Buy AirPods with wireless charging case at Amazon – $150

GameStop Nintendo Switch game sale

Nintendo

GameStop’s latest sale remains ongoing, so you can grab some first-party Nintendo Switch games for less. Some of the discounts are even better than those we saw in Nintendo’s own start of summer sale a few weeks ago. Notable titles on sale include Super Mario Bros U Deluxe for $40, Splatoon 2 for $40 and Yoshi’s Crafted World for $40.

Shop the sale at GameStop

Buy New Super Mario Bros U Deluxe at GameStop – $40

Buy Splatoon 2 at GameStop – $40

Buy Yoshi’s Crafted World at Gamestop – $40

Apple Watch Series 3

Chris Velazco / Engadget

The Apple Watch Series 3 remains at $169 at Amazon, the lowest price ever for the smartwatch. While not the newest Apple Watch, the Series 3 has most of the features you’d expect a solid wearable to have including all-day activity and exercise tracking, built-in heart rate monitor and GPS, and on-watch apps and smartphone alerts. We gave it a score of 82 when we first reviewed it thanks to all of the features previously listed as well as its solid performance and good battery life.

Buy Apple Watch Series 3 at Amazon – $169

Macbook Air

Engadget

The base model of the latest MacBook Air is still on sale for $899 at Amazon, which is $100 off its normal price (just be sure to clip the $50 coupon on the page before adding it to your cart). It has a Core i3 processor, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, plus the much improved Magic Keyboard that replaced Apple’s butterfly mechanism recently. It’s one of the reasons why we gave the new MacBook Air a score of 87, in addition to its sharp Retina display, smooth trackpad and accurate TouchID sensor.

Buy MacBook Air at Amazon starting at $899

Amazon Echo Plus

Amazon

Amazon’s smart speaker turned home hub is down to its lowest price ever, only $80, and that includes a free Philips Hue smart light bulb. The Echo Plus normally costs $150, so this is a great deal if you’ve wanted a smart speaker that pulls double-duty as a smart home hub. Any Zigbee-compatible device, like the Hue bulb included in the bundle, can be connected directly to the Echo Plus — no other hubs required. We gave the Echo Plus a score of 86 for its much improved audio quality, more attractive design and its new stereo audio ability that let’s you connect two devices at once.

Buy Echo Plus bundle at Amazon – $80

Weber SmokeFire connected grills

Billy Steele / Engadget

Now’s a good time to upgrade your grill while Weber has its SmokeFire series on sale. You can get $200 off both fo the grills in the lineup, bringing the SmokeFire EX4 down to $799 and the SmokeFire EX6 down to $999. We originally gave these grills a score of 71 but recently bumped it up to 80 thanks to the updates Weber has made to its connected platform. Both grills now feature remote temperature adjustment and shutdown, better push notifications and more efficient handling of temperature fluctuations.

Buy SmokeFire EX4 from Weber – $799

Buy SmokeFire EX6 from Weber – $999

New deal additions

Aukey USB-C portable charger

Engadget readers can get Aukey’s 30,000mAh USB-C power bank for $42 by using the code ENGADGETY3 at checkout. That’s $18 off its normal price and the lowest price we’ve seen it. this high-capacity power bank can charge any USB device you throw at it including the newest iPhones and Android devices as well as the Nintendo Switch. It also supports Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 to power up compatible devices quickly and safely.

Buy Aukey 30,000 power bank at Amazon – $42

Amazon Echo Show 5 and Show 8

Both Amazon’s Echo Show 5 and Echo Show 8 are on sale right now — the Show 5 is down to $60 and the Show 8 is down to $90. This is a decent sale, even if they’re not the lowest ever prices we’ve seen for the two smart displays (that’s $50 and $80, respectively). We gave the Echo Show 5 a score of 85 for its sunrise alarm feature, good sound quality and its compact design that makes it a good nightstand device. The Echo Show 8 is much better as a communal device thanks to its larger display. If you plan on using it as a cooking guide for recipe instructions and videos, you should consider the deal Amazon has that includes one free year of Food Network Kitchen (which typically costs $40) when you buy the Echo Show 8.

The Echo Flex is also on sale for $17.49. This is the lowest price we’ve seen on the handy little adapter — it plugs into a wall outlet, allowing you to put Alexa in rooms that maybe don’t have room for a standalone smart speaker.

Buy Echo Show 5 at Amazon – $60

Buy Echo Show 8 at Amazon – $90

Buy Echo Flex at Amazon – $17.49

SteelSeries Arctis 1 gaming headset (PS4)

The SteelSeries Arctis 1 is one of our favorite wireless gaming headsets and now the PS4 model is on sale for $80 at Amazon. That’s $20 off its normal price and close to the lowest we’ve seen it. We like the Arctis 1 for its clear, consistent wireless connection and its detachable microphone. Also, SteelSeries makes some of the most attractive gaming headsets you can get.

