The Heat is On
Joining the ranks of cars that drive themselves and houses that talk, the humble backyard grill is the latest low-tech item to go high-tech. Forget the charcoal briquettes and lighter fluid. Today, grilling is all about installing, downloading, and connecting. This summer, grill masters will be armed with grass-fed steaks, farm-fresh vegetables, organic chicken breast, and their smartphones.
"Our customers are excited about the new technological trend for grilling," says Joe Marino, a salesman at Shore Television and Appliances in Old Saybrook.
At the forefront of the technological grilling revolution is Weber with its iGrill, a line of meat thermometers that sync to your smart device and alerts you when your food is cooked. Its tag line is: "Designed for the pros – built for everyone," and this new grilling tool takes the guess work out of the age-old question "is it ready yet?" Using Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, the iGrill hooks up to iPhones, iPads, iPod touches, most Android phones. Weber's new grilling must-have comes in the iGrill Mini, the iGrill 2, the iGrill 3, and iGrill 4.
"This new device frees people up, so they can track the cooking temperature on their phones while they spend time away from the grill, having more fun with family and friends," explains Sue Wall, manager of Page Hardware and Appliance in Guilford.
Mike Dibona, sales manager at Art's TV and Appliance in North Haven, notes that Weber has also overhauled one of its most popular grill series, the Genesis, to feature a mount specifically made for the iGrill. The Genesis II offers a new stealthier design, additional designer colors, a 10-year warranty, and improved manufacturing.
However, not all those who love to cook outside love to grill and for them the Big Green Egg is an alternative. Although not new to the market, the Big Green Egg, a grill/smoker, is one of the best outdoor cooking appliances on the market today, according to Stephen Bradley, owner of Pondside Kitchens and Hearth in Deep River.
"The Big Green Egg comes in a variety of sizes, from portable tailgate size to extra large," Bradley explains. "The Eggs are so amazing because they allow for the flexibility to either crank it up to sear meat quickly or turn it down and use it as a smoker."
He notes that the Big Green Egg is attractive to eco-friendly backyard chefs because it utilizes chemical-free and all-natural lump charcoal.
"People who have the Big Green Egg absolutely love it," says Bradley.
One last gadget that Wall says is this summer's "must have" for grilling clean-up is the Brushtech Double Helix Grill Brush, which boast two springs with twisted-in-wire, so there are no brush bristles that can shed off, get left on the grill grates, and end up in your perfectly cooked BBQ.
"This is a fun tool that anyone, high tech or not, can use, and it actually works," says Wall.
Wall says that even though the winter was long and arduous, grill sales have been strong since the beginning of February.
"I think maybe people wanted to be optimistic, so they started buying grills early this year. Now that the good weather is finally here I think this is going to be a great grilling season on the shoreline."