Nomad’s Stratos Apple Watch band gets a limited-edition icy blue glow, blending titanium strength with flexible comfort and a subtle glow-in-the-dark finish.
The post Nomad’s New Apple Watch Band Literally Glows in the Dark appeared first on TechRepublic.
With AI-driven memory shortages and mounting economic pressures, analysts warn Nintendo may quietly raise Switch 2 prices in 2026.
The post You might want to grab a Switch 2 now to avoid a price hike later in 2026 appeared first on Digital Trends.
Nomad’s Stratos Apple Watch band gets a limited-edition icy blue glow, blending titanium strength with flexible comfort and a subtle glow-in-the-dark finish.
The post Nomad’s New Apple Watch Band Literally Glows in the Dark appeared first on TechRepublic.
IKEA is known for its furniture, but it’s the little odds and ends that can easily justify a visit on their own. Phone accessories are no exception. Here are some of the best you can currently find at the store, and you may also be able to order them online if you don’t have an IKEA in your area.
Apple released limited-edition Year of the Horse AirPods Pro 3 for Lunar New Year, with a custom engraving and standard pricing in select markets.
The post Apple Marks Lunar New Year With Limited-Edition ‘Year of the Horse’ AirPods Pro 3 appeared first on TechRepublic.
Apple released limited-edition Year of the Horse AirPods Pro 3 for Lunar New Year, with a custom engraving and standard pricing in select markets.
The post Apple Marks Lunar New Year With Limited-Edition ‘Year of the Horse’ AirPods Pro 3 appeared first on TechRepublic.
AirTags already have a decently long battery life, but you will end up needing to replace the coin cell every two years or so. If you don't even want to be bothered with that, Elevation Lab made just the accessory for you: its AirTag battery case that can power the tracker for up to 10 years is on sale for 30 percent off. You can pick one up for only $16, and it's available in two- and four-packs as well at a discount.
The TimeCapsule case uses two AA batteries to offer up to 14 times the lifespan of the CR2032 battery that powers an AirTag. The company based those estimates on Energizer Ultimate Lithium batteries, so your mileage may vary. Once an AirTag is seated inside the case, which is a compact 4.45 x 1.57 inches, it is sealed shut with four screws at the corners. The case is fiber-reinforced, according to Elevation Lab, and rated IP69 waterproof.
The company says it’s intended for use cases where you might place an AirTag for long periods of time, like in a vehicle, a piece of luggage or a work bag. We've already got a couple of Elevation Lab products on our list for best AirTag accessories, so while we haven't reviewed the battery case, we tend to like this company's products.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/elevation-labs-extended-battery-airtag-case-is-down-to-only-16-162308748.html?src=rss
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Halloween for cannabis lovers has outgrown novelty gummies and glow-in-the-dark pipes. For this year’s Halloweed products round-up, we’ve wandered into the darker side of all that is dank. These products are all treats and no tricks, from dibles that enchant, tools sharp enough to raise spirits and bewitching accessories for stylish witches and warlocks.
Our 10 Halloweed product picks have something for everyone who knows that good taste is its own kind of magic.
Grön’s Bite Club gummies are edibles for people who like their Halloween with a little bite. This limited-edition release comes in two spooky flavors: Nocturnal Nectar and Vampire’s Kiss. Each piece has 10 mg of THC balanced with 10 mg of CBN or CBC, giving you a smooth, mellow high. CBN helps you wind down after a long night, while CBC keeps the mood light.
Cool weather calls for cocoa, and Carolindica’s Delta-8 Hot Chocolate might be the coziest way to enjoy a high. Each packet includes 50 mg of Delta-8 THC, or if you prefer something lighter, there’s a 10 mg Delta-9 THC + 20 mg CBD version. The mix dissolves easily in milk or oat milk and hits in about 45 minutes. Expect a warm body buzz that feels as comforting as the drink itself. It’s great for a horror movie marathon night.
The limited-edition Cookies & Scream bar from Coast is pure Halloween indulgence. Think smooth organic white chocolate layered with crispy wafer cookies and splattered with red cocoa for dramatic flair. The bar contains 100 mg of full-spectrum THC, split into twenty 5 mg pieces so you can control your dose. Made in small batches with organic ingredients, it’s a rich but not overwhelming treat that looks spooky but tastes sophisticated.
