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The 6 best smart grills for spring 2024

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The 6 best smart grills for spring 2024

Masterbuilt Grills, Brisk It


Humans have been cooking meats over fire since the days of cave men. Cut to 2024, and outdoor grills have taken a giant leap forward. Now we have smart grills , which connect the internet via Wi-Fi and use smartphone apps to make outdoor cooking almost foolproof. Using this advanced, but very simple-to-use technology, you no longer 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 the temperature, informs you when to flip the food and alerts you when the food is cooked to your liking.

For reviews, roundups and details on the best deals in consumer tech, tools and equipment, be sure to read our continuously updated tech and home, kitchen and outdoor coverage.


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 — offer smart grills. So, if your home has Wi-Fi and you already use a smartphone, consider upgrading to a smart grill that’ll take your outdoor grilling 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

Brisk It Origin-940 Wood Pellet Grill Smoker Grill

Brisk It


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 prepare food 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 hand 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 definitely 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

Weber Genesis SPX-435 Premium Smart Gas Grill

Weber


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. And 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 clearly 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 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, reminders, plus flip and serve notifications. 


Best wood pellet smart grill: Traeger Grills Ironwood XL electric wood pellet grill and smoker

Traeger Grills Ironwood XL Electric Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker

Amazon


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.


Best charcoal smart grill: Masterbuilt Gravity Series 1050 Digital

Masterbuilt Gravity Series 1050 Digital Charcoal Grill and Smoker Combo

Amazon


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 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

Konnected Joe 18 in. Digital Charcoal Grill and Smoker

The Home Depot


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 -n 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 gatherings and entertaining: Monument Grills Denali 605

Monument Grills Denali D605

Amazon


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. Each model offers a different feature set. 

  • 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 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 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 a much more important if you plan to cook for groups.
  • Extra features: One or more side burners is convenient. Also, 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 to generate the right cooking temperature. 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 cooking process is done. The best smart grills allow for precision cooking with probes and sensors. 

Be sure to read all of our in-depth product reviews and find the best deals. It’s all here in our latest tech coverage.



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Israel airstrikes rock parts of Lebanon as Hezbollah launch rockets at air base near Haifa

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The escalating fighting between Israel and Hezbollah continued Saturday as both sides traded strikes as the war in Gaza nears one year.

The Israel Defense Forces said its air force struck Hezbollah fighters inside a mosque in southern Lebanon that they said was used as a command center to “plan and execute terrorist attacks against IDF troops and the State of Israel.”

The mosque was adjacent to Salah Ghandour Hospital in the town of Bint Jbeil. The hospital said in a statement that Israeli forces had shelled it after being warned to evacuate. The shelling “resulted in nine members of the medical and nursing staff being injured, most of them seriously,” while most of the medical staff were evacuated. On Thursday, the World Health Organization said 28 health workers in Lebanon had been killed in the past 24 hours.

LEBANON-ISRAEL-PALESTINIAN-CONFLICT
A man photographs the rubble of a building leveled by an Israeli airstrike that targeted Beirut’s southern suburbs.

ANWAR AMRO/AFP via Getty Images


At the same time, 12 Israeli airstrikes hit Beirut’s southern suburbs, including one that badly damaged a large hall Hezbollah used to hold ceremonies, Lebanon’s state news agency said.

Later in the day, more strikes hit the area, from which tens of thousands of people have fled over the past two weeks.

Israeli airstrikes also hit areas in southern and eastern Lebanon, according to state media. At least six people were killed, according to NNA.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah said it launched a series of rockets at an Israeli air base near Haifa, about 30 miles from the Lebanese border. Israeli police said fragments of interceptors fell in several sites but no injuries were reported, according to the Associated Press.

Israel has sharply expanded its strikes on Lebanon in recent weeks after nearly a year of exchanging fire with the Iran-backed Hezbollah — long designated a terrorist organization by the U.S., Israel and many other nations. The IDF has been carrying out nightly bombardment of Beirut’s once densely populated southern suburbs, a stronghold of Hezbollah. Overnight, a military spokesman issued three alerts for residents there to evacuate.

Israeli airstrikes on southern Lebanon continue
A view of the completely destroyed residential buildings after the Israeli army carried out airstrikes on the Dahiyeh area south of the Lebanese capital Beirut.

Houssam Shbaro/Anadolu via Getty Images


Nearly a week of Israeli ground operations in southern Lebanon, near Israel’s northern border, and two weeks of airstrikes in that region and in southern Beirut — both Hezbollah strongholds — had killed more than 2,000 people, the health ministry said. More than 1 million people have been driven from their homes, including tens of thousands under Israel evacuation orders in almost 100 towns and villages near the border.

Hezbollah started launching those attacks in support of its ideological ally Hamas, which is also backed by Iran, the day after Hamas sparked the ongoing war in Gaza with its Oct. 7, 2023 terrorist attack on Israel. The IDF says Hezbollah militants have fired over 10,000 rockets across the border since Oct. 8, 2023. The vast majority of them have been intercepted by Israel’s advanced missile defense systems.

Israel conducts more ground raids

The Israeli military said on Saturday its special forces were carrying out ground raids against Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon, destroying missiles, launchpads, watchtowers and weapons storage facilities. The military said troops also dismantled tunnel shafts that Hezbollah used to approach the Israeli border.

Some 1.2 million people have been driven from their homes since Israel escalated its strikes in late September aiming to cripple Hezbollah and push it away from the countries’ shared border. On Tuesday, Israel launched what it calls a limited ground operation into southern Lebanon.

