What’s a Wi-Fi Pellet Grill and Do You Need One?
Over the last few years, Wi-Fi pellet grills have become increasingly popular. Brands such as Traeger made Wi-Fi pellet grills the thing to have in your backyard. Today we are going to talk about Wi-Fi pellet grills, everything you need to know about them and our top picks so that you can choose which ones are the best for your backyard.
Top Picks
Best for: Larger cooking space (if have the optional grate) – Memphis Grills Beale Street Wi-Fi Controlled 26-Inch 430 Stainless Steel Pellet Grill
This Wi-Fi pellet grill is easy to use with its controller and the space is large enough to cook for a crowd.
Best for: High Tech – Traeger Pro 575 Wi-Fi Controlled Wood Pellet Grill
This Wi-Fi Pellet grill has a decent amount of cooking space and it can be operated with Google Home and Amazon Alexa.
Best for: Higher temperatures – Memphis Grills Pro Wi-Fi Controlled 28-Inch 304 Stainless Steel Pellet Grill
This Wi-Fi pellet grill is strong and durable, and it’s temperature can go all the way up to 650 F.
Best for: Letting you know when to refuel pellets to hopper capacity – Traeger Ironwood 885 Wi-Fi Controlled Wood Pellet Grill
This Wi-Fi pellet grill not only has amazing Wi-Fi capabilities with smart devices that can connect to it, but it has a pellet sensor to let you know when to refuel.
Best for: Portability – Green Mountain Grills Davy Crockett Wi-Fi Controlled Portable Wood Pellet Grill
This small but mighty Wi-Fi pellet grill is a beast by having a Wi-Fi connection that you can control and you can transport this grill anywhere you’d like.
Why Wi-Fi is helpful with grills
Wi-Fi is helpful because it basically allows you to be away from your grill and lets you know remotely when to check or when your food is done on the grill. You can also set the temperature remotely as well the sensor alarms, something that you can’t do with a regular grill. The Wi-Fi on the grill gets you used to cooking at certain temperatures so that you know which temperature is best for certain food so that you’ll be much more confident when it comes to grilling or even smoking foods.
How to Choose Wi-Fi Pellet Grills
Pellet grills are amazing when you want to smoke or grill foods. But you know that if you choose a top brand for one, you’d make the right decision. But we’re going to talk about how to choose a Wi-Fi pellet grill so that you can choose the best one for your backyard.
Make sure the grill has Wi-Fi
This is a no-brainer when it comes to choosing a pellet grill with Wi-Fi/Bluetooth connection. These ones usually indicate it has Wi-Fi/Bluetooth and will let you know what app to use while using it. The price tag is also more expensive than a regular pellet grill because it has technology that connects the grill on the app.
Cost
The cost of a Wi-Fi pellet grill is usually more expensive than a regular one. You can expect to pay anywhere from $300 to over $2000 for one, entirely depending on your budget needs. Whichever you get, you’ll have to make sure you have either an Android or iPhone to use the feature which we’re going to talk about next.
Type of device
It’s important that you use an iPhone or Android phone as most Wi-Fi pellet grills will require you to use an app that is only operated on IOS and Android systems.
Other things to consider since it is a pellet grill
Electricity is mandatory
While pellet smokers depend on combustion pellets, they use electricity. This ensures that the controller, fans and auger must be plugged into a normal socket to operate well, ensuring that you intend to keep yours in a position close to electricity. For pellet cookers without direct entry, such models will operate on a high-amp extension cord if you plan on deck or in another environment. Please note that this is a very model-specific capability and each brand has multiple requirements on how to use it. The bottom line, all pellet grills, Wi-Fi or not, uses electricity.
Cooking Pellets vs Heating Pellets
It is strongly advisable, even though you may have heard stories, to not put heating pellets in your pellet grill. The reason is that it contains chemicals that are harmful to the air and even us, so it’s best to use FOOD-grade cooking pellets that won’t kill you. The safer ones (cooking) are made from 100% hardwood and have nothing added to them.
You should use the pellets made from the manufacturer
The manufacturer knows what kind of wood and types that should go in the grill and it won’t cause any funny business, so you should definitely stay on the safe side as there’s too many stories of pellet grills not functioning properly when using other brand’s pellets.
Tips for using a Wi-Fi Pellet Grill
- Create an account for whatever app the manufacturer tells you to download, this is crucial if you want to monitor temps/time.
- You then add “new grill” which is obviously the Wi-Fi pellet grill you’re trying to set up
- You then follow the instructions on the app and you should be connected
- Put your food in, set the temperature, and watch your phone
Top 5 Wi-Fi Pellet Grills
1. Memphis Grills Beale Street Wi-Fi Controlled 26-Inch 430 Stainless Steel Pellet Grill
This Wi-Fi pellet grill by Memphis Grills has everything that you want in a pellet grill. It can smoke, sear, grill, bake and roast. You get 575 square inches of cooking space with an optional grate that expands up to 848 square inches (grate sold separately). It also has a 12 lb pellet hopper capacity so that’s good if you’re trying to put a lot of pellets in. The build is made with 430 stainless steel so you know it’s durable. It’s also a 26” freestanding grill so you can wheel it anywhere that you need the grill to be.
This model runs on cloud based Wi-Fi so what they mean is you turn the grill on and then you download their app and you’ll have it connected. It has an average temperature range of 180-550 degrees so there is a good varying of temperatures that you can play with.