If you love a little ritual with your smoke, DaySavers’ Smoke Temple bundle makes every session feel like an event. Inside you’ll find a 1 g mini cross-cone and a 3 g original cross-cone, plus a Halloween-themed tray, packing stick, and ashtray. The cones are made from unbleached, slow-burning paper for an even burn. The 3-gram size is perfect for group sessions or when you’re feeling bold.
These bright orange earrings from High on Plants are proof that cannabis-inspired fashion can be high-end. Lazser cut from Italian leather and hand-finished with silver hooks, they’re light and comfortable and perfect for showing your love for weed. Whether you’re heading to a Halloween party or just want to show your plant pride in style, these make the perfect finishing touch.
Think of the Klip grinder from HØJ as more of a precision tool than an accessory. Instead of grinding your flower into dust, it uses sharp, suspended blades to slice through it, keeping the trichomes intact and the aroma full. The magnetic design clicks together smoothly, and the anodized aluminum body has a solid, balanced weight that feels good in the hand. Cleanup is quick, and the cut is always consistent. It’s a smart design built for smokers who appreciate good engineering but don’t want their gear to overcomplicate the rolling ritual.
Juāna’s Bergamot Sativa Uplift candle sets the mood for a relaxed session or helps clear the air afterward. It’s made with vegan coco-apricot wax and a clean cotton wick, giving it a long, even burn. The scent combines citrus and soft herbal notes for a refreshing, energizing vibe, like a morning sativa in candle form. There’s no THC here, but the atmosphere it creates is just as mellow. Simple, sustainable and elegant, you’ll burn this candle long after Halloween ends.
Skyworld’s Stay Puft is the kind of strain that turns a haunted house into a happy one. This hybrid sits at 28.38% THC, with 1.5% CBG and 2.44% terpenes dominated by β-Myrcene and Limonene. Named after the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man from the Ghostbusters franchise, this flower smells like toasted marshmallow with a hint of grape and hits smooth and a high that’s relaxing without being heavy; half a gram is enough to ease tension and keep your focus soft. This sweet, balanced high is perfect for creative nights or lazy afternoons when you just want to float.
Smokiez brings a fresh crunch to Halloweed with their Green Apple and Sour Green Apple Fruit Chews. Both flavors capture that tart, juicy bite of fall apples and come in two formulations: a 1:1 THC/CBG blend (100 mg THC / 100 mg CBG per pack) and a Hybrid version (100 mg THC total). Each chewy bite delivers a balanced lift — enough to boost your mood without stealing your clarity. The texture is soft, the flavor bright, and the effect smooth and social.
If you want to get creative, you can make an infused apple cider that uses the chews as the base. Melt one into warm cider, and you’ll have a cozy, lightly dosed drink that’s perfect for sweater weather.
If you’d rather sip your cannabis than smoke it, WYNK Cran Blood Orange is the drink for you. Each 12-ounce can has 5 mg THC and 5 mg CBD, creating a gentle, balanced buzz that kicks in within 15 minutes. The tart cranberry and citrus flavor feels refreshing, not sugary, and it’s light enough to enjoy more than one. With zero sugar and no hangover, it’s the perfect option for social smokers or anyone who wants a subtle lift at the Halloween party.
The post 10 Halloweed Products for the Season of High Spirits appeared first on Cannabis Now.
There are a lot of cool grill and smoker accessories that can make grilling fun, but a pellet smoker tube can actually make food cooked on a gas, electric, and even a pellet grill taste amazing.
Nevertheless, you will find hundreds of options available online and in stores. To make it even harder to choose, these smoke tubes all seem pretty similar.
In this article, I share the best pellet tube smokers after filtering through a few brands, tossing out out the bad, and testing the top. I go over my top picks, what to look for when choosing a smoker tube, and how to use them.
You will see different names to refer to these gadgets online and in stores; pellet tube smokers, smoke tubes, and smoke tubes all refer to the same artifact, a pellet smoke tube.
A pellet smoker tube is a hollow tube with perforations on its walls, typically made of stainless steel.
The inside of the pellet tube is hollow so that you can insert wood pellets and ignite them. The holes on the tube walls allow for air flow and pellet smoke to escape and infuse your grill’s cooking chamber and thus meat, with wood flavor.
These smoker smoke tubes come in different types and shapes. But they all primarily perform the same function and work the same.
