I tried and returned about 3 thermometers before I settled on the Typhur. The internal probe matched my instant read thermometer and the range was pretty good on a closed smoker. The app is very user friendly and it comes with 2 probes.
When looking at ambient temperature, you need to understand the distance from surface because as food cooks, it lets off water vapor and creates a boundary layer around the hunk of meat. This boundary layer shrinks the later the cook goes, as the water content evaporates from the meat. This can be disrupted by air movement, hence why you feel colder in a windy day, and why convection cooks faster than non-convection ovens at equivalent air temps. So you'll need to control distance from the meat as a variable, to determine if the ambient temperature is truly inaccurate. Ideally you would place the probe just hanging in the air with nothing touching a grate as that can introduce conduction into the measurement and you only want to measure air temp. That removes the variable of the boundary layer to see if the ambient sensor is accurate.
Wired ambient probe is perfectly fine. I often don’t even care about the ambient temperature, as I can set up my smoker (WSM), light it, and then it hums around 250° all day. I have Billows, so if I want to be extra, I can use RFX to control it, but I bought the wireless probes for hanging ribs and rotisserie, to techniques that aren’t finicky about ambient temperature. RFX for the win.
David, I discovered your channel several months ago and have learned to appreciate it. This specific video was spot on. By disclosure, I own the original Meater, the Meater +, the original Yummly, the ThermoPro SpikeTemp, ThermoPro SpikeTemp +, the ThermoPro Spike Temp + (2 probe model), the original Chef IQ, and the ThermoMaven P2 (which is essentially a different branded Typhur). I also have the ThermoWorks Smoke and Smoke 4 wired systems (which I love for their accuracy). From my experience, I agree completely with your data re: ambient temp accuracy (or lack thereof). Because of the lag time, I always use my Thermoworks ambient probe as my control. Range from the probe to the base unit has not been an issue for me. What has been an issue is the range from the base unit to my phone, tablet, etc. I have had issues with losing signal with just about all of the above and have to reposition the phone/tablet - with one pleasurable exception - while using the ThermoMaven P2, I still had connection at a local Sam's Club which is about 5 miles from my home. All of this said, when I feel I really need to nail a smoke, I rely on my ThermoWorks Smoke systems. I have learned that purchasing the Yummly was perhaps a waste of money.
Epic comparison. Great work! I'm getting my RFX 4 probe set in a couple days and very excited. I can't recommend staying away from Meater enough. 4 of my meater probes are falling apart but stay connected, the two meater plus/pro ones won't stay connected. Just my own experiences with over a year using them.
Loved the video. I'm a bit of a Thermoworks snob so the RFX piques my curiosity. Any idea how the probes would handle a sear burner cook, like you would get with the Northfire Inferno? 1500 degrees?
So bummed you didn’t do all the testing with the typher I understand it showed up late but would be great to see how it stacked up. I am in between it and the rfx love the videos and would have been great to see them both in full testing.
I have the previous version of the tempspike. You can definitely customize the pre-warning and also you can enter custom temps if you don't like the default for the type of meat you are cooking.
Writing this early in the video. This is the perfect topic for BBQ Lab. I've purchased three different brands (all of which are featured here) and I still don't feel I have the best one. I'm eager to see if I need to spend more money 😮 My feature priorities in descending order: range, battery life, app usability. I don't need the app to dance and sing, but it does need to be intuitive because I don't use a wireless thermometer often enough to become an expert. Also I don't want to bring out the probe and the battery is dead.
I am impressed with your testing and methodology of wireless probes. My two main concerns with wireless probes are the diameter of the probes and longevity of their operation. I have owned a Meater and it lasted approximately 6 months (and their customer service sucks). My hope is that future models will will improve.
Another great video. I really enjoy your comparisons. I have several of the thermometers you reviwed and I wanted to add a few of my observations. My current favorite is the Combustion and I just received my RFX, but I haven't had a chance to try it. I don't have a problem with a wired ambient probe. My experience with ambient sensors in the end of a probe is that they are useless. Being so close to meat they are not even close to accurate. If I really want to monitor the actual temp in my pit or grill, I will always use a wired probe. That's one of the reasons I ordered an RFX. It would be ideal to have a wireless one, but until then, it's wired. You mentioned that several of the probes had multiple internal sensors, but I I want to emphasize how important that is. With a single sensor it is tricky to get it exactly in the true core, with 7 in the Combustion it is easy and it selects the right one for you. The safe cook feature on the Combustion is really great as well. Especially if you are cooking low and slow you can be sure you have reached a food safe temperature early enough not to have to worry about carry over cooking carrying over too far. Combustion just anounced an updated version 2 that includes WiFi which should extend the range. I have one on order so I will see how it goes (yes, my wife would say I have a thermometer problem).
