MeatStick 4X Review
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I received a brand new product a month or so ago called The MeatStick 4X and I have been looking so forward to sharing it with you guys.
There's not a lot of completely wireless leave-in thermometers out there and the one's that are, have had some issues with range, usability, app intuitiveness, etc..
Let me tell you about the features and how it works and then I'll give you my completely honest opinion on what I think about it in the form of pros and cons.
For a lot more information, definitely check out their website
Let's get into this!
What's in the Box when you Purchase the MeatStick 4X?
- 1 Meatstick 4x
- Charger/Extender
You'll also need to download the app onto your IOS or Android phone so you can set up the MeatStick 4X thermometer and be able to track the temperature. Don't worry, the app will walk you through the setup process step by step.
Features of the MeatStick 4X
What Does it Cost?
At this time, the MeatStick 4X costs $124.99
Dimensions and Build
The MeatStick is approximately 5-3/8 inches long and 3/8 inches in diameter at it's thickest part.
The part that goes into the meat is stainless steel and the part that stays on the outside of the meat is ceramic with a stainless steel cap.
Temperature Sensors
Within the MeatStick 4X are 4 sensors.
3 sensors are located in the stainless steel part of the stick for detecting the meat temperature and can withstand a max. temperature of 212°F.
1 sensor is located in the metal cap at the top end for detecting ambient temperature and can withstand a max. temperature of 572°F.
The Charger
The charger is a uniquely designed box that holds the MeatStick. It contains 2 AA batteries (batteries not included) for charging the device.
There is also a single button for turning the MeatStick 4X on and off. Hit the button once to turn it on and hold it for 3 seconds to turn it off.
An onboard LED light indicates the status of the MeatStick.
The MeatStick snaps into 2 metal clips on the charger for storage and charging.
Battery Life
The battery life is 70+ hours on a full charge.
Range
The MeatStick 4X has a range of 164 feet indoors and an astounding 650 feet outdoors with it's built in premium bluetooth® technology.
Liquid Proof-ness
Unlike any meat thermometer I've ever seen, this MeatStick 4X can be submerged in liquid such as in sous vide and deep frying and this also allows it to be cleaned in the dishwasher.
How Does the MeatStick 4X Work?
Just before cooking, the MeatStick is removed from the charger.
Push the MeatStick 4X into the meat making sure the sensor area is located in the thickest part of the meat and that the metal part of the stick is pushed completely into the meat.
Note: only the dark grey ceramic part should be showing.
Leave the charger close to the smoker, grill or cooking device. There are magnets on the back so it's really easy to stick the MeatStick 4X charger to the pellet hopper or some other metal object close by.
Now open the app on you phone and press the button on the charger to connect.
When you see the “X” icon in the top right of the phone screen, you are ready to continue.
The app will walk you through setting up your cook including:
- Type of cook (Grill, Smoke, Sous Vide, Etc.)
- Type of meat
- Cut of meat
- Target internal temperature
- Target cook temperature
- Alert range
Once the cook has been created, you will be able to track the temperature of the meat as well as the temperature of the cooking device such as the smoker or grill. You will also see graphs to show you a visual representation of your elapsed time and the rise and fall of the temperatures.
Here is what the app looks like after the cook:
Note: I removed the steaks and placed them into a pan covered with foil when they hit 128°F and was able to see that the steaks continued to rise in temperature while they rested.
This is why it's a great idea to remove them before they reach the final finish temperature.
Pros: What I Liked
It's Wireless
I feel like wireless is the new frontier where meat thermometer are concerned and eventually, that's what all meat thermometer will be. Dealing with long wires that are susceptible to water damage, kinks, etc. is just not feasible or fun.
The MeatStick 4X with it's multiple sensors, sleek charger and long battery life really fits the bill and made me really happy to use it.
Completely Liquid Proof
I LOVE the fact that this stick is so liquid proof. Being able to leave it buried into a pan full of steaks while they rested was GREAT and really allowed me to see what happens temperature wise during the rest without worrying that the extra steam, moisture, dripping steak juices, etc. would affect it.
I have not used this to sous vide or deep fry but I also think it's awesome that it can also be used in these environments without fear of liquid damage. Amazing!
The App is Intuitive and Saves Past Cooks
The app in easy to setup and use walking you though the process step by step.