Insert pellets in the tube, ignite them, and generate smoke. Later in this article, I’ll go over how to use and how these pellet smoke tubes work.
One important thing to keep in mind is that the larger these tubes are, the more hours of smoke they will generate.
Simply put, gas grills are simple to use and cook on. But food tends to lack flavor, specially meat, due to the absence of wood or charcoal combustion. However, as pellet cookers became more popular, so did pellet smoke tubes.
These simple yet effective gadgets can turn your grill into a smoke flavor machine.
We chose the Lizzq Premium as the best smoke tube because its construction and quality seemed to work best out of all the tubes we tested. I have used a lot of these smoke tubes over the years and all sort of work the same but i really enjoyed using the LizzQ. Also this smoke tube has amazing reviews on Amazon.
Nevertheless, what I like most about the Lizzq Premium Pellet Smoker is that one of the tubes has a cap, making it easier to fill up and move around without dropping a bunch of pellets.
This pellet smoker tube is made out of stainless steel, and the quality is good enough to justify its price.
Some people are perplexed about how to light the pills in the tube.With this tube, you have to wait a few minutes for the pellets to start combusting before letting the tube down and starting to cook.
The Lizzq Premium Pellet Smoker is our top pick and best pellet tube smoker because it checks all the important boxes. First, it is priced well and is simple to use. The tube is a foot long and holds enough pellets to generate smoke for about four and a half hours.
Pros
Cons
I really like the Skoo pellet smoker. I like this tube because not only is it pretty much the exact replica of the LizzQ, but they upped their game by offering their tube as a packaged bundle. This doesn’t necessarily make the Skoo better, but it is nice to get a little extra bang for your buck.
As far as this bundle goes, you get a cleaning brush on a hook. Hook would allow you to hang the pallet tube on your grill’s accessory hooks just like you do with you grill brushes, and the cleaning brush will help you keep this tube clean.
The Skoo is also 12 inches long, and you can expect about 4 to 5 hours of smoke.
Z Grills makes pretty great budget pellet grills and also offers accessories like grilling mats and wood pellets. They also offer their own wood smoke generators, including their very own smoker tube.
Z Grills does not stray very far from our top two options. As far as design, in fact, Z Grills smoker tube looks just like the LizzQ Premium pellet smoking tube. This is quite simply because a lot of these vendors are sourcing their products from the same manufacturers.
The Dimeshy is a square-shaped tube made out of 304 stainless steel and 12 inches long. This option is just like all the others but half the price.
These devices are very simple and pretty much use the natural air flow and pressure inside your grill to slowly ignite wood pellets, which generate smoke that infuses meat and other foods with that “smoky” aroma and taste we all enjoy in BBQ.
There isn’t much to do but fill the tube with wood pellets, ignite them, and let it do its job. As the pellets burn and your grill gets hot, the wood pellets will continue to slowly combust and deliver smoke me for hours.
Unlike your pellet smoker, these tubes can only hold a limited amount of pellets, and how many pellets you can fit in the tube affects how long it will be able to generate smoke. If you use good pellets, a foot-long pellet tube will hold enough pellets for 4 to 5 hours of smoking.
But considering the length and smoke tube size not only for capacity reasons, you also need to make sure it fits in your smoker. Some electric smokers are small and might be hard to fit a 12-inch tube inside them, so double check your cooker to make sure you have space for a pellet tube smoker before you jump in.
This is one aspect of these tubes that, at first, I wasn’t too concerned about until I started testing. I have a large pellet smoker with plenty of space, and I was able to throw the pellet tube right down the middle of the grate and let it rip.
However, I wanted different tubes of different shapes in my Green Egg, my portable charcoal grill, and my electric smoker. That’s when things became more obvious. First, as I mentioned before, make sure you have ample space for the tubes. In my Green Egg Large, the grate is 18 inches in diameter and the grill is round, forcing me to put the tube more towards the center of the grate, taking up space I need for food.
But getting back to the topic of shapes, well, smoking tubes come in at least three shapes: square, round, and hexagonal. You might think that the shape might not make much of a difference, but it does.
When the tubes are hot, move them with a pair of barbecue tongs and try to grab a round tube with tongs. Yeap, it will not be easy. However, if you roll around the tube, it’s a breeze.
