Smart Grilling Essentials: Meat Thermometers and Pellet Grills Worth Considering
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Our beloved $300 grill from walmart!
Grilling a great meal takes more than just turning up the heat. Whether you're smoking a brisket, cooking steaks for the family or preparing a backyard barbecue, keeping track of temperatures can make a big difference in how everything turns out. Fortunately, modern grilling equipment offers plenty of ways to make the process easier. Wireless meat thermometers let you monitor food without constantly lifting the lid, while Wi-Fi-connected pellet grills offer more control over cooking temperatures and smoking sessions. We've rounded up five grilling essentials from MEATER and Traeger, including three smart meat thermometers and two pellet grills. Here's how they compare.
Smart Meat Thermometers
MEATER Plus
Best for: Everyday grilling and home cooking
The MEATER Plus is a straightforward option for anyone who wants to keep an eye on their food without dealing with wires running out of the grill or oven. Its wireless probe contains two temperature sensors: one measures the internal temperature of the meat, while the other monitors the surrounding cooking temperature. The probe supports internal readings up to 212°F and ambient temperatures up to 527°F, making it suitable for everyday grilling, roasting and smoking. The charging dock also doubles as a Bluetooth signal booster, providing a claimed wireless range of up to 165 feet under ideal conditions. Actual range can vary depending on the grill, walls and other obstructions. Through the MEATER app, users can select what they're cooking, follow guided instructions and receive notifications as their food approaches the desired temperature. The app also estimates cooking and resting times, which can be especially helpful when coordinating several dishes. The probe provides more than 24 hours of cooking time on a charge, while the wooden charging dock runs on a replaceable AAA battery.
Why it stands out
The MEATER Plus keeps things simple. It's a practical introduction to wireless temperature monitoring for someone who regularly cooks a single roast, chicken or cut of meat and doesn't need the higher heat tolerance or additional probes found in more advanced models.
Buy the MEATER Plus on Amazon!
MEATER Pro
Best for: High-temperature grilling and searing
The MEATER Pro builds on the convenience of the Plus with a slimmer probe, more temperature sensors and considerably greater heat resistance. Rather than using a single internal sensor, the Pro incorporates five internal temperature sensors and one ambient sensor. This allows it to monitor temperatures at multiple points inside the meat and identify the lowest reading, helping reduce the guesswork involved in probe placement. One of its biggest advantages is its ability to withstand ambient temperatures up to 1,000°F. That makes it suitable for high-heat cooking methods such as direct-flame grilling and searing, where the MEATER Plus would be more limited. The probe is also waterproof and dishwasher-safe, making cleanup easier after a long cooking session. Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity and a signal-boosting charging dock provide wireless monitoring, while fast charging allows a 15-minute charge to support up to 12 hours of cooking. Like the Plus, it works with the MEATER app for guided cooking, temperature alerts and estimated cooking times.
Why it stands out
The Pro makes the most sense for cooks who want more flexibility from a single wireless thermometer. Its higher heat tolerance is particularly useful for anyone who switches between low-and-slow smoking and hotter grilling methods, without needing separate thermometers for each.
MEATER Pro XL
Best for: Cooking multiple meats at once
Cooking one steak to the right temperature is fairly manageable. Keeping track of four different cuts of meat, particularly when everyone wants something cooked differently, can be another story. The MEATER Pro XL addresses that problem with four wireless probes, allowing multiple pieces of meat or dishes to be monitored simultaneously. Each probe uses multiple internal sensors along with an ambient temperature sensor, with support for internal temperatures up to 221°F and ambient temperatures up to 1,000°F. Like the standard Pro, the probes are waterproof, dishwasher-safe and designed for demanding cooking conditions. The biggest difference is the charging station. Instead of relying exclusively on Bluetooth connectivity to a nearby phone, the Pro XL includes built-in Wi-Fi for monitoring across your home network. There's also an OLED display on the charging station itself, allowing you to check cooking information without opening the app. A standalone mode provides another option when you'd rather not use your smartphone. The USB-C rechargeable station supports fast charging, with MEATER claiming that 30 minutes of probe charging provides at least 24 hours of cooking time.
Why it stands out
The Pro XL is particularly well-suited to larger meals, entertaining and holiday cooking. Four probes mean you can monitor several foods independently, while the built-in display and Wi-Fi connectivity make it easier to keep track of everything without constantly checking your phone.
