The 6 best smart grills for summer 2024
The biggest names in grilling -- think Weber, Kamado Joe and more -- are getting smarter. And for you, that means that grilling is getting a whole lot easier.
The latest smart grills use smartphone apps to make outdoor cooking almost foolproof. Using this advanced, but very simple-to-use tech, you don't need to worry about undercooking or overcooking. Based on the type of food you're preparing, a smart grill tells you what temperature to use; often adjusts that temperature; tells you when to flip the food; and alerts you when the food is cooked to your liking. It'll even suggest new recipes based on the types of foods you cook most often.
What is the best smart grill in 2024?
Many of the most popular grill brands -- like Weber, Brisk It, Monument Grills, Kamado Joe, Traeger and Masterbuilt -- now offer smart grills. So, if your home has Wi-Fi and you use a smartphone, consider upgrading to a smart grill that'll take your outdoor cooking to the next level. Our in-house team of experts has curated this list of the best outdoor smart grills available.
- Best smart grill overall: Brisk It Origin-940 wood pellet smoker grill
- Best gas smart grill: Weber Genesis SPX-435
- Best wood pellet smart grill: Traeger Grills Ironwood XL electric wood pellet grill and smoker
- Best charcoal smart grill: Masterbuilt Gravity Series 1050 Digital
- Best compact size smart grill: Kamado Joe 18" digital charcoal grill and smoker
- Best smart grill for entertaining: Monument Grills Denali 605
If you like your grills old-school, we recommend our carefully curated coverage of the five best propane grills in 2024, the five best wood-pellet grills in 2024 and the five best charcoal grills in 2024. And if you're looking to give your entire patio and outdoor living space a makeover for summer, we've got you covered with 10 ways to upgrade your patio.
Best smart grill overall: Brisk It Origin-940 wood pellet smoker grill
Fuel type: Wood pellets | Grilling space: 940-square-inches | Max. temperature: 500-degrees Fahrenheit | Materials: Rolled steel, stainless steel | Dimensions: 46 x 26 55.4 inches | Hopper capacity: 22 pounds
Whether you need to cook for a family of four or a gathering of 15 or more, the Brisk It Origin-940 is ready to deliver the flavor that only a wood pellet grill can produce. This grill can handle smoking, barbecuing, baking, searing and braising on its vast 940 square inches of grilling space, too.
Even if you don't consider yourself an outdoor grilling master (yet), the Origin-940 will fix that quickly. It pairs with your smartphone, so you can discover delicious recipes and grilling techniques, and then be guided every step of the way through the cooking process.
This well-designed grill uses AI to maintain precise temperatures and sends notifications to your phone when it's time to flip the food. Simply by following the on-screen advice and taking advantage of the grill's sensors and probes, it's almost impossible to overcook or undercook your food.
This grill will make your neighbors jealous. And once the grill helps you build a reputation as a grilling master, don't be surprised if people invite themselves over when they smell the incredible aromas that fill your outdoor space.
Best gas smart grill: Weber Genesis SPX-435
Fuel type: Liquid propane or gas | Grilling space: 994-square-inches | Main burners: 48,000 BTU (Side burner: 12,000 BTU) | Materials: Stainless steel | Dimensions: 48.5 x 68.5 x 27 inches
Perhaps the best-known brand in grilling now offers a smart grill that takes the challenge out of preparing perfectly cooked food, whether you're grilling, searing, roasting, steaming or even stir-frying.
With this stainless steel smart grill, 994 square inches of cooking space is at your disposal. The Weber Connect mobile app tells you exactly when to flip and serve your food based on how you want it prepared. Plus, when you're grilling at night, the SPX-435 has LED lighting, so you can see the grill's entire surface.
There's a propane gas and natural gas version of the SPX-435. Some of the features we love include the built-in prep-and-serve table, expandable top cooking grate, the integrated side burner and the ease of use of the grill itself.
Enjoy many years of outdoor grilling for your family and during outdoor gatherings when you invest in this 48,000 BTU stainless steel smart grill. The mobile app provides real-time food temperature alerts and reminders, plus flip and serve notifications.
Best wood pellet smart grill: Traeger Grills Ironwood XL electric wood pellet grill and smoker
Fuel type: Wood pellets | Grilling space: 924-square-inches | Max. temperature: 500-degrees Fahrenheit | Materials: Alloy steel | Dimensions: 70 x 25 x 48 inches | Hopper capacity: 22 pounds
The extra large version of Traeger Grills' feature-packed Ironwood smart grill offers 924 square inches of cooking space. Its smart capabilities use a built-in, full-color touchscreen and a mobile app that lets you control the grill, plus get notifications as your food cooks.
Among the other features we like are its built-in side shelf, grilling light, two-tier adjustable cooking surfaces and porcelain grates. The grill is designed with "smart combustion technology," which maintains a consistent cooking temperature, while infusing your food with wood-fired flavor.
The touchscreen and mobile app provide all the control and info you to perfectly prepare all of your food, whether you're using the Ironwood's grill, smoke, bake, roast, braise or BBQ cooking function. If you're looking to try new recipes, the grill's mobile app is loaded with them. If you don't need as much grilling space, the slightly less expensive Ironwood smart grill ($1,600) offers the same smart technology packed into a grill with a total of 616 square inches of cooking space. Once you have your new Traeger smart grill ready to cook, a wide range of free beef, chicken, pork, lamb, seafood and vegetable recipes are offered on the company's website.