Buy Arctis 1 (PS4) at Amazon – $80

Amazon Music Unlimited (3 months)

Prime members can try out Amazon Music Unlimited for free for three months with this offer. Aside from being an Amazon Prime subscriber, you also have to be new to Music Unlimited (so you can’t have paid for it or tried it out before). If you meet those requirements, you can snag this offer and try out Amazon’s Spotify competitor. It offers most of the same features as other music subscription services: unlimited music listening, an ad-free experience, unlimited offline listening and convenient voice control with Alexa. Just keep track of time — your subscription will renew at the standard $10-per-month price after the trial is up.

Get Amazon Music Unlimited (3 months)

Buy Apple Watch Series 3 at Amazon – $169

MacBook Air

Engadget

The latest MacBook Air is on sale again at Amazon: you can snag the model with Core i3 processor, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage for only $899, which is $100 off its normal price. Undoubtably the best thing about the 2020 MacBook Air is the updated keyboard — gone are the butterfly keys of yesteryear as they have been replaced by firmer, springier alternatives. That’s one of the reasons why we gave the MacBook Air a score of 87, along with its Retina display, solid trackpad and accurate TouchID sensor.

Buy MacBook Air at Amazon starting at $899

iPad mini

Engadget

Those in need of an iPad mini with extra storage can get the 256GB model at Amazon for $499 right now, which is $50 less than its normal price. The WiFi- + Cellular model is on sale as well for $629. This is the latest model of the iPad mini that we gave a score of 85 for its strong performance, good battery life and improved display.

Buy iPad mini (WiFi) at Amazon – $499

Buy iPad mini (WiFI + Cellular) at Amazon – $629

Weber SmokeFire connected grills

Billy Steele / Engadget

Outfit your backyard with a new grill while Weber has its SmokeFire series on sale. You can get the SmokeFire EX4 for $799 and the SmokeFire EX6 for $999 right now, both of which are $200 off their normal prices. These are Weber’s connected grills that we originally gave a score of 71 but recently bumped it up to 80. The score change comes because of a bunch of improvements Weber has made to its smart grilling platform, including remote temperature adjustment and shutdown, better push notifications and more efficient handling of temperature fluctuations. Not only do SmokeFire grills make some of the best food with deep, smokey flavor, they are now also even smarter than they were initially.

Buy SmokeFire EX4 from Weber – $799

Buy SmokeFire EX6 from Weber – $999

Google Nest Hub Max bundle

Nicole Lee / Engadget

A bunch of retailers still have a bundle on sale that gets you a free Nest Hub when you buy a Nest Hub Max. So you’ll get both smart displays for a total of $229, which is a great deal considering you’d spend roughly $318 if you purchased them separately and at full price. We gave the Nest Hub Max a score of 86 for its lovely display, good sound quality and gesture capabilities. We also like that the Hub Max includes a built-in camera for video chatting (and you can electronically disable it whenever you want). The regular Nest Hub is a bit smaller than the Hub Max and doesn’t have a camera, but it’s another solid home for the Google Assistant.

Buy Nest Hub Max bundle at Best Buy – $229

Buy Nest Hub Max bundle at Home Depot – $229

Buy Nest Hub Max bundle at B&H Photo – $229

BioLite Headlamp 330

Engadget

You can still get BioLite’s solid Headlamp 330 for $48, or 20 percent off its normal price, both at BioLite and Amazon. This is a good accessory to have while hiking, camping or while doing projects and repairs around your home. Not only is it rechargeable, but it’ll last up to 40 hours on a single charge and it’s pretty comfortable to boot.

Buy Headlamp 330 at BioLite – $48

Buy Headlamp 330 at Amazon – $48

August Smart Lock

Engadget

You can make your home a tad bit smarter with August’s 4th-gen WiFi Smart Lock, and now you can get it for $229 at Wellbots by using the code ENGADGETLOCK at checkout. That’s $20 off its normal price and the lowest we’ve seen it. We gave this smart lock a score of 80 for its easy installation process, compact and attractive design and its compatibility with many virtual assistants including Alexa and Siri.

Buy August Smart Lock at Wellbots for $229

TCL 8-series Roku TVs

TCL

Through July 5th, you can save up to 50 percent on a couple of TCL’s 8-series Roku TVs. The 65-inch smart TV has dropped to $1,000 and the massive 75-inch smart TV is now $1,800. These are part of the lineup that came out at the end of last year and feature quantom-dot and mini LED technology. The last time we saw them drop this low was back in May, so now’s the time to grab them if you missed the first sale and have been holding out for a discount on a high-end TV.

