One of the trickiest things about outdoor grilling: Getting the heat right without overcooking — especially when you’re working with pricey steaks. Unless you’re using a smart grill that maintains temperature for you, we recommend investing an in meat thermometer. It’ll give you greater accuracy than the thermometer built into many traditional grills.

Beyond just using a meat thermometer to boost your outdoor grilling game, we suggest investing in one of the newer charcoal, propane, natural gas or wood pellet grills; all are designed to better maintain heat levels and even cooking temperatures.

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What is the best meat thermometer in 2024?

Whether you’re looking for a meat thermometer that works with your smartphone; a device that you can leave in your meet while it’s cooking; or a model that offers highly accurate instant temperature readings, there are plenty of meat thermometer options to choose from. We’ve carefully curated this roundup of the best five options available now. Whatever your needs or budget, you’ll find the ideal meat thermometer here.

Best meat thermometer overall: ThermoWorks Dot

It may not offer all of the fancy features of our premium meat thermometer pick, but we chose the ThermoWorks Dot because it’s well made and extremely simple to use. All you need to do is insert the probe into the meat, select the desired temperature and then let this thermometer track the cooking progress for you. 

As soon as the meat reaches your desired temperature or doneness level, the Dot generates an alarm. We also like that this meat thermometer comes in your choice of nine colors and that the built-in display is large and easy to read.

The Dot is IP65 rated for water resistance, so it’s easy to clean. Plus, it has a magnetic backing that holds it in place on most outdoor grills. The probe is 4.5 inches long and reads temperatures up to 582 degrees Fahrenheit. 

If you want a slightly more feature-packed option, check out the ThermoWorks Square Dot meat thermometer ($69) that’s also ideal for smokers and ovens. That model has a larger display that showcases more information, like the temperature of your meat and the temperatures in the surrounding cooking environment.

Best smart meat thermometer: Meater 2 Plus 

This new and improved model of the Meater Plus (aptly called the Meater 2 Plus), is a wireless, smart meat thermometer that measures temperatures up to 1000 degrees Fahrenheit with extreme accuracy. The probe is 100% waterproof and works nicely within a BBQ, grill, oven or air fryer. 

Because this is a smart gadget, it comes with a phone app that allows you to monitor the thermometer remotely and receive alerts on your phone. From your smartphone, you can set your own custom alerts based on internal and ambient temperatures (or based on time) to fully tailor your own cooking experience.

The Meater 2 Plus uses multiple sensors to monitor temperatures and can estimate cook time, plus let you know exactly when it’s time to eat. 

Best budget meat thermometer: Kizen digital meat thermometer

There’s no need to spend a fortune to measure cooking temperature. The Kizen digital meat thermometer offers the core functionality you need and is priced below $13. It works nicely in a grill, oven or BBQ and it comes in your choice of three colors.

This Kizen meat thermometer is waterproof and offers a backlit display that’s easy to read (even at night). This is a pre-calibrated, instant-read thermometer that takes temperatures in as little as three seconds. When you’re done using the thermometer, simply wash the probe and body of the food thermometer using running water. (The device is not dishwasher safe.)

One feature we particularly like is that it conserves battery power by turning itself off after 10 minutes of idle time. It works with any type of meat, as well as frying oil or liquid. It offers accuracy of plus or minus one degree.

Best instant-read meat thermometer: ThermoPro TP19

Available in your choice of two colors, the ThermoPro TP19 meat thermometer works with a BBQ, grill, smoker or oil fryer. It features an easy-to-read backlit display and is powered using a single AAA battery. 

You’ll enjoy an ultra-fast, two- to three-second response time with a temperature reading that’s highly accurate (to plus or minus 0.9 degrees). The device features a 4.3-inch, stainless steel probe that’s suitable for measuring any type of food.

The ThermoPro TP19 should be hand-washed after use, since it’s not dishwasher safe. Its magnetic back allows you to easily attach the device to a refrigerator or any metal surface. There’s also a handy hang hole for your kitchen hooks or a lanyard. 

The TP19 accurately measures temperatures up to 572 degrees Fahrenheit. After 90 seconds of non-use, it automatically turns itself off, but wakes up as soon as you pick it up again.

Best premium meat thermometer: ThermoWorks Thermapen One

For the seasoned grill master who demands the very best, we suggest this ThermoWorks Thermapen One meat thermometer. It provides accurate temperature readings in about one second. It also comes in your choice of 10 colors.

This version of the Thermapen One offers improved accuracy, plus or minus 0.5 degrees Fahrenheit. The display has a brighter backlight than previous models, making it easier to read. Other key features include an auto-rotating display and motion-sensing sleep and wake mode. The unit is waterproof (IP67 rated).

The built in probe is 4.3 inches long and the entire unit measures 6.1 x 1.7 x 0.74 inches. It comes with a five-year warranty.