I have the TempSpike. You can adjust the ambient warning, and you can do a custom meat/cook and set it below 125. I have a sear station and I am NOT nice to the probe - it has held up for over a year so far without a problem. Weird you had a range problem, I bring the base in the house with me and it works fine - I wonder if the probes were interfering with each other? I only have/use 1 so I can't really test that.
Hey David. Ambient temperatures: Clearly hours 4-11 were more accurate for most of the probes. Did you average the variance of each probe and see which are the most accurate in general? I looked at the data but can't tell from the PDF without re-entering all the numbers in a spreadsheet
What was the ambient temperature showing on the RFX when you did the range test in front of your house? Or even 6' away? Lol. I think that little detail was missed. Pretty good review though.
You need to try one that requires the food to be turned. I like the Chef IQ because it talks to me and tells me when to turn the food. I'd like to see how the others notify the cook.
Never had an issue with combustions notifications. It will give you when USDA safe temp is reached (safeguard temp) usually is 150’s for poultry. And then another notification a few minutes before it’s done and then when it’s done. It does not predict carryover…probably for good reasons since different pieces of meat carry over from a few degrees to over 10 like a fat Picanha. Overall the Pulse and combustion are my favorite. ThermoWorks app is weak and Meaters app good but I find my two Meaters always overestimating temp by quite a lot more than I can ever find with my Thermapen so I don’t use them often.
Regarding the wired ambient probe for the RFX... When you first mentioned it, I scoffed, as what's the point of wireless if you still have to have a wired probe anyway? Then I remembered... I already own an OG Meater Block. One of my main complaints about it when I first got it, was that I usually like to let my grill/smoker get up to temp before I put the meat on. By having the ambient temp built into the probe, I can't really do that with that unit as I'd need something to stick it into to hold it while the grill comes up to temp. (Yes, I could just lay it on the grate or stick it into a ball of foil or something, but I didn't like those solutions either.) So, I would resort to pulling out one of my other, wired probes, until I was ready to put the meat on. But at that point, I might as well just use the wired probe for the whole thing! As a result, the Meater has been relegated to rotisserie use only. By having the ambient probe be wired, that issue is avoided. Now, I've had some other issues with Thermoworks remote probes in the past (OG Smoke + Gateway never seemed to work right for me), and I've since switched to Fireboard for all my remote monitoring needs. (Still use the ChefAlarm, and several Thermopens though, they're great!) So, I'm still torn about which of these to get, or if I just want to stick with my OG Meater Block, which does still work. I'm leaning that way for now, given how seldom I use something like this anyway.
You know what, this was a very useful comment for me. I have only ever had wired thermometers and have been curious about whether I should make the jump to one of these stick styles for convenience. I had just about talked myself into the combustion predictive thermometer and just being okay with the inaccuracy of the ambient probe but you know what, it'll totally be annoying to get my charcoal all up and running without an ambient probe in place before the meat goes in. I also have such a high view of thermoworks and wanted to like their product that best. I just had a phenomenal experience with their customer service and I don't want to support anyone else.
@@steffananGlad I could help! Also to be fair, I believe the OG Meater only rates the food end of the probe for up to about 212°F, so leaving it out in the smoker while it comes up to temp isn't really possible anyway. These newer ones don't seem to have that limitation, so maybe it's a moot point. Agreed on Thermworks support, they've always been phenomenal for me too.
FYI, The Meater wireless cannot send data across VLANs on your network, even if there are firewall rules specifically allowing it to. I dont know if this is an issue on other brands as I havent tried them, but for anyone with a modern network that segregates IoT devices this is a major problem and makes Meater useless.
While I am not sure about Meater but some wireless APs /routers will allow you to enable features to forward AirPlay protocol (and the Android equivalent) across VLANS
I am surprised how you passed over the deficiencies in the RFX Meat's app. I have both Meater and RFX and I love the RFX Meat probes, but I think the app falls way short as it is missing several things such as cook setup process, being able to see multiple probes in one graph, having to reset the session every cook, and just the general fit and finish of the app. I love the probes and am happy with my RFX Meat purchase, but the app needs a LOT of work yet in my opinion.