Buy TCL 65-inch 8-series TV at Best Buy – $1,000

Buy TCL 75-inch 8-series TV at Best Buy – $1,800

New deal additions

Aukey Omnia 100W PD USB-C charger

Engadget readers can get Aukey’s Omnia 100W PD USB-C charger for $41.24 at Amazon by clipping the 10-percent off coupon and by using the code ENGADGETB5 at checkout. That’s nearly $14 off its normal price and the lowest price we’ve seen. Using a GaN power system, this charging brick is smaller and lighter than the one that comes with the 16-inch MacBook Pro but it provides just as much power. It’s not limited to Apple products either — you can use it with other USB-C laptops like the Dell XPS 13 and even devices like the Nintendo Switch. It’s a good accessory to have on hand to charge your USB-C devices, and it’s a much easier buy than competing devices that are double the cost.

Buy Aukey 100W PD USB-C charger at Amazon – $41.24

Sega Genesis Mini

The Sega Genesis Mini is down to $40 at Amazon, its lowest price ever. It’s a solid retro console that, even at its normal price of $60, is a good investment. We gave it a score of 89 for its faithful emulation, good build quality, USB controller ports and large game selection.

Buy Sega Genesis Mini at Amazon – $40

Master & Dynamic sale

Through July 6th, Master & Dynamic is running a sale in which you can save 25 percent on all orders using the code WEEKEND25 at checkout. The company is also donating 10 percent of all proceeds earned in the month of July to the NAACP’s Legal Defense Fund in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. Master & Dynamic devices are usually solid albeit expensive, which is why it’s always worth a browse when the company is having a sale. Last year, we gave its MW07 Plus wireless earbuds a score of 86 and its MW65 headphones a score of 88.

Shop Master & Dynamic July 4th sale

Theragun Mini

The most compact Theragun is on sale through July 5th. Now you can get the Theragun Mini for $174 at the company’s website. It’s a three-speed massage gun with an ergonomic grip, a powerful yet quiet motor and a 150-minute battery life. While more expensive Theragun products have even more features, the Theragun Mini is the most portable of the bunch and it’s an even easier buy now that it’s $25 off.

Buy Theragun Mini at Theragun – $174

Tidal 1-year membership

Today only, Best Buy has a sale on a 1-year Tidal Premium membership knocking the price down to $70. That’s $50 off its normal price of $120 and $10 lower than the lowest price we’ve seen it. Tidal Premium is very similar to Spotify and Apple Music in the sense that it’s basic music streaming service for high-quality audio and music curation. It does not include lossless audio — that’s reserved for Tidal HiFi members only, and that membership costs $20 per month. Nevertheless, this is a good deal if you’ve been wanting to try out the service.

Buy Tidal Premium (1-year) at Best Buy – $70

Razer July 4th sale

There are a couple good deals on Razer peripherals for the holiday weekend. Best Buy and Amazon have the Razer Viper wired gaming mouse for $50, which is the lowest price we’ve seen it. Amazon also has the Razer Thresher gaming headset for PC and PS4 for $85, which is an all-time low price as well.

Buy Viper mouse at Best Buy – $50

Buy Viper mouse at Amazon – $50

Buy Thresher gaming headset at Amazon – $85

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. If you buy something through one of the links on this page, we may earn an affiliate commission.

As promised, Weber added a feature that lets you really saturate your food with smoke at the beginning of the cook. It’s called SmokeBoost, and it sets the grill between 165 and 200 degrees for this initial period. The Weber Connect app provides some guidance for times based on the food you’re cooking, but if you really want to enhance the smoke flavor, this is now an option. To me, the SmokeFire grills already imparted a ton of smoke flavor, especially over longer cooks. But I can see the utility here in things like reverse-seared steaks and other things you might cook hot-and-fast, but still want that kiss of smoke flavor. If you’re worried about exact temperatures, Weber says this will vary based on ambient conditions. In my experience on days in the low 80s, SmokeBoost was 175 degrees.

“What we didn’t want to do was to make that temperature visibility a source of concern or drama,” he said. “If anything goes outside of those parameters, we have steps that are automatically taken to react to that.”

Right now, SmokeBoost is independent of the grill presets that give you guided cooking directions and estimated completion times. You run the feature for the recommended time and then you can select the preset for what you’re cooking. Scherzinger said Weber could incorporate SmokeBoost into one of the cook programs and have it activate automatically. “It’s not there today, but I’m drawn to that [idea],” he noted.