Because they have a large flat surface, the wide-shaped smoking tubes fit well and securely on top of any size grates. The hexagonal-shaped tubes are a cross between a square and a round tube.
Quality is something that we all look for when buying anything, but when it comes to a pellet tube, quality matters just a bit more. As you will see, these tubes are not all that expensive, and quite frankly, most are almost identical.
Nevertheless, we “left out” the lower-quality smoking tubes and only included the pellet tubes with good customer reviews and feedback, then tested those top picks.
If you decide to look outside the options provided in this article, just be sure to pick a wood pellet tube that is made out of good stainless steel.
Although these tubes are meant to very slowly burn wood pellets and not really smolder them under direct fire, the smoker tube will be exposed to heat and various temperature changes. Cheap metal ones will not last.
Ah, intended use. This is important. These pellet tubes can be used for both cold smoking and hot smoking. If you are wanting to use the pellet tube to smoke for long periods and low-smoking cooking sessions, be sure to get either a long tube or more than one.
When smoking large cuts of meat like briskets and pork shoulders, you will be cooking them for eight plus hours, so you can either keep refilling the tubes or have an extra ready and just swap them out when the peels run out.
Cold-smoking cheese, nuts, and other small foods might not need too much smoke infusion, so smaller or shooter tubes will do. Again, this is also up to your preferences. Some people like lots of smoke.
It is important to note that these tubes are intended to be small smoke generators, not replacements for the amount of smoke produced by a pellet or charcoal smoker.
A pellet tube smoker will not, in a million years, replace an offset smoker, but it will turn a nothing-but-tasting gas grill into an amazing grill. These inexpensive gadgets can assist in converting your expensive gas grill into a flavor machine.
With that said, I recommend getting more than one tube and using more than one tube if you like the smoke flavor or want to be able to cook with different pellet flavors at the same time.
Two tubes will generate a lot more smoke than a single one.
Using these tubes is fairly easy, but some people do have trouble igniting them at first. Pellets need a nice flame with some airflow to ignite. In your pellet grill, there is a powerful electric igniter and a fan to ignite and keep the pellets burning.
With these tubes, everything happens in a more natural way, where pure oxygen and airflow from the tubes’ holes keep the wood burning slowly.
The easiest way to start your pellet tube is to use a flame torch. The power, flame, and heat output of the torch will get the pellets going very quickly. You could use a lighter as well, but it will take longer, and you will need to sit there holding that lighter until the pellets start turning red and amber with a light coat of white ash; that’s when they start to combust.
Using a pellet tube with a smoker is easy; simply ignite the pellets and find a good place for the tube. You want the tube beneath the food so that as the smoke rises, it can penetrate the food.
To avoid dampeding the smoking tube, keep the pellet tube away from direct heat when grilling. However, direct fire will burn up the pellets and turn them to ashes in minutes rather than hours.
The beauty of these tubes is that they require very little maintenance. Still, there are a few things you should do to keep them in top shape and hopefully be able to use them for a few years.
First, after each use, empty all the ashes, grab a rag, and wipe the teapot clean. If possible, add a bit of oil to a rag and wipe the tube with a bit of oil; this will help fight corrosion.
Second, store the tube in a nice, dry place, and make sure you brush the air holes to ensure the tube always has good airflow.
A pellet smoke tube can add flavor to food, especially when using a gas or electric grill. Nevertheless, there are many options, and our goal in this article is to show you those options with great ratings that performed well.
As you might have noticed a lot of these gadgets are pretty similar but LizzQ takes our vote for the best pellet smoker tube because of its performance, but also has been in the market the longest and has gained a lot of great reviews and happy customers.
The MeatStick and the Meater are both leading the wireless smart thermometer race and have inspired many household brands to release their own versions. Many of our readers get stuck making a decision between the MeatStick and the Meater, so in this article, I breakdown the main differences and compare the MeatStick vs the Meater.
First, let’s talk about each of these thermometers before we jump to the comparisons. The MeatStick is almost a carbon copy of the Meater, but they did a few things right. The MeatStick is a wireless thermometer, meaning there are no wires attached to the probe, and it transmits all the temperature information wirelessly to an app on your smartphone.
The MeatStick is available as a standalone probe with a Bluetooth extender and a Wi-Fi bridge.
