# Interested in Opinions/Reviews from Meater Owners



## seenred (Jan 23, 2022)

Hello Friends,

I've been considering purchasing a Meater Plus bluetooth thermometer...and wanting to solicit opinions and/or reviews from any of you who own and use these.  I really like the idea of a totally wireless probe that measures both internal meat temps and ambient cooker temps without futzing with multiple probes and probe wires.  I like my Maverick and my Inkbird, but it'd sure be nice to eliminate stringing probe wires out of my cooker.

To those who've owned and/or used these...what say you?  How do you think they perform?  Do you trust their accuracy?  How user friendly is the app?  What are the strengths and weaknesses of the device?  Would you buy it again, or steer clear and find something else?

Thanks in advance!

Red


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## Twil6 (Jan 23, 2022)

I am in for the responses. I’m interested too. I can a lot of uses for these if they work. The Amazon reviews are hit and miss


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## WaterinHoleBrew (Jan 23, 2022)

Hey my friend, I do have a Meater plus but have not had the time to use it. Chatting a bit ago with 

 dirtsailor2003
 about it and he likes his!  Maybe he will see this and chime in!


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## seenred (Jan 23, 2022)

WaterinHoleBrew said:


> Hey my friend, I do have a Meater plus but have not had the time to use it. Chatting a bit ago with
> 
> dirtsailor2003
> about it and he likes his!  Maybe he will see this and chime in!



Howdy Justin!
Appreciate the reply!  Once you’ve had a chance to use yours, I’d be interested in your thoughts.  Hopefully Case will see this and give his opinion.

Thanks Brother!
Red


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## goldendogs (Jan 23, 2022)

I got my meater plus about 6 months ago from Amazon,used it about 4 or 5 times now and I love it, It lets you know when to take it off the grill, smoker or oven, lets you know that the item needs to rest, then lets  you it's time to eat. great little unit.


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## seenred (Jan 23, 2022)

goldendogs said:


> I got my meater plus about 6 months ago from Amazon,used it about 4 or 5 times now and I love it, It lets you know when to take it off the grill, smoker or oven, lets you know that the item needs to rest, then lets  you it's time to eat. great little unit.



Appreciate your input!
Red


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## Sven Svensson (Jan 23, 2022)

What’s the range on those?


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## seenred (Jan 23, 2022)

Sven Svensson said:


> What’s the range on those?



For the Meater Plus, they claim a 165 ft. Range…which is one of the claims I’d like to verify about it’s performance.

Hoping to hear from some others with direct knowledge & feedback.

Red


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## 912smoker (Jan 23, 2022)

They are now owned by Traeger so as they say......there goes the neighborhood.
I don't have one but also interested


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## Sven Svensson (Jan 23, 2022)

seenred said:


> For the Meater Plus, they claim a 165 ft. Range…which is one of the claims I’d like to verify about it’s performance.
> 
> Hoping to hear from some others with direct knowledge & feedback.
> 
> Red


I’ll keep checking back on the real-life range. I had an MES once that claimed a long Bluetooth range but it was completely dismal. I could pee farther than the Bluetooth range. Wife got mad at me because the guests all left at that point.


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## seenred (Jan 24, 2022)

Sven Svensson said:


> I’ll keep checking back on the real-life range. I had an MES once that claimed a long Bluetooth range but it was completely dismal. I could pee farther than the Bluetooth range. Wife got mad at me because the guests all left at that point.



Yeah there's no doubt that companies tend to exaggerate the capabilities of their products.  On paper, the Meater Plus looks perfect, but...

Still hoping for real-world experiences.

Red


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## Smoke-Chem BBQ (Jan 24, 2022)

My son gave me one...it's a pretty cool little device, providing a wireless readout of both meat and smoker temp with a single probe.   You do have to insert it _just_ to the line on the probe for that to work, so you have a little less flexibility on how deep the probe can go.  And it's a fairly thick probe, since the temperature sensors, battery, and transmitter are all contained in it; it's not something you could readily use with ribs or wings, for example.

The phone app is intuitive and easy to use.  I found the range to be pretty good, but I've not measured it.  When I'm inside, I'm rarely more than 100 feet or so from the smoker on the deck anyway.   One thing to note, the probe pairs with the little wooden box that serves as both the charger for the rechargeable probe, and storage for the probe when not in use.  It's the box that sends the wifi signal, so you have to keep the box outside, pretty close to the smoker, and out of the weather.  Those times I've gotten an out-of-range error on my phone, it's been because I had the box too far from the smoker, not because I've had my phone too far from the box.

