Meater - worth it?

tom_e · 12 Dec 2022 at 20:52

We've got a big old lump of waygu beef rib for Christmas dinner this year and as you can imagine I'd like it not to go to waste by being overcooked shoe leather.

Are the meater wireless jobs worth the outlay? Looking at about £85 or can I get away with just a cheapy instant read one I've got sat in the drawer?

Basically I've not bought a new gadget in a while and according to my man maths this seems like a sensible buy.

monkentage · 12 Dec 2022 at 21:03

My Chef Alarm cost about 25 or 30 quid and it's great. You can get away with a cheap one fine but the convenience is definitely worth the money.

Is wireless and a smartphone app worth an extra 50?

EvilRob · 12 Dec 2022 at 21:54

tom_e said:
We've got a big old lump of waygu beef rib for Christmas dinner this year and as you can imagine I'd like it not to go to waste by being overcooked shoe leather.

Are the meater wireless jobs worth the outlay? Looking at about £85 or can I get away with just a cheapy instant read one I've got sat in the drawer?

Basically I've not bought a new gadget in a while and according to my man maths this seems like a sensible buy.

Not worth it yet IMO.
Cost vs benefit ratio is not there.

flea.rider · 12 Dec 2022 at 22:02

i've got a thermo pro .. picked up in a sale over a yr ago .. 4 probes wireless .. i stick a leg of lamb on the smoker read meat and smoker temp from my chair inside a nice warm house ..
still 2 probes left have done lamb and brisket ... https://www.amazon.co.uk/ThermoPro-TP27C-Wireless-Meat-Thermometer/dp/B08HQLSQGB has a 20% off voucher atm .. tho looking around you may get it cheaper ..

BUDFORCE · 13 Dec 2022 at 07:16

£11 in Tesco for a basic one.

Begbie · 13 Dec 2022 at 07:29

The inkbird bluetooth one is quite good for the money, the BT range is quite bad (or maybe mine is broke) but it works well for alerts etc. I use it for nearly every BBQ cook.

robfosters · 13 Dec 2022 at 09:10

I’ve got a MEATER and couldn’t do without it. It just makes it super easy to get perfect meat every time. Calculates it for you, real time updates on temp, time left to help you plan, even tells you when to rest and when it’s ready to serve.

My opinion is that it is a great gadget and gets used every week in our house, whether it be for roasts, steaks, bbq’s etc.

Vandle · 14 Dec 2022 at 05:45

I have a Meater and it's excellent. One of the bonus is it also gives you ambient temperature which is important for outdoors cooking but in the oven then probably not so much. I did use the ink bird with my Traeger for sometime and it worked well until I left it out in the rain and it died.
Having said all that, Meater not longer connects to its unit. Constantly flashes red and cant get it green. Only had it since July :rolleyes:

robfosters · 14 Dec 2022 at 07:51

Vandle said:
I have a Meater and it's excellent. One of the bonus is it also gives you ambient temperature which is important for outdoors cooking but in the oven then probably not so much. I did use the ink bird with my Traeger for sometime and it worked well until I left it out in the rain and it died.
Having said all that, Meater not longer connects to its unit. Constantly flashes red and cant get it green. Only had it since July

You’ve changed the batteries in the block haven't you?

Vandle · 14 Dec 2022 at 21:31

robfosters said:
You’ve changed the batteries in the block haven't you?

Ha! No I haven't. Took the back off an kind of rubbed and span the battery a bit, you know like you do to a TV remote to get another month out of it? :cry:

Vandle · 15 Dec 2022 at 21:36

Aye it was the battery. Changed it last night.

tom_e · 15 Dec 2022 at 21:38

Now have a nice hefty insurance excess to pay so that's my meater idea on the back burner, but thanks for all the replies seems like it falls into the "nice to have if you've got a bit of spare cash burning a hole" category which was what I expected.

Rotty · 15 Dec 2022 at 23:38

monkentage said:
My Chef Alarm cost about 25 or 30 quid and it's great. You can get away with a cheap one fine but the convenience is definitely worth the money.

Is wireless and a smartphone app worth an extra 50?

My CA has been playing up, bought a new aftermarket sensor

You've just reminded me I need to check it with new one (It arrived 4 months ago

)

But your point that the CA is all you need is spot on

the-evaluator · 16 Dec 2022 at 07:44

I bought a Meater on a whim a few years back. I think it's a great bit of kit.

Scam · 18 Dec 2022 at 14:52

For those with a Meater (or other wireless probes) would it replace sous vide kit? I must admit my sous vide doesn’t get much use anymore. We’re renovating our kitchen and have splashed out on a range cooker so it would seem even more silly to avoid using that once installed - and sous vide instead. Perhaps range+Meater is the way forward?

How well does it work for steaks though?

robfosters · 18 Dec 2022 at 15:00

Scam said:
For those with a Meater (or other wireless probes) would it replace sous vide kit? I must admit my sous vide doesn’t get much use anymore. We’re renovating our kitchen and have splashed out on a range cooker so it would seem even more silly to avoid using that once installed - and sous vide instead. Perhaps range+Meater is the way forward?

How well does it work for steaks though?

Works great for steaks. Gets them perfect every time. Cooking and resting time.

aVdub · 18 Dec 2022 at 15:06

Scam said:
For those with a Meater (or other wireless probes) would it replace sous vide kit? I must admit my sous vide doesn’t get much use anymore. We’re renovating our kitchen and have splashed out on a range cooker so it would seem even more silly to avoid using that once installed - and sous vide instead. Perhaps range+Meater is the way forward?

How well does it work for steaks though?

I think you will find they are two completely different ways to cook, of which I do use both.

As I use a Ninja Foodi with the probe I could suggest (Meater) that it at least would inform you when the steak, or what-ever meat/veg you are cooking is at the correct temps for your tastes.

Oven wise, you could look up reverse sear and use the Meater to get the temps, again, correct and cook that way.

I wouldn't drop the sous vide though

Scam · 19 Dec 2022 at 17:28

robfosters said:
Works great for steaks. Gets them perfect every time. Cooking and resting time.

It updates quick enough for steak in a screaming hot pan? My ribeyes rarely get more than 1min either side, depending on thickness of course.

aVdub said:
I wouldn't drop the sous vide though

Fair enough. Aware they are very different, I just often get the other half’s voice in my head (ear) saying we should get rid of things we don’t use often.

robfosters · 19 Dec 2022 at 18:08

Scam said:
It updates quick enough for steak in a screaming hot pan? My ribeyes rarely get more than 1min either side, depending on thickness of course.

Fair enough. Aware they are very different, I just often get the other half’s voice in my head (ear) saying we should get rid of things we don’t use often.

It updates very quickly, just stick it in the meat a couple of minutes before cooking to get an accurate reading and then go. I’ve seen it shoot up very quickly when frying or bbq’ing.

Voltar · 21 Dec 2022 at 09:45

If you plan on using it more than half a dozen times then go for it

If it’s for a one off cook then just a simple meat thermometer/probe.