The MeatStick probe on its own will give you a range of about 65 feet, but if you get the MeatStick with the Extender, which doubles as the charging base, you will get about 260 feet of Bluetooth wireless range. If you opt for the bundle with the WiFi bridge, then Internet access is the only range-limiting factor, meaning you can access the MeatStick from anywhere.
In all options, the MeatStick is the same “probe hardware.” Whether you get the extender combo or the WiFi bundle, it’s the same probe. The bases are what are making the differences in range, but the probes are the same device and have the same components and temperature tolerances.
You can read my full review of the MeatStick to learn all the details about this meat thermometer.
Read More: The MeatStick Full Review
The Meater started the truly wireless smart thermometer revolution. Both the MeatStick and the Meater are not only absolutely, definitely wireless, but they are also smart. Their smartphone applications have built-in algorithms that predict and estimate when the meat will be done at the doneness level you choose.
The Meater started this revolution and companies like Traeger noticed it and quickly adopted them and integrated these probes with with their news grills like the Timberline XL
I wrote a complete review of the Meater explaining everything there is to know about this amazing product. But since this is a comparison article on these two popular probes, let’s jump in and compare them.
You can read our full review of the Meater Plus, which goes into greater detail about his thermometer.
Read More: The Meater Plus Review
Both manufacturers have done a great job of highlighting the benefits of their thermometers, making it hard to choose between these two probes.
I don’t want you to misinterpret what I’m saying. Both the MeatStick and the Meater are good, and you won’t be disappointed by either one of these two products.
However, if you are on the fence about which one to get, let me break down the major differences between these two probes.
The first and most important difference between these two thermometers is their wireless range. Both brands use a Bluetooth repeater to boost their signals, and both provide WiFi bridges for connecting to your home wireless network. Wireless range and other features I mention below earned the MeatStick a top spot on our wireless meat thermometer roundup article.
So let’s break down the range of these probes one by one so you can understand the differences.
Meater has three main products: the Meater, the Meater Plus, and the Meater Block. As far as the probes are concerned, they are all the same hardware; what changes is the range in all their models.
MeatStick also has three main variants of their probe, with the only differences being range. The MeatStick ( just the device and charger ), the MeatStick X ( bluetooth extender and repeater), and the MeatStick with the WiFi bridge.
The Meater, which is the original device, on its own has a range of 33 feet, as does the MeatStick ( just the probe ).
Without their extenders, both vendors’ probes have a limited range. This is okay for those who want to get one of these devices at a low cost and don’t mind the range limits.
However, it is important to note that the estimated 33-foot range of these probes is achieved when the probe’s head is not covered and exposed. Meaning if you use the probes inside an oven or a thick-walled grill like a kamado grill, the range will reduce drastically, to more like six feet.
Both brands then have a second-tier bundle, which is their probes plus a signal repeater that doubles as the battery charger. This is the Meater Plus and the MeatStick X, and here is where the differences are benign.
The Meater Plus, even with its repeater, only has a range of 165 feet, whereas the MeatStick X, also with its repeater, has a range of 260 feet.
I tested the MeatStick Mini, which is a small mini version of the MeatStick but does come with the extender, and I have to say, you get every inch of those 260 feet.
Both brands have wireless blocks that can connect to your home WiFi, and when it comes to wireless range, the limiting factor is your home wireless setup. So, if your wireless network can reach your patio or wherever the WiFi block is, the probe and receiver will be connected to the Internet.
The WiFi block then sends the signal to the cloud (via the internet) and accesses all the information from the cloud using the internet. This is how both brands work, and it is how you get whole-house coverage and the ability to monitor your cooking session while you shop or go for a Sunday ride.
Both brands offer cloud technology to give you access to your temperature data from anywhere, but there is one small difference that might be a deciding factor for some related to getting wireless functionality with both of these devices.
To get wireless functionality with Meater, you have to purchase the Meater Block, which includes the charging block with a built-in WiFi bridge and four probes. With MeatStick, you also have to buy the MeatStick WiFi bridge, but you get two probes instead of four. The setup costs half as much, and you can always add more probes later.