Overall, it's a really cool bit of engineering.  I still tend to use my wired probes more often than the Meater, or else I'll use both...with the Meater in a pork butt or brisket, that meat can be taken from the smoker, wrapped in insulation, and put in a cooler to rest without messing with wires, while my wired probes stay in the smoker chamber and whatever other meat I still have on the smoker.


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## seenred (Jan 24, 2022)

Smoke-Chem BBQ said:


> My son gave me one...it's a pretty cool little device, providing a wireless readout of both meat and smoker temp with a single probe.   You do have to insert it _just_ to the line on the probe for that to work, so you have a little less flexibility on how deep the probe can go.  And it's a fairly thick probe, since the temperature sensors, battery, and transmitter are all contained in it; it's not something you could readily use with ribs or wings, for example.
> 
> The phone app is intuitive and easy to use.  I found the range to be pretty good, but I've not measured it.  When I'm inside, I'm rarely more than 100 feet or so from the smoker on the deck anyway.   One thing to note, the probe pairs with the little wooden box that serves as both the charger for the rechargeable probe, and storage for the probe when not in use.  It's the box that sends the wifi signal, so you have to keep the box outside, pretty close to the smoker, and out of the weather.  Those times I've gotten an out-of-range error on my phone, it's been because I had the box too far from the smoker, not because I've had my phone too far from the box.
> 
> Overall, it's a really cool bit of engineering.  I still tend to use my wired probes more often the Meater, or else I'll use both...with the Meater in a pork butt or brisket, that meat can be taken from the smoker, wrapped in insulation, and put in a cooler to rest without messing with wires, while my wired probes stay in the smoker chamber and whatever other meat I still have on the smoker.



This is exactly what I needed...thanks!  One of the benefits I'm looking for is being able to wrap briskets and butts without messing with probe wires.  

Appreciate the detailed response!  

Red


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## Nate52 (Jan 24, 2022)

My wife gave me the Meater for my birthday. Its my first high end thermometer. I've always the cheap $15 wired ones from Walmart, so I don't really have much to compare it to. But I can at least give you whatever info I can.

For me, the range isn't quite enough. I haven't tested it by walking any distance outside, but its about 55' from the smoker to the back of the house and another 16' to the kitchen. Thats where I lose it. So about 70' and a wall is my range. I solved it by stealing my daughter's tablet, linking it to that, and then leaving it by the back door. And then I mirror the tablet to my phone through the house wifi and never lose it.

Unless you really need to keep a close eye on your cook, losing the signal isn't the end of the world. When you get close, it reconnects and the time you missed comes right back. For my Christmas prime rib, I brought everything over to my parents' to get it started and then had to go back home to gather up the family. As soon as I walked back in the door two hours later, the entire graph popped up like I never left. Not sure if the apps for other brands do this, but it was helpful.

The timer is really handy, too. It estimates the amount of time left in the cook and lets you know when to rest. It ended up in the ballpark to the timing that I had figured, so I just decided to follow it, and I wasn't disappointed. Best prime rib I've ever made.

For pork butt, and I assume other long cooks, the timer gets a little confused at the stall. It went from 3 hours remaining to 23 hours. I guess it works off of the current pace of increasing heat.


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## seenred (Jan 24, 2022)

Nate52 said:


> My wife gave me the Meater for my birthday. Its my first high end thermometer. I've always the cheap $15 wired ones from Walmart, so I don't really have much to compare it to. But I can at least give you whatever info I can.
> 
> For me, the range isn't quite enough. I haven't tested it by walking any distance outside, but its about 55' from the smoker to the back of the house and another 16' to the kitchen. Thats where I lose it. So about 70' and a wall is my range. I solved it by stealing my daughter's tablet, linking it to that, and then leaving it by the back door. And then I mirror the tablet to my phone through the house wifi and never lose it.
> 
> ...



Thank you Nate!  I'm less concerned about the timer function than the range and temperature accuracy.  I'm looking mostly for the convenience of having a meat probe without wires.  I doubt range will ever be an issue, since I run my cookers right outside my garage door.  I'm rarely more than 50-60 feet away.