Following the recent software update, there was also a major firmware upgrade that went out last week. First, Weber improved the preheat times. Basically, SmokeFire grills reach their target temperature faster. That’s pretty impressive considering they were already on-par with other grills I’ve tested. This tweak should also remedy issues some owners were having with slow heating times. Plus, the new firmware also reduces fluctuations when you’re preheating or grilling. I haven’t clocked the SmokeFire since the updates rolled out, but I have completed three cooks on the grill since installing them. I can tell you the grill keeps a consistent temperature much better, even after I opened the lid for a quick peek or to flip some pork chops. 

Weber was careful to address the temperature fluctuation aspect. More specifically, how SmokeFire reacted to changes — like you opening the lid to inspect, sauce or flip. The company found that the grill was overcorrecting to those events, but that’s not the case anymore. 

“What we’re trying to do now is just soften that curve so that we’re not freaking out the operator of the grill when you’re just making a minor tweak,” Scherzinger explained. He went on to say that the grill will still let you know when things drop 10 degrees or more. Weber did this by adjusting the algorithms that control fan speed and the auger to smooth out how the grill adjusts to changes to temperatures both inside and outside the grill.

Billy Steele/Engadget

And Weber isn’t done. Scherzinger said the company is continuing to work on the regular updates it promised. The challenges of remote working have slowed some aspects of the workflow down — particularly new cooking programs. Weber hasn’t been able to get its culinary and technical teams in the same room to sort out new additions there. But Scherzinger is clear they are coming, and you won’t have to wait long. 

“We were jamming out in the office a few months ago, and so [COVID-19] slowed us down a bit,” he explained. “But there is still a really aggressive stream of additional support or programs coming in.” 

Part of those new cook programs are presets that are based on time rather than a calculation between the grill temperature and the internal temperature of your food. For things like ribs, you can’t really stick a probe far enough away from a bone to get an accurate reading for the entire cook. You’ll still get guidance from the app — push notifications, etc. — but those will be driven by how long you’ve been on a particular step instead of how the food is progressing. 

“The next wave of cook programs will be released on June 15th,” Scherzinger said. Ribs should be in the update after that one, but the chief executive explained that Weber is “trying to launch a new chapter every couple of weeks over the summer.” You know, when people are using their grills the most. 

Having tested the updates myself, I can tell you they make a huge difference. From the handy and informative software tools to the background tech that runs the grill, Weber has taken its work-in-progress and made it a more complete product. I can’t stress enough how much easier SmokeFire is to use with detailed notifications and remote temperature controls. And if the company continues to improve, things should get even better. 

“The key for us is making sure that everyone gets that [ideal] experience every time they grill,” Scherzinger noted. “It’s not good enough to have 90 or 95 percent of cooks going well, so we’ve been trying to make sure everyone’s having that same great experience consistently.”

In addition to Traeger’s handy app that allows you to control and monitor the grill remotely, the Ironwood series grills ship with a pellet sensor. This add-on keeps tabs on your fuel supply, so you don’t have to worry about running out. The app also houses a wealth of recipes, which you can send directly to the grill from your phone. The Ironwood has a barrel-shaped design, which circulates smoke and heat before it exits the exhaust port on the back, and a small side shelf to rest supplies on as needed. And because the grill has an internet connection, you’ll be privy to regular firmware updates that improve grill performance. 

Buy Ironwood Series at Traeger – from $1,200

Buy Ironwood 650 cover at Amazon – $80 

Buy Ironwood 885 cover at Amazon – $71

Masterbuilt Gravity Series 560

Billy Steele/Engadget

For the most part, built-in WiFi connectivity is for pellet grills. More often than not, if you want the same feature on a charcoal grill, you’ll have to settle for a separate purchase. Masterbuilt’s Gravity Series 560 is one exception. It’s a gravity-fed charcoal grill you can monitor from your phone.

Another key thing here is price. The 560 is $499: hundreds of dollars less than a lot of WiFi-enabled pellet grills, and less than half of what you’d pay for an Ironwood. The build quality isn’t quite up to Traeger’s standards, but the performance is great. In seven minutes, the 560 can be at smoking temperature (225 degrees), and the grill can hit a blazing hot 700-degree searing temp in less than 15. Plus, the fuel source is easier to find. Almost every grocery store carries charcoal while, despite the popularity of pellet grills, you still have to visit a hardware, sporting goods store or go online to buy pellets.

You will have to make some sacrifices here, though. For starters, the app isn’t as full-featured as those that come with some connected pellet grills. You can basically only monitor things, not make any adjustments. Second, some components of the grill are rather flimsy, especially the sides of the charcoal hopper. Even with those caveats, getting a grill that can reliably do low-and-slow BBQ and high-heat searing — and that also uses a common fuel source — is an interesting proposition at this price. 

