MEATER 2 Plus Review: Great Accuracy In A Small Package

When I was at HPBExpo 24 in Nashville, I had the chance to meet a couple of the members of the MEATER team face-to-face. They were kind enough to give me the MEATER 2 Plus probe that launched in 2023. I was excited to put the probe to the test as we’ve reviewed the MEATER Block previously but this was my first chance to get hands-on time with one of their products.

We’ve tested a lot of these wireless meat thermometers and for good reason. Tracking internal temperatures throughout the cooking process is one of the most important ways to determine when food is done. We want to know which pieces of equipment are reliable in terms of accuracy and connection. 

So we’re going to talk about how accurate the MEATER 2 Plus is, its features, the overall fit and finish, my user experience, and then I’ll bring it all together for my overall thoughts. I’ll also do a comparison of the MEATER 2 Plus to the original MEATER Plus Let’s dig in!

MEATER Overview

MEATER is the creation of Apption Labs based out of Leicester in the United Kingdom. Originally an independent company, Apption Labs was purchased by Traeger in 2021. This partnership allowed Traeger to feature MEATER probes with their high-end Timberline 

MEATER 2 Plus Overview And Specifications

MEATER has been at the forefront of the truly wireless meat thermometer industry and the 2 Plus is the company’s latest offering. When we say truly wireless, what we mean is that the probes that are inserted into the meat are wireless, not just a wireless connection from the base to your phone. 

I personally love this because I don’t have to worry about pinching wires in my grill or smoker. I also don’t have to worry about wires getting tangled when I’m storing this probe. (I don’t know about you, but I’ve definitely dealt with tangles of wired probes that would make Medusa look like she straightens her hair daily).

MEATER 2 Plus Specifications

Internal Temperature Range	Up to 221°F
Ambient Temperature Range	Up to 1000°F
Temperature Reading Accuracy	Plus or minus 0.5°F
Number Of Temperature Sensors	5 internal sensors and 1 ambient sensor
Dimensions, Base	6.18Lx1.46Wx0.91D
Probe Diameter	5mm
Battery	1 AAA battery, included
Battery Life	MEATER says 1 AAA battery will last up to two years if used for one steak per week
Battery Life, Probe	24 hours on a 30-minute charge
Thermometer Connection	Bluetooth 5.2
Bluetooth Range	250 ft line-of-sight/open-air
App	iOS and Android
Warranty	1 year
Includes	Charger base, probe, 1 AAA battery, calibration certificate, quick-start guide, user manual
Price

MEATER 2 Plus Features

MEATER is focused on delivering top-notch performance in the wireless meat thermometer space. So when they call something the “Plus”, that means something. Let’s take a look at the feature list.

Multi-Sensor Probe

Two things immediately jumped out at me when I first looked at the probe. First, it was almost completely stainless steel. Every other probe I’ve used had a black (or other colored) end made from a heat-resistant ceramic. MEATER opted for almost entirely stainless steel with a small band of zirconia ceramic.

Secondly, this is the thinnest wireless meat probe I’ve seen. The majority of probes are thicker because of all the technology they contain from sensors to Bluetooth hardware. Somehow, MEATER made this probe only five millimeters or 3/16ths of an inch in diameter. That means the hole in your meat is going to be smaller than with other probes. That’s nice when you’re going to slice whatever you’ve temped whether it’s brisket, turkey, or even a reverse-seared steak.

The MEATER 2 Plus also has five internal temperature sensors plus an ambient temperature sensor. That’s why MEATER says the 2 Plus is accurate to within half a degree Fahrenheit. That’s a number I usually only see with an instant-read thermometer. In fact, it’s only the second wireless meat thermometer I’ve tested that says it can be that accurate. What’s nice is that this comes with a certificate of calibration. Not only does that certificate state that the probe is certified, it actually has the test results stickered on the back of the certificate. That’s pretty awesome.