Pros:
- Wi-Fi
- 557 square inches for cooking
- Different temp ranges
- 12 lb hopper means it can cook for 18 hours at 350 without checking on it
- 5 year warranty
Cons:
- Some users reported that there’s still a connectivity issue with the Wi-Fi
2. Traeger Pro 575 Wi-Fi Controlled Wood Pellet Grill W/ WiFIRE
Here is another great Wi-Fi pellet grill that you should have in your home. This grill is reasonably priced for its features ($919.85) because it has Wi-Fi and can even connect to Alexa if you want to use voice command for temp control/timer, which in our opinion is a very cool feature.
The build is made with powder coated steel, so you know it is very durable and won’t break. It’s also constructed with a bronze lid and has all terrain wheels so you can wheel it anywhere you can physically wheel it to. It also has an 18 lb hopper which is larger than the last pellet grill we talked about, so that means you can literally let your food cook unsupervised at 350 F for 20 hours and more. The hopper also has the ability to cook 1 lb per hour on medium heat while being efficient on how much wood it uses.
Here comes the good part, the Wi-Fi capabilities. This model uses WI-FIRE which is basically an app that’s built into the grill and it is compatible with Google Home and Amazon Alexa if you have those devices. (You do not need them to control your temps/timer and Wi-Fi, it just comes built in). This grill is perfect for people who are tired of babysitting their grills and want to do other things.
Pros:
- Wi-Fi, Google Home and Amazon Alexa features
- Decent cooking space (575 square inches)
- 18 lb hopper
- 3 year warranty
Cons:
- To use the Wi-Fi feature, you need either iPhone or Android as it runs on IOS and Android system only
- Some users say the build material is not high quality and that it ‘burns’
3. Memphis Grills Pro Wi-Fi Controlled 28-Inch 304 Stainless Steel Pellet Grill
Here we have another Memphis pellet grill that has Wi-Fi, which is always good to have if you are entertaining. It’s made with 304 Stainless Steel, so it’s super durable and it also freestands at 28”. It also boasts a 562 square inch cooking area, so that’s plenty of space if you’re cooking for a crowd. This pellet grill has a dual bin 18 lb hopper capacity which means it can hold 2 9 pound pellets, so if you’re looking to mix flavors while cooking, this is the grill. Out of the other grills here, this grill can go up to 650 F, which can almost give a very good sear on meats if you’re trying to do that.
For Wi-Fi capabilities, it has an integrated Wi-Fi controller and the free Memphis App that you can access on IOS and Android. However, it would connect to your actual Wi-Fi, so it would need to be connected to your secured Wi-Fi (WPA/WPA2 Personal, TLS and SSL) in order for the Wi-Fi features to work. But should you not use the Wi-Fi feature, it comes with a temperature probe so you can check on the temperature when you need to.
Pros:
- Wi-Fi
- Free app
- Large cooking space
- Durable
- 7 year limited warranty
Cons:
- Expensive (It’s $4,199)
4. Traeger Ironwood 885 Wi-Fi Controlled Wood Pellet Grill
Another Traeger makes our list as this model (Ironwood 885) is a Wi-Fi pellet grill you definitely want in your home. This monster sized pellet grill has 885 square inches of cooking space so if you’re tailgating, you will literally be able to feed everyone at once. This model is made out of power coated steel, rolls on all-terrain wheels and has a sawhorse style grill/smoker for you to enjoy.
For Wi-Fi capabilities, like most of the newer Traeger models, it’s run on WI-FIRE so you can connect your voice controlled smart devices to this grill if you’d like. This grill also has a pellet sensor so that you know when to refuel, as it has a 20 lb hopper (biggest one in this roundup).
Pros:
- WI-FIRE controller
- Pellet sensor
- 20 lb hopper
- Large cooking space
- 3 year warranty
Cons:
- Might be too pricey for the average user
5. Green Mountain Grills Davy Crockett Wi-Fi Controlled Portable Wood Pellet Grill
Finally, we will round up this Green Mountain pellet grill. It is the smallest pellet grill on our list today but you can take this grill for camping or travelling as it’s small and portable. The material is made out of steel (the cooking grates as well) so you can be rest assured that this grill is durable and is a beast. It has the smallest hopper capacity on our list as it only holds 9 pounds of pellets but as we said if you’re travelling or just need it for a smaller space, it’s perfect for you.
As far as Wi-Fi capabilities, even for a portable one, you can monitor all your grill functions and temp with your smartphone with their app. Of course it’ll need to be on IOS and Android systems, so those phones. Another cool thing with this grill because it’s portable, is that you can plug this grill into your car (12 volts) and grill/smoke away.
Pros:
- Powerful
- Small
- Portable
- Durable
- Can plug into cars
Cons:
- This model sometimes work, and it sometimes doesn’t
FAQ
Does Traeger grills have Wi-Fi?
Yes, 6 of them do.
Can I make my Traeger grill Wi-Fi?
You can’t make grills “Wi-Fi”. There’s only 6 models that support Wi-Fi/Bluetooth capabilities.
Which Traeger grill has the Wi-Fi?
- Traeger Pro 575
- Traeger Ironwood 650
- Traeger Ironwood 885
- Traeger Timberline 850
- Traeger Timberline 1300
Are pellet grills worth the money?
They are worth it if you’re into low and slow cooking (smoking) but if you are looking to get a good sear on your meats, then you’re wasting money as pellet grills can’t get higher than 450-500F degrees.
Bottom Line
So today you’ve experienced how amazing Wi-Fi pellet grills are. They can make your grilling so much easier and you can step away while you do your other tasks. If you have enjoyed reading this guide today, please leave a comment below!