Buy Gravity Series 560 at Home Depot – $500

Buy 560 cover at Masterbuilt – $50

Weber iGrill series

Billy Steele/Engadget

I’ve been using the Weber iGrill Mini for years now. Until I added it to my grilling arsenal, I had a bad habit of overcooking steaks. And in my defense, it’s really easy to do if you don’t have some type of thermometer. With the iGrill, you can insert a food probe before you start cooking, select your meat or seafood, pick your desired doneness and an app will alert you when the food is ready. It will also warn you when you’re getting close. And if you like a manual route, you can skip the food preset entirely and just go by internal temperature. The iGrill also lets you use a probe to monitor ambient grill temps, should you need to do so. 

Weber offers a range of options here, starting with the single-probe iGrill mini (under $50). The iGrill 2 can support up to four probes at once, as does the iGrill 3, which is specifically for use with some of Weber’s gas grills. Those are both $100.

Buy iGrill Mini at Amazon – $35

Weber Connect Smart Grilling Hub

Billy Steele/Engadget

Weber won Engadget’s Best of CES 2020 award for Best Connected Home product with the Weber Connect Smart Grilling Hub, and for good reason: The standalone cooking device offers all of the smart features of WiFi connectivity on literally any grill. The Weber Connect app has step-by-step guidance for a range of meats and seafood, so you have a sous chef on your phone at all times. What’s more, the Hub features June’s software that uses algorithms to estimate completion times and tells how long until the next phase of cooking. 

The Weber Connect app is somewhat limited in terms of presets right now, but you can opt for a manual mode to bypass the software guidance. The company has committed to adding more profiles, so you should see new items pop up in the app over time. The Hub ships with two probes — one food and one ambient temp — but it can support up to four simultaneously.

Buy Grilling Hub at Amazon – $130

Buy meat probe at Weber – $15

Buy ambient temp probe at Weber – $15

Thermoworks Smoke X2 and X4

Billy Steele/Engadget

If you already have a grill or smoker you like, and you don’t need the fancy app-based guidance of Weber Connect, Thermoworks’ newly redesigned Smoke X thermometers are worth a look. These devices give you the ability to watch food and grill temperatures without having to venture outside. They use RF wireless technology to relay info from the hub at your grill to a handheld receiver. You can set high and low temperature alarms yourself, so this is a completely customizable device for more experienced users. 

Thermoworks says the Smoke X has a line of sight range of up to 6,562 feet (1.24 mile). I’m not sure you’d want to trek that far away while cooking, but the increased signal strength means you won’t have to worry about walls and other obstacles around your house. The Smoke X also has a long battery life. Because it doesn’t rely on WiFi, it can last up to 330 hours on two AA batteries (1,800 hours for the receiver, Smoke X2). The device duo is also protected against outdoor hazards with an IP66 splash-proof rating. Lastly, the Smoke X2 and Smoke X4 ship with all the probes you’ll need, so you don’t have to make any additional purchases there. 

Buy Smoke X at Thermoworks – from $170

Thermoworks Thermapen Mk4

Billy Steele/Engadget

I get it: not everyone needs or wants to keep tabs on what’s cooking from afar. No shade there, but you do need a reliable thermometer to confirm when your food is done. I’ve been using the Thermoworks Thermapen Mk4 for a while now and it’s the best instant-read option I’ve found. There are cheaper models available elsewhere, but the Mk4 has a backlit display that rotates based on how you’re holding it. It also has motion sensing activation, so it automatically turns on when you pick up and shuts off after you put it down. The Mk4 is waterproof with an IP67 rating, so you don’t have to worry about getting it wet when you’re saucing chicken. 

Buy Thermapen Mk4 at Thermoworks – $99

Anova sous vide

Billy Steele/Engadget

A sous vide device might seem out of place in a grilling guide, but hear me out. Since I started using an Anova Precision Cooker as part of my steak process, I’ve massively upped my game. Steaks are tender and juicy, with edge-to-edge doneness that’s difficult to achieve on a hot-and-fast grill. Basically, I sous vide for a couple hours (or more) and then sear the steaks on a grill to finish them off. Perhaps the best part is you don’t have to invest a ton to get one of these app-connected machines (they start at $99 from Anova), and they’re great for cooking other things, too. 

In order to make the most of your sous vide setup, you’ll want to also invest in a vacuum sealer. I have the FoodSaver FM2000, a model that doesn’t have some of the flashy features of more expensive units, but it does the basics just fine. Plus, you can use this to seal leftovers for the freezer or store other goods you don’t want air to get to. I’ve also found vacuum-sealed packs handy for reheating things like pulled pork. With sous vide, the meat doesn’t dry out like it would in the microwave. What’s more, the pouches are great for marinating, which is essential for cuts that aren’t very tender, or just imparting flavors over time. Sure, you could just use Ziploc bags, but I’ve done that, and the FoodSaver is worth the investment. 