Finally, MEATER proclaims that the external part of the probe (the portion of the probe beyond the safety notch) can withstand temperatures up to 1000°F. That means you can reverse-sear a thick Tomahawk steak over charcoal or your gas grill cranked to high and the probe will be safe. 

The probe is also waterproof, so you can even use the MEATER 2 Plus to track temperatures while deep-frying. 

Charging Base

Rather than using metal or plastic for the charging base, MEATER continues to pursue a natural look by using bamboo wood. It’s unique in the industry and it helps it stick out. The probe slides in neatly thanks to the small hole for the tip of the probe in the base. 

The charging base serves as the Bluetooth relay for the probe as well as charging the probe. Rather than a rechargeable battery like a number of bases, the MEATER 2 Plus uses a single AAA battery. No need to worry plugging the base in and waiting for it to charge when it’s running low. Simply swap out the battery and you’re ready to go.

MEATER boasts that a single battery can last for up to two years if you’re cooking a single steak once a week. Obviously, smoking pork butts or briskets will drain that battery much faster, but we aren’t talking about needing to swap batteries every week or two. The probe itself can last for up to 24 hours on a 30-minute charge as well. This is an incredibly efficient charging base.

MEATER App

The MEATER app is easy to use and brightly colored to make it easy to see everything. I didn’t have any issues pairing the probe with my phone via Bluetooth. When you open the MEATER app, it allows you to select which probe device you want to use and you can easily set your cooking session from there.

The app has plenty of presets for your typical cuts of meat: Beef, pork, poultry, even lamb and fish. It also has an “Other” section for more obscure cuts. You can also set custom cooks if you want precision temperatures.

One of the really interesting features of the app is that it has a section called “Master Class”. Now, this is not an included membership to the MasterClass curriculum. However, it offers a wide selection of recipes complete with video instructions, ingredients, needed tools, and cooking presets for your MEATER probe where applicable

MEATER 2 Plus Review

Okay, so that’s an overview of what the MEATER 2 Plus offers. Does it deliver when it counts the most? Let’s dive into my experiences using it.

Accuracy

As I noted above, I’ve only encountered one other wireless meat thermometer that boasts accuracy to within half a degree Fahrenheit. That’s a degree of accuracy reserved for high-quality instant-read thermometers. 

So naturally, I had to put it to the test, right?

So I tested it with boiling water which is one of the easiest ways to test temperature accuracy at home. All you need is a pot of boiling water and a thermometer. At sea level, water boils at 212°F. That temperature drops a degree for every 500 feet of elevation. I live just over 500 feet above sea level, so water boils at 211°F. The sensor in the tip of the MEATER 2 Plus probe registered 210.6°F which is within half a degree of the target temperature.

That’s as accurate as it gets in my experience with wireless meat thermometers. There are five sensors in the section of the probe that gets inserted into the meat. So the probe feeds the app five different data points to come up with the most accurate temperature information. 

As I noted above, you can even click on the temperature information to see what the individual sensors are registering. That’s an incredible amount of information that I haven’t seen elsewhere. 

Connectivity

When we’re talking about wireless meat thermometers, accuracy and connectivity go hand-in-hand. An accurate thermometer isn’t of much use to us when we can’t see what the temperature is. Great connectivity doesn’t matter if the probe is so inaccurate we can’t trust the readings. 

I rarely had any issues with my phone staying connected to the base. I did encounter them occasionally when I was working on the other side of the house through multiple walls, but even those weren’t very frequent and didn’t linger. 

If there is any drawback, the MEATER 2 Plus is exclusively Bluetooth. You can’t hook it up to your home wireless network so you can keep an eye on the temperature away from home. 

App Functionality

The app itself is easy to use whether I’m using the pre-installed cooking programs or creating a custom cook. The app shows all the information you’d want at a glance. It has the internal temperature, ambient temperature courtesy of the sensor in the end of the probe, and the target temperature across the top of the screen. 

It also shows a neat semi-circle graph in the middle of the screen that shows all those points at once. The app will also calculate the estimated cooking time after you’ve been cooking for a while and display that in the middle of the semi-circle. 