It also saves all of your past cooks and you can name them whatever you like so they can be viewed and/or reused later on future cooks.
Cons: What I Didn't Like
For what it's worth, I go into all reviews ready to shoot it down if there's anything that frustrates me or seems difficult to use.
The things I did not like about the MeatStick 4X were few and somewhat weak but I'll mention them so you can make a more informed decision.
Cooking Small Items
Some pieces of meat that we cook are on the small side.. meatballs, chicken thighs, etc. and this means the stick would not be able to fully inserted and/or if it was fully inserted, the tip of the stick would be coming out the other side.
I asked the company about this and here's what they said:
“For accurate temperature readings and to protect the probe, we suggest fully inserting the stainless steel probe into the meat. We are actively developing a solution to meet this requirement, so stay tuned!”
This is definitely an issue and just means that the MeatStick can't be used on smaller items until they find a way to make this work.
X Icon Disappears in the App
Another thing that I noticed was the “X” icon disappeared from the app after about 15 minutes of use. It kept working fine so it may just be a cosmetic bug.
I reported this to the company and as with other things, I will update this when I hear back from this on whether that is normal or if and when this is corrected.
Batteries Not Included
The last and final gripe that I have is that batteries are not included. The charger uses 2 AA batteries and, for the price of this unit, batteries should be included in the box.
It always sort of gets under my skin when good companies with a great product skimp on things like this.. it's an easy way to reduce customer frustration and it's completely ignored. (rant over)
Let me know..
If you find other things that should be included in the Pros or Cons or if my information is incorrect somewhere, let me know in the comments below.
Nowhere can I find an explanation of purpose of the triple probes. Are the reading averaged? Does the software only look at the coldest or hottest temps? They obviously thought this was an important feature, but they are not selling it.
Peter, the triple sensors are placed evenly along the metal probe, one at the end, one in the center and one toward the top. I’m not sure if they average but on the app you can see the temperature that each is measuring. Typically the one at the tip is the one that is most important to me and the only one that I really need. I try to make sure the tip is in the most central part of the meat like most other probes. I would assume the app figures the time based on the lowest temp but I could be wrong.
Hey Jeff,
The company sent me one of these to try. I liked it overall, especially the fact that it’s true wireless- as in there are no wires. I’m not sure how units that have as many as 4 wires still get to call themselves wireless.
Anyway, I had two main issues with the unit they sent me. First, it kept disonnecting. I had the charger right next to the grill and I certainly wasn’t far enough away for it to be having a problem. Each time I went through the trouble-shooting sequence on the app (the app is great by the way), it ended up being a “dirty” end cap on the ambient probe.
I put the word dirty in quotations because each time it happened there was nothing on the end cap but smoke film. Not even heavy film. But sure enough, every time I wiped it off the connection went right back to working.
The second thing was the ambient probe. In my cooks the temp on the ambient probe was 30-50 degrees cooler than the temp on my thermopro, which I was using as a control to verify accuracy. I had them both side by side each time, and while the meat probe was either reading the same number or no more than one degree difference, the ambient temp was off 30-50 degrees the whole time.
They sent me one to review but I reached out them and told them I’d rather send it back than post a negative review on the channel. I think overall it’s great. First truly wireless unit I’ve ever had. I WANTED to love it, lol! But there’s definitely some kind of bug with the ambient temp. I’m not the only person I’ve seen mention it.
Take care,
Ron Cross
@RonOnTheGrill
Jeff, I just bought this after reading your review. I have been using the fireboard but the wireless seems like a great option. Unfortunately mine seems to have a .ot of problems. I keep getting low am isn’t temp alarms even though the alarm is set to a lower temp. The ti e remaining stays fixed throughout the cook an I get weird spikes on the graph to over 600 degrees every minute or so. Support tells me that all these are app bugs but I can’t believe that everyone has the same problems.
If it’s not working as it should and they are saying it’s the app, make sure you have the latest app and if it’s still having issues, I would ask for a refund. Mine does not have this issue although I haven’t used mine in a few weeks so it may very well be an app issue that needs to be updated. Regardless, you need a product that works regards whether it’s the product or the app.
I will try to use mine with the latest app over the next week or so and see if I’m having any issues.
I have the Meatstickx and the Mini. My question is “can I buy only the stick since I already have chargers?”
Thanks.
