When it comes to choosing your next backyard barbecue appliance, today’s backyard chefs have more options than ever! While traditional charcoal and gas grills remain popular, a new generation of smart grills are changing the way that people grill. With built-in WiFi or Bluetooth connectivity, smartphone apps, and wireless temperature monitoring, these high-tech grills take the guess work out of grilling. You can get perfectly cooked meals without all of the stress that comes along with standing under the hot sun to monitor your grill.
I’m sure you’re asking…are smart grills really worth the investment? Or is it just another app that clutters up your phone?
Like almost everything, there is no right or wrong answer. It really depends on how you like to grill, and how you want to grill. If you’re not worried about any of the fancy features listed in the opening paragraph, save yourself some money and stick to your traditional grill. If you are interested in making your grilling a bit more convenient, maybe it’s worth looking into getting a smart grill. Whether this is your first season with a grill, or you’re a grilling expert, here’s everything you need to know about smart grills!
What is a Smart Grill?
Let me make one thing clear: a smart grill does not mean that it has an IQ of 120, even though it may seem like it.
A smart grill is just a grill that uses technology to help you cook more accurately and make grilling more convenient. Depending on the make and model, smart grills can connect to your smartphone or tablet via WiFi which allows you to monitor temperatures, adjust settings, and receive alerts. Many smart grill models also include digital controllers, built-in meat probes, programmable cooking settings, and companion apps that can help make sure your dinner is restaurant quality. Smart grills are here to make your life easier, but not to replace the grilling master behind the tongs.
How Does a Smart Grill Work?
Every manufacturer has a slightly different selection of features, but the most common are listed below:
- WiFi or Bluetooth connectivity
- Mobile app
- Digital temperature controls
- Internal temperature sensors
- Wireless meat probes and/or thermometers
Once your smart grill is connected, the grill communicates directly with your phone or tablet in real time. Instead of having to constantly go outside and lift the lid to check your food, causing significant heat loss, you can just take a glance at your app and check both the grill temperature and the internal temperature of whatever you’re cooking. Most smart grill apps do everything: monitor cooking progress, notify you when your food reaches your desired temperature, adjust cooking temperature if it senses the grill is too hot or cool, and allows you access to guided recipes and cooking programs.
It doesn’t matter if you’re grilling burgers, smoking brisket, or roasting some vegetables, smart grill technology helps you stay informed without you needing to stand over the grill all afternoon.
Benefits of Smart Grills
Convenience
The biggest advantage to having a smart grill is the freedom it provides. Gone are the days where you’re forced to stand by the grill to monitor. Instead of spending your entire cookout keeping up with what’s on the grill, you can walk away and enjoy your guests! Worried about overcooking your steak? You shouldn’t be! You’ll get a notification to your phone or tablet as soon as your desired internal temperature is met. Not only will your app let you know when your food’s done, it will even let you know when it’s time to flip, cover, or remove from the grill to let it set.
This means less time babysitting, and more time enjoying your barbecue.
Consistency
If you could, wouldn’t you love to ensure that your brisket you painstakingly prepared came out perfect every single time. With a smart grill, you would be able to achieve that. And if you ask any experienced griller, they’ll tell you that consistency is one of the hardest things to master. With a smart grill, though, all of the guesswork and trial and error are taken out of grilling. On a normal charcoal, pellet, or propane grill, temperature fluctuations, distractions, and overcooking can happen to anyone; smart grills help to eliminate that uncertainty. A number of models actually allow you to save cooking presets for your go-to recipes. Once you’ve nailed that brisket, you can save the settings and recreate it time and time again and you’ll get the same exact results every time you fire up your grill.
Precision Cooking
We’ve talked a lot about temperature control, and I’m sure you’re wondering how smart grills are so attuned. It’s really a simple answer: wireless temperature probes. These probes continuously monitor the internal temperature of your food without requiring you to repeatedly get up, open the grill, and check the temperature. These probes relay accurate temperature readings to the connected app, and keep you up-to-date with any changes. Prefer your steak medium rare? Set your desired temperature, and you’ll get a notification as soon as that temperature is reached. Some smart grills even offer guided cooking programs that walk you through step-by-step, making it easier than ever to cook everything from smoked brisket to salmon with confidence.
Accessible
You absolutely do not need to be a grill master to use a smart grill. It doesn’t matter if you’re grilling a burger for the first time in your life, or have been grilling for decades, a smart grill is made for everyone in mind. For beginners, features like temperature alerts, guided recipes, and automatic monitoring build confidence and reduce common mistakes. For experienced grillers, smart technology offers greater control and precision.
I promise, your friends don’t need to know about the app that helped you nail those perfect burgers, your secret is safe with us!
Smart Grills vs. Traditional Grills
Traditional grills aren’t going anywhere, don’t worry! Smart grills just offer a level of flexibility not found with traditional grills. And that’s not to say anything wrong with traditional grills, they still make great barbeque food! But if convenience, consistency, and new technology appeal to you, a smart grill might be right for your backyard.
What to Consider Before Buying a Smart Grill
Not every grill is considered equal. Before making your purchase, consider the following factors:
Who Benefits Most from Smart Grills
Smart grills are an excellent choice for:
- Busy families with multiple responsibilities
- First-time grillers that want or need some extra guidance
- Experienced grillers looking for perfect results
- Anyone who’d rather be with their party guests than manning a grill
App Compatibility & Usability
The smart grill is only half of the experience. In order for your grill to truly be smart, it needs to send the data to its companion app downloaded to your phone or tablet (so make sure any app is compatible with your smart device). Look for grills that offer reliable WiFi or Bluetooth connectivity, responsive apps, and straightforward controls. We don’t want your experience with your new smart grill to be daunting, we want it to work efficiently, correctly, and provide you with excellent results - not headaches!
Pro Tip:
Before you buy, double-check that the companion app works with your specific phone or tablet, and look for a grill with reliable WiFi or Bluetooth connectivity and straightforward controls — that's what makes the "smart" part actually convenient day to day.
Customer Support Features
Technology evolves quickly; even the GPS system in my 2018 Mazda is considered old. Make sure you choose a manufacturer that provides regular app updates and ongoing software support. Continued updates help ensure your grill remains compatible with newer phones, operating systems, and connected devices for years to come. Don’t forget to make sure whichever brand you choose also has reliable and quick customer support.
Feature Levels
Not everyone needs every available feature. For those who are just beginning their backyard journey, a simpler model featuring foundational app syncing and temperature tracking might be the perfect fit. However, if you consider yourself a seasoned pro, you might want to explore higher-end units that offer several meat probes, customized cooking phases, extensive recipe collections, and the ability to manage your smoker via the cloud.
Think about which features are going to be most important to you before paying for features that you may never use.
Final Thoughts
So… are smart grills worth it? For many homeowners, absolutely. They offer greater convenience, more consistent cooking results, and technology that makes grilling easier without taking away the fun. Whether you're cooking burgers for a weeknight dinner or smoking a brisket for a weekend gathering, smart features help reduce stress and increase confidence. Will smart grills completely replace traditional grills someday? Maybe. Maybe not. But one thing is certain; they’ve made outdoor cooking more accessible, more precise, and more enjoyable for grillers of every experience level.
If you’re ready to upgrade your backyard cooking experience, stop by Hallock’s. Our team can help you compare today’s latest smart grills, explain the features that matter most, and help you find the perfect model for your next barbecue.