Best charcoal smart grill: Masterbuilt Gravity Series 1050 digital
Fuel type: Charcoal | Grilling space: 1,050-square-inches | Max. temperature: 700-degrees Fahrenheit | Materials: Stainless steel, steel, porcelain-coated racks | Dimensions: 33 x 52 x 61 inches
If you grew up grilling with charcoal, you can stick with what you know, but take full advantage of a grill with smart tech to instantly boost your grilling game. The 1,050 square inches of cooking space are ready to help you feed a decent-size gathering without fear of overcooking or undercooking anyone's food.
Within 15 minutes, the grill can reach a maximum temperature of 700 degrees. Using the built-in, gravity-fed charcoal hopper, a 10-pound lump of charcoal or 16 pounds of briquettes will keep the grill functioning at peak capacity for up to eight hours.
Between the grill's digital control panel and the Masterbuilt app, you can control the grill, set timers, monitor the included meat probes and receive notifications as your food cooks. The grill's built-in fan maintains the temperature, while the reversible cooking grates provide extra flexibility whether you're slow smoking or high-heat searing.
Best compact size smart grill: Kamado Joe 18" Digital charcoal grill and smoker
Fuel type: Charcoal | Grilling space: 18-inch diameter (250-square-inches) | Max. temperature: 700-degrees Fahrenheit | Materials: Stainless steel | Dimensions: 49 x 47 x 30 inches
The Kamado Joe 18-inch Digital grill is ideal for small, outdoor living spaces. It's a ceramic charcoal grill with 250 square inches of cooking space (which is enough to prepare food for a small family).
The grill has an automatic fire-starter button. Control and monitor its temperature using the Kamado Joe mobile app or the built-in digital control panel.
Unlike most charcoal grills, this one lets you maintain a constant temperature between 250 and 700 degrees while providing easy access to multiple cooking modes. Another feature we love is the "Joetisserie," which allows you to rotate your favorite foods to achieve the perfect flavor and texture.
The grill comes with everything you need (except the food and charcoal) for a hassle-free outdoor grilling experience every time you use it.
Best smart grill for entertaining: Monument Grills Denali 605
Fuel type: Gas | Grilling space: 895 square inches | Max. temperature: 84,000 BTU | Materials: Stainless steel | Dimensions: 65.4 x 23.3 x 48 inches
In addition to looking ultra-modern from the outside, the Monument Grills Denali 605 is technologically advanced on the inside. Yet it's surprisingly easy to use. It offers 84,000 BTUs of cooking power and a large, 825-square-inch cooking space, plus a 225-square-inch warming rack.
The Denali 605 is equipped with smart tech to help you control the temperature and cooking time using your smartphone. It's easy to monitor cooking progress and adjust temperature, even if you step away from the grill. When you're working at the grill, the built-in LED display offers the information you need, without you needing to refer to your phone.
While you can trust the tech to assist in preparing your food perfectly every time, the grill has a clear-view lid, so you can visually check your progress without releasing heat. Meanwhile, the grill's porcelain-coated, cast iron cooking grates are designed to provide even cooking.
8 features to look for in a smart grill
Just like traditional outdoor grills, those with smart tech come in a wide range of designs and styles.
- Cooking functions: The best grills do much more than barbecue your food. Some can also sear, roast, bake, steam or stir-fry. And some can also serve as a rotisserie or smoker.
- Dimensions: Pay attention to the grill's dimensions and make sure it'll easily and safely fit in your outdoor space. A grill should be kept a certain distance from your home and any trees or shrubs that could pose a safety risk.
- Fuel type: The main fuel types used in outdoor grills are natural gas, propane, wood pellets or charcoal. Each has pros and cons and will impact the taste of food. The cost of these fuel types also varies greatly.
- Number of burners: Outdoor grills typically have a specific number of fixed-location burners. The more burners a grill has, the larger the cooking area it typically offers. In some cases, you have control over each burner separately, so you can use different areas of the grill to cook different foods at varying temperatures. The more burners a grill has, the higher its fuel consumption. A typical three-burner grill offers between 400 and 500 square inches of cooking space. That's enough to prepare food for up to eight people at once. A six-burner grill can offer up to 650 square inches of cooking space, which is plenty of room to prepare food for larger groups.
- Grilling space: This is measured in square inches. The larger the cooking space, the more food you can prepare at once. But pay attention to the difference between a primary cooking space and a warmer tray or side burners. If you're only cooking for one or two people or a small family, grilling space isn't too critical. This is much more important if you plan to cook for groups.
- Extra features: One or more side burners are convenient. Seek out a grill that offers prep and storage space. Based on your outdoor space, you may want a grill with wheels for easy transport. Also, consider how easy it is to clean. Some grills also offer easy-to-access hooks for cooking utensils and a built-in light for night cooking.
- Grilling power or maximum temperature: The power of gas grills is measured in BTUs, which determines how much fuel is used in an hour. In general, you want a grill that offers an adjustable BTU, but with a maximum that's at least 12,000 to 18,000. Other types of grills are measured based on their temperature range. Again, you want adjustability and a high maximum.
- Smart technology: Pay attention to the mobile app's ease of use and what it can control when your smartphone. At the very least, you want the ability to turn on and adjust the temperature, notify you when it's time to flip food and then generate a message when the cooking process is done. The best smart grills allow for precision cooking with probes and sensors.
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