Pellet grills have become an increasingly popular form of smoking and barbequing due to the versatility and ease of use of pellet grills.
Many newer pellet grills are coming out with new features that include WiFi for monitoring and controlling the pellet grill remotely.
Although pellet grills without WiFi will smoke and cook food just fine, a common question I hear about WiFi pellet grills is if they are worth the money?
WiFi pellet grills are worth the money if you want to monitor the pellet grill’s temperature, amount of wood pellets in the hopper, and adjust the cooking temperature remotely. However, WiFi is not necessary to successfully smoke or cook food on a pellet grill.
In fact, wireless thermometers can be used to monitor food remotely but the pellet grill’s temperature cannot be changed remotely without a WiFi pellet grill.
So WiFi is a very convenient feature to have on a pellet grill.
Now let’s cover what WiFi does on pellet grills and how to determine if WiFi is worth the cost.
What does WiFi do on Pellet Grills?
Pellet grills equipped with Wi-Fi connectivity provide another step forward in ensuring that you do as little hard work as possible and enjoy your free time while your food cooks or smokes on your pellet grill.
The main benefit of having a WiFi pellet grill is that you’ll be able to run errands or step away from the pellet grill but still keep a close eye on the food being smoked or cooked.
By using the app that connects to the Wi-Fi pellet grill, you will be able to remotely:
- start and turn off the grill
- monitor and control the cooking temperature
- set timers and alarms for when you need to change the temperature
If your Wi-Fi pellet grill has meat probes, you will also have the ability to check the internal temperature of the meat from the comfort of your home or wherever you are during the cook.
The apps also allow you to choose between different cooking profiles and recipes, depending on the type of food you plan on cooking, which can come in handy when you want to try something new.
Ultimately, WiFi offers complete control over a pellet grill while not physically being close to the pellet grill.
Determining if WiFi is Worth the Cost
Even though cooking on a regular pellet grill is already convenient, it is still not 100% hands-free.
Although many folks enjoy barbequing and standing over the grill, pellet grills can smoke food for hours which makes standing over the grill a bit of a chore. Without WiFi, it’s still a good idea to occasionally check on the pellet grill during a long 12-hour smoke to make sure the grill is operating normally, the cooking temperature is correct, and the grill has enough wood pellets in the hopper.
On the other hand, a WiFi pellet grill allows you to ensure the grill has enough wood pellets, the cooking temperature is correct, and also allows you to adjust the cooking temperature. So if a rack of ribs is set to smoke for 4 hours at 225°F and finish at 350°F for 30 minutes then you can adjust the temperature without having to be physically near the grill.
All of these tasks are not necessarily hard to take care of but they do require you to be near the grill unless you have a WiFi pellet grill. So, determining if Wi-Fi is worth the cost is about one thing: convenience.
If you plan on having long and slow cooks and the type of food being cooked requires constant monitoring, but you prefer to spend time with family and friends or run errands outside of the house while the grill is on, then Wi-Fi is a feature that is worth the money. For a slightly higher price, you will have the pleasure of remotely controlling the pellet grill with just a few taps on your phone’s screen.
Best WiFi Pellet Grills for the Money
As technology advances, the prices of newer pellet grills are rising as some pellet grills can even reach $1,000+ but usually, these are larger pellet grills with all the bells and whistles.
However, if you want to enjoy all the benefits that a Wi-Fi pellet grill provides but do not want to spend too much money then check out the following WiFi pellet grills.
Camp Chef Woodwind Wi-Fi 20
Pros:
- Temperature range up to 650 F
- Easy cleaning of the firepot with the Ash-Cleanout System
- Large cooking area
- 4 meat probes
Cons:
- Small hopper capacity
What makes this pellet grill different from others is its Slide and Grill technology. Most pellet grills have a temperature range between 200°F and 500°F, which makes it difficult to sear food. However, Camp Chef’s Slide and Grill technology for direct flame cooking will allow you to reach temperatures up to 650°F.
Another great feature that sets Camp Chef’s products apart is their Ash-Cleanout System. Removing all the ash that has accumulated in the firepot during the cook is as easy as pulling a knob.
This grill comes with four meat probes, thanks to which you can check on up to four cuts of food without opening the lid.
501 square inches of cooking space (upper and lower rack together) will allow you to prepare lots of food. The 10 lbs hopper is on the smaller side, so if you plan on having longer cooks (10+ hours), you will have to refill the hopper at some point.
Overall the Camp Chef Woodwind Wi-Fi 20 is a very capable WiFi grill that has all the bells and whistles that make for a great pellet grill.
