Traeger Grills acquires thermometer maker

Traeger Grills, a Salt Lake City-based innovator of the wood-pellet grill, has acquired Meater, a Leicester, England, supplier of wireless meat thermometers for cooking applications.

Traeger introduced the auger-fed wood pellet grill in the 1980s and has since added its WiFire technology, which allows control of the cooking unit through a mobile app on a smartphone or Apple Watch.

“The Meater acquisition represents the next logical step in Traeger’s digital evolution and ongoing effort to create the ultimate connected grilling experience through the ability to precisely monitor food temps from virtually anywhere,” the company said.

“Meater shares our commitment to product innovation and enhancing the cooking experience — indoor and outdoor — and that made them an ideal fit for Traeger as we continue to evolve the connected cooking experience,” said Traeger Grills CEO Jeremy Andrus. “This acquisition will play a role in our ongoing product development and is yet another way we can bring unique benefits and value to our dedicated ‘Traegerhood’ community of passionate cooks.”

Created by Apption Labs, an innovative technology start-up dedicated to developing smarter consumer products connected to the Internet and controlled by mobile devices, Meater takes the guesswork out of cooking, Andrus said. The thermometer and Meater app enable customers to cook steak, chicken, turkey, fish or other meats perfectly every time for every occasion. As a category leader in the food thermometer space, Meater positions Traeger to accelerate entry into the adjacent accessories market with a highly complementary technology-enabled product.

“Our product complements and enhances Traeger’s connected grilling experience and joining forces with a market leader in outdoor cooking was something we’re extremely excited about,” said Joseph Cruz, Meater CEO. “Together with Traeger, we believe there is much yet to be explored in the realm of connected cooking, and we’re thrilled by the notion of pushing forward to discover and develop new innovations.”

Meater will operate as a standalone company within Traeger Grills and  Cruz will continue as Meater’s CEO, reporting to Andrus.