As far as functionality goes, both brands give you a Wifi block with a built-in display that shows the cooking temperatures, cooking times, and signal strength.
| Device | Range | Range |
| MeatStick Probe only | 33 Feet | |
| MeatStick X ( Bluetooth Extender ) | 260 Feet | |
| MeatStick Wifi | Limited only by your home Wifi range | |
| The Meater ( Probe Only ) | 33 Feet, | |
| The Meater Plus | 165 Feet | |
| The Meater Block | Limited only by your home Wifi range |
This is one area where I have not found obvious issues with either brand, but as I was reviewing the Meater instruction manual, it did recommend not to pull the meater by the head if it’s exposed to extreme temperatures or past its 572 degree resistance mark.
I can assume that the reason is that heat can loosen whatever adheres the head to the metal part of the probe, and, well, you will have a real mess on your hands.
Meater is also adamant about not using their probe over direct fire or charcoal. Something that MeatStick does not mention but does say not to exceed their specified temperatures.
One thing worth noting is that the Meater has a small mark on the probe that lets you know how far to insert it into the meat, both for accuracy and to protect the internal components. The meatick must be inserted completely or it will be damaged. Remember that batteries and other components are inside these little tubes.
These two brands offer many of the same features, and besides their Bluetooth range, you get a lot of the same features with both. One area where the MeatStick shines compared to the Meater is in their LED charging status light. I know it’s a minor point, but I like how the MeatStick lets me know exactly what’s going on when it comes to charging the probe. To me, this is something I like but is not a big deal.
In the Meater, there is no LED light indicating how the charge is going; instead, the Meater charges “passively.”
This is another area where these two probes differ. The MeaStick app is very responsive and works well, but I feel the Meater’s app looks nicer. This is again a preference thing, but to me, the apps on these two devices are pretty much the same.
This is another area where these two brands have some similarities but vary just a tiny bit.
First, the Meater block is more expensive than getting the block Meatstick WiFi setup. You get two more probes with the Meater block, but it is also more expensive.
As far as the meater plus and the MeatStick extender, both cost the same, but the MeatStick is modular, so the price of entry is the same, but you can add more probes and monitor multiple probes with one extender, so it is fully modular.
The Original Meater is the least expensive model and costs the same as the MeatStick Mini. However the MeatStick mini has only a meat temperature sensor and no ambient sensor with range of 260 feet whereas the original
Both of these thermometers are great options. If you enjoy cooking BBQ and want to monitor what’s happening inside your smoker or grill and even while cooking in kitchen appliances, these are great products.
If you enjoy cooking or grilling but want to keep tabs on temperatures, these two thermometers are great products. However, the MeatStick can be fully submerged, so for those looking for a thermometer that can work in devices that use water to cook, the MeatStick takes the lead. The Meater also outperforms the Meater in wireless range, and the MeatStick is more affordable.
Still, both are great products.
The Meater Plus is a new line of wireless grill thermometers and the future of cooking. BBQ meat smoking and grilling often require paying close attention to the meat’s internal temperature. When smoking meat, it is extremely helpful to monitor the progress of the internal temperature as it rises and, better yet, set alerts for certain temperature points during the cook.
While many thermometers can do this, not many can do it without using any cables or wireless at all.
Now, I want to clarify that the term “wireless meat thermometer” is often used by brands to also describe Bluetooth and other thermometers that “wirelessly” transmit temperature data to your phone or another device, but the temperature probe still uses a wire to transmit the data to a receiver.
The Meater Plus is a truly wireless device, meaning that it doesn’t have any wires and also transmits temperature data wirelessly. The thermometer probe houses all the components, including a rechargeable battery, and on the other end, there is a smart app on your mobile phone that gathers all the data and handles many features, including alerts.
Companies like Meater have managed to take the good old probe we are all familiar with and design it to fit all the components needed to read temperature and transmit data wirelessly.
The Meater Plus is the successor to the original Meater. I will get more into the differences between these two thermometers, but I want to introduce you to the newest model, the Meater Plus.
You have likely heard some chatter about these new types of wireless food thermometers, and they are pretty revolutionary. So, of course, we had to get our hands on one.
The Meater Plus is a stainless steel probe a little over five inches long with a ceramic head. The probe houses temperature reading complements, and the head houses electronics like the Bluetooth transmitter.
The Meater Plus probe has two sensors in one single device: the stainless steel probe measures food temperature while another sensor in the probe’s head measures the ambient temperature, that of the grill cooking chamber or smoker. A wood pellet grill normally displays the cooking chamber’s temperature, but with the meater plus, you can have an extra eye inside the grill or for
For those with grills that do not display internal or cooking temperatures, the Meater can deliver that information.
