I Can't Recommend MEATER Block

[Seed]

I purchased a MEATER block about 6 months ago. From the beginning this thing was junk. At first 2 of the probes kept falling offline and the app keeps having to reconnect. False offline notifications spammed me constantly and then probe 2 became permanently disconnected and I couldn't get it to reconnect at all. The block was 4 to 5 feet from the Traeger. I worked with support and they sent me a new probe set after sending the original unit back. This was their response:

"On your original Block you definitely had a couple of probes with a bad signal, which would explain why they would drop connection, especially probe 3. I am still doing a couple of other tests, but the good news is that all the probes I sent out with your new Block are good. "

Now I have the "better" probes and it's even worse. 3 of the 4 don't stay connected.

Now MEATER says it's my fault because it's the steel in the Traeger. The Block is 5 feet from the Traeger and in my opinion should work just fine. I also put my phone into the Traeger and put some ear buds on over bluetooth and got 3x the range well past where the block is.

After 6 months trying to use this thing it has never worked right and now I have to pay $50 bucks in a restocking fee. This company's product is garbage and I recommend NOT getting one. I was going to say to wait until they sort out their connection issues to get one but considering the shit customer support I recommend avoiding them all together and waiting for another company to come along that will have a better wireless product.

BBQ Guru, I'm sorry for leaving you. Please take me back.

 

[34Vince]

Seed, sorry to hear about your troubles. I have been researching the Meater block for several weeks now as I have been wanting to purchase one. I’m curious if you have tried putting the block outside your house next to the grill itself. Looking at your pictures it might not be able to read through the grill and your house. I’m sure you probably tried everything already but just a thought if you haven’t. Let me know if you have any other luck with the thermometer, I ready like what I have seen from them and want to purchase one myself, but if it doesn’t work very good I will wait to purchase. Thanks

 

[Seed]

Seed, sorry to hear about your troubles. I have been researching the Meater block for several weeks now as I have been wanting to purchase one. I’m curious if you have tried putting the block outside your house next to the grill itself. Looking at your pictures it might not be able to read through the grill and your house. I’m sure you probably tried everything already but just a thought if you haven’t. Let me know if you have any other luck with the thermometer, I ready like what I have seen from them and want to purchase one myself, but if it doesn’t work very good I will wait to purchase. Thanks

I have put it right next to the grill. It works better but still not perfect. I still expect at this distance it should work much better than it does. To me there's less of a point with wireless if I need a big ol' wood framed device sitting literally on top of the pellet door for it to work.

 

[bfletcher]

In no way do I say this to challenge you but mine would not work if the block was in the house against the wall and 4-5' from the Ironwood. Then I placed it in a ziploc bag and inside the hopper (thus far I've never filled my hopper to capacity) and I think it works lol. I do, however, get a blip now and then where a notification says a probe is offline but to my knowledge it lasts for a split second, so I don't react to it. But I also have not used mine [yet] with the purpose of receiving an alert when my attention is required. When I'm using something other than the Ironwood I place the block in a plastic storage container and outside near the smoker or grill.

I wish I could marry the convenience of the Meater probes with the features of the Fireboard app and cloud logging capabilities.

 

[Seed]

In no way do I say this to challenge you but mine would not work if the block was in the house against the wall and 4-5' from the Ironwood. Then I placed it in a ziploc bag and inside the hopper (thus far I've never filled my hopper to capacity) and I think it works lol. I do, however, get a blip now and then where a notification says a probe is offline but to my knowledge it lasts for a split second, so I don't react to it. But I also have not used mine [yet] with the purpose of receiving an alert when my attention is required. When I'm using something other than the Ironwood I place the block in a plastic storage container and outside near the smoker or grill.

I wish I could marry the convenience of the Meater probes with the features of the Fireboard app and cloud logging capabilities.