With Chef IQ Sense, once you have selected your protein, you can either follow the recommended guidelines for cooking (i.e Beef, Steak, Sirloin, 1.5” thick, cooking method (Grill), rare) it will show lowest setting of 125 but remove from heat of 115) however, you can under the “what are you cooking” select manual setup, then select Beef, and then manually set the temp on the temp dial to as low as you want such as 115 or lower and not be constrained to the recommended min. Temp of 125 in the auto select option.
Just bought the IQ one I believe it was the first one you showed. I got it at Costco and this video couldn’t have came at a better time. It’s my first time with wireless thermometer so I’m gonna try to search for a torture video of this device as I want to know how much I can push it before I start seeing damage
My biggest dealbreaker is not having WiFi (or connecting to something that does). If it's a Bluetooth only system, it's garbage. That's why I consider the MEater+ garbage and the Meater Block their only acceptable product. The Fireboard one should likely be fine, because the probe connects to my Fireboard 2 Drive, which has WiFi.
Most important factor is wireless with both wifi and bluetooth, thinest diameter probe, and obviously accurate internal temp. A warning that its almost time to remove food is nice for distracted pit master like myself. I really don’t care much about the ambient temp feature.
Ambient temperatures start to get more accurate because the probes are experiencing less evaporative cooling from the meat. As the meat loses moisture, the surrounding air gets closer to actual grill temp. It's why this test looks so bad.
Would have loved to see a rotisserie cook going on. That's where I am most frustrated with my meater pros. They disconnect a lot more while they are rotating than during static cooks.
Interesting. We shot a rotisserie cook as a part of this video, but it hit the cutting room floor because it was already incredibly long. I didn’t notice anything different from the distance tests during that test since we left the receivers 1 foot from the grill. Rotation didn’t seem to change connection for us, but that was just 1 chicken with brand new probes.
@TheBarbecueLab thanks. Not sure if I noticed much of a difference when they were new, but it's definitely got bad with the meater. I have the 4 probe block they connect to that, which stays on the worktop of my weber performer, so within about a foot of the probe. That connects to my wireless and I've had nothing but issues with them staying connected to the base after like the first year of use. With a static cook it's not frequent but with a rotisserie it's just constant disconnects reconnects on each probe like every 5 to 10 minutes
As I’m sure you know 150° let it sit in a sealed tub with weight on top for a couple of minutes and it will hit 155° ,,only restaurants by law have to cook their chicken breast 165° ..
Unless it is reliable!! I've only tried one wireless, and I've had a 30% failure rate on them - those are the Tappecue Air Probe II's. Which interestingly, you did not review.
I think the testing of distance whole house should have not been done with taking the receivers with you. It should have been left behind. Practically speaking I wouldn't take the receivers with me only phone.
@@TheBarbecueLab Ended up buying the Typhur Sync gold duo on Black Friday week. It is fantastic. Only real complaint I have on any of these wireless ones would be the thickness and amount of probe insertion depth for thin meat cooks!
The MEATER Probe use to be $99. Well hopefully after January all these probes will go down. Good video David. Ok David so in your opinion give me your top 3 from 1 to 3.
@@edwinrivera3587the reason is MAGA 2024! GARBAGE 2024! TRUMP 2024! Hopefully gas, groceries and all other major products will go down during his presidency as he promised Republican supporters!
@@MatijaGrcic Combustion has no carryover warnings (I don’t think he understood the product well), I have one…in any case carryover is impossible to predict accurately. You just have to know what you are doing after a few cooks on a particular cut of meat.
I have spent a lot of money on Meaters (plus, Block and 2 plus) and regret every penny. They all consistently lose signals using my Weber kettle. They are junk. I think the people who brag about them are getting paid by Meater.
Connection is absolutely DREADFUL. Mine has become my kitchen thermometer, seems to do OK in my oven and air fryer, but was borderline useless on my outdoor grill or smoker. Bought the RFX for my outdoor cooking and it's been a treat.
My experience with MEATER is that the Plus is basically useless but the Block is passable, as the WiFi makes the connection work much better (it still loses connection, but not much).
This is the USA. We don’t use metric system for measurement. If you are going to use the metric system then you should also be smart enough to give the same diameter in inches. I stopped watching the video as soon as you said the the first measurement even though I can covert it in my head as I was a skilled trades machinist for years. It just pisses me off.