Recteq Rt-340
Pros:
- Portable
- High-quality build
- Large hopper capacity
Cons:
- Smaller cooking space for the price range
The RecTeq RT-340 pellet grill has 340 square inches of cooking area, hence the model name. For a pellet grill in its price range, it does not offer too much space for cooking.
Thanks to the legs that can be folded and locked, this portable Wi-Fi pellet grill weighs only 80 lbs and can be used away from the home for camping and tailgating. This grill also comes with two meat probes with which you can monitor the internal temperature of the two pieces of meat.
It is important to note that RT-340 has high build quality since it is made of stainless steel (the main chamber and the grilling grates are made of 304-grade stainless steel).
RecTeq manufactures high-quality grills and offers great customer support so this is a great option for a WiFi pellet grill.
Traeger Pro 575 Wi-Fi Pellet Grill
Pros:
- Large cooking space and a hopper capacity
- Great smoke flavor
- Voice control with Google Home and Amazon Alexa
Cons:
- Price
- 1 meat probe
Any list of best grills needs to include a Traeger grill on there since this company really popularized pellet grills.
Although Traeger grills are slightly pricier than other ones, the quality and customer service of Traeger grills are great. Not to mention there is a large online community of other Traeger owners.
The Traeger Pro 575 has 575 square inches of cooking area (lower and upper grates together) making it the largest on this list and, therefore, ideal for larger gatherings.
The Pro 575 also comes with a larger hopper capacity of 18 lbs, which is something else to consider when deciding which Wi-Fi pellet grill to buy. This pellet grill only has one meat probe which is something else to consider since you can only monitor one food item at a time.
Green Mountain Grills Davy Crockett Wi-Fi Pellet Grill
Pros:
- Great value for the price
- Portable
- Solid temperature range
- Quality build
Cons:
- Small cooking space
- Small hopper capacity
If you are looking for a budget WiFi pellet grill then the Davy Crockett from Green Mountain Grills is the best option on the market.
It is difficult to find a lightweight pellet grill with this quality build, reliable temperature control, Wi-Fi connectivity, and portability. Actually, it is impossible because this is the only pellet grill on the market that offers all of the above for under $500.
GMG Davy Crockett grills’ legs fold up to handles which will allow you to carry it easily. The grill’s portable size is what it makes great both for backyard BBQing and tailgating.
However, this might be an issue as it has only 219 square inches of cooking space and a 9 lbs capacity hopper. It also has a wide temperature range of 150°F to 550°F for a small and compact unit, which is another thing worth considering when making a purchase.
Final Thoughts
Regular pellet grills will cook and smoke food just fine as long as someone occasionally checks on the grill to make sure everything is operating normally. With Wi-Fi pellet grills, you can do all that but from anywhere your phone has access to the internet.
Not to mention, WiFi pellet grills can also send notifications when the food reaches a specific temperature or when the food has been cooking for a certain amount of time.
Plus the pellet grill’s app may come with different cooking profiles and hundreds of recipes for any food you might think of cooking, smoking, or even baking on a pellet grill.
So is having WiFi on a pellet grill a necessity?
Definitely not, but having WiFi on a pellet grill will make using the grill a lot more convenient.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How important is WiFi on pellet grills?
A: WiFi is a convenient feature but it is not critical to have for a pellet grill to operate. WiFi will allow a user to monitor the pellet grill’s temperature, amount of wood pellets in the hopper, and adjust the cooking temperature remotely. However, a pellet grill without WiFi can smoke and cook food just as well as a WiFi-enabled pellet grill.
Ultimately, the importance of WiFi comes down to how important convenience is to the user. WiFi allows someone to run errands and leave the home while the pellet grill is smoking food.
If convenience is important to you then WiFi is an important feature on pellet grills.
Q: Do you need WiFi on pellet grills?
A: WiFi is not needed on a pellet grill in order for the pellet grill to work. Regular pellet grills can still cook and smoke food as long as the pellet grill has wood pellets and electricity. WiFi allows the food and pellet grill to be monitored remotely so that you can run errands but still check on your food as it smokes. Moreover, WiFi also allows you to adjust the pellet grill’s temperature remotely.
So WiFi is not needed on pellet grills but WiFi is a very nice and convenient feature to have.
Q: Is the WiFi Traeger worth it?
A: Traeger’s WiFire is worth it if you want to run errands but still monitor your pellet grill and food. Traeger’s WiFire app also comes with hundreds of recipes that will show you new ideas and how to cook, smoke, and even bake food on a Traeger.
Ultimately, WiFi on a Traeger is only worth it if you value the convenience and flexibility that WiFi provides. Otherwise, a regular Traeger will smoke food just as well as a WiFi Traeger will.
