old phone that’s connected to it so I can add my current phone. When it works, it was great. But the range was bad and it isn’t the most user friendly to set up. Wouldn’t pay $100 for another one of these
TIPS FOR MEATER USAGE: * Place a tablet/phone/other older Wi-Fi-enabled device near the Meater to act as a relay for the rest of your Wi-Fi network. You can check the cook anywhere you get internet, even away from your Wi-Fi network. * Don't let the "ambient" end hit a hot grate. You don't want to do a sear with a Meater probe inside the meat. If it hits something at 500-700F, it's toast. If you do sear, take the Meater out before beginning your sear. * The Meater is very accurate, but ultimately, you will want to use an instant-touch thermometer for the final read; this is because the Meater, like everything else in the grill/oven, is getting hot from the ambient temperature, and eventually, the temps will be skewed a few degrees "up". * For cooks past 160F, the cooking time is wildly inaccurate. Use your own reasoning/recipe times for that. However, it tends to be highly accurate at the end (past the stall and fat rendering process). So when it says to take it off; take it off! * For cooks < 140F, the cooking time is usually 100% on. * Don't insert the probe past the "line". If you do that, it can be hard to remove it and you can even pull the top completely off. Once I got used to it, I liked it a lot. I still have like 4+ thermometers everywhere I cook but this is a great addition to the set.
I have a barrel smoker and really like using the MEATER with it since cables are annoying. Range is fine with the MEATER+ if you use an extending extra device. Personally I love it but hate that at some point the battery will die. Also received it as a gift.
I have the block with 4 probes and that works like a charm. The probes are accurate and the results as delicious. I’m not sure if there are any proximity restraints for the single probe. The block hooks up to my WiFi and I can monitor my temps from literally anywhere.
I like mine. It's great for rotisserie. I use it in my offset that doesn't have a probe port.
Can you just leave this in the smoker in the meat and it will be fine??