Good info...thanks again!
Red


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## bjr180 (Jan 30, 2022)

I’ve used my MEATER+ for just over 2 years.  The Bluetooth range isn’t great.  However, I now leave an old iPhone or iPad within 20 ft of the cook and via MEATERCloud I can view that status on my phone from anywhere I get Wi-Fi or cellular service.  Using this work around I love the MEATER+ and use for every cook.


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## SecondHandSmoker (Feb 14, 2022)

I would like to know more about longevity.  A few of the online reviews indicated that the unit quit working after a couple of uses.  Of course, those reviews lacked details. 
So I take those reviews with a grain of salt.


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## sandyut (Feb 14, 2022)

I got one as a present and I only use it in the oven in the house because my grill wired probes read through the grill app where I control and monitor the grill. And I can read and use the app anywhere.  No range limits.  I’ve adjusted the cook temp and received alarms from across town. 

that said in the oven the air temp reads low if the oven is not on convection bake which I find annoying.  The meat probe works very good and seems to be accurate


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## Count Porcula (Apr 15, 2022)

Does this thermometer beep constantly like the Inkbird I have? I can't shut off the beeps without losing phone alerts.


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## sandyut (Apr 15, 2022)

the meater itself makes no noises.  Just the alarms on the app.


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## Count Porcula (Apr 15, 2022)

Sounds good to me. Thanks.


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## sawhorseray (Apr 15, 2022)

I had one arrive at my house about three weeks ago. I DL'd the app to my phone, got it paired up, tried two different cooks with it. Never got a signal said to move the box closer to the probe, it was three feet away. I hated it and have given it to a friend who is more technologically advanced than I. RAY


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## sandyut (Apr 15, 2022)

TBH - I don't love the Meater.  It was a gift from my daughter.  

I use it in the oven and that's about all. I have all my probes set up and linked up with my phone for my smoker already.  

My gripe is the air temp on the Meater is WAY off low unless you use convection cooking.  Which I don't feel should be required for what they cost.


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## Count Porcula (Apr 15, 2022)

Wonder if Thermopro is the answer. Their TP829 looks good.


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## sandyut (Apr 15, 2022)

All my stand alone (as in not attached to the smoker) thermometers/probes are Thermoworks.  I love them.


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## sawhorseray (Apr 15, 2022)

sandyut said:


> All my stand alone (as in not attached to the smoker) thermometers/probes are Thermoworks.  I love them.



I have the TP-20 and the Mk4, I do love them also. Meater, not so much, $70 worth of junk. RAY


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## 912smoker (Apr 15, 2022)

I have two Thermopro and love them.
Had one go bad so I called customer service and had a replacement at my door in two days!

Keith


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## Winterrider (Apr 15, 2022)

Count Porcula said:


> Does this thermometer beep constantly like the Inkbird I have? I can't shut off the beeps without losing phone alerts.


Which Inkbird are you having issues with ?  I use the Inkbird  BBQ Go app with my IBBQ 4X and have no alarms or notifications unless you set for your desired temps.


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## Count Porcula (Apr 15, 2022)

I do set the notifications. I want to see them on the phone, but I don't want the device itself to beep all day.


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## Winterrider (Apr 15, 2022)

Are your probes showing accurate temps? ( switch plug-ins ) ?Mine would beep when it detected a faulty probe. Replaced and it never did it again, or if I don't get them plugged in completely it will beep.


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## Count Porcula (Apr 15, 2022)

Inkbird told me it's behaving normally. There is no way to set it so it gets phone alerts without beeping.


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## ref2335 (Jul 10, 2022)

I’m using my first MEATER plus today. Seems the ambient accuracy is about 20 degrees F low compared to my Maverick wired ambient temp sensor. 

Anyone else see the same variance?


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## sandyut (Jul 10, 2022)

the ambient accuracy blows.  They should just stop adding that in or fix it.


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## ref2335 (Jul 10, 2022)

sandyut said:


> the ambient accuracy blows.  They should just stop adding that in or fix it.


As I’ve been smoking today I’ve noticed the ambient temp from the MEATER gets closer to the Maverick as the temp of the butt is increasing. It started off by 20 or more, it’s within 5 degrees now as the butt has hit 140+. I can only surmise that cold meat creates a cooler zone close to itself as it’s warming. Eventually as the meat gets closer to warmer temps the MEATER seems to be better at measuring realistic ambient temps.


