It’s the largest grill manufacturer in the world. But with today’s announcement, Weber will enter the booming pellet-grill market for the first time.
Weber is a dominant name in the grill industry. But historically, it focuses on gas and charcoal fuel grills. Today, it takes a big swing at the low-and-slow grilling market popularized by Traeger.
Today, Weber introduces the SmokeFire grill. Fueled by wood pellets, the SmokeFire grill also gives backyard chefs a new version of connected cooking.
Weber touts its new app, called Weber Connect, as a “first taste of a revolutionary app-enabled smart grilling technology.”
Weber Wood Pellet Grill: SmokeFire
The SmokeFire pellet grill is a low and slow smoker and a high-heat searing grill in one. The brand claims it delivers precise temperatures from 200 to 600 degrees Fahrenheit. That gives it enough heat to sear a steak. It also should be able to smoke meat efficiently, although it doesn’t run as cool as some other pellet grills.
The brand called out a few other features in the release:
- A unique auger and hopper system featuring a short, gravity-fed path to the heat source that speeds up pre-heat time and helps reduce pellet jams
- Porcelain-enamel construction, designed to help prevent rusting and cracking
- Easy-clean ash and grease drawer to simplify grill maintenance by directing ash and grease down into a removable drawer, away from the food
- 5-year limited warranty
The SmokeFire hits the market early in 2020. Weber will manufacture all SmokeFire grills in its Huntley, Illinois, facility using globally sourced component parts.
It comes in 24- and 36-inch sizes and costs $999 and $1,199, respectively.
Preorders are available in the U.S. beginning Cyber Monday (December 2) on Weber’s site and Amazon. Later in December, Lowe’s will also offer online preorders for the SmokeFire. In 2020, expect to find SmokeFire grills in other retailers who carry Weber products.
Weber Connect: Grilling Via Smartphone
Interestingly, Weber leans heavily on the new app in today’s release. To develop this technology, Weber partnered with technology company June, a brand known for its smart countertop ovens.
The Weber Connect app powered by JuneOS gives “a new level of step-by-step guidance and accuracy that delivers amazingly accurate cooking results for even the most novice griller,” according to the brand.
The app-based system offers step-by-step guidance on everything from setup and meal prep to smart tips and custom food-doneness alerts. It even provides an “ETA” on when food will be done based on food temperature readings and integrated grill measurement systems.
We haven’t seen one of these in person yet. But we expect Weber to bring a strong contender to the market when it lands next year.
