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ZDNET's key takeaways
- The Meater Pro is available now for $130.
- Five-sensor accuracy, a powerful companion app, long battery life, and a handy magnetic case are the key highlights.
- The device is relatively expensive, but the lack of wasted meat thanks to proper cooking makes up for it.
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My family enjoys good steak, chicken, pork loin, and other meats cooked on the barbecue grill, so the pressure is always on when I'm wearing the apron. After discovering the Meater thermometer in 2018, I never cooked meat without it.
That's because while steak is considerably easier to grill properly with timing and visual cues, chicken is the bane of my culinary existence. Thankfully, having a precision thermometer in hand has made all the difference between a raw or tough piece of meat and one that's tender and juicy.
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Over the past few years, I've been using the Meater Pro (formerly Meater 2 Plus) to evaluate my cooking. At this point, I rely on it consistently to cook chicken, steak, pork, and other meats. And with each time, they've been grilled to perfection. Here's everything else you should know before buying a smart thermometer.
One of my favorite features of the Meater Pro is the additional sensors along its length. Five internal sensors measure various areas of your meat, with one ambient sensor measuring the temperature in the grill or oven around your meat.
This measurement gives you the most accurate picture of your cooking, with each sensor reading available to you through the company's companion app (available on Android and iOS).
The Meater Pro is made of stainless steel and waterproof, so I've been using it to deep-fry foods, such as a Thanksgiving turkey. To dial into its measurements, you'll have to connect the device to your phone via Bluetooth 5.2, and keep it charged by setting it on the included bamboo case.
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But even if your case battery dies, the thermometer supports a standard AAA battery, so you can easily swap it for a new one. Five minutes of charging should be enough to get you through a two-hour cooking session, based on my testing.
Magnets are attached to the back of the bamboo case. When my family moved into our house, I installed a metal panel in a couple of our cupboards to attach kitchen tools with magnets. The Meater Pro attaches securely to this panel, stays accessible, and is always ready to go when meat is on the menu.
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The thermometer has been lab-tested and is accurate to within half a degree Fahrenheit, so you can trust it to ensure a properly cooked meal. The device is designed to sustain a maximum internal temperature of 221 degrees, with an ambient maximum of 1,000 degrees. However, if you are cooking meat to an internal temperature of 221°F, you are basically overcooking your meat and should start over at that point.
While the Meater Pro has proven to be a must-have accessory for my kitchen, the Meater smartphone app offers even more usefulness. The updated app now includes a Master Class page with a wide variety of recipes, videos, images, ingredients, additional kitchen tools, and step-by-step instructions to help you get creative in the kitchen.
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I enjoy baking and cooking meats, but really appreciate having something like the Master Class utility on hand, especially since my family likes trying new recipes and methods for success in the kitchen. I've followed many recipes and instructions in the Traeger app in the past when using my smoker. Now, I look forward to thrilling my family with suggestions from the Meater application.
The app lets you customize your notifications, sounds, and more. There is also an Apple Watch companion app so you can keep track of your meat's internal temperature right from your wrist.
ZDNET's buying advice
After discovering the original Meater Plus thermometer, I now don't cook any meat without it, as it helps me manage my cooking time. The Meater Pro enhances the cooking experience with more sensors, an upgraded design, and a reliable thermometer that delivers accurate, timely temperature control.
The big question mark for many users will be the price of the Meater. It's not cheap at $129. But if reliable, safe cooking is what you're after and you don't trust eyeballing or timing, then this smart thermometer is well worth the investment.
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