Meater Ambient Temperature Low (Fix It Now)

Having a smart meat thermometer at hand is an absolute blessing for any food geek out there. And when you say smart meat probe, I understand Meater. 

They came up with the first-ever wireless meat thermometer in some excellent models. 

But whichever Meater probe you go for, there is a common drawback. They rarely read the ambient temperature accurately. 

Often, the heat count is either higher or lower than the oven/grill temperature. 

In today’s guide, I will discuss what to do when you find the Meater ambient temperature low.

So, let’s get started.

“The right ambient temperature is the conductor of the symphony that is smoking – it orchestrates the flavors and aromas to perfection.”

Team Topcellent

Meater Ambient Temperature Low – What To Do Now

To solve the problem, you should find out why it’s happening. Sometimes, you see a dash instead of the ambient temperature reading. Worry, not, your probe is not at fault.

Unless you are cooking your meat with an active heat source, the ambient temperature doesn’t count. 

In that case, you might see some dashes. That happens while setting up the probe or resting the meat.

Once the ambient heat is higher than the internal temperature and you start the actual cooking, you will automatically see the ambient reading.

However, the temperature count isn’t always accurate. There are some variables to make it lower than the actual temperature. 

It might be due to the wrong placement of the food surface or the probe. The food surface must be in between the safety notch and the handle of the thermometer. 

Otherwise, the meat thickness, heat setting, efficiency of the stove, etc. could also affect the heat measurement. 

Most importantly, the probe location causes low-temperature readings in most cases. 

As the ambient sensor tip is located in the black ceramic handle, it remains very close to the meat while cooking.

At the beginning of your cooking, the temperature of your meat is low and so is the ambient temperature count.

In a nutshell, you see lower ambient temperature than the cooker in a Meater probe due to the influence of the cold meat.

But the cooker is not that close to the meat surface compared to the external sensor. That’s why it varies in ambient heat reading from the Meater probe.

On such occasions, you can do three things:

• Ignore the ambient temperature of the probe. Just focus on the cooker’s heat count as it remains consistent.
• Bake the probe in the oven for around 15 minutes at 250° F. Sometimes, moisture gets trapped and seeps into the probe only to reduce the ambient temperature. Baking would evaporate the moisture and solve the problem. 
• Try a brand new Meater probe and see what happens. 

Here is the meater user-guide you can follow –

Also Read: MEATER vs Yummly: Which Wireless Meat Thermometer Comes Out on Top?

What If Meater Ambient Temperature Is Too High

It is very much possible to find the Meater ambient temperature reading too high than the actual cooking temperature. 

As already mentioned, the ambient sensor is located very close to the meat cut and therefore, is highly affected by the meat temperature. 

In the course of cooking, the meat temperature rises and thus you see a higher ambient temperature. 

But how to fix it? Well, it’s unfortunate that there’s no quick fix to the problem. 

Just make sure to place the ambient sensor at least 2″ (5 cm) away from the meat surface. And try cooking low and slow. If you cook on high flame, the ambient sensor will go beyond the maximum limit and eventually be totally damaged.

In terms of searing, you can first cook the meat on slow heat. Once it’s cooked, you can sear it on high flame, of course without the meat probe inserted.

And for the proper estimation of the cooking time, rely on the cooker’s reading.

Also Read: Meater Ambient Temperature Wrong – What To Do?

Meater Ambient Temperature Limitation

According to the manufacturers, Meater’s ambient temperature is limited to 527°F or 275°C. That means you can use a Meater probe for measuring a maximum of 527°F of external temperature. 

If the heat goes higher than this, the ambient sensor could be entirely damaged.

And the lowest range is 40°C. Meater cannot measure external temperature below this range. 

Also Read: Solving the Mystery of a MEATER Plus Probe Not Connecting

Meater Ambient Temperature Accuracy

Meater ambient temperature accuracy depends on so many things. If you follow the manufacturer’s instructions properly, you can have a reliable heat reading. Though that’s not entirely accurate.

First of all, the ambient sensor measures external heat based on the meat temperature. Because the ambient sensor tip is not far away from the meat surface. 

However, you cannot expect that the heat count of the cooker and the Meater probe will go hand in hand as they are placed in two different locations.

Just insert the probe as per instructions, follow the ambient temperature range, and leave the rest on your cooker. It will calculate how much time is left for a perfectly cooked meal.

Also Read: MEATER Block Not Updating? Here's How to Get It Back on Track

How Is Ambient Temperature Measured?

Basically, ambient temperature is the temperature reading of the location where you are cooking. It plays a vital role in estimating how long you need to cook food.

However, in a Meater probe, the ambient temperature is measured only beyond 40°C. If the temperature drops below 40°C, it won’t be counted.

Also, make sure the external temperature is higher than the internal heat count. 

Additionally, the heat source must be active for the ambient temperature to be read. 

And the ambient temperature is measured by the external thermal sensor adjacent to the meat surface.

Also Read: Can You Use a Meat Thermometer for Oil? Here's What You Need to Know

How To Know The Ambient Temperature

Every Meater probe uses two sensors, one for internal and the other for ambient temperature reading.

The external sensor in the black ceramic end of the probe measures the ambient temperature in the grill, oven, or smoker.

Nevertheless, you can see the ambient heat reading on the Meater app using your smartphone. 

To know the ambient temperature, you must cook between 40°C-275°C.  

What Is Ambient Cooking Temperature?

The ambient temperature in cooking basically refers to the current air temperature of a specific place where you are cooking.

Suppose, you are boiling some water. So, the temperature of the boiling water would be 212° F when measured. 

But that’s not the temperature of the surroundings where you are boiling water. The air temperature of that specific environment where you are boiling water would be referred to as the ambient temperature at that moment 

Conclusion

To end this discussion on Meater ambient temperature low, I would like to mention that you shouldn’t let the ambient sensor control your cooker. 

Because the proximity of the sensor to the cold meat could make the temperature lower than your cooker’s heat count.

Also, cold spots in the cooking appliances could make the probe calculate the cooking time wrongly. 

So, it’s better to ignore the report by the Meater ambient sensor and focus on the grill, oven, or smoker’s temperature instead.

Happy cooking!