The Connect performed well in our tests. Yet, the probes could be sharper, and the app could be more intuitive and feature-rich considering the price. Judging performance, there was a slight variation in our static tests, but in fractions of degrees between each probe and the control temperature. The base unit has individual alarms for each probe, so the user can differentiate between them. The base unit alarms have four volume settings, ranging from 80 to 90 decibels, while the remote has one set at 70 decibels, all loud enough to hear at a distance of 50 feet. If you want to cook meat or vegetables, a couple of degrees of variation can be fine. If you’re working with modernist techniques, preserving, or doing confectionary work, that variation can be the difference between success and failure. The degree of granularity in the timer and the time required to set a high temperature could stand improvement.

When grilling and roasting, knowledge of the exact temperature of your food prevents you from serving overcooked steaks, dry fish, or undercooked holiday turkey. This is where a meat thermometer can save face and your meal. Sure, there are extremely analog means of testing meat, like pressing and prodding, inserting a meat fork or cake tester and holding it against a tender area of your body, or observing the color of the juices running out. But these techniques, as time-honored as they are, leave room for interpretation. Firmness, perceived temperature, or the clarity of juices just aren’t the same from person to person. But using a meat thermometer, provided it’s accurate, leaves no question about the current state of your food. In my professional kitchens, we considered no steak, poultry, or even hamburger ready unless a thermometer confirmed it.The MEATER is unique in that it is a genuinely wireless thermometer. The probes connect via Bluetooth to the base unit, which then connects to the app, and you can extend the range by connecting the entire assembly to WiFi. In testing, we found the probes pretty accurate, either dead-on or within two degrees in our static tests, but it registered three degrees short on the boiling water test, which was approaching the upper limit of the probe’s range. The probes have two sensors each, one end to insert in food and the other to monitor the ambient temperature, so there is no need to dedicate a probe to monitoring the grill. The accuracy of the probes veered no more than two degrees in our static tests, which is quite acceptable. The Bluetooth range was good in open spaces, maintaining a connection for over 30 yards, but it dropped off when faced with interior walls as one would encounter going inside their house. The app, however, gives a warning when the connection is lost. The alarm is loud at 90 decibels, enough to hear in a crowded room, should that need arise. The TP28 is a well-performing, well-designed, accurate thermometer. Finding fault required splitting hairs, and in that, the user interface presents a slight learning curve to create custom settings. In testing, it was reasonably accurate, with a couple of degrees of variation in two of our scenarios. The manufacturer touts an impressive Bluetooth range, which we found to hold connection at 100 feet outdoors, but it fell off at around 30 feet when encountering walls and doors, and the app signals when the connection is lost and re-established.

It’s hard to beat the ThermoWorks Thermapen ONE for speed, accuracy, design, and ease of use. The ThermoWorks DOT is an excellent blend of simplicity, accuracy, and value for those wanting a leave-in model. Temperature range is another factor that you should base on your intended use. If you’re roasting, grilling, or smoking meats, some wireless thermometers have an upper limit of 212°F, which is perfectly in range for this task. If you’re doing something like making candy and need to monitor the temperature closely, you’ll need a higher limit. The final performance test recorded the temperature of cooked meat. Leave-in or wireless meat thermometers measured temperature over a period of cooking time, while instant-read thermometers measured temperature after a prescribed amount of time to measure the degree of doneness. Bringle urges people to understand their cooking environment and buy with that in mind. If you’re cooking at home, have little interference, or don’t plan on leaving the grill’s side, signal strength and wireless range aren’t as much of a consideration. If, however, you need to move around your home and do other things while your food spends hours on the grill, you’ll need something with a better range. The Weber Connect’s probes could be sharper to make piercing meat easier, and for the price of this model, the app is shy on features and intuitive design.The MEATER is another completely wireless meat thermometer that’s part functional, part statement piece, thanks to its minimalist probe design and stylish wood base unit. It ranked near the top of our tests for temperature accuracy and connection range. MEATER recommends keeping the receiver within 5 feet of the probes, though the connection didn’t drop until we moved the receiver about 100 feet outdoors and 30 feet indoors, as the app sounded and sent a push notification. The receiver itself doesn’t use sounds, so hearing the alarms depends on your phone’s volume. The TempSpike is another completely wireless thermometer system, with the probes connected to a base unit that connects to an app via Bluetooth or WiFi. The app is intuitive and easy to navigate, with a large display that feeds you the current, target, and ambient temperatures. It also has graphing capabilities to show your heat profile over the length of the cook. It has good alarm delivery, with clear sound at 84 decibels, vibration, and push notifications.