The meat thermometer looks more like a writing pen, and its wooden base doubles as a wireless transmitter and charging base. The base is made out of real wood, which adds a touch of elegance and a high-end look to this device.
The Mater uses Bluetooth LE technology, which stands for Low Energy and allows the Meater Plus to reach a maximum range of 165 feet, which is 5 feet more than the width of a football field ( not the length). There are other wireless thermometers out there with a longer range, including the MeatStick, Meater’s closest competitor.
The sensor and probes can read temperatures up to 212 degrees Fahrenheit, and the ambient temperature sensor can read and withstand temperatures up to 572 degrees Fahrenheit. It is important to keep these temperature limits in mind because exceeding them will damage the probe. in part because some of the components inside these probes will simply “cook” above these tensiles. Remember, there is a rechargeable battery inside these probes.
All the information gathered by the Meater Plus is translated into numbers and very informative graphs by software, which are all colorfully displayed on your phone via the mobile app. The Meater App is another noteworthy feature of this product. I have tested many thermometers and probes, and the app is often their pitfall.
The product can be amazing, accurate, and of good quality, but if the app is not user-friendly, reliable, and easy to configure, it will deter many users, and often those brands end up inadvertently getting bad reviews online.
I have to say the Meter app is crisp, responsive, and very colorful; everything is color-coded, which helps direct your eyes to the information you are looking for quickly.
The app is also very easy to use. Everything from cook time to remaining times can be easily seen in the app.
The app also tells you the battery status and how much power the Plus has left. The battery in these probes will last 24 hours. That is plenty of battery to monitor brisket and plenty for monitoring a steak.
This wireless meat probe has a range of 165 feet, and Meater has cloud service that allows you to connect to your home WiFi and access the Meater from the mobile app anywhere your phone has Internet.
The base of the Meater doubles as a charging station, and one AAA battery can charge the Meater about 100 times.
Mater offers a one-year warranty on these probes, and quite frankly, I wish the warranty was longer. As these devices are susceptible to failure as they are exposed to fire and heat, one thing that is very important is that the Meater manual suggests that the Meater be used on indirect fire and not over hot coals or fire.
This could be to protect the thermometer from direct fire, extreme heat, and flare-ups, but it would be nice if they were a bit more upfront about it. I can see many people just throwing the probe into a cut steak and going for a hot sear.
This is not recommended by Meater. [1]
Meater instructions are to reverse sear the steak first; once the desired doneness level and temperature are reached, remove the probe and then sear the steak.
It is very important that customers are aware of these, because by simply reading Meater’s website, you might believe that because the probe can withstand temperatures of over 200 degrees and the head over 500 degrees, direct coal cooking is feasible, but you could actually damage the device.
Also important is the fact that the Meater Plus is water resistant, not waterproof. Meater states that the probe should not be submerged in water for prolonged periods of time.
Ok, now that you are familiar with the Meater Plus, what it does, and all its features. Let’s go over our review of the Meater and what makes it a Plus!
We received the Meater Plus with much anticipation and excitement. Our first impressions were how cool the thing looks and how light it is. Pictures don’t do it justice. The wooden base looks very elegant, and I can see many just leaving their Meater right on top of the modern kitchen counter or fancy kitchen tops.
Setting up the Meater Plus is easy. Simply install a AAA battery in the charger, insert the probe in the base, and it will passively charge. This was confusing to me because when I tested the MeatStick, you actually had to press the power button to start charging the probe, and the LED blinked to let you know it was charging.
Read more: The MeatStick Full Review
That’s not the case with the Meater. It charges passively, and you have to trust that the battery in the probe is charged. The Meater charging block/extender LED does show different colors to let you know the state of charge of the AAA battery.
During our tests, we noticed we needed to charge the Meater for about 2 hours.
Another thing that is worth mentioning is that the Meater Plus cannot be fully submerged in water or other liquids for long periods of time, which is something its bigger competitor, the Meatstick, can do.
To pair the Meater, simply download the Meater app, hold the black button on the base, and Bluetooth connect the Meater to your phone.
To use and set up the Meater Plus for cooking, it’s easy: simply start the app, insert the Meater into the meat, and set the cooking session. Setting the cook is simple: select the type of protein and alerts and start your cook.