Buy Anova sous vide at Anova –  from $99

Buy FoodSaver FM2000 at Home Depot – $83

There are a lot of devices that tack on a bit of tech and connect to an app in order to enter the ‘smart’ market, whether or not there’s any value in doing so. However, Weber’s Connect Smart Grilling Hub isn’t one of those. When Senior Editor Billy Steele spent some time using it to grill ribs, tri-tip and pork shoulder, he found the Smart Grilling Hub to be a useful tool with some thoughtful software features. The recipes were helpful, the alerts helped keep the food’s temperature on target and the instructional videos were informative. Add in hardware with a long battery life and well-thought-out controls, and the Connect Smart Grilling Hub earned a credible score of 80.

If you bought this $130 smart cooking gadget, we genuinely want to hear what you think about it. Did you like the recipes and videos? How well did the Hub work for your grilling? What did you make? What were the drawbacks and downsides of the device? Give us all the details in your own user review on the Weber Connect Smart Grilling Hub product page; after all, no one knows a device better than the folks who have bought it and use it regularly. Remember, not only does your user review help other readers make a decision on what to buy, but the best comments will be included in an upcoming user review roundup article!

The SmokeFire grills run on Weber Connect, which is built on JuneOS — the same software that powers June’s smart ovens. It can monitor the grill and internal food temperatures to guide your cooks. Like the Smart Grilling Hub, Weber Connect will lead you through cooking a variety of meat and seafood, from prepping to final slicing, and every step in between. The app will tell you when to complete each step, estimate how long until the next one and offer video how-tos if you need a visual aid. 

You can also run Weber Connect in a more manual mode, with the target-temperature option. Here, you’re overseeing the process on your own without the step-by-step instructions. As you might expect, you can control everything on the grill itself — including setting and adjusting temperature, timers and more. However, if you want to employ the estimated-doneness times, you’ll need to select a meat or seafood preset and send it to the grill. 

Even though Weber Connect gives you a specific cooking temperature, picking a preset doesn’t send that info to the grill for you. You have to manually set it yourself before beginning the ignition process. This sounds like an inconvenience, but it’s not. No WiFi pellet grill will allow you to start it remotely, for safety reasons. Some grills, like Traeger’s, will send temperature info, but you still have to physically push the ignite button, so it’s not exactly a huge time saver.

When I reviewed the Smart Grilling Hub, I didn’t have any issues with the estimated cooking times. Almost always, the time frame the device provided once the grill recovered from me putting the meat on was accurate. There were fluctuations when I’d lift the lid to check, or if there was some other environmental trigger, but both short and long cooks were finished pretty close to the initial estimate. 

With the SmokeFire, that wasn’t always the case. Notifications to flip and remove quickly seared steaks were fine, but the time estimates on both of the smoking sessions that lasted eight hours or more were way off. Weber Connect said a brisket I was cooking still needed another two hours, even after it hit an internal temperature of 200 degrees. I had a similar outcome with a pork shoulder. The time estimate to wrap was also slightly off on the latter, showing an hour and a half about 20 minutes before pinging my phone that it was time to complete that step (of course I had left the house to run an errand). These time estimates can be handy for longer cooks, and they were a welcome feature on the Smart Grilling Hub. However, on the SmokeFire grill, there’s room for improvement. 

Weber has pledged to do just that. The company committed to adding more cook profiles to the app on a quarterly basis. Like I mentioned in the Hub review, there are some limitations and omissions right now (specific steak cuts and pork ribs, for example). Weber Connect is also missing key SmokeFire tools like the ability to adjust the grill temperature from your phone. That’s a basic feature that nearly every other WiFi-enabled pellet grill has onboard. Weber has already pushed software updates to improve how SmokeFire runs, so I hope it can move quickly to add the temperature adjustment as well. 

The hardware is nice, but the real star here is the Weber Connect app. It’s the software that runs on JuneOS, which powers June’s smart ovens. Weber Connect functions in a similar manner: It uses a combination of internal food temperature and grill temperature to guide your cooking process. You can select from a number of meat and fish presets that will give you step-by-step directions for almost everything. That includes food prep, grill setup, how to insert the probe, when to flip, when to wrap (if needed), when to remove and how long to let things rest before slicing.

Thanks to some behind-the-scenes calculations, Weber Connect can estimate when cooking will be complete if you’re using one of these presets. It also estimates when you’ll need to do the next step. All of this is paired with instructional video clips embedded in the recipe steps.

These videos are helpful for a variety of things, particularly stuff like trimming a brisket or other pre-grilling prep work. These are the kinds of skills that come with experience, and it’s guidance you typically have to research on your own. I’ve used a Serious Eats in-depth guide or two, so there’s no judgement if you like to do your homework. Weber saves you time by putting everything in the app, so even if it’s your first time cooking a brisket, you know exactly what to do and when to get it right.

