Good product
The Good: The design is slick and well thought out. The app for the Meater works well and the accuracy is spot on. A green light flashes on the base if the thermoprobe is within range and connected. It flashes red if not. The app will tell you as well if you are connected. The base station will give you considerable more range than advertised, but see the next section for the caveats. The app also has settings to change the different alerts. You can only choose from their list of sounds which is considerably less than the full array you have on the iPhone, but still, there are four alarms and maybe 12 or so sounds to choose from. No need for too many. The initial settings were just fine for me. They have just updated the app to add all sorts of carnivorous delights you can cook with the probe. From venison to kangaroo. This is a nice addition as I often go in for antelope and other less common meats. The Bad: The instructions leave a little to be desired, but it is not hard to figure out unless you are the easily frustrated type. There is a card in the box for support and the website has support as well. The Meater + comes with a bamboo magnetic base for charging and storage and in the back it has a repeater to get to the 165' range it touts. The base (and I assume the basic Meater) must be within 33' of the base for ovens and some types of grills. For smokers it is much closer. That number is in the fine print. In the case of the Orion Cooker I have, I can get the base station to recognize the thermoprobe about 12' away, through the smoker and the window to the breakfast nook. The base station has to stay there so it can connect to the probe. Once connected the app can pick up the base station, and thus the probe) all over my house and considerably farther away than 165'. But if someone moves the base it might disconnect and then you won't get updates or alarms and you might overcook your meat. The Ugly There isn't much wrong with this unit and I do recommend it to others. That said, it is a bit misleading (or just obtuse writing) which will lead you to believe that you can just plop the probe in some meat and your phone will pick it up all over the house. I read several reviews (and one YouTube video) that slammed the Meater for the short range despite the fact it is in the literature and on their site. It is probably not as prominent as it should be, but think about it, how can a little probe hold a battery, two thermoresitors, and an antennae and get 165' range? Not with today's tech I fear. Maybe when the Federation is founded. Either way, if they were a bit clearer about that for the Meater and instructions to first remove the probe before using the app. My guess is those who had issues already had the app open and so the probe paired with the phone and they didn't get the range they desired. Some Pointers If you turn on the app then remove the probe, the probe will connect to the app/phone and your range is now 33' (10' for a smoker). What is not said is that you have to fully exit and quit the app (swipe up on Apple), then remove the probe which causes it to pair with the base. Then open the app and your phone will pair with the base. Place the base where it is still flashing green when the probe is in the meat and the lid shut. Now you can use it all over the place. The app will show if it is connected properly and if it is not. I didn't notice where an alarm would sound if the base and probe stop syncing. If it doesn't have one that would be a nice addition. A nice loud one that vibrates as well. Wish list They make a basic Meater with four probes, which is a great idea if you are smoking different meats at the same time, or maybe just using the smoker, the grill, and the oven at the same time. I wish they had something like that for the Meater +. I assume it will come out at some point. Then again, I rarely would need more than one as I'm not running a restaurant. Also, I wish the magnets on the back were a bit stronger. For some reason my fridge it will slip down a few inches before attracting to some metal large enough for it to grab onto. Other kitchen items like the pot rack and microwave side have the same issues. I just think the weight of the base, battery, and probe are too much for the magnets to support. Bottom line, great unit, does what it says (even if you didn't read all it says). Just remember to remove the probe from the base first before opening the app or your range will be that of the basic Meater. Read more