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## Nate52 (Jul 10, 2022)

The ambient is awful. It helps get an idea of what the temp is doing, just not what it actually is. If I see the arbitrary meater temp dropping, it's a good bet the real ambient is dropping and it's time to work.

But I swear by the internal. I've found it to be dead nuts with my trusted wired and instant probes. I've also found the "time remaining" feature to be pretty accurate for roasts.


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## sandyut (Jul 11, 2022)

ref2335 said:


> As I’ve been smoking today I’ve noticed the ambient temp from the MEATER gets closer to the Maverick as the temp of the butt is increasing. It started off by 20 or more, it’s within 5 degrees now as the butt has hit 140+. I can only surmise that cold meat creates a cooler zone close to itself as it’s warming. Eventually as the meat gets closer to warmer temps the MEATER seems to be better at measuring realistic ambient temps.


yeah...still worthless IMO.  in the oven tis the same issue...cold meat = ambient reading too low.  the only thing that gets it close is convection baking - but even then its not accurate.


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## 912smoker (Jul 13, 2022)

Got an email today where ThermoPro just released a wireless probe.
Not a site sponsor so won't post a link but gotta have one at $52.

Keith


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## cal1956 (Jul 13, 2022)

i  just read one of the reviews on  amazon and it said the app.was VERY intrusive   . so beware !!!


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## 912smoker (Jul 13, 2022)

On the ThermoPro ?
That's odd I can't find any .

Keith


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## BigW. (Jul 13, 2022)

912smoker said:


> Got an email today where ThermoPro just released a wireless probe.
> Not a site sponsor so won't post a link but gotta have one at $52.
> 
> Keith


I didn't have any luck finding that.  What do they call it?  Thanks


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## 912smoker (Jul 13, 2022)

BigW. said:


> I didn't have any luck finding that.  What do they call it?  Thanks


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## BigW. (Jul 14, 2022)

Purchased but I missed the Prime Day price.  Still have a $20 off coupon so total price was $69.  Will not be here til the end of August.  The rotisserie will love it.


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## SecondHandSmoker (Jul 14, 2022)

BigW. said:


> Purchased but I missed the Prime Day price.  Still have a $20 off coupon so total price was $69.  Will not be here til the end of August.  The rotisserie will love it.


  We'll be looking for your review in August then.
I too am interested in this style of thermo for the rotisserie.  Hopefully, it doesn't suffer from the same limitations as the Meater.


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## pne123 (Jul 14, 2022)

I have had my Meater+ for just over a year. I have had some connection issues which is inherent to bluetooth devices.  Not sure why after 20 year bluetooth still sucks... Anyway.  overall I had been happy with it.  The estimate to completion with the carry over temp is pretty good as long as you don't adjust the grill temp greatly near the end.  But since my year warranty is up my Meater+ broke after the 98th use.  The internals came lose and pulled out the barrel.  Oh, and the barrel is quite large diameter compared to my other probes.  Makes a big hole.  Might try the new  thermopro if I have no luck with customer support.


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## SecondHandSmoker (Jul 15, 2022)

pne123 said:


> my Meater+ broke after the 98th use. The internals came lose and pulled out the barrel.


That is what really concerns me about this particular style of thermo. In addition to the fact that the the ambient portion of the thermo reads the temp in the cold air bubble surrouding the meat and not the actual chamber temp.


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## seenred (Jul 17, 2022)

BigW. said:


> Purchased but I missed the Prime Day price.  Still have a $20 off coupon so total price was $69.  Will not be here til the end of August.  The rotisserie will love it.



I'd love to hear your review of it after you've had it and used it!

Red


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## Cody_Mack (Jul 17, 2022)

I have a Kettle spinner on my Wish list, and that’s really the only reason at present I might justify spending a Benjamin to get one. The positive reviews of the internal probe is good to hear, and you can always use one of your wired probes to get close to the meat to measure grill temp. But as 

 sandyut
 said, maybe they should fix that issue or just eliminate it and don’t charge for it.

Rick


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## pne123 (Jul 18, 2022)

Well Meater offered me a replacement probe for $59 which is only $10 less than the new Tempspike.  I might just give it a try...


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## BATMON (Aug 12, 2022)

I love my Meater+
My Pit Barrel is in the courtyard 75 feet away and 6 flights up.
I chill inside and check the App when I'm curious.


