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The Spoon

Daily news and analysis about the food tech revolution

connected gadgets

Manage Cooking Multiple Meats to Different Temperatures with the New MEATER Block

Just in time for summer grilling season, Apption Labs, the company behind the connected MEATER thermometer, announced the launch of the new MEATER Block today. The new Block of thermometers allows users to monitor the cooking of multiple pieces of meat at once and extends the wireless range of the device.

The new MEATER system still acts much the same way as the single probe. It’s a connected thermometer roughly the size of a heavy-duty nail that you slide into your meat (beef, chicken, fish, pork, etc.). It wirelessly talks with the accompanying mobile app to let you know how the meat is doing, and even gives you tips on when to pull it out and how long to rest it.

While MEATER had sold multiple thermometers bundled together before, the new MEATER Block set of probes is different in that they work together so you can monitor different meats simultaneously. So you can be grilling different pieces of beef to different doneness at the same time, or even monitor simultaneous cooking of different types of meat.

Additonally, the new MEATER Block acts as a WiFi bridge, boosting the wireless communication range of the device so you can presumably be anywhere in your house and still check in on those chops. Other versions of the MEATER only go 33 ft. or 165 ft., depending on the model. The MEATER Block also sports a touchscreen and has a standalone mode so you don’t even need to use a phone.

I tested the single MEATER last year and thought it worked well. I’m pretty nervous when it comes to cooking proteins thoroughly, so monitoring my meat without needing to open up a hot oven (and let all the heat out) to insert a thermometer is a nice touch. The company has sent me the new block to test out, but it hasn’t arrived yet. If it works as advertised, it will be a great tool for summer cook-outs, especially with its new ability to continuously cook and keep track of different foods on the same grill.

Despite these advancements, MEATER seems to still have the same issue I had with the previous generation: its size. The MEATER itself is big, and because you keep it in the meat throughout the cooking process, a sizeable hole forms. The other thing we’ll lament here at The Spoon is that the MEATER doesn’t have a plant-based meat option for, say, grilling Beyond Burgers.

But if those aren’t dealbreakers, you may want to check out the new MEATER Block, which is available now for $269.

Ray Ozzie’s New Company Could Make Connecting Kitchen Appliances Much Easier

People in food tech may not be familiar with Ray Ozzie by name. The former CTO of Microsoft, and creator of Lotus Notes, Ozzie’s work is definitely on the more tech-y side of technology. But kitchen appliance and hardware makers could soon become well acquainted with Mr. Ozzie, given that his new startup wants to make wirelessly connecting, well, anything, to the internet much easier.

Axios has the scoop on Ozzie’s new venture, dubbed Blues Wireless, and while details are scarce, the basics seem to be that Blues will use cellular networks instead of WiFi to wirelessly connect devices to the Internet. This cellular module will allow hardware to have its connection set at the factory, instead of making consumers go through the process at home. There are some other details about encryption and using Notecard, and you should check out Axios for the full story.

While things have definitely gotten better when it comes to connecting gadgets to your network, the experience can vary widely depending on the manufacturer. If Blues Wireless can economically make a kitchen appliance connect right out of the box, that will mean customers can see more functionality and use out of it right away. This, in turn can help spur growth in the connected kitchen space.

Blues Wireless isn’t the only company looking to make the process of connecting devices to the Internet easier. None other than Amazon launched it’s WiFi Simple Setup last year to take the pain out of setting up connected gadgets by letting Alexa share your home network credentials with compatible devices. Additionally, earlier this month, Amazon purchased WiFi router company, Eero, which became popular in part because it makes setting up devices easier.

Right now, Blues Wireless is small, being funded by Ozzie himself, and is currently in trials with AT&T. There’s no timeline on when any of the technology will actually reach the market, but people in food tech should at least being taking note of this news (and Ozzie’s name) right now.