Show me on the doll where the superior metric system hurt you. You took the time to write this comment but couldn’t be bothered to watch the whole video? 🤣
I owned a machining company for 38 years, using the imperial system for all programming and measurements. The metric system never bothered me in the least.
@@sunnyvalejedi WE Don’t use the metric system in the USA. Got it dumb ass? Why would I watch the video when he does use the right measurement or a conversion? I assume he wants to piss off his audience. Worked for me. I also unsubscribed .
I see a lot of hate on the MEATER. I’ve been using the MEATER for a little over a year now specifically the single probe MEATER +, the only drawback that I have had is it will disconnect from where my Traeger is into my bedroom. There is many barriers in between the two so I put my iPad on the dining room table and it tethers to my phone without any connection loss. The range of going to the store and what not I don’t care about. I’ve done many many cooks with it and haven’t had any issues . Now as for customer service I don’t know as I’ve had no issues with the MEATER + probe . We don’t deep fry foods so that’s not an option I’ll use. Only time we use a Dutch oven is for stew/pot roasts so don’t need a probe for that. So for the ones just saying they suck for this or that , seems it’s more of a brand specific to you. I’m just not seeing the issues everyone else is claiming with theirs. Or maybe I got one that just works, I don’t know.
You just described a big part of it. Having to have a second mobile device to tether it to for WiFi functionality makes the Meater+ a garbage product. That's why them releasing a Meater refresh a year ago without the Meater Block (which provides WiFi in and of itself) being refreshed was so insulting, and why I haven't upgraded from the Meater Block. If they'd released the Block refresh a year ago, I'd have bought it. Now, there's so much competition I'm going to evaluate my options.
@ that’s not a big deal to me. Even my BOSE blue tooth headphones loose connection if I leave my phone inside my bedroom and go outside, there’s a lot of barriers blocking the signal . For the 69 I spent on sale, the MEATER + works excellent. If that one thing is a deal breaker to you then sure, look for something else but that’s something I can live with.
@@jameshill5304 Yeah.. if you like it, fine, but I'm telling you there are a lot of complaints about it because it loses connection basically constantly so when people try to check the app and see what it's doing, they can't get info from the thermometer, which is its entire purpose. Not to mention, it will annoy you with a notification every time it loses connection, usually. The Meater Block solves this problem, as does connecting it to a second mobile device connected to your WiFi network, but not everyone has those. Most of the complaints will be from people who don't. The Meater Block would have passed the "other side of house test" here in this video, as I've been 10-30 minutes away in town having lunch and been able to monitor my temps. That's what WiFi connectivity gives you, and that's why it's a dealbreaker for me to not have it.
I tried and returned about 3 thermometers before I settled on the Typhur. The internal probe matched my instant read thermometer and the range was pretty good on a closed smoker. The app is very user friendly and it comes with 2 probes.
When looking at ambient temperature, you need to understand the distance from surface because as food cooks, it lets off water vapor and creates a boundary layer around the hunk of meat. This boundary layer shrinks the later the cook goes, as the water content evaporates from the meat. This can be disrupted by air movement, hence why you feel colder in a windy day, and why convection cooks faster than non-convection ovens at equivalent air temps.
So you'll need to control distance from the meat as a variable, to determine if the ambient temperature is truly inaccurate. Ideally you would place the probe just hanging in the air with nothing touching a grate as that can introduce conduction into the measurement and you only want to measure air temp. That removes the variable of the boundary layer to see if the ambient sensor is accurate.
Wired ambient probe is perfectly fine. I often don’t even care about the ambient temperature, as I can set up my smoker (WSM), light it, and then it hums around 250° all day. I have Billows, so if I want to be extra, I can use RFX to control it, but I bought the wireless probes for hanging ribs and rotisserie, to techniques that aren’t finicky about ambient temperature. RFX for the win.
David, I discovered your channel several months ago and have learned to appreciate it. This specific video was spot on. By disclosure, I own the original Meater, the Meater +, the original Yummly, the ThermoPro SpikeTemp, ThermoPro SpikeTemp +, the ThermoPro Spike Temp + (2 probe model), the original Chef IQ, and the ThermoMaven P2 (which is essentially a different branded Typhur). I also have the ThermoWorks Smoke and Smoke 4 wired systems (which I love for their accuracy). From my experience, I agree completely with your data re: ambient temp accuracy (or lack thereof). Because of the lag time, I always use my Thermoworks ambient probe as my control. Range from the probe to the base unit has not been an issue for me. What has been an issue is the range from the base unit to my phone, tablet, etc. I have had issues with losing signal with just about all of the above and have to reposition the phone/tablet - with one pleasurable exception - while using the ThermoMaven P2, I still had connection at a local Sam's Club which is about 5 miles from my home. All of this said, when I feel I really need to nail a smoke, I rely on my ThermoWorks Smoke systems. I have learned that purchasing the Yummly was perhaps a waste of money.
