Sample provided.
I’ve always had the tendency to overcook meat, “Just to be sure it’s done”. When I was 19 and first living on my own, I distinctly remember making a chicken stir fry for dinner that ended up being raw in the middle due to my lack of experience, and from then on I’ve always been paranoid about repeating that mistake. A mouthful of raw chicken really leaves an impression…
I’ve used meat thermometers in the past and was in need of a new one, so when I had the opportunity to try out a MEATER Probe, I thought it sounded like the perfect thing to add to my kitchen. Unlike traditional meat thermometers that rely on long wires hanging out of the oven, MEATER is a wireless meat thermometer that pairs with an app on your phone. Simply place the probe in your piece of meat, and it will “Meter” the temperature and alert your phone as soon as the food is done. Check out my video below to see a demo of my first time using MEATER:
I am so impressed with this product! It was easy to set up and use, and works exactly as promised. To use it, simply open the MEATER app to start cooking, and select the type of meat and how you’d like to cook it – rare, medium, well done, etc. For my first test making this roast, I just selected the USDA standard doneness of 63 degrees, which the default; this resulted in a roast that was crisp on the outside, but still tender inside. Next time, I’m going to try cooking to medium doneness to make it even more tender!
Once you’ve selected your cooking setting, inserted the thermometer, and placed it in the oven, the MEATER app will take a little bit to estimate the cooking time, so just let the app do its thing. After maybe 6, 10 minutes, the app will show the time remaining until the meat is done, with a real-time readout of the temperature. It’s really cool! I was able to cook my roast without any guessing – I knew exactly how hot it was, how long it needed to cook for, and when I pulled it out of the oven, it was cooked to perfection.
You can still use your phone while the app runs in the background – when I returned to the app from using Twitter or another application, sometimes the progress of my current dish didn’t show up right away and I was worried that it might have reset, but it popped up again after a moment. The app pairs with the thermometer over Bluetooth and has a range of 30 feet, so I needed to leave my phone in the kitchen while it cooked, but the app makes a loud sound to notify you when the meat is finished so you don’t have to worry about missing it; and the MEATER Block, which is currently available to pre-order, will extend the range of your MEATER as well as having its own readout and the ability to cook multiple cuts of meat at the same time. Ooh, I can’t wait until that product comes out!
When you’re done using your MEATER probe, simply stick it back into its wooden charging block to prepare it for the next use. The charger runs off of a rechargeable AAA battery and has a magnetic backing, so you can hang it off the fridge for ease of access instead of digging through your kitchen drawers going, “I know it’s in here somewhere!”.
The MEATER is an amazing gift for any grillmaster dad or foodie friend; it would also be a perfect wedding or housewarming gift. It’s available for $69 on Meater.com and I definitely recommend picking one up for yourself or a loved one!
And to help you through this hectic holiday season, I’d like to share my recipe for making an effortlessly perfect pork roast using MEATER:
Ingredients:
1 pork top loin roast
Bella Sun Luci Korean BBQ Marinade
Cooking spray
Directions:
Line a baking dish with foil and spritz with cooking spray. Place the roast in the dish and cover with the marinade, turning the roast a few times to coat all sides. Insert the MEATER probe and cook at 400 degrees until the MEATER app alerts you that it has cooked to your desired doneness. Serve with rice or your favorite side dish. Eat, and enjoy!!
