The MEATER Plus has a lot of great features from excellent accuracy and connectivity to high quality and simple design. There are a few issues like range and dimensions but these don’t override the capabilities of this thermometer.
Although I have always used wired thermometers, I have been looking to make the switch to wireless for a while now. So, I read the reviews and bought the MEATER Plus. Then, I decided to put it through its paces and let you know what it could do for you.
In this post, I will give you a detailed MEATER Plus review and outline the top plus and negative points of this model.
Here is an in-depth look at the features of MEATER Plus:
I made sure to do my due diligence and use the MEATER Plus with all of my cooking appliances. This included the oven, the grill, and my smoker.
Also, with the help of friends, I put it through its paces with different types of smokers and grills. So, I can confidently tell you that the MEATER Plus can be used in everything from your oven to your charcoal grill and your wood pellet smoker.
Therefore, it works well as a wireless BBQ thermometer as well.
Here is a closer look at the temperature probes and their associated sensors:
With the MEATER Plus, you get a single MEATER probe. However, even a single probe has dual sensors.
As a result, the wireless meat thermometer probe isn’t just able to pick up on the internal temperature of the food, but it can also detect the ambient temperature in the cooking chamber.
I have to say that these are both important features. See, the ambient temperature sensor lets you know if the cooking chamber is at the optimal temperature for your food.
And, the internal meat temperature readings let you know if your food is cooking at the rate at which is meant to and how close the food is to being done.
So, how accurate are these sensors?
I was pleasantly surprised by the MEATER Plus internal temp probe. It is incredibly accurate. I tested it against another wired meatless thermometer to check how well it held up and it was spot on throughout the cook, showing the proper target temperature each and every time.
That being said, this wireless meat thermometer is rather wide and a bit long too. Due to this, it isn’t suitable for thinner cuts of meat like steak.
Now, I did test it out on Steak but I had to be very careful with how I placed and positioned the wireless thermometer. One wrong move and you get incorrect readings.
Personally, I would save the MEATER Plus for anything from pork shoulder and butt to brisket. You are going to get much better readings with them.
Keep in mind that the MEATER Plus does have a maximum internal temperature capacity of 212 F.
Unfortunately, the MEATER Plus wasn’t as good at detecting ambient temperatures. I used a third party thermometer in the cooking chamber to see how well the other sensor performed. In doing so, I noted various inaccuracies throughout cooks.
However, this is on par with many other wireless meat thermometers so I wasn’t too surprised or put off by this fact.
The other issue that I have with this sensor is that the max temperature it can withstand is pretty low. At most, the MEATER Plus can withstand a little over 500 F. This isn’t always enough when grilling certain foods at high temperatures.
Here’s the second most important element – the connectivity and the range. What makes the MEATER Plus such an alluring option is that it is a wireless meat thermometer.
As I’m sure we can all agree, wired meat thermometers can be frustrating. This is because you have to find a way to loop the wires out of the cooking chamber, often comprising the seal of the lid.
The other benefit of a wireless meat thermometer is that you don’t have to hover around the grill, to keep track of the internal temperature of the cooking meat. Instead, you are free to roam around and glance at your phone every so often to see how the food is cooking.
So:
How far does the MEATER Plus work? And, how well does the MEATER Plus measure as a wireless thermometer?
To begin with, I like the fact that the MEATER Plus relies on a Bluetooth repeater connection. For one thing, I find this to be a bit more reliable than Wi-Fi. See, with Wi-Fi, you have to stay fairly close to the boundaries of your home for the connection to work.
This isn’t the case with Bluetooth range. As a result, you can even take your grill to a completely different location and still be able to use it with the MEATER Plus.
For the most part, the range is pretty good. I was able to go all the way into the house and several feet away from doors or windows without the connection cutting off.
That being said, the connectivity doesn’t hold up to 165 feet. So, if you are expecting this with your wireless meat thermometer, you will be disappointed.
There are a lot of wireless thermometers that can be unnecessarily complicated to use. Fortunately, the MEATER Plus doesn’t belong in this category.
I found that syncing the thermometer to the app was incredibly easy. There were no complicated steps involved.
It was just a matter of inserting the probe into the meat and synchronizing it with the app. Then, you choose your settings and place the meat in the cooking device. It really was as simple as that.
Of course, the MEATER Plus isn’t just any meat thermometer – it is a wireless smart meat thermometer. As a result, it syncs up to a sophisticated app on your phone.
So, how well does this app work?
One of the things that I was impressed by was how easy the thermometer and the app were to use. Once the two are synced up, you can select the type of meat that you are cooking as well as the exact cut.
Then, you set the desired temperature and the app uses an advanced estimator algorithm to determine how long the cooking time will take based on the cooking temp.
In addition to this, you can get notifications throughout the cook to alert you to the rate at which the food is cooking. Not only does this ensure that you get your meat out of the cooking chamber at the right time, but it also allows you to make any necessary adjustments to the cooking temperature.
Another thing that I like is that the MEATER Plus also considers carryover cooking. This is the fact that meat continues to cook even when it is taken off the flame. In fact, the internal temp can go up by as much as ten degrees in this case. So, if the meat is left in too long, it can overcook.
As the MEATER Plus considers this when making calculations, you are able to avoid this scenario.
If you have more than one probe, then you can check on how all the food items are cooking off of one screen.
I have to say that the MEATER Plus does hold a charge really well. I was able to use it for long cooks and it never ran out of juice. So, you can easily slow cook a brisket with this thermometer and not have to worry about it dying on you.
The battery compartment itself is also pretty good. It houses an AAA battery that allows the thermometer to be charged over and over again. So, I was able to rely on this battery over multiple cooks over a couple of months before it needed to be replaced.
The only downside here would be the fact that the housing doesn’t have a function that lets you know when the battery is low. So, this is something that you need to keep checking on yourself and replacing the battery as necessary.
Sure, the MEATER Plus may not be suitable for very high temperatures, but it is still a high quality thermometer. Made from stainless steel and heat resistant ceramic, this is a meat thermometer that is built to last.
So, if you are looking for a good investment, then this is definitely the thermometer to consider for yourself.
In the grand scheme of things, the style of a thermometer shouldn’t really matter. However, when you spend some serious dough on your meat thermometer, it is always a nice bonus that it looks good.
And, in this sense, the MEATER Plus really does deliver. It is slim and sleek and I love the look of the stainless steel. It doesn’t look bulky or cheap in any way.
The other thing that I like about the MEATER Plus is its housing that also doubles as a battery station. It is made from bamboo and works with most aesthetics. So, you can keep your MEATER Plus in your kitchen without ever needing to put it away when guests come over.
As an added bonus, I like the fact that the housing has a magnetic surface at the back. This allows you to stick it onto your oven, refrigerator, etc. So, storage is really easy here.
Before I wrap up this wireless thermometer review, I do want to touch upon the difference between the MEATER and the MEATER Plus.
The biggest difference is that the MEATER Plus has a Bluetooth repeater. As such, the connectivity is a lot better.
However, I also felt that the MEATER Plus simply performed better, allowing for a more effortless cook.
I have been testing thermometers for a long time now, and I have to say that I was thoroughly impressed by the MEATER Plus. Is it perfect? No, issues like connectivity mean that the probe doesn’t live up to all of its promises.
That being said, the accuracy, ease of use, and quality make this a worthwhile purchase. It works equally as well for beginners and experienced cooks alike. So, if you want to take your cooking, BBQing, or smoking to the next level, then this is the thermometer that I will advise you to use.