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## processhead (Sep 2, 2022)

I have had my Meater + since December and have done about 6 cooks with it this far.  For those not familiar with the features of the Meater + you get the extended range through use of the "Meater Cloud".

To get the full use of the extended range and Meater + you need to understand the hardware that's required and network structure that makes it all work together. Maybe I'm stupid, but I did not find a good explanation of any of this when I was setting up my Android phone with the Meater App.

Here is a diagram showing all the pieces needed to get the full capability out of your Meater +, that is, connection with your probe anywhere you have device connectivity to the wireless cell network.








Those of you familiar with the Meater + will probably sort of recognize the screen shot below. The actual Meater + app will not look like this one. I edited it to show all the parts, and their names, that you will need for full remote monitoring of your cook.

The connection between the probe and the base unit is Bluetooth. For the most reliable connection, I found it works best to keep the base right by the grill, smoker, or oven (close to the probe).

The connection between the base unit and Smart Device 1 is also Bluetooth. Smart Device 1 can be a phone or a tablet. It will need to have the Meater App running on it and will need Bluetooth capability. Smart Device 1 also must have WIFI connectivity to your home WIFI LAN. I used an old Galaxy phone with WIFI connectivity but no service account for Device 1

The Home WIFI must have connection to the internet. You also need to set up a Meater Cloud Account. It is free, and just requires your email address.

The device you monitor your cook on needs to be a Android, Iphone or another Smart Device with a connection to the web via your cell carrier.I am using a Samsung Galaxy 8 for Device 2.

I was a little disappointed that non of the documentation with the Meater + explained any of this system architecture. Somewhere on the Meater web site there is probably a Utube video that explains it but I had to message customer service several times to get everything set up to get it all to work properly


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## WillRunForQue (Sep 3, 2022)

I've owned both the Meater+ and the Block since the Kickstarter units shipped.  Years later, all still working like a charm.  I use them about every couple of weeks for smoking or sometimes bread baking.

I'm sure they will die sometime since nothing lasts forever.  I know the # of imitators will keep growing, but I hope these original innovators will be competitive whenever I have to replace.


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## pokey (Sep 4, 2022)

bjr180 said:


> I’ve used my MEATER+ for just over 2 years.  The Bluetooth range isn’t great.  However, I now leave an old iPhone or iPad within 20 ft of the cook and via MEATERCloud I can view that status on my phone from anywhere I get Wi-Fi or cellular service.  Using this work around I love the MEATER+ and use for every cook.


I bought the Meater when it first came out and had such range/connection issues that I haven't bothered to use it in years. As soon as I close the cover on the grill/smoker, I lose connection. I could leave an old iphone next to the grill, but, come on! Useless POS IMHO


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## processhead (Sep 4, 2022)

pokey said:


> I bought the Meater when it first came out and had such range/connection issues that I haven't bothered to use it in years. As soon as I close the cover on the grill/smoker, I lose connection. I could leave an old iphone next to the grill, but, come on! Useless POS IMHO



Where is the base/charger unit located while you are doing the cook?  It needs to be within BT range of the probe and a closed lid on the smoker reduces the range considerably.
I leave the base/charger unit right next to the smoker or oven and the connection remains solid


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## pokey (Sep 4, 2022)

processhead said:


> Where is the base/charger unit located while you are doing the cook?  It needs to be within BT range of the probe and a closed lid on the smoker reduces the range considerably.
> I leave the base/charger unit right next to the smoker or oven and the connection remains solid


I've got the original Meater. The charging station is only that. It plays no role in connectivity. They claim a range of up to 10' if used in a smoker or grill. I got nowhere near that.


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## processhead (Sep 4, 2022)

pokey said:


> I've got the original Meater. The charging station is only that. It plays no role in connectivity. They claim a range of up to 10' if used in a smoker or grill. I got nowhere near that.


I have to think that the Meater + was an attempt to address the range deficiencies of the original Meater.  10 foot range is only slightly more useful than a wired probe with a readout.


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## bill1 (Sep 4, 2022)

They're still awfully expensive in my book.  But pretty nice for rotisserie work, although if you have room on the non-motor end, some folks get pretty creative with bringing a wired probe out the shaft and strapping the transmitter to it so it rotates with the meat.


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