Nine Israeli troops have been killed in close fighting in the area in the past few days, which is saturated with arms and explosives, the military said.

Americans attempt to leave Lebanon

The U.S. government has warned Americans not to travel to Lebanon since mid-September and urged any citizens in the country to leave via commercial travel routes. As of Friday night, the U.S. State Department has assisted approximately 500 U.S. citizens, permanent residents and their families to leave Lebanon on flights organized by the agency.

Other nations are also working to evacuate their residents from Lebanon. Germany has evacuated 460 citizens on German military flights, while a Dutch military transport plane carried more than 100 citizens out of Lebanon. There were also citizens of Belgium, Finland and Ireland who were repatriated on that flight.

NETHERLANDS-LEBANON-ISRAEL-PALESTINIAN-CONFLICT
A military aircraft, the Multi Role Tanker Transport Aircraft (MRTT), departs from Eindhoven Air Force Base for Beirut to evacuate Dutch people who want to leave Lebanon.

ROB ENGELAAR/ANP/AFP via Getty Images


“It’s great that these people are safely back in the Netherlands. These have been tense times for them,” Christiaan Rebergen, secretary-general of the foreign ministry, said after they landed Friday.

Fighting ongoing in Gaza

Palestinian medical officials say Israeli strikes in northern and central Gaza early Saturday have killed at least nine people, including two children.

One strike hit a group of people in the northern town of Beit Hanoun, killing at least five people, including two children, according to the Health Ministry’s Ambulance and Emergency service.

Another strike hit a house in the northern part of Nuseirat refugee camp, killing at least four people, the Awda hospital said. The strike also left a number of wounded people, it said.

The Israeli military did not have any immediate comment on the strikes but has long accused Hamas of operating from within civilian areas.

Earlier in the day, the Israeli military had warned residents in parts of central Gaza to evacuate, saying its forces would soon operate there in response to Palestinian militants.

The warnings cover areas along a strategic corridor in central Gaza, which was at the heart of obstacles to a ceasefire deal earlier this summer. The military warned Palestinians in areas of Nuseirat and Bureij refugee camps, located along the Netzarim corridor, to evacuate to an along Gaza’s shore called Muwasi, which the military has designated a humanitarian zone. It’s unclear how many Palestinians are currently living in the areas affected by the order, parts of which were evacuated previously.

Almost 42,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza during the almost year-long war, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between civilian and militant deaths.



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1-month-old twins who died with mother believed to be the youngest-known Hurricane Helene victims

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Month-old twin boys are believed to be the youngest known victims of Hurricane Helene. The boys died alongside their mother last week when a large tree fell through the roof of their home in Thomson, Georgia.

Obie Williams, grandfather of the twins, said he could hear babies crying and branches battering the windows when he spoke with his daughter, Kobe Williams, 27, on the phone last week as the storm tore through Georgia.

The single mother had been sitting in bed holding sons Khyzier and Khazmir and chatting on the phone with various family members while the storm raged outside.

Hurricane Helene-Georgia Deaths
This undated photo combo shows from left, Kobe Williams, and her twin sons Khazmir Williams and Khyzier Williams who were killed in their home in Thomson, Ga., by a falling tree during Hurricane Helene on Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. (Obie Lee Williams via AP)

AP


Kobe’s mother, Mary Jones, was staying with her daughter, helping her take care of the babies. She was on the other side of the trailer home when she heard a loud crash as a tree fell through the roof of her daughter’s bedroom.

“Kobe, Kobe, answer me, please,” Jones cried out in desperation, but she received no response.

Kobe and the twins were found dead.

“I’d seen pictures when they were born and pictures every day since, but I hadn’t made it out there yet to meet them,” Obie Williams told The Associated Press days after the storm ravaged eastern Georgia. “Now I’ll never get to meet my grandsons. It’s devastating.”

The babies, born Aug. 20, are the youngest known victims of a storm that had claimed more than 200 lives across Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia and the Carolinas. Among the other young victims are a 7-year-old girl and a 4-year-old boy from about 50 miles (80 kilometers) south in Washington County, Georgia.

“She was so excited to be a mother of those beautiful twin boys,” said Chiquita Jones-Hampton, Kobe’ Jones’ niece. “She was doing such a good job and was so proud to be their mom.”

Jones-Hampton, who considered Kobe a sister, said the family is in shock and heartbroken.

In Obie Williams’ home city of Augusta, 30 miles east of his daughter’s home in Thomson, power lines stretched along the sidewalks, tree branches blocked the roads and utility poles lay cracked and broken. The debris left him trapped in his neighborhood near the South Carolina border for a little over a day after the storm barreled through.

He said one of his sons dodged fallen trees and downed power lines to check on Kobe, and he could barely bear to tell his father what he found.

Many of his 14 other children are still without power in their homes across Georgia. Some have sought refuge in Atlanta, and others have traveled to Augusta to see their father and mourn together, he said.

He described his daughter as a lovable, social and strong woman. She always had a smile and loved to make people laugh, he said.

And she loved to dance, Jones-Hampton said.

“That was my baby,” Williams said. “And everybody loved her.”



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Telecom providers operate emergency communications after Hurricane Helene

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Telecom providers operate emergency communications after Hurricane Helene – CBS News


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When critical infrastructure like utility lines and cell phone towers go down, emergency response teams from telecom providers like AT&T and Verizon step in with an arsenal of equipment ensuring first responders can communicate in a disaster zone. Here’s how that’s helping in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.

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