It's all good. I respect your experience. I just feel it should work better than it does. It doesn't and putting a $200+ product that promotes wireless with a base and having to put it in a ziploc bag, inside a hopper?!?! falls way short of being a viable product, against what I think are pretty basic expectations. The notification issue is also annoying. It's called alert fatigue, and I'll end up turning notifications off which then means I have to baby it which defeats the purpose. Stick with the fireboard until a better wireless product comes around is my take.

 

[Flatlander]

I guess I'm one of the lucky ones. I've been using my meater+ for quite awhile and have had minimal troubles (hope I didn't just jinx myself). I always put the block near the probe (within a few feet) and have had very little disconnects on my phone. When it does disconnect it usually just corrects itself. I do make sure I have the latest updates. I'd try calling the company because they are expensive and you should be happy with your purchase. Good luck

 

[PriceMP5]

I’ve enjoyed my meater+ as well, enough where Im considering upgrading to the block but haven’t made the purchase yet. I do agree the range is not great as it doesn’t fully cover the inside of my house and the charging box has to be magnetized on my front folding shelf or within 5 feet of the grill for best connection. But the temps are spot on and I haven’t over cooked anything yet when using it.

 

[bfletcher]

I’ve enjoyed my meater+ as well, enough where Im considering upgrading to the block but haven’t made the purchase yet.

If you use Amazon you might be able to get it cheaper than ordering directly from Apption - unless you have a discount code. Or heck; maybe you could even ask if they'd sell one at the same price as Amazon.

 

[daddyscooltv]

I have to have my sitting on the top of my pellet hopper and it works fine. The problem I have is I can't use mine if I leave it in the meat and wrap the meat in foil. Then I loose connection every time.

 

[GrillMeister]

The MEATER Block is a bit of a learning curve when you are used to the older MEATERs & MEATER +, but I've been happy with the performance so far. I keep the block plugged in to a USB charger for overnight cooks and I place a bucket over it for overnight cooks. It does have to be close to the Traeger due to being a metal smoker, but the wifi option allows me to access the progress from anywhere. The wall you have is adding to the signal loss you are getting.

 

[woodnboats]

I have a Fireboard, which works well, with only occasional probe failures. Their service is pretty good, fortunately.

 

[violinist22]

I have been using the Meater + for about 3 months and overall, I have had a positive experience. The main limitation is that the wood block needs within 3 feet of the Traeger (in my experience). I usually put it on top of the hopper (I have a Texas Elite) or on top of a chair next to the smoker. I occasionally lose the connection between the probe and the block, but it resets itself with in a few seconds. I found that the temperature readings are accurate and that the range from the block to my phone within my home is fine (wifi option). I understand your frustration, especially if the probe drops are frequent and do not automatically reset.

 

[TheHardWay]

I received a Meter Block for Christmas, and don't have any complaints so far. I set mine up on a USB plug inside the house when using it. The grill itself is on the porch... 3-4' on the other side of the wall.

 

[34Vince]

Does anyone that has the Meater plus wish they had gotten the block or vice versa? I guess what I am asking is, do the majority of you use more than one probe while cooking multiple meats at the same time such as steaks; or do you just use one probe and when it shows a certain temperature pull all of the meat off at the same time?

 

[TheHardWay]

Does anyone that has the Meater plus wish they had gotten the block or vice versa? I guess what I am asking is, do the majority of you use more than one probe while cooking multiple meats at the same time such as steaks; or do you just use one probe and when it shows a certain temperature pull all of the meat off at the same time?

Now that I have the Meater Block, I find myself using a separate probe for each piece of meat when I cook for myself, wife, and son. It surprised me how much that two pieces of meat, almost identical in size, could cook so differently. 2 chicken breasts I cooked the other night were done at a little over 5 minutes apart. It makes me wonder how many times before I had the Meater that I had slightly missed the magic temperature for "doneness", under or over, for the perfect piece of meat.

Another nice thing about using multiple probes is that if you are cooking for people who like different levels of doneness for, say steak, as is the case in my household, you know when to remove from heat for each piece, rather then generalizing and removing all of them from heat at the same time.