I think each stick comes with its’ own charger, but you might check the website to be sure.
Can you use more than one probe at a time using the same mobile device? My iGrill, now Weber, can handle 4 probes at once. If I’m smoking more than one piece of meat, or different meats, I want to know what each of them is doing.
I think the 4x will run as many as 8, if I read the site correctly.
I believe Mike Robinson on Wild Game Master Class uses them . He is a Brit specializing in wild fame cookery. I watch it on the Outdoor Channel.
Nice review Jeff… but I did to tell you there is another system out there with a wireless probe that comes really close to the Meat Stick take a look at the Tappeque Air Probe3 System. It checks most of the same boxes. They advertise using it is it air fryer, sous vide, pressure cooker, but not in a oil fryer. They also say it is dishwasher safe.
The meat stick. Suppose this won’t work in say chicken leg/thigh pork ribs being the protein isn’t thick enough or any meat that doesn’t represent a roast style?
It should work just fine in ribs as long as it’s not touching bone.. things that are shorter than 5 inches, I’m not sure. I have submitted a question to the company about what happens if part of the MeatStick is not in the meat. I’ll update the post once I hear back.
I’ve been wanting something like this for the rotisserie. How well do the multiple probes indicate individual temperature? I do two chickens at a time on the rotisserie and could probably do 4 Cornish game hens togather. Or the 2 chickens and a pork butt in the smoker. Then I’d have to patch the wire feed hole in my smoker.
Tom, I have not used multiple sticks together so I can’t speak from experience.. I figure they’d work just as well as a single would. The rotisserie would be a great use for this type of technology!
What’s a review without the price? All kinds of bundles offered ranging from $99 to $240. For those prices, I’ll stick with my wires!
I’ll be adding the price to the review soon.. when I first wrote this review, the price was unknown to me. In my opinion, $125 for a completely wireless, liquid proof, thermometer that stays in the meat for the entire time you are cooking, is not a bad price. The fact that it can stay in the meat even if you are cooking via sous vide or deep frying is crazy. There’s nothing else like it in the world that I am aware of. The Meater has some of the features but not the ones that matter the most. Hopefully others will follow suit and then perhaps the price will come down some with a little competition.
How do the Meat Stick and the Meater compare?
I have not done a formal side by side however, I do have a Meater as well as the MeatStick and while the Meater is a good wireless stick thermometer, it is not liquid proof like the MeatStick 4X, only has 2 sensors vs the 4 sensors in the Meatstick and the overall range is quite a bit less.
It seems that the price is comparable as well as how it generally works.
The MeatStick has definitely pulled ahead and raised the bar.. hopefully the Meater will follow suit.
I will try to do a full side by side comparison soon.
Great review, one thing I didn’t see is how is the accuracy of the probe? For both in the meat and the ambient?
I’d love to hear how the thing does down in a Fry Daddy—I can imagine it would be very hard to ensure the whole silver portion is embedded in a chicken thigh for deep frying. Same for thin, short steaks or filets on the grill
Jeff – I assume the MeatStick 4X replaces the MeatStick X which is currently available
Thanks
It is definitely a much improved version of the MeatStick X.. I’m not sure if they will stop selling the older version.
I purchased the last MeatStick about a month ago. Wish I had known before the 4 came out. I haven’t had any problems with it yet . I did get the WiFi bridge and it works well. I got the mini too and it works good for things like chicken breast and steak. I cooked the breast in cast iron skillet. Came out perfect .Jeff I love your post on FB and your emails. Also been watching your YouTube videos.
This might be geeky but I have to wonder how this would work with my Smokin-it smoker that is a Faraday cage with only a 12mm hole at the bottom and maybe a 25mm hole at top when a quarter wavelength for Bluetooth is about 30mm. I purposely have been buying wired thermometers because of this but honestly haven’t tried any of the wireless units. Has anyone else? I am also curious how the battery survives such high temps.
Ben, that is a great question. I figure this could be tested by placing a bluetooth device in the smoker and seeing what the connection is like on the outside. My smokin-it smoker is at a buddy’s house or I would try it myself and let you know;-)
Jeff, on my Inkbird I position the probe tip so it is in the middle of the thickest part of the meat, but you stated that you push the probe all the way in on this unit. On a filet the probe could possibly go completely through the meat and out the other side. How would you still get an accurate temperature?
