Getting the right internal temperature on meat when cooking or grilling is crucial. Not only does getting the desired temperature give you maximum flavor, but it's also a safety measure. From grilling to smoking, a meat thermometer can make it easier to keep an eye on the temperature levels. Whether you're looking for an instant read thermometer, digital meat thermometer or something in between, our cooking experts found the best meat thermometers that will give you the precise temperature, not the ambient temperature, have excellent battery life and are user-friendly.
The first time I saw the Meater 2 Plus, now called the Meater Pro, I knew I had to use it. Whether it's a rack of ribs or a spatchcock chicken, I do a lot of cooking in the backyard, but it takes a long time to cook. You really want to cook slowly and evenly on a grill to keep the juices in.
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Pros
- Capable of being deep fried
- Excellent connection
- A single AAA battery to charge
Cons
- Bamboo case can get grimy quickly
I've used a digital food thermometer plenty of times, but often, when I need to use them, the battery is dead. When it works, the display is hard to read and takes around 5-10 seconds to get accurate temperature readings. The ThermoPro Lightning solves those issues and more.
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Pros
- Instant heat reading
- Auto shut off to conserve battery
Cons
- No app connection
The Typhur Sync has been a go-to leave in thermometer of mine for a while now. I like how solid the case is and how easy the LED display is to read. While the app works fine, and having it connected to the phone is great, the display makes it perfect for those quick steak and chicken cooks on a griddle rather than a slow roast. I especially like the flared base of the probe, too. It makes it much easier to pull out when your hands are greasy.
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Pros
- Great display
- Good looking
- Accurate
Cons
- Pricey
ThermoPro's Twin TempSpike gets a whole lot right for a great price.
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Pros
- Base is a wifi booster
- LED on the base
- Quick labeling of meat
Cons
- Max temperature is a little low
What's the best meat thermometer?
Throughout our testing, the Meater Pro came out on top. It's accurate, like all the probes on this list, but the added benefit of the wide temperature range with a 1,000-degree maximum temperature makes it the most well-rounded probe overall.
We've tested the top meat thermometers on the market to ensure you can grill, smoke, roast, bake or however else you want to cook your meat to perfection every time.
Best meat thermometers
Pros
- Capable of being deep fried
- Excellent connection
- A single AAA battery to charge
Cons
- Bamboo case can get grimy quickly
The first time I saw the Meater 2 Plus, now called the Meater Pro, I knew I had to use it. Whether it's a rack of ribs or a spatchcock chicken, I do a lot of cooking in the backyard, but it takes a long time to cook. You really want to cook slowly and evenly on a grill to keep the juices in.
The Meater Pro, being one of the wireless probe thermometers that we tested, lets me put the temperature probe into the meat, close the grill lid and maintain a connection to my phone. Not only is the connection tremendous, but if you tell the app what meat you're cooking, it can work out the resting time, too, giving you a perfect piece of meat every time. The update to the Meater Pro means it can be much closer to the heat, and you can even deep fry a turkey.
Read more about it here: Our Meater 2 Plus hands-on
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Pros
- Instant heat reading
- Auto shut off to conserve battery
Cons
- No app connection
I've used a digital food thermometer plenty of times, but often, when I need to use them, the battery is dead. When it works, the display is hard to read and takes around 5-10 seconds to get accurate temperature readings. The ThermoPro Lightning solves those issues and more.
Right from the top, the ThermoPro Lightning gives highly accurate thermometer readings of ±0.5°F in one second. This means your grill or oven lid is open for less time, reducing heat loss. It also means that you can make better decisions about when your food will be ready based on reliable readings. The thin probe tip makes it easy to get into the meat where you want it as well.
As for solving the battery issue, the ThermoPro Lightning automatically shuts off after 90 seconds if you don't fold the probe closed. When you are using the probe, the large LED screen rotates based on how you're holding the probe to ensure you can always read the read-out without issues, even if you're left-handed. This instant-read meat probe is a must-have for any cook.
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Pros
- Great display
- Good looking
- Accurate
Cons
- Pricey
The Typhur Sync has been a go-to leave in thermometer of mine for a while now. I like how solid the case is and how easy the LED display is to read. While the app works fine, and having it connected to the phone is great, the display makes it perfect for those quick steak and chicken cooks on a griddle rather than a slow roast. I especially like the flared base of the probe, too. It makes it much easier to pull out when your hands are greasy.
The Typhur Sync is a little pricey, but the dual probe setup and vivid display make it a great purchase if you cook meat every day.
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Pros
- Base is a wifi booster
- LED on the base
- Quick labeling of meat
Cons
- Max temperature is a little low
ThermoPro's Twin TempSpike gets a whole lot right for a great price.
For starters, making the probe handle different colors (black and white) to coincide with the charger, booster, and LED readout on the base makes a big difference when using the probes. It allows you to quickly know which portion of the meat or piece of meat you are checking without needing to do specific labeling yourself. When you pair to the app, you can change the labels for your cook if you choose.
As for that base, not only does it keep your probes charged and ready for use but it also acts as a booster to extend the wireless range of the probes to 500 feet. The LED readout on the booster helps you to keep tabs on your cook when you don't want to use your phone, and the backlight means you can use it for late-night cookouts. The phone app lets you get notifications, check temps and choose from recommended meat profiles to get the best results.
I do wish the maximum internal temp was a bit higher. It is limited to 212 degrees Fahrenheit, which is usually more than enough. When cooking things like a brisket where you're going to aim for closer to 225 degrees F, the extra headroom would be helpful.
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Cooking your meat to the proper temps for tenderness, juiciness and safety is as important as how you season it.
Chris Wedel/CNETThis depends on the model and features it includes. For example, ThermoPro's Twin TempSpike has a 500-foot Bluetooth range, the Meater 2 Plus is 250 feet typically, and Typhur uses Bluetooth and built-in Wi-Fi for nearly unlimited range. Although Meater claims a 2,500-foot range on the 2 Plus, that is open-air range, so 250 feet is more realistic.
Accuracy has really improved in the past few years, with most of the top brands claiming their sensors are within plus or minus 0.5F. This is generally pretty common for high-end meat probes and when compared to a dedicated thermocouple close to the claims.
Much of this will depend on your cooking setup and needs. Wired probes will generally have longer battery life and provide more real-time readings. You'll have to be content with wires coming from your grill, and if you have to run the wires under the lid, you risk heat and smoke loss from your grill. Wireless are more convenient and usually more expensive. You'll still get highly accurate readings and not have to worry about losses from a grill lid that isn't sealed shut.
The most important part of any thermometer testing is accuracy. We weight this criteria most heavily when compiling entries to the best list, and it is the most scientific of the tests. We use a medical-grade thermometer as our baseline for accuracy and test the meat probe variance to that temperature.
Ice water testing
Testing the accuracy of a thermometer usually involves a cup, some ice cubes and water. Due to the nature of water it can be a liquid and a solid at 32 degrees Fahrenheit (0C) so we can reliably get it to be that temperature. By filling a tall glass with ice cubes and adding water — chilled water so the ice doesn't melt — you can bring that water down to 32 degrees F.
We then insert both the medical-grade probe and the meat probe we are testing and stir it until the medical grade thermometer reads 32 degrees F. When that happens we record the temperature reading of the meat probe we are testing to see what, if any, variance there is.
Why don't we use heat?
You would think that using heat would make more sense. After all, these are probes for grilling meat, so high heat is more important, right? Unfortunately, heat is dependent on many factors, such as altitude and pressure, that we can't always control. The freezing point of water is always the same, though, wherever you are, so we can ensure accuracy independent of location.