New Weber Smart Grills – What Are They And How Do They Work?
As technology in the world around us continuously advances, we are seeing it slowly seep more and more into the tools we use to cook with. Weber, one of the longest standing names in grilling, has made a push in the past few years to incorporate their technology directly into their grills. We’ve seen this with Weber’s jump into the pellet grill market with the SmokeFire Pellet Grills in 2020.
New for 2021, Weber is releasing a Smart Grill line with four model options available. The Genesis II Gas Grill line will feature three models and the Spirit Gas Grill Line will feature one model. All Smart Grills from Weber, at this time, are only available in three burner models.
What Is A Smart Grill?
A Smart Grill is a grill that uses app-connected technology that allows you to monitor food temperatures, get alerts and control the grill (not every smart grill has this ability).
Pellet grills tend to be the most advanced of grills ahead of gas and charcoal overall in this space. Lynx was the first reputable gas grill manufacturer to release a smart gas grill. While the Lynx Smart Grill has great capabilities, it is not in the conversation for most consumers due to the high price point.
Weber’s Smart Grills come in at much more modest price points in line with what you find with Weber’s grill lineup. Weber’s version of a Smart Grill incorporates their Weber Connect Smart Grilling Hub technology into the grill.
How Does Weber’s Smart Grill Work?
The controller on the Weber Smart Grills is the same technology as the Weber Connect Smart Grilling Hub. It connects to your home WiFi network or can pair with your mobile phone (iOS or Android) or tablet via Bluetooth.
Weber’s Smart Grills read and relay the ambient temperature of the grill to the app on your device or the on-grill shelf screen. The grill has an ambient probe built in at the grate level. It is centrally located in the rear of the grill.
The controller has two ports for food probes to monitor internal temperatures of food on the grill. You can set temperature alerts and follow step-by-step recipes in the Weber Connect app.
The app will also tell you the grills fuel level (LP model only).
What Smart Grills Are Available?
Weber has unveiled four Smart Grill models: Genesis II EX-315, Genesis II EX-335, Genesis II SX-335 and Spirit SX-315. Each model has different features separating them from each other and the grills in their respective class line.
All of the Smart Grills come in LP and natural gas options. The controller on all of these Smart Grills is warrantied for 3 years.
Weber Genesis II Smart Grill SX-335 Gas Grill
The Genesis II Smart Grill SX-335 comes with the most features of all the Smart Grills. Aside from the stainless steel lid and cabinet doors, this grill comes with 7mm Stainless Steel Cooking Grates. All the other Smart Grills will have porcelain-enameled cast-iron cooking grates.
While there are some consumers that do prefer the cast-iron grates, we recommend the Weber Grills that come with stainless grates as they hold up and clean up better over time. This grill also features lighted control knobs, a sear zone and side burner. You can learn more about the Genesis II Smart Grill SX-335 Gas Grill here.
Weber Genesis II Smart Grill EX-335 Gas Grill
The Genesis II Smart Grill EX-335 Gas Grill is going to be very similar to the above model, the SX-335. The difference in features on the EX-335 will the be the enameled lid and doors as well as the porcelain-enameled cast-iron cooking grates. This grill also features lighted control knobs, a sear zone and side burner. You can learn more about the Genesis II Smart Grill EX-335 Gas Grill here.
Weber Genesis II Smart Grill EX-315 Gas Grill
The Genesis II Smart Grill EX-315 Gas Grill is going have the same features as the above EX-335 model except for a sear zone and side burner. This grill has lighted control knobs, porcelain-enameled cast-iron cooking grates and a handle light. You can learn more about the Genesis II Smart Grill EX-315 Gas Grill here.
Weber Spirit Smart Grill SX-315 Gas Grill
Breaking from the Genesis Smart Grill line is the Spirit Smart Grill SX-315 Gas Grill. This grill is going to have similar features to the Spirit S-315 Gas Grill. The main difference is going to be that the SX-315 has the Weber Connect technology on board. You can learn more about the Spirit Smart Grill SX-315 Gas Grill here.
Are These Grills Available Now?
All of the Weber Smart Grills are available for pre-order only at this time. The grills have not yet been released to retailers. The indication is that they will likely be available relatively soon but no official word on that date yet.
Many manufacturers, like Weber, have experienced delays in manufacturing and sourcing of materials, over the course of the last year. It’s likely the initial launch will have limited inventory until Weber is caught up on production.
If you have further questions on these grills, you can contact us here.