Epic comparison. Great work! I'm getting my RFX 4 probe set in a couple days and very excited.
I can't recommend staying away from Meater enough. 4 of my meater probes are falling apart but stay connected, the two meater plus/pro ones won't stay connected. Just my own experiences with over a year using them.
Loved the video. I'm a bit of a Thermoworks snob so the RFX piques my curiosity. Any idea how the probes would handle a sear burner cook, like you would get with the Northfire Inferno? 1500 degrees?
So bummed you didn’t do all the testing with the typher I understand it showed up late but would be great to see how it stacked up. I am in between it and the rfx love the videos and would have been great to see them both in full testing.
I have the previous version of the tempspike. You can definitely customize the pre-warning and also you can enter custom temps if you don't like the default for the type of meat you are cooking.
Which of the receivers display temps as well? This would be a must have for me. If I’m at the grill I don’t want to open my phone to view temps.
Writing this early in the video. This is the perfect topic for BBQ Lab. I've purchased three different brands (all of which are featured here) and I still don't feel I have the best one. I'm eager to see if I need to spend more money 😮
My feature priorities in descending order: range, battery life, app usability. I don't need the app to dance and sing, but it does need to be intuitive because I don't use a wireless thermometer often enough to become an expert. Also I don't want to bring out the probe and the battery is dead.
I am impressed with your testing and methodology of wireless probes. My two main concerns with wireless probes are the diameter of the probes and longevity of their operation. I have owned a Meater and it lasted approximately 6 months (and their customer service sucks). My hope is that future models will will improve.
Another great video. I really enjoy your comparisons. I have several of the thermometers you reviwed and I wanted to add a few of my observations. My current favorite is the Combustion and I just received my RFX, but I haven't had a chance to try it. I don't have a problem with a wired ambient probe. My experience with ambient sensors in the end of a probe is that they are useless. Being so close to meat they are not even close to accurate. If I really want to monitor the actual temp in my pit or grill, I will always use a wired probe. That's one of the reasons I ordered an RFX. It would be ideal to have a wireless one, but until then, it's wired. You mentioned that several of the probes had multiple internal sensors, but I I want to emphasize how important that is. With a single sensor it is tricky to get it exactly in the true core, with 7 in the Combustion it is easy and it selects the right one for you. The safe cook feature on the Combustion is really great as well. Especially if you are cooking low and slow you can be sure you have reached a food safe temperature early enough not to have to worry about carry over cooking carrying over too far. Combustion just anounced an updated version 2 that includes WiFi which should extend the range. I have one on order so I will see how it goes (yes, my wife would say I have a thermometer problem).
I have the TempSpike. You can adjust the ambient warning, and you can do a custom meat/cook and set it below 125. I have a sear station and I am NOT nice to the probe - it has held up for over a year so far without a problem. Weird you had a range problem, I bring the base in the house with me and it works fine - I wonder if the probes were interfering with each other? I only have/use 1 so I can't really test that.
I own the meater II plus, I absolutely love it and would not change it. Looking forward to the meater block but can’t afford it yet.
Great video, I’m here because of the bbq central show
Hey David. Ambient temperatures: Clearly hours 4-11 were more accurate for most of the probes. Did you average the variance of each probe and see which are the most accurate in general? I looked at the data but can't tell from the PDF without re-entering all the numbers in a spreadsheet
What was the ambient temperature showing on the RFX when you did the range test in front of your house? Or even 6' away? Lol. I think that little detail was missed. Pretty good review though.
The most important thing for me is, does it work through heavy duty aluminum foil or a Dutch oven?
You need to try one that requires the food to be turned. I like the Chef IQ because it talks to me and tells me when to turn the food. I'd like to see how the others notify the cook.
