Great summer BBQ and grilling tech

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  • Looftlighter

    Looftlighter

    ($79, Amazon)

    Looking for a way to light your charcoal grill in a safe, environmentally friendly way in virtually any weather condition, all year long? Forget lighter fluid, propane torches or dangerous chimney starters. Check out the Looftlighter, which was designed and originally marketed in Scandinavia for lighting grills in extremely low temperatures and damp environments. The Looftlighter is able to ignite even the densest, dampest hardwood charcoal using superheated 1,250-degree air in only a few minutes.

    See the ZDNet review of the LooftLighter.

    Caption by: Jason Perlow

  • Maverick PT-100 Instant Read Thermometer

    Maverick PT-100 Instant Read Thermometer

    ($76 Prime, Amazon)

    Whether you grill or you smoke, getting accurate readings on meat temperatures is essential because not only do you want to make sure your prized meal isn't overcooked, but you also want to make sure your meat is cooked to the proper temperature in order to kill food-borne bacteria such as e coli and salmonella.

    If you are a serious griller or smoker, the Maverick PT 100 is the electronic probe, instant-read thermometer of the pros. Made out of stainless steel and dust/water resistant, the device is accurate within 1 degree Celsius.

    Caption by: Jason Perlow

  • Maverick DT-12 Digital Pocket Thermometer

    Maverick DT-12 Digital Pocket Thermometer

    ($14.99, Amazon)

    If you are looking for a more pocketable meat thermometer, Maverick has the same quality sensor in its DT-12, which is made out of easy-to-clean plastic and comes with a rubberized holster/cover.

    Caption by: Jason Perlow

  • Maverick AK-01 BBQ Tools

    Maverick AK-01 BBQ Tools

    ($35, Amazon)

    Do you want quality, easy-to-clean BBQ tools? Look no further than Maverick's stainless steel and rubber-coated BBQ accessory kit that includes a spatula, tongs, basting brush, and grill-cleaning brush, as well as a fast-read LCD fork probe thermometer.

    Caption by: Jason Perlow

  • L13186 Grand Grill Daddy Steam-Operated Grill-Cleaning Tool

    L13186 Grand Grill Daddy Steam-Operated Grill-Cleaning Tool

    ($44.98, Amazon)

    Tried of that gunky grilltop? The Grand Grill Daddy uses the power of steam cleaning to remove all that yucky carbonized and greasy buildup.

    Caption by: Jason Perlow

  • Steven Raichlen Best of Barbecue Extra Long Suede Gloves

    Steven Raichlen Best of Barbecue Extra Long Suede Gloves

    ($29.99, Amazon)

    Nothing is worse than burning your hands when grilling or having to lift/move fiery hot BBQ grates, lit chimney starters, and platters of food. These extra-long suede leather gloves are easy to put on and are soft and pliable for an easy grasp.

    Caption by: Jason Perlow

  • Weber Style 6435 Professional-Grade Grill Pan

    Weber Style 6435 Professional-Grade Grill Pan

    ($19.99, Amazon)

    Tried of vegetables and other small items sticking and falling through the grates of your grill? This inexpensive stainless steel grill pan, made by Weber, solves this problem. Just put it on top of the grill grates, and cook your food on top of the pan. Problem solved!

    Caption by: Jason Perlow

  • Nordic Ware Indoor-Outdoor Meatball Griller

    Nordic Ware Indoor-Outdoor Meatball Griller

    ($9, Amazon)

    This grill pan will be the star of your outdoor grilling or BBQ smoking party. It can grill 12 meatballs at a time, and has a concave shape in each mold for easy meatball removal and cleanup, and has holes for grease drip. Try wrapping your meatballs with bacon with this tool for making smoky and juicy "Moinkballs".

    Caption by: Jason Perlow

  • BBQGuru.com DigiQ DX2

    BBQGuru.com DigiQ DX2

    ($280-$300 depending on configuration, BBQGuru.com)

    As opposed to grilling, which is a quick and high-temperature cooking method, actual barbecue smoking using charcoal rigs requires patience and also close attention to temperatures over a period of many hours when you are cooking "low and slow".

    With BBQ Guru's DigiQ DX2, you too can smoke like a true competition pitmaster while also having the convenience of automated digital monitoring and electronic thermal management.

    Whether you have a simple Weber Bullet, a Big Green Egg, or another charcoal smoker, the DigiQ will automatically regulate the smoker to the desired target temperature (200-225 degrees for ideal BBQ smoking results) using an electronically controlled fan (with adapters designed specifically for your smoker brand and model) and real-time internal temperature monitoring of the meat and ambient pit temperature using probe sensors.

    A scaled-down, pit sensor only version of the DigiQ is sold as the PartyQ, and sells for $129. Grill fan stoker adapters are sold separately.

    If you use an electric smoker, BBQ Guru has developed the Power Raptor, which is a electrical current regulator used with the DigiQ and CyberQ units in place of a variable speed stoker fan.