If you don’t need this much assistance, you can set a target temperature and use the Smart Grilling Hub in a more manual fashion. If you know you need to wrap a pork shoulder at 165 degrees you can set an alert for that temp, and then another for the final target temp. With either method, the Weber Connect app will send you alerts when it’s time for the next step or when you’re approaching that target temperature.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve used the Smart Grilling Hub in both regular and manual modes. I’ve tested recipes that were hot and fast on a charcoal grill (steaks and chicken breasts) and low-and-slow barbeque on a pellet grill (pork shoulder and beef ribs). Using the target temperature option, I’ve also reverse seared Tri-tip. The Hub led me to great results every time, but there is room for improvement.

First, while there are plenty of recipes to choose from, with options for your desired doneness and thickness along with the cut, there are several omissions in the first round of presets. There’s no option for pork ribs, for example, and the steak settings are limited to rib eye and a generic “steak” setting. (You can still select thickness.) Weber has committed to adding new recipes regularly and hopes to do so every quarter. In fact, the company says the next round will be ready soon. This means that over time, you’ll have more options to choose from, and they’ll come with that step-by-step guidance if you need it.

The estimated completion times can also be slightly confusing. During shorter cooks, I had no issues. They worked well, and the estimated times for both flipping and removing food from the grill were pretty accurate. For multi-hour sessions, it’s a different story. There’s a lot more variables and a lot more math involved. For example, if you open the grill to peek or spritz your meat, the estimate will adjust to that temporary loss in temperature. My advice is to make note of the first number you get and treat is as a rough, but reasonably accurate estimate.

Both times I cooked pork shoulders, the estimates were continually changing due to those recalculations. However, the estimate at the beginning proved pretty close, getting within 30 minutes each time. That’s not bad for a cook that can go well over eight hours. Trust me, it’s much better to have some idea when you’ll need to wrap and when you’ll be done than to be relying solely on temperature readings.

Right now, there’s no way to skip steps in the guided recipes. Now, normally skipping steps in a recipe is, well, a recipe for disaster. But if you’re smoking a pork shoulder, for example, skipping the wrapping stage allows you to build up more robust bark, especially if you’re spraying with something like apple juice or cherry soda. This really only applies to longer cooks though — you definitely wouldn’t want to skip any of the advice Weber offers on things like grilling and resting steaks or chicken breasts. It would also be great to see some more advanced features like a temperature graph that maps out the entire cook. This type of info is handy when you’re fine-tuning your process over several attempts.

Weber says it’s working on voice-assistant integration. That means you’ll be able to ask Alexa or Siri to give you an update without having to reach for your phone. While it might sound unnecessary, it could be useful in situations where your hands are full or even dirty. If you’re prepping sides in the kitchen, it would be nice to just ask for the status of things instead of having to pause what you’re working on, wash your hands and reach for your phone.

Weber is admittedly a late entry into the pellet-grill game. It did its homework, however, and rather than simply put out a line of pellet grills with the Weber logo on them, it brought its wealth of grill knowledge to the table. It also listened to pellet-grill users, collecting info on what they did and didn’t like about using these machines.

“We developed from the ground up with a white sheet of paper a completely new approach to the pellet grill designs,” Scherzinger continued.

The first area Weber tackled on SmokeFire was the actual cooking process. In order to convince people to invest at least $999 on a grill, it has to be versatile enough to cook everything well. The company discovered that most existing pellet grills max out at around 400-450 degrees, despite claims of 500 or higher. This is fine for a lot of high-temp uses like roasting or even pizza, but for a true quick sear, you need a grill to get hotter. Weber devised a solution for SmokeFire that ensures temperatures of up to 600 degrees.

“You can get a steak that doesn’t look like it was baked in an oven, but one that looks like it was grilled on a Weber grill.” Scherzinger said. “We sought to make this grill the first pellet grill that can really be a grill.” In other words, instead of offering both low-and-slow barbeque-style cooking alongside a higher temperature range, Weber wanted true searing ability — whether you’re cooking burgers, steaks or something else.

Next was grill performance. Those Flavorizer Bars not only protect a grill’s heating element and enhance flavor, but they also help evenly distribute heat. Most pellet grills have a solid sheet of metal that protects the fire pot and directs grease to a collection container underneath or on the side. That large element also helps keep ash from flying up on your food. Weber chose to bring a battle-tested element of its gas grills to its pellet model, rather than include one large piece of steel. And by doing so, the company also made a much less sexy task — cleanup — a lot easier.