He must have a lot of visitors. Every phone shot has a ring doorbell notification lol
Never had an issue with combustions notifications. It will give you when USDA safe temp is reached (safeguard temp) usually is 150’s for poultry. And then another notification a few minutes before it’s done and then when it’s done. It does not predict carryover…probably for good reasons since different pieces of meat carry over from a few degrees to over 10 like a fat Picanha. Overall the Pulse and combustion are my favorite. ThermoWorks app is weak and Meaters app good but I find my two Meaters always overestimating temp by quite a lot more than I can ever find with my Thermapen so I don’t use them often.
Regarding the wired ambient probe for the RFX...
When you first mentioned it, I scoffed, as what's the point of wireless if you still have to have a wired probe anyway? Then I remembered... I already own an OG Meater Block. One of my main complaints about it when I first got it, was that I usually like to let my grill/smoker get up to temp before I put the meat on. By having the ambient temp built into the probe, I can't really do that with that unit as I'd need something to stick it into to hold it while the grill comes up to temp. (Yes, I could just lay it on the grate or stick it into a ball of foil or something, but I didn't like those solutions either.) So, I would resort to pulling out one of my other, wired probes, until I was ready to put the meat on. But at that point, I might as well just use the wired probe for the whole thing! As a result, the Meater has been relegated to rotisserie use only.
By having the ambient probe be wired, that issue is avoided. Now, I've had some other issues with Thermoworks remote probes in the past (OG Smoke + Gateway never seemed to work right for me), and I've since switched to Fireboard for all my remote monitoring needs. (Still use the ChefAlarm, and several Thermopens though, they're great!) So, I'm still torn about which of these to get, or if I just want to stick with my OG Meater Block, which does still work. I'm leaning that way for now, given how seldom I use something like this anyway.
You know what, this was a very useful comment for me. I have only ever had wired thermometers and have been curious about whether I should make the jump to one of these stick styles for convenience. I had just about talked myself into the combustion predictive thermometer and just being okay with the inaccuracy of the ambient probe but you know what, it'll totally be annoying to get my charcoal all up and running without an ambient probe in place before the meat goes in. I also have such a high view of thermoworks and wanted to like their product that best. I just had a phenomenal experience with their customer service and I don't want to support anyone else.
@@steffananGlad I could help! Also to be fair, I believe the OG Meater only rates the food end of the probe for up to about 212°F, so leaving it out in the smoker while it comes up to temp isn't really possible anyway. These newer ones don't seem to have that limitation, so maybe it's a moot point. Agreed on Thermworks support, they've always been phenomenal for me too.
FYI, The Meater wireless cannot send data across VLANs on your network, even if there are firewall rules specifically allowing it to. I dont know if this is an issue on other brands as I havent tried them, but for anyone with a modern network that segregates IoT devices this is a major problem and makes Meater useless.
While I am not sure about Meater but some wireless APs /routers will allow you to enable features to forward AirPlay protocol (and the Android equivalent) across VLANS
You didn't show a Typhur cook after you received the probes!
I am surprised how you passed over the deficiencies in the RFX Meat's app. I have both Meater and RFX and I love the RFX Meat probes, but I think the app falls way short as it is missing several things such as cook setup process, being able to see multiple probes in one graph, having to reset the session every cook, and just the general fit and finish of the app.
I love the probes and am happy with my RFX Meat purchase, but the app needs a LOT of work yet in my opinion.
I would love to see a Sous Vide test !!
With Chef IQ Sense, once you have selected your protein, you can either follow the recommended guidelines for cooking (i.e Beef, Steak, Sirloin, 1.5” thick, cooking method (Grill), rare) it will show lowest setting of 125 but remove from heat of 115) however, you can under the “what are you cooking” select manual setup, then select Beef, and then manually set the temp on the temp dial to as low as you want such as 115 or lower and not be constrained to the recommended min. Temp of 125 in the auto select option.
@@kaivonmortazavi8656 good tip!
Just bought the IQ one I believe it was the first one you showed. I got it at Costco and this video couldn’t have came at a better time. It’s my first time with wireless thermometer so I’m gonna try to search for a torture video of this device as I want to know how much I can push it before I start seeing damage
Great video! I have the same LSG cabinet. Any way to connect it's Fireboard controller to the low frequency antenna?
Not that I’m aware of, but that’s a great question for Chris over at Lone Star.
My biggest dealbreaker is not having WiFi (or connecting to something that does). If it's a Bluetooth only system, it's garbage. That's why I consider the MEater+ garbage and the Meater Block their only acceptable product. The Fireboard one should likely be fine, because the probe connects to my Fireboard 2 Drive, which has WiFi.
