Warning for Wi-Fi controlled barbecue owners.

You second link sums up my thoughts on this.

I had no idea this sort of thing even exist for a grill. I guess it is indeed true there is an App for everything.

Takes the fun out of grilling.

 

I don't know about taking the fun out, but it sure leads to taking some of the challenges out. I have 4 grills here. One gas and 3 charcoal. There is no such thing as "grilling season" for me. I grill all year long - even when there's a foot of snow on the ground. 60+ mph winds are about the only thing that moves me back indoors

While I have been called it, I don't consider myself a grillmaster by any means. I have cooked whole turkeys, KC and baby back ribs, fish, roasts, veggies, and of course, normal things like burgers, yardbirds, dogs and steaks. While most of the time they turn out great, there have been many failures along the way.

My dad, on the other hand, he could and did cook anything - going back to his first Weber kettle in the early 1960s. He even cooked biscuits, Boston butts, duck, pizzas, beans, casseroles and more.

"Smart" grills have been around for several years now. Weber for at about 5 years has had, for example, their "Weber Connect" that includes a meat thermometer that supports Bluetooth and wifi to tell you when the roast or turkey, etc. hit your target temp. That was pretty basic as it didn't control the heat or cooking times. Gas grills and smokers used for "low and slow" cooking starting integrating more advanced smart features the last few years. I first saw them on electric smokers that had automatic pellet feeders to control temps about 4 years ago.

If your only goal is to enjoy eating great BBQ, I guess I don't have a problem getting automated and connected. But if part of the process that you enjoy is the actual cooking/grilling/smoking, then I prefer old-school.

In any case, and getting back on topic, this simply illustrates one of the biggest problems with IoT and smart devices like smart lightbulbs, HVAC thermostats, refrigerators, security systems, coffee pots and more. These companies are just too darn eager to get these products out, they put security as a low priority when in fact, it should be a top priority from day 1 until eternity and beyond.

 

I also grill all year. All charcoal. No winter here.

It is an enjoyable thing to do. Grilled food in so much better than pan fried.

It never really occurred to me that grilling would go WiFi. I have not plans to have any appliance WiFi'd in our house. I am of the belief for the companies that make these products, security is indeed low or not a priority at all by intent, until they get caught. Then it whoops, sorry, we will fix it. It's all about data collection at any cost.