There are a few things you should know about using the Meater. First, the probe has to be inserted all the way, or at least to the set safety “notch” on the probe ( you will see a line on the probe ), or you risk damaging the probe. In a way, the meat around the probe protects it from overheating and damaging the internal components, including the battery.
In fact, I took a look at the Meater manual, and it states to not use the Mater over direct heat or over charcoal, and if an overheating alert goes off, use eye protection to remove the Meater from the grill.
It is also important that the Meater thermometer stay inside the meat while the meat is being removed from the grill.
So why do I bring this up? Because Meater states that their probe can withstand temperatures of 572 degrees and the probe is 272 degrees, yet their manual seems to contradict this a bit by stating to only grill in indirect heat. To me, it seems like Meater is really trying to play it safe, but just keep that in mind.
Nevertheless, using the Meater is very easy and does the job. During our tests, we found no issues using the Meater and the temperature readings were accurate. We smoked a pork butt and a brisket and never had issues using this probe or monitoring temperature. Overall, the test went well, and this probe did its job as intended.
This brand has become so popular that Traeger has picked it up and integrated it with their newest pellet grill.
Related more: Traeger Timberline XL Pellet grill review
The Meater app is another area where this product shines. The mobile application is intuitive and easy to use. To setup the probe, simply follow the steps in the app, and in a matter of minutes, your Meater will be ready for use.
One thing that is important when setting up your Meater probe is to ensure you choose the right product. The app supports all three Meater models, including the Meater, the Meater Plus, and the Meater Block. The app will ask which smart meat thermometer you want to configure.
One very nice thing about the app is that it has a “Getting Started List,” which takes you step by step through the process of getting your phone ready to connect to Meater and vice versa. This is a very useful feature, and it is something that I think Meater did right.
What we like
What could be improved
One cool bundle is the Meater Block. Basically, it is a set with multiple probes, and the charging block has a built-in temperature display. This is great for those who want multiple probes to monitor multiple meats or simply want extra probes.
The “Block” also acts as a WiFi bridge capable of connecting to your home WiFi for world-wide access to your Meater probes information.
In my opinion, the Meater brand has created a small device that is easy to use, the app interface is friendly, and it works well. This is a device that can be very helpful for some, especially those who are starting to grill and cook and want a watchful eye keeping food temperature in check.
Compared to a simple instant-read thermometer, the Meater can be a bit pricey, but it offers a lot of convenience, and the cooking alerts are very helpful.
I think that for some, the price of 99 dollars might seem like a lot to spend on a temperature probe, but you are paying for convenience and technology. The Meater Plus performs as intended, although I feel one must be careful or run the risk of damaging this gadget.
Also, more traditional wireless meat thermometers with a cable attached to the probe can withstand higher temperatures.
As you have likely noticed, Meater has two probe models. The Meater and the Meater Plus The difference between these two thermometers is their wireless range.
The “original” Meater has a Bluetooth range of 33 feet. This is because it doesn’t use a repeater, and also because things like your grill’s wall reduce range.
The Meater Plus, on the other hand, has a range of 165 feet because it connects to the block, which acts as a repeater, and the block connects to the app on your phone.
Also, the Meater Plus works with Alexa. If you purchase the Meater block, it connects to your home WiFi and uses the cloud to give you access to the probe information and temperatures from anywhere in the world as long as your phone and the block have Internet access.
Meater automates cooking and gives people a lot of information right at their fingertips. These levels of automation can be very helpful and convenient. The old probes with wires are still effective and work well, but as we move more towards a connected world, these newer wireless thermometers are taking the lead.
Also, those metal wires can get in the way, are harder to clean, and make it hard to move food around after you set up the cook.
The Meater Plus is an amazing wireless meat thermometer. I truly enjoyed using this probe and found myself sometimes playing more with the app than checking the grill, but I think that’s the point of this gadget. It gives you a bit of freedom when cooking on your grill or smoker.
I think many will enjoy the Meater Plus and all its features. It is a replacement for a good ol’ instant read thermometer? No, it is not. Is it a replacement for traditional probes with wires, even the Bluetooth ones? Oh yes!
Using an instant read is still the fastest way to walk up to something cooking and check its temperature, but the Meater products are not that far behind and give you much more features and convenience.
References:
https://support.meater.com/overcooking-help
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