Why Is Your Grill So Dumb? The Best Grills Set Temp Like an Oven

"The Grill has changed. The smoker has changed, too. Once governed mostly by feel and experience, the best grills and the best smokers now offer a fair amount of tech to measure and control temperature (think: temperature probes and fans to modulate airflow). After all, mankind's formative invention wasn't the "discovery" of fire; it was the power to control it."

"The WIRED Reviews team has been testing grills for more than a decade-searing, smoking, grilling, and even baking on them in all kinds of weather-to find the best choice for everyone. These days, I've been most excited about the next-gen smart technology that allows for tight monitoring and temperature control. For instance, I tricked out my top-pick for smart upgrades, an old-fashioned Weber kettle, with the excellent Spider Venom ($280) digital temperature controller that allows me to turn my charcoal grill temps up and down like an oven."

"I'd argue that the best way to take advantage of top smart-grill technology is to add the newest and best tech to a sturdy, old-fashioned, classic grill that'll outlast the tech. A grill like the classic 22-inch Weber Kettle. The Weber Kettle is the infinitely hackable Honda Civic of backyard grills. Its combination of simplicity, reliability, durability, affordability, and outright ubiquity has spawned an innovative secondary market devoted to tricking out the humble cooker with smart temperature controls and more features th"

Grills and smokers now rely more on technology to measure and control temperature, using temperature probes and airflow modulation. Control of fire is framed as the key advancement behind cooking. Long-term testing across searing, smoking, grilling, and baking in varied weather focuses on finding the best options for different needs. Smart upgrades are presented as a way to improve classic grills by adding digital temperature controllers. A Weber kettle is highlighted as a durable, reliable, widely used base for upgrades, paired with a Spider Venom digital controller that adjusts charcoal grill temperatures like an oven. Charcoal cooking is also associated with flavor benefits.

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