That piece of metal in most pellet grills has to be protected, otherwise it will rust quickly if you’re not careful. Grill makers offer aluminum liners to help with this, or you can simply wrap the entire thing in aluminum foil. Either way, it’s extra work, and extra cost. With the Flavorizer Bars, you don’t need a cover, and they’re much easier to remove and handle.

But that’s just one piece of the grill. In order to clean most pellet models, you have to completely remove everything from the inside. When you count the grates and other protective pieces, we’re talking six or more items. Then you have to break out the shop vac. Yes, most companies advise you to clean out the ash and dust that accumulates during the cook with a vacuum. It’s fine if you already have one, but if you don’t, that’s an additional purchase on top of a pricey grill. Either way, the the cleanup process is awful, and you need to do it after every third or fourth cook to keep your grill running smoothly and safely. And, most importantly, to keep ash out of your food. Trust me, I’m speaking from experience: It’s the worst thing about these grills.

Weber realized this wasn’t a great experience, so it did something about it.

“We developed a different design in our engine, and in our shields and filters, inside the grill box that prevents the ash from flying up and landing on top of the food,” Scherzinger noted. “All of the ash lands in the drawer.” That drawer is a slide-out compartment that’s easily accessible from the front of the grill. Here, both ash and grease collect for easy removal. Sure, you’ll want to take the SmokeFire’s internal components apart and give it a deep clean from time to time, but if what Weber claims is true, you won’t have to do it nearly as often. That’s a welcome change.

The company also opted to put the pellet hopper around back. This isn’t a novel decision — some other grill makers have done the same — but that location does provide its advantages. There’s less potential for an auger jam since the setup is now partially gravity-fed. The auger is a drill-like spiral that moves the pellets from the hopper to the fire pot. When the hopper is on the side of a grill, the auger path is longer, so there’s more space for something to go wrong.

Where most companies offer one or maybe two food probes, Weber has opted for four. This isn’t unique to SmokeFire, either, but the ability to monitor that many things simultaneously isn’t a common feature on these grills.

“We increased the number of probes to add a level of versatility,” Melanie Hill, Weber’s director of IoT, explained. “Let’s say you’re grilling for a large party and someone wants medium rare, someone wants rare and someone wants a well-done steak. You have the option to have up to four probes.”

I’ve reviewed Traeger’s Timberline and Ironwood connected grills that allow you to control and monitor the machine remotely. The connectivity offered via that company’s WiFire tech is extremely useful, especially during longer cooks like a brisket or pork shoulder. Trager’s app has a massive library of recipes and you can automatically set grill temperature based on the recipe you choose. The software does offer some guidance, but it’s not quite on the level of what Weber Connect will provide.

Weber Connect runs on JuneOS, the technology that powers the June smart oven. Essentially, the oven uses algorithms and other tech to help you produce perfectly cooked meals, whether that’s juicy chicken or a well-cooked steak. The smart oven has a meat probe that monitors internal temperature to ensure things turn out like they should. Weber is bringing this tech to the backyard, equipping SmokeFire grills and the Smart Grilling Hub with the ability to tap into the cooking knowledge of JuneOS.

For at-home grill masters, Weber Connect will provide you with step-by-step guidance on how to prep the grill, prep your meat, when to put it on, when to flip, how long to rest it and more. The system can even give you an estimated completion time based on the type and weight of meat or seafood you tell the app you’re cooking. Inside the Weber Connect app, the steps are queued up in order, so you know what’s next and how long you have until you need to move to the next step. Both the grills and the Hub will send real-time temperature readings to the app for up to four food probes. And in the case of the Grilling Hub, you can designate one of those for ambient grill temp.

Not every aspiring pitmaster will want this level of oversight. However, I can tell you that I’ve experienced first-hand how liberating it can be not to have to walk outside every hour or so to check the temperature, even if you don’t open the grill to visibly inspect things. It’s also a massive upgrade to be able to monitor things when you need to run to the store, or while you’re doing other things that aren’t within Bluetooth range of the grill. And with Weber Connect, the estimated completion times will take all of that convenience a step further. If I have an idea of when a 14-pound brisket will be done, I can better plan sides and the rest of the meal. I’m not just relying on a thermometer telling me when the meat hits target temperature. Trust me, that’s far from an exact science when it comes to timing.

This week at CES, I got to see the entire Weber Connect setup in use. The company’s pitmasters were smoking and grilling beef ribs, steaks, brisket and more on both Weber’s SmokeFire pellet grills and Weber gas models with the Smart Grilling Hub. Both options produced some stellar food, and the amount of smoke flavor from the pellet grills could’ve easily convinced me that the meats were cooked in a wood-fired pit. Both SmokeFire and the Hub work as advertised, and the staff were relying on Weber Connect to track when things needed attention or were ready to come off.