    Caption by: Jason Perlow

  • BBQGuru CyberQ WiFi

    BBQGuru CyberQ WiFi

    BBQ Guru's CyberQ WiFi improves on the original DigiQ by including a built-in web server that allows you to access the device's controls and status via a Wi-Fi connection. Additionally, the CyberQ WiFi can remotely monitor the temperature of up to three different meats using probe sensors.

    cyberQ-webui
    CyberQ Wi-FI Web UI

     

    cyberQ-windows
    Wedonet CyberQ Wi-Fi application for Windows

     The CyberQ WiFi is also supported by various third-party applications such as Wedonet's WiFi Windows Controller, as well as The Pit Pal on Android, if you want to get historical charts of your cooking session for real-time monitoring of pit and food temperatures on your mobile devices.

    pitpal1
    The Pit Pal Main Cooking Screen (Android)
    pitpal2
    The Pit Pal Cook Details (Pit Temperature) on Android

    A full CyberQ setup with controller, blower fan, and adapter to match your smoker costs about $400. I use this system personally, and if you're extremely serious about getting consistent results when doing BBQ smoking, as well as being able to walk away for several hours and monitor the progress of your cook remotely, this is a must-have product.

    Caption by: Jason Perlow

  • Weber 1351001 One-Touch Gold Kettle Grill, 22-Inch, Black

    Weber 1351001 One-Touch Gold Kettle Grill, 22-Inch, Black

    ($149, Amazon)

    When it comes to charcoal grilling, nothing beats the classic Weber. The original and iconic Kettle, which has been in production since 1951, is made out of heavy gauge porcelain enamelled steel, and is the ultimate in simplicity. The Gold model has a One-Touch cleaning and venting system that allows you to empty the ash in seconds without getting your hands dirty.

    Caption by: Jason Perlow

  • Weber Genesis Gas and LP Grills

    Weber Genesis Gas and LP Grills

    ($699 and up, Amazon)

    If Gas grills are more your speed, Weber is still your best choice. There are much more expensive grills on the market than the Genesis series, but you're not going to find one as well built and higher performing for the money.

    The gas version of the Genesis was the first grill I ever bought, and after 10 years of enduring the rain and the cold of New Jersey, the only reason why I stopped using it was that I moved to Florida, where I immediately bought a Liquid Propane version of the same model.

    The current model's electric ignition three-burner Genesis has a total surface cooking area of 637 square inches and a burner input of over 38,000 BTU per hour.

    The Genesis comes in a variety of models for Liquid Propane (LP) and for natural gas, in different configurations, which also include side burners for boiling water, and cooking chilis and BBQ sauces.

    Caption by: Jason Perlow

  • Weber 721001 Smokey Mountain Cooker 18-1/2-Inch Charcoal Smoker, Black

    Weber 721001 Smokey Mountain Cooker 18-1/2-Inch Charcoal Smoker, Black

    ($299, Amazon)

    If you talk to any serious amateur or even professional pitmaster, the Weber Smokey Mountain is one of the best affordable and durable charcoal smokers money can buy. I agree with that sentiment, because like the other smokers and grills on this list, I actually have owned one.

    I nominated the WSM Bullet as my dead finger tech of 2009. Once you start using this smoker, you'll never have to eat sub-standard BBQ smoked chicken, sausages, ribs, or pulled pork ever again.

    See the ZDNet review of the Weber Smokey Mountain.

    Caption by: Jason Perlow

  • Big Green Egg

    Big Green Egg

    ($700+, Big Green Egg)

    For those of you who want the ultimate, most versatile outdoor cooker on the market, and for which nothing other than hardwood charcoal cooking will do, the best product on the market in my opinion is the Big Green Egg. As a new Egg owner, I've quickly become a convert.

    Hand made out of heavy, durable glazed Mexican Ceramic, the Big Green Egg is a "vessel" similar to an Indian tandoor oven.

    Capable of withstanding extreme heat in excess of 700 degrees for firing home-baked pizzas or doing outdoor wok cooking, or sustaining very low temperatures of 200 to 250 for BBQ smoking, the Egg is an extremely efficient cooking system. Because of its insulated 100 percent ceramic design, it only consumes a fraction of the hardwood charcoal fuel that other BBQ smokers and grills use.

    As a Big Green Egg owner, you may find yourself slow cooking ribs for 6 hours, only to realize that you have several hours more of cooking you can do, and then having to increase the airflow to grill up some steaks and burgers afterwards!

    Unlike the other products on this list, the Big Green Egg is not available for purchase on the internet. You'll need to hit the company's website and search for a local distributor to buy it from.

    Caption by: Jason Perlow

  • BBQPad.com

    BBQPad.com

    (Free)

    Unlike the rest of the items in this list, BBQPad.com is free. It's a social network for BBQ and grilling fans who want to document and track the progress of their cooks so that they can reproduce results and learn from their mistakes.

    BBQPad allows you to log pit and individual food temperatures at every stage of your cooking process, and upload photos along the way.

    The site is designed with a clean and efficient interface that allows for use on PC, tablet, and smartphone web browsers.

    bbqpad-temps
    Temperature histogram as shown on BBQPad.com

    Caption by: Jason Perlow

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Jason Perlow gives you his picks for the best BBQ and grilling tech/accessories for the July 4th weekend and the summer ahead.

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Looftlighter

($79, Amazon)

Looking for a way to light your charcoal grill in a safe, environmentally friendly way in virtually any weather condition, all year long? Forget lighter fluid, propane torches or dangerous chimney starters. Check out the Looftlighter, which was designed and originally marketed in Scandinavia for lighting grills in extremely low temperatures and damp environments. The Looftlighter is able to ignite even the densest, dampest hardwood charcoal using superheated 1,250-degree air in only a few minutes.

See the ZDNet review of the LooftLighter.

Caption by: Jason Perlow

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