The MeatStick has 3 sensors along the metal part that goes into the meat. This allows it to very accurately sense the temperature inside the meat and give you a perfect reading. We have had a couple of others ask about what to do if the piece of meat is too small to allow complete insertion and I am in the process of asking the company about this. I’ll add this information to the review post once I hear back.
Review said sensors could withstand 212 degrees. I like to some some pulled pork to 203 degrees which seems close. Would this ruin product?
John, It is my understanding that the sensors are completely fine all the way up to this point. I figure this number is padded as well but I will try to get an answer from the company on this and add it to the review post.
As always, thanks Jeff. This was a great review, so will need to check into grabbing one.
Jeff, enjoy your smoking recipes and instructions for the smoking process.
As for your review on the Meatstick4X, which I found interesting, was this potential drawback. Having 4 sensors for internal meat temperature means that the device has to be placed totally in the meat you are smoking. BUT what happens if you’re dealing with a meat product where you can’t push the entire device into the meat you are smoking?? I’m thinking of something like turkeys, chickens or their parts thereof. And sometimes steaks may not be as big to allow the device to be completely inserted.
Rick, Someone else also asked this question and I am trying to get an answer to this from the company. I will update the review post to include this information once I hear back.
OK, it seems as if you just reviewed the Meater. This device is a direct knockoff. In order to protect your “reputation” you should do a head-to-head” comparison or some will think that this is a paid ad for the MeaterStick and nothing more.
Gil, I appreciate your feedback!
This was not intended to be a comparison between the MeatStick and the Meater. This is a review of a single product that just launched today and I went into it with that alone in mind. It would either cut the mustard or it wouldn’t.
I may do a comparison of several similar products later in a separate post.
I have a Meater and it does not have many of the features that the MeatStick 4X has. In my opinion, the MeatStick 4X has raised the bar and that can only be a good thing.
There are several other wireless “stick” thermometers on the market such as the Meater, ThermoPro, etc. but none of them have the liquid proof-ness or the range which is what sets this one ahead of the rest in my opinion.
Nice review. You say, the metal part of the stick is pushed completely into the meat. Only the dark grey ceramic part should be showing. What if you have a smaller piece of meat and you can not insert it far enough to cover the metal without going beyond the thickest part? Will it give a false reading?
Todd, That’s a great question! I am not sure about that but I will find out and add that information to my review once I get an answer.
Great review Jeff – thanks. I’m very interested in this product. I have the Meater and have been a little unhappy with it. I’ve had a lot of difficulty keeping a connection between the probe, the remote and my app. Often times it won’t start connected, other times it disconnects in mid cook; in those cases, sometimes it resets and other times it stays unconnected. Curious whether you experienced any connectivity issues with the Meat stick?
Also, is the Meat stick wifi capable, so if I need to run an errand I can continue to monitor my cook?
Joe, I have not had any connection issues with the MeatStick inside the smoker, lid closed and my walking all around my house and sitting 4 rooms away in my office. I have not yet walked down the street to see at what point I lose connection but I will do that soon and add that info to my review post. I have also had a lot of issues keeping the Meater connected to my phone when I get more than about 10-20 feet away without leaving an extra iPhone or iPad out by the smoker which I don’t like to do.
The MeatStick is capable of wi-fi but you’ll need the wifi bridge that they sell to make it work. This is where the Meater has an advantage.. they allow you to use an extra iPhone or iPad to use the cloud no matter where you are.
Your my
Man Jeff. Great response and I’m looking into buying one as well as your products. Love everything you send and I’ve tried with much satisfaction
Love the introduction Jeff! Thank you.
Would you also be able to use the MeatStick in a fish fry, meaning could you drop stick into oil pot and track adjust heat since it is submersible?
Yes, that is one of the things that I love about this product. It’s submersible in liquids up to 572°F. You’ll want to make sure it’s completely in the meat and only the ceramic tip is outside the meat.
The 3 sensors for the part that goes into the meat is able to handle up to 212°F and the part that measures the ambient or liquid temperature is able to handle 572°F. I have not tried submersing it in a deep fryer or in sous vide yet but I think that’s a great selling point.
Thanks for the review. Very well-done reporting on the product. I think I’ll purchase one, based on your review.
James, thank you for the kind words! I’d love for you to come back and give us your own review once you have it in hand and have a chance to use it.