ThermoWorks makes a superior product but I’ll wait 2 years when they come out with a wireless cook chamber monitor for the RFX.
Most important factor is wireless with both wifi and bluetooth, thinest diameter probe, and obviously accurate internal temp. A warning that its almost time to remove food is nice for distracted pit master like myself. I really don’t care much about the ambient temp feature.
Getting the fireboard next
Have watched few of these and the App can make or break a probe. Range is important.
Chef IQ Sense 2 probe system is $99 at Costco (bluetooth and wireless and one of the thinnest probes).
Ambient temperatures start to get more accurate because the probes are experiencing less evaporative cooling from the meat. As the meat loses moisture, the surrounding air gets closer to actual grill temp. It's why this test looks so bad.
Maybe I missed it but did you check for temp accuracy?
Would have loved to see a rotisserie cook going on. That's where I am most frustrated with my meater pros. They disconnect a lot more while they are rotating than during static cooks.
Interesting. We shot a rotisserie cook as a part of this video, but it hit the cutting room floor because it was already incredibly long. I didn’t notice anything different from the distance tests during that test since we left the receivers 1 foot from the grill. Rotation didn’t seem to change connection for us, but that was just 1 chicken with brand new probes.
@TheBarbecueLab thanks. Not sure if I noticed much of a difference when they were new, but it's definitely got bad with the meater. I have the 4 probe block they connect to that, which stays on the worktop of my weber performer, so within about a foot of the probe. That connects to my wireless and I've had nothing but issues with them staying connected to the base after like the first year of use. With a static cook it's not frequent but with a rotisserie it's just constant disconnects reconnects on each probe like every 5 to 10 minutes
Need a long distance wifi
As I’m sure you know 150° let it sit in a sealed tub with weight on top for a couple of minutes and it will hit 155° ,,only restaurants by law have to cook their chicken breast 165° ..
Super compare Thnks much
Unless it is reliable!! I've only tried one wireless, and I've had a 30% failure rate on them - those are the Tappecue Air Probe II's. Which interestingly, you did not review.
I think the testing of distance whole house should have not been done with taking the receivers with you. It should have been left behind. Practically speaking I wouldn't take the receivers with me only phone.
No test of the Ink Bird probes.
How about InkBird’s new WiFi probe?
We didn’t have access to the Inkbird for this roundup.
@@TheBarbecueLab Ahh okay. It definitely a competitor. Thank you for the great video reviews! 🍻
The leave a huge hole in the meat. I just stick with wired.
Probably should have included the Typhur sync gold.
It was delivered halfway through testing, so it’s in the second half of the video.
Should have probably finished the video, thanks.
@@TheBarbecueLab Ended up buying the Typhur Sync gold duo on Black Friday week. It is fantastic. Only real complaint I have on any of these wireless ones would be the thickness and amount of probe insertion depth for thin meat cooks!
I meant great wireless (bluetooth) distance
I am looking for accuracy and simplicity. I am not interested in all the “junk data” that some of the probes provide.
The MEATER Probe use to be $99. Well hopefully after January all these probes will go down. Good video David. Ok David so in your opinion give me your top 3 from 1 to 3.
Why would the prices go down after January?
@@edwinrivera3587the reason is MAGA 2024! GARBAGE 2024! TRUMP 2024! Hopefully gas, groceries and all other major products will go down during his presidency as he promised Republican supporters!
@@edwinrivera3587I keep on putting my political response and they keep on blocking my answer
@edwinrivera3587
Blind faith, I suspect.
Nah. You did Typhur dirty. Easily the best probe on the list.
You could have measured the accuracy of the probes. The tests were very helpful.
accuracy
Where is the Typhur ???????
Accuracy
My Meater Plus dies from being wrapped in tin foil
Great comparison, here's a summary.
| Thermometer | Probes | Key Features | Limitations
Chef iQ Sense: 3 int, 1 amb | Voice prompts, predictive cooking, app tools | None noted
Chef'sTemp Pro Temp Plus: 1 int, 1 amb | Manual alerts, app target settings | Unreliable estimated cook times
Combustion Predictive: 7 int, 1 amb | Wi-Fi booster, USDA cooking safeguard | Inaccurate carryover warnings
Fireboard Pulse: 1 int, 1 amb | Graph zoom/scroll, ceramic sensor | None noted
Meter Pro: 5 int, 1 amb | Carryover alerts, estimated cook notifications | None noted
Meat Stick 4x: 3 int, 1 amb | Multi-sensor data | Ambient readings unreliable in high heat
ThermoPro Temp Spike Plus: 1 int, 1 amb | Target alerts | Weak carryover support, disconnections
Thermoworks RFX Kit: 4 int, 1 amb | High/low alarms, customizable graphs | None noted
Tyer Sync Gold: 5 int, 1 amb | High internal probe count | Sparse feature details
Key Insights:
Wired probes: most accurate ambient readings.
