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The Best Wireless Meat Thermometers
Kick your feet up while grilling, and let these wireless thermometers monitor your meat for you
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Whether you’re an aspiring grillmaster or just a casual home chef, it’s time to dial in your barbecue gear. Companies are now making smart products that make grilling, smoking and even baking much easier. One such product is a wireless meat thermometer.
The best wireless meat thermometers eliminate any running back and forth from the kitchen to the grill, and no need for grilling with a flashlight. These wireless thermometers let you walk around freely, work on other dishes in the kitchen, watch TV and hang out with friends or family – all while your meat is being cooked to the perfect temperature. Plus, most of these thermometers come programmed with temperatures for various foods, so you don’t have to Google the correct temperature for every new cut of meat.
What Are the Best Wireless Meat Thermometers?
Wireless meat thermometers are fairly straightforward, but there are still a few key factors to consider when buying one.
How do they work? Here’s how wireless meat thermometers work: you put a probe in your meat and connect the probes to a transmitter. The transmitter sends the meat’s temperature to a receiver, which is usually an app on your smartphone or a remote). This allows you to monitor the temperature of the meat from anywhere and even set alarms that go off when your food reaches the perfect temperature.
Receiver: The receiver for wireless thermometers is either a dedicated remote or an app on your smart device. Although app functionality is easier and more convenient (no extra gear), dedicated remotes typically have longer ranges and a more reliable connection. Regardless of which option you go with, you’ll want to read and find out how easy the interface is and what kind of features are offered (i.e. timers, alarms, etc).
Probes: When it comes to checking out to the probes of a wireless meat thermometer, the first task is easy: count them. With multiple probes you can cook various cuts or multiple kinds of meat at once, which comes in handy for large jobs during parties or big family meals. You can also use the probes to monitor different parts of a big piece of meat, such as a whole turkey.
Some probes are also color coordinated, which is convenient for keeping track of each one. Lastly, you’ll also want to check how durable the probe cords are, as they’ll be subjected to high heat.
Range: Range is a very important feature to look at, especially if you have a large house or yard. Most app-controlled thermometers have a range around 100 to 200 feet while remote-controlled options can go all the way up to 500 feet.
1. Soraken Wireless Meat Thermometer
Soraken’s wireless meat thermometer has a few key features that earned it the top spot on our list.
First, the thermometer comes with four probes that are marked with different colors for easy use, and two extra ports for a total of six possible probes. Each probe can be used for a different kind of meat or multiple areas of a big cut or bird. The only slight downside is that the probes use a silicone handle which, although comfortable, isn’t safe with high temperatures (under 482°F for long jobs).
Secondly, we also like the Soraken because the transmitter is small and features a magnet. This means you can secure it on the outside of your oven or grill for a less cluttered cook space. The transmitter also features an easy-to-read screen that shows the temperature and preset.
The real draw with the Soraken thermometer is the app, which connects to the transmitter via Bluetooth. The app comes with 11 preset temperatures based on USDA recommendations (United States Department of Agriculture), as well as a programmable function, so you can get the perfect temperature without any guesswork or Googling. These temperature settings, along with alerts and timers are all easy to use thanks to the app’s intuitive interface.
The only drawback with the Soraken is the indoor range. The outdoor range is decent for a Bluetooth thermometer at 170 feet, and the indoor range is just 100 feet. But if you’re in a medium to small house, this won’t be an issue.
2. Cadence ENZOO Wireless Meat Thermometer
Although remote-controlled thermometers are less high-tech than app-controlled variants, some cooks prefer them. If you want to go that route, we suggest this thermometer from Cadence. If you’re unsure, read on to see if it’s right for you.
The main benefit of a remote is range. The Cadence thermometer features an incredible 500-foot range, so you can roam around your house and yard without losing a signal – no matter how big your place is. Because the remote is also directly linked to the transmitter, the connection is stronger than Bluetooth or WiFi. Having a dedicated remote is also nice because there’s less setup required, you don’t have to navigate into an app and you don’t need to have your smartphone on-hand while cooking.
Like the Soraken, the Cadence also comes with four probes that feature color markings. The remote comes with just as many features as an app thermometer, including 11 preset temperatures for different meats and alarms. However, these features are a little more difficult to access due to the remote’s slightly clunky button functionality.
Another benefit of the Cadence is durability. Accidents happen, and when you’re outdoors around hard surfaces and wet areas, having a durable remote and transmitter will protect your investment.
3. Bfour Bluetooth Meat Thermometer
Another great Bluetooth thermometer is this one from Bfour. It strikes a nice balance between style and function with a sleek design, six probes and an easy-to-use companion app.
The thermometer’s transmitter is very minimal with a black color and a circular central display. This design garnered the Bfour a Red Dot design award in 2019, making it a great choice for style-conscious kitchens and barbecue areas.
Although the design is minimal, the features are anything but. Six probes let you monitor meat for large parties or nail that Thanksgiving turkey. Each probe is also very well-built with an aluminum alloy handle that can withstand temperatures of up to 663°F. The probes do have one downside though: they’re not marked in any way, which can get confusing.
The companion app is also quite good, with its user-friendly interface and preset temperatures for 11 different types of meat.
4. Meater Wireless Smart Meat Thermometer
Meater is the most intelligent option available and although it’s the most expensive, it’s certainly the most high-end.
You’ll notice right away that the Meater doesn’t have a transmitter. Instead, the transmitter is built directly into the probe, which massively streamlines the whole gadget. This means no cords, no bulky transmitter and a much cleaner cook space. Plus, the probe is actually equipped with two sensors for a more accurate reading.
The Meater is monitored and controlled via your smartphone, but you can connect via WiFi or Bluetooth. The WiFi connection takes a little more setup but lets you connect to a cloud server and check the thermometer from anywhere. We don’t recommend leaving a grill unattended, but you could walk the dog or grab something from your neighbor while keeping an eye on your meat’s temperature. Bluetooth connectivity is available as well, but it has a pretty lackluster 33-foot range.
Meater’s app is its true pièce de résistance. Along with timers and alerts when the meat is ready, the app has extensive guides for how to prepare different kinds of meat and much more data to nail every dish. It also has an estimator feature that tells you how much longer the meat will need and even how long it should sit. Plus, WiFi connectivity means you can connect the Meater to Alexa (i.e. “hey Alexa, when will my steak be ready?”).