Buy the MEATER Pro XL on Amazon!
Pellet Grills
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Traeger Ironwood 650
Best for: Everyday smoking and backyard grilling
The Traeger Ironwood 650 brings connected cooking features to a wood-pellet grill designed for everything from weeknight dinners to longer smoking sessions. It offers approximately 650 square inches of total cooking space across two grates, giving it room for multiple cuts of meat or a larger family meal without taking up as much space as some of Traeger's bigger models. The grill reaches temperatures up to 500°F and includes Traeger's WiFIRE technology, allowing users to adjust cooking temperatures and monitor the grill through the Traeger app. For smoking, the Ironwood 650 includes a Super Smoke mode designed to increase smoke flavor at lower cooking temperatures between 165°F and 225°F. Its downdraft exhaust system helps circulate heat and smoke throughout the cooking chamber. A 20-pound pellet hopper provides fuel for extended cooking sessions, and the Ironwood 650 model identified in the supplied listing includes a pellet sensor to help users keep track of fuel levels. The grill also includes a wired meat probe, allowing food temperature to be monitored through the grill's controller and connected app.
Why it stands out
The Ironwood 650 offers a useful combination of cooking space, temperature control and connected features without moving into Traeger's largest grill sizes. For someone who enjoys smoking ribs or brisket but also wants a pellet grill for regular family meals, it's a versatile option.
Buy the Ironwood 650 on Amazon!
Traeger Silverton XL
Best for: Larger gatherings and extended smoking sessions
The Traeger Silverton XL takes a similar approach to the Ironwood 650 but offers more cooking space for anyone who regularly prepares food for a crowd. With 855 square inches of total grilling area across two grates, it provides considerably more room for multiple racks of ribs, large cuts of meat or several dishes cooking together. Like the Ironwood, the Silverton XL uses Traeger's WiFIRE technology for remote monitoring and temperature adjustments through the companion app. Its operating temperature range extends from 165°F to 500°F, making it suitable for low-temperature smoking as well as higher-temperature roasting and grilling. Super Smoke mode is included for cooks who want to emphasize wood-fired flavor during lower-temperature cooking. The Silverton XL also features a 20-pound pellet hopper with a pellet sensor, helping users monitor fuel levels during longer cooks. A side shelf provides extra space for utensils and food preparation, while the downdraft exhaust system manages the flow of heat and smoke through the cooking chamber. At approximately 58 inches long and weighing 210 pounds assembled, this is a substantial grill, so available patio or deck space is worth considering before purchasing.
Why it stands out
The Silverton XL's biggest advantage is its additional cooking area. If you regularly host cookouts or prepare several large cuts of meat at once, the extra space could be more useful than choosing a smaller grill and cooking in batches.
Buy the Silverton XL on Amazon!
Which Smart Grilling Equipment Should You Choose?
The right choice really comes down to how you like to cook. If you already have a grill and just want an easier way to keep track of temperatures, the MEATER Plus is a good place to start. The MEATER Pro offers more advanced features and handles higher heat, while the MEATER Pro XL makes it easier to keep an eye on several dishes at once with four probes and built-in Wi-Fi. For those looking to upgrade their grill, the Traeger Ironwood 650 offers a nice balance of cooking space and smart features for everyday meals. The Silverton XL, on the other hand, gives you more room when you're cooking for a crowd. And since smart thermometers and pellet grills handle different parts of the cooking process, pairing the two can make managing temperatures a little easier.
What to Look for When Buying Smart Grilling Equipment
Think about the kinds of meals you usually make before deciding which features you need. If you're mostly grilling steaks or chicken for a few people, a single wireless thermometer might be all you need. For me, I just use a cheap on I got from Walmart. But if you often cook several things at once or one big hunk of meat, having multiple probes can make things easier. It's also good to check how much heat a thermometer can handle, especially if you like searing over high temperatures. For pellet grills, cooking space is important, but bigger isn't necessarily better if you're usually cooking for just a few people. You'll also want to consider how much room you have outdoors, along with practical details like pellet capacity, cleaning and maintenance. Wi-Fi monitoring can also come in handy during longer cooking sessions, especially if you'd rather not spend your entire afternoon babysitting the grill. A little planning can save you some frustration later, whether that means having enough probes to keep track of everyone's steaks or choosing a grill that won't take up half your patio.
