I am a “gadget
guy”, so it is no surprise why I got so excited when my son handed
me the Weber iGrill2 Bluetooth Connected
Thermometer. One gift to cover two passions -gadgets and BBQ – the
kid has been paying attention!
Lots of seasoned
BBQers have honed their skills to the point where they can test
done-ness by touch and appearance. I have not attained that level of
BBQ skill yet, so I rely on thermometers and temperature probes.
Now, on their
packaging Weber tells me that with the iGrill2 I’ll be able “grill
and smoke at an award-winning level”. I can tell you with complete
confidence, if your BBQ game isn’t already pretty strong, a
thermometer is not going to take it to an award winning level.
However, for most people, an accurate and reliable thermometer is very helpful in
produce quality BBQ. Especially one that is not tied to the
Grill/Smoker. The iGrill2 fits the bill.
Here's what you get
The iGrill2 comes
with a base station capable of handling 4 temperature probes
simultaneously. With the click of the right or left arrow on the base
station you can switch between all four probes, allowing you to cook
four different products that the same time. Since I’m not BBQ’ing
enough to feed an army in most cases, I just use two probes for my
cooks. One for the meat and one for the ambient temperature of the
smoker/grill. Each probe is color coded to coincide with the probe
channels on the Weber iGrill app. The app allows you to choose the
probe for ambient temperature.
The Android App-Home screen
The iGrill2
comes with 2 probes included, but if you need more, they’re fairly
inexpensive (i’ve seen them for about $15-$20 for 2) Each probe is
high heat resistant and Weber claims they’re good up to 620F. I
have not tested that claim, but I have maintained temps of 450F and
had no problems. The base station is powered by 2 AA batteries
(included). It’s also magnetized so it can be attached directly to
your smoker/grill. I believe the rubber base is heat resistant. I
haven’t read that or been told it, but I’ve attached mine to the
side of my Ugly Drum Smoker (which probably gets up to 250F or more.) and I’ve
experienced no melting rubber or deformities. I can say, with
confidence, that up to about 250F, you’re safe. Over that and you
may have melted pile of plastic – I don’t know and I’m not
willing to test it. When in doubt, just set the base on a shelf. The
probe leads are four feet long and come with nifty little plastic doohickeys that make it easy to
wrap and store the probes neatly when you’re done
The Weber iGrill app
that connects to your iGrill2 is very simple to use. It connects
easily, much like any other Bluetooth connected device. I’ll
provide a list of connectable devices below. Once it’s connected
and paired, the app allows a variety of ways to monitor your cook.
Across the bottom of the app, you’ll find “Temperature” and
“Timers”. The iGrill2 allows you to set reminders at their own
“standard” temperatures. For example, a whole Chicken is well done at
165F, so choosing “Chicken, Whole” will automatically set the alarm for
165F. Alternatively, if you’d rather have your chicken at 160F, you
can set the temperature alarm to your own custom temps.
Under the Temperature tab, the app will display all four temperature probes simultaneously for a quick look. Tapping on the active probe gives you access to that specific probe. If you’re a color coordinated kinda guy or gal, the probes include colored probe indicators to allow you to easily differentiate your probes It also allows the option to select the probe as a “done-ness” probe or as an ambient temperature probe to monitor and maintain the temperature of your grill/smoker. The app also allows you to view your temperatures in a graph, showing the rise and fall of your temperatures over time. This gives you a very good idea of how to gauge things like the dreaded “stall”. It also allows you to upload or share screenshots of your temps to social media or just to save for your own analysis later on. The app also alerts you when the base units batteries are getting low.
I’ve been using
the Weber iGrill2 for a while now and I love it. I’ve tested the
probes repeatedly and they continue to maintain accurate readings over time (I test with both boiling water and ice water, because I’m just that obsessive.). Since my Smartphone is basically attached to
the palm of my hand, it is super convenient to be able to whip it out
while I’m doing other tasks and check on the progress of my prized BBQ.
The description
states that the Bluetooth connectivity can reach up to 150 feet. I’ve
not tested this with a measuring tape, but I wouldn’t argue with a
that statement. I’d have to say my only real complaint about the
Igrill2 is, although it’s far less than 150 feet between my
recliner and smoker (maybe about 50 feet), the Bluetooth does not
connect very well through walls & windows. I am sure that is not
the fault of Weber, but rather just the nature of Bluetooth
connectivity – it needs a direct line and doesn’t play well with
obstructions.
All in all, the
Weber iGrill2 has definitely been one of the better gadgets I’ve
gotten over the last few years. It’s used almost every weekend and
has preformed admirably throughout. I use mine regularly in the smoker, grill and the conventional oven in my kitchen. I have had to replace one probe, but I’m pretty sure that was my fault for not being more gentle.
The iGrill2 comes
with the following:
1 Base station
2 Probes
2 Probe wraps
(doohickeys!)
2 Colored probe
indicators
2 AA batteries
1 extra magnet
It’s compatible
with the following devices:
iPhone 4S and later
iPad 3rd
Generation and later
iPad mini and later
iPod Touch 5th
generation and later
(requires iOS 7+)
Android 4.3+ (w/
Bluetooth technology)
The Weber iGrill app
is available for free in both the Apple App Store or Google Play
store.
Unfortunately, I
don’t have any experience with comparable devices so I can’t tell
you if it’s better than this unit or that unit, but I can tell you
the device performs as described and has been a dependable addition
to my BBQ Toolkit!