Wireless range: varies; walls reduce effectiveness.
Heat durability: high heat OK, deep frying varies.
@@MatijaGrcic Combustion has no carryover warnings (I don’t think he understood the product well), I have one…in any case carryover is impossible to predict accurately. You just have to know what you are doing after a few cooks on a particular cut of meat.
Meater makes terrible probes, and customer service is even worse!
I have spent a lot of money on Meaters (plus, Block and 2 plus) and regret every penny. They all consistently lose signals using my Weber kettle. They are junk. I think the people who brag about them are getting paid by Meater.
Second this. Their Customer service is terrible
Connection is absolutely DREADFUL. Mine has become my kitchen thermometer, seems to do OK in my oven and air fryer, but was borderline useless on my outdoor grill or smoker.
Bought the RFX for my outdoor cooking and it's been a treat.
My experience with MEATER is that the Plus is basically useless but the Block is passable, as the WiFi makes the connection work much better (it still loses connection, but not much).
This is the USA. We don’t use metric system for measurement. If you are going to use the metric system then you should also be smart enough to give the same diameter in inches.
I stopped watching the video as soon as you said the the first measurement even though I can covert it in my head as I was a skilled trades machinist for years. It just pisses me off.
Show me on the doll where the superior metric system hurt you.
You took the time to write this comment but couldn’t be bothered to watch the whole video? 🤣
I owned a machining company for 38 years, using the imperial system for all programming and measurements. The metric system never bothered me in the least.
@@sunnyvalejedi WE Don’t use the metric system in the USA. Got it dumb ass? Why would I watch the video when he does use the right measurement or a conversion? I assume he wants to piss off his audience.
Worked for me. I also unsubscribed .
@@ixlzz That’s great but I assume you are not in the United States.
You missed a good video.
I see a lot of hate on the MEATER. I’ve been using the MEATER for a little over a year now specifically the single probe MEATER +, the only drawback that I have had is it will disconnect from where my Traeger is into my bedroom. There is many barriers in between the two so I put my iPad on the dining room table and it tethers to my phone without any connection loss. The range of going to the store and what not I don’t care about. I’ve done many many cooks with it and haven’t had any issues . Now as for customer service I don’t know as I’ve had no issues with the MEATER + probe . We don’t deep fry foods so that’s not an option I’ll use. Only time we use a Dutch oven is for stew/pot roasts so don’t need a probe for that. So for the ones just saying they suck for this or that , seems it’s more of a brand specific to you. I’m just not seeing the issues everyone else is claiming with theirs. Or maybe I got one that just works, I don’t know.
Same experience. I’ve been super happy with my Meater probe.
You just described a big part of it. Having to have a second mobile device to tether it to for WiFi functionality makes the Meater+ a garbage product. That's why them releasing a Meater refresh a year ago without the Meater Block (which provides WiFi in and of itself) being refreshed was so insulting, and why I haven't upgraded from the Meater Block. If they'd released the Block refresh a year ago, I'd have bought it. Now, there's so much competition I'm going to evaluate my options.
@ that’s not a big deal to me. Even my BOSE blue tooth headphones loose connection if I leave my phone inside my bedroom and go outside, there’s a lot of barriers blocking the signal . For the 69 I spent on sale, the MEATER + works excellent. If that one thing is a deal breaker to you then sure, look for something else but that’s something I can live with.
@@jameshill5304 Yeah.. if you like it, fine, but I'm telling you there are a lot of complaints about it because it loses connection basically constantly so when people try to check the app and see what it's doing, they can't get info from the thermometer, which is its entire purpose. Not to mention, it will annoy you with a notification every time it loses connection, usually.
The Meater Block solves this problem, as does connecting it to a second mobile device connected to your WiFi network, but not everyone has those. Most of the complaints will be from people who don't.
The Meater Block would have passed the "other side of house test" here in this video, as I've been 10-30 minutes away in town having lunch and been able to monitor my temps. That's what WiFi connectivity gives you, and that's why it's a dealbreaker for me to not have it.