You can also switch to a standard line graph view that will show how the cooking session has progressed. That gives you the length of time, the target temperature, and both the internal and ambient temperatures. 

I honestly love the fact that I can toggle the view to see all the sensors at once. I don’t use it very often, but it’s still a cool touch. Why not offer it when all that information is already going to the app anyway?

Overall, it’s a nice, clean interface with everything you need right there. You can also access more information with just a touch as well.

Overall Fit And Finish

The MEATER 2 Plus may not be the most futuristic-looking wireless meat thermometer on the market, but I love the bamboo charging base. It adds a natural look to an otherwise technologically advanced piece of barbecue equipment. The engraved line denoting how far to insert the probe into the meat is easy to see which is always nice.

I also love how thin the probe is. Most wireless meat probes I’ve used and reviewed are fairly thick. This can leave some obvious holes in the meat when it’s served. The MEATER 2 Plus will still leave a hole in your steak or brisket, it’ll just be smaller than any other wireless meat thermometer.

How Does It Compare To The MEATER Plus?

A review of the MEATER 2 Plus wouldn’t be complete without a bit of a comparison between it and the original MEATER Plus, now would it? 

The main differences revolved around the probe itself which should be of no surprise. It’s visually different: The 2 Plus is one millimeter thinner and all stainless steel except for the thin black zirconia ceramic band. The Original Plus has a black ceramic end. 

Internally, there are differences in the probe as well. The original Plus had two internal temperature sensors and one ambient temperature sensor. The 2 Plus has five internal temperature sensors plus the single ambient sensor. Those three extra sensors provide a level of accuracy that is rarely seen in a wireless meat thermometer. Now, that doesn’t mean the original Plus was inaccurate. It would be within plus or minus 1°F. It’s just that the 2 Plus is going to give you a temperature within 0.5°F.

The MEATER 2 Plus is definitely a step up from the original Plus.

MEATER Customer Service And Support

You can actually check out some common support questions through the MEATER app’s help section. It will walk you through your product and what problems you are having. If it isn’t an easy fix, you will be able to fill out a contact form with your information and MEATER will reach out to you. 

I did not have any issues whatsoever so I did not have a need to go through the support section in the app or the website.

MEATER 2 Plus Warranty

The MEATER 2 Plus is backed by a one-year warranty here in the United States. If you’re one of our beloved Canadian readers (or in the European Union, Great Britain, Australia, or New Zealand), you’ll get a two-year limited warranty.

Do I Recommend The MEATER 2 Plus?

It’s super accurate and is the thinnest wireless meat thermometer I’ve tested and reviewed. I absolutely recommend the MEATER 2 Plus. The app is really easy to use and packed full of features. I also really like the look of the bamboo charging base. It’s a nice balance to the stainless steel probe. 

The one “drawback” is that this is an expensive wireless meat thermometer. It’s not an entry-level option. However, if you’re serious about smoking a lot of meat, this is well worth the cost for the accuracy and dependability you’re going to get.

What I Like…

• Thinnest wireless meat thermometer probe I’ve reviewed
• The charging base looks great in bamboo and runs off a single AAA battery
• The app is easy to use while still chock-full of features

What Makes Me Angry…

• I’d love for it to have Wi-Fi connectivity for better range
• It’s expensive for a single probe (but worth it if you’re serious about backyard BBQ)

Final Thoughts

I love the convenience of wireless meat thermometers. I don’t have to worry about wires getting tangled in storage or getting pinched in my grill. The one drawback is they tend to leave some large holes in the meat. The MEATER 2 Plus makes that hole a lot smaller while also being one of the most accurate thermometer’s I’ve tested.

Then you factor in that somehow MEATER put five internal temperature sensors in a thinner probe to achieve that degree of accuracy? This is a fantastic wireless meat thermometer. 

If you’re not pushed away by its price tag, the MEATER 2 Plus is the best single-probe wireless meat thermometer I’ve tested. If you are serious about cooking, grilling, and smoking, this is for you.