> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.themeatstick.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.themeatstick.com/how-your-meatstick-works.md).

# How your MeatStick works

New to wireless thermometers? Here's the whole idea in a minute.

## Truly wireless — no cords at all

A traditional probe has a wire running from the meat to a box outside the cooker. The MeatStick doesn't. The whole Stick goes **inside** the meat, the lid comes down, and it sends temperature to your phone over Bluetooth — nothing trailing out, nothing to catch in the lid.

## The Stick does the sensing

There are **multiple sensors along the length of the Stick**, so it reads the temperature at several points and shows you the **coldest** one — the part that finishes last. That's how you avoid the "looked done on the outside, raw in the middle" surprise.

The end you grip — the ceramic handle — is the only part that stays outside the meat. It's built to take direct cooker heat, while the steel section sits *inside* the meat where it stays cool. There are **no buttons** to fuss with: the Stick wakes up when you lift it off its charger, and powers itself down when you set it back or after it's been idle a while.

## Meat temperature *and* cooker temperature

Two things matter on a cook: how hot the **meat** is, and how hot your **cooker** is around it.

* A **V Prime Stick** reads both — meat temperature *and* the surrounding cook environment — from the one Stick.
* A **V Core Stick** focuses on meat temperature. For cooker (ambient) temperature on a Core setup, the **V Forge**'s Wired Ambient Probe clips right at the grate. ([Which set do I have?](/which-meatstick-do-i-have.md))

## Your phone — and watching from anywhere

The Stick talks to your phone over Bluetooth, which is great when you're nearby. To go further, most sets include a **base or hub** that does two jobs: it boosts the Bluetooth range, and it connects to your home **WiFi** so the cook streams to the cloud — meaning you can check it from the couch, the store, or bed. (A V Core Set is phone-direct, so keep your phone near the cooker — or step up to a set with a base.) See [Monitoring your cook over WiFi](/cooking-and-care/cooking-and-care/wifi-cloud-monitoring.md).

## Built for real heat

The ceramic handle shrugs off the kind of heat a grill or smoker throws at it, so you can cook over open flame, in a screaming-hot oven, or low-and-slow for hours. And the Stick itself is dishwasher safe — rinse it and you're done.

## So, a cook in three steps

1. **Stick it in** — into the thickest part of the meat. ([How to insert it](/cooking-and-care/cooking-and-care/inserting-the-stick.md))
2. **Set your target** — pick what you're cooking and how done you want it; the app fills in the temperature. ([Setting up a cook](/cooking-and-care/cooking-and-care/setting-up-a-cook.md))
3. **Relax** — the app alerts you as it gets close and when it's ready. ([Alerts and resting](/cooking-and-care/cooking-and-care/alerts-and-resting.md))

That's it. Pick your set on the [home page](/readme.md) for setup specific to what you have.