MeatStick 4X
It is time to take your cooking to the next level with the new MeatStick 4x. The MeatStick 4X is a smart, wireless meat probe that turns grilling, smoking, and frying into a science. The idea of the MeatStick probe came from, something we can all relate to, over cooked or burned food. It is easy to lose track of time especially during social gatherings. When this happens food is ruined or at least not cooked the way anyone would want. With that in mind the crew at MeatStick came up with a design that would make cooking trouble free and more exact.
The MeatStick probe is wireless and has software that keeps you in the know about how the cooking is going. It is no surprise that this product has been a wild success and this winter the newest model the MeatStick4x has debuted. Over the past couple of weeks I have had the chance to try out this wireless meat probe and have been impressed by the information it provides about the meat I am cooking.
The Digital Probe
The new MeatStick 4X has four digital sensors. There is one sensor located in the ceramic end and three in the metal rod. The ceramic end sensor measures the air temperature around the food. The ceramic portion uses dual shield technology and can withstand cooking temperatures of up to 575 degrees.
Ceramic End with Ambient Sensor
Metal Probe with 3 Sensors
The three sensors in the probe measure temperatures and different depths within the cooked item. These sensors can register temps up to 212 degrees.
The Digital probe has a battery life of over 72 hours. The charger for the MeatStick uses two 2AA batteries which are not included in the package. Not only does the charger charge the probe, it also acts as a wireless signal extender. This allows the signal to be broadcast up to 650 feet.
The MeatStick can be used for cooking in a variety of ways. It can be used for grilling, smoking, and even deep frying. Additionally, the MeatStick 4X can be used for a wide variety of meat. It is up for the task of beef, pork, chicken, lamb, and fish.
Beef Cook with MeatStick 4X
Chicken Cook With MeatStick 4X
Fish Cook with MeatStick 4X
The App
The App for the MeatStick 4X has many different features. It allows you to monitor the meat temperature in real time. The measurements happen both for the ambient temperature around the meat and inside the meat. There are also alerts that are fully customizable and can be scheduled throughout the cooking process. Within the app there are also various settings that allow you to choose what type of meat you are cooking and how you are going to cook it.
Cooking with the MeatStick 4X
The MeatStick 4X is a real game changer. Culinary nerds to struggling cooks will benefit from this tool. Starting out with the MeatStick 4X was super easy. Sometimes products with their own apps can be a bit of pain but the company MeatStick has done a great job streamlining the entire process. When starting with the app there is a full tutorial to get you going before you can even start. I found this very helpful so there was really no learning curve to using the product.
The Pork Shoulder
My first real test with the MeatStick 4x was an 8 lb. pork shoulder that I was going to smoke. In the past I have been a bit hit and miss with shredded pork shoulders in the smoker, so I was eager to give this unit a try. The plan was to take a Saturday and do a slow cook on this shoulder. I used a quick rub, stuck the MeatStick 4X in, popped the shoulder in the smoker and was off! My first reaction was just being impressed by how my phone was able to read the probe even through the metal smoker. Even though this was my initial reaction I am still in awe of how this works.
Rubbed and Ready!
During the cook I was able to have my phone about 10 feet from the smoker. At this distance I was indoors. If I used the charger that had the built in range extender I was able to have a signal anywhere in the house.
The app is super easy to use and super helpful. I really like how it is set up by all of the different cooking methods. Once in a cooking method menu there is a choice of the different meat types. Each of these has a recommended ambient temperature as well as a recommended internal temperature. This app made it really easy to set everything up. Additionally, even if I had never smoked a pork shoulder by using this app it would be really easy without any background knowledge.
Monitoring
Once cooking you can monitor the progress on the app screen. The screen shows both the internal and ambient air temps. There is also a graph so you can monitor the progress throughout the cook. Having the ambient air temperature monitoring was really helpful. The day I was smoking the pork shoulder the outside temperatures were around 15 degrees. This made setting the smoker temperature difficult. However it was much easier to get it set and keep it set having the ambient temp sensor.
Start of the Cook
End of the Cook
Time to Wrap up the Meat and Slow Cook to Temperature
During the cook it was great to have a way of monitoring the cook throughout the process. Most of the time I get lazy and don’t check temps like I should. The MeatStick 4X totally eliminated the hassle of checking. I found that I was able to do all sorts of other activities during the cook too since I did not have to be tied down to the smoker. What was really cool was being able to monitor the temperature stalls during the cooking process. By having the graph I could see the progress in cooking, and I found that I was way more patient. This ultimately led to the best smoked pork shoulder I have ever smoked. This rave review came from a tough crowd, my wife and son!
Resting After the Cook
Shredding to Perfection
Smoked Pork Shoulder Tacos!
Customer Support
Since I received the Meatstick 4x during the developmental stages there were definitely some bugs that needed to be worked out. That being said the crew at Meatstick was on top of it. When an issue would arise their customer support would contact me within 24 hrs. and provide assistance. It turned out one time that the Meatstick 4x was not syncing with the new update. Immediately I had another probe shipped out to me and I was back in business. With any new product there can be kinks to work out which does not bother me, it is really up to the customer support to make it work and these guys did a nice job.
Specs on the Meatstick 4X from the MeatStick Website
Next-Gen Quad Sensors and TrueTempTM Technology. Building upon the success of our original MeatStick, the MeatStick 4X is the ultimate true wireless meat thermometer, featuring quad sensors (1 from the ceramic handle and 3 from the stainless steel probe) and advanced TrueTempTM technology for the most accurate and real-time temperature readings on the market. With its patented Dual-ShellTM technology, the MeatStick 4X can withstand intense heat up to 572 °F, and the stainless steel probe up to 212 °F. Is completely waterproof and dishwasher-safe, making it versatile and durable enough for any grilling situation. Wireless range up to 650ft/200m using The MeatStick 4X charger Battery life up to 70+ hours using The MeatStick 4X charger.
Final Thoughts on the MeatStick 4x
Aside from the actual grill or smoker I would consider the MeatStick 4X a must have necessity for both indoor and outdoor cooking. This Wireless Probe takes all of the mystery out and gives a complete picture of what is happening to your meat while cooking. If you are ready to step up your cooking game give the MeatStick 4X a try. For more info or to purchase the MeatStick 4x, visit www.themeatstick.com or www.amazon.com/themeatstick.
