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The Grill has changed. The smoker has changed, too. Once governed mostly by feel and experience, the best grills and the best smokers now offer a fair amount of tech to measure and control temperature (think: temperature probes and fans to modulate airflow). After all, mankind's formative invention wasn't the “discovery” of fire; it was the power to control it.

The WIRED Reviews team has been testing grills for more than a decade—searing, smoking, grilling, and even baking on them in all kinds of weather—to find the best choice for everyone. These days, I've been most excited about the next-gen smart technology that allows for tight monitoring and temperature control. For instance, I tricked out my top-pick for smart upgrades, an old-fashioned Weber kettle, with the excellent Spider Venom ($280) digital temperature controller that allows me to turn my charcoal grill temps up and down like an oven. Summer is good. Also, charcoal makes all meat taste more like bacon. Mmmmm, bacon.

After you're set with the best grills and smokers, check out other backyard buying guides for all your outdoor needs, like the Best Flat Top Grills and Griddles, Best Wireless Meat Thermometers, and Best Smokeless Firepits.

Best Grills of 2026

Best Charcoal Grill for Smart UpgradesWeber Original Kettle Charcoal

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$139 $129 (7% off) Amazon (18-inch)

Best Smart Pellet SmokerRecteq Flagship 1600 Pellet Smoker and Grill

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$1,600 BBQGuys

Best Smart Charcoal GrillMasterbuilt Gravity Series 1150 Digital Charcoal Grill

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$1,100 Home Depot

Best Gas GrillWeber Spirit E-210 Gas Grill

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$449 The Home Depot

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- Other Grills I Recommend

- A Grill to Avoid

- What to Look for in a Good Grill

- How to Upgrade Dumb Grills to Smart Grills

- Useful Grill Accessories

Best Charcoal Grill for Smart Upgrades

Photograph: Matthew Korfhage

Video: Matthew Korfhage

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Weber

Original Kettle Charcoal

$139 $129 (7% off) Amazon (18-inch)

$149 Amazon (22-inch)

$99 Weber (All, Starting Price)

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WIRED

- Simple, durable, reliable, and affordable

- Near-infinite smart-tech upgrades available

- Lightweight and portable

TIRED

- It could do with better wheel nuts

- Upgrades often cost more than the grill

I'd argue that the best way to take advantage of top smart-grill technology is to add the newest and best tech to a sturdy, old-fashioned, classic grill that'll outlast the tech. A grill like the classic 22-inch Weber Kettle.

The Weber Kettle is the infinitely hackable Honda Civic of backyard grills. Its combination of simplicity, reliability, durability, affordability, and outright ubiquity has spawned an innovative secondary market devoted to tricking out the humble cooker with smart temperature controls and more features than a multiplex.

The best Weber add-on I've tried so far is a fan-modulated temperature controller from Spider Grills called the Venom ($280) that tracks the temperature on each cook, allowing you to heat it up or turn it down, like a stove. According to my testing, it holds your charcoal grill to temperature within about 30 degrees Fahrenheit of the target, which is great for both low-and-slow cooking and for creating repeatable sear temps for a steak. This is especially true when using the attached meat probes. The only downside is that the Venom needs to be plugged in. Might I suggest a nice power bank?

WIRED product reviewer Scott Gilbertson has favored the excellent Weber Connect Smart Hub ($70) for years, which features probes to monitor meat temps and flipping times and can alert your phone (or just your ears) when your grill hits the ideal temperature zone. However, he admits that the Hub's USB-A charger is starting to feel a bit old-fashioned.

This year, Weber is also coming out with a Performer Smart Ring ($280) that seems to operate a lot like the Venom. If it works anywhere near as well as the Venom, I'm eager to try it out.

But not every kettle upgrade worth trying is “smart.” I am in the process of testing a number of add-ons to the 22-inch Weber Kettle, including a Webcraft cooking ring ($249) from Spider that serves as a base for side shelves, a rotisserie, and a pizza oven conversion kit. A Weber rotisserie ($180) is also available from the Illinois mothership.

Note also that there are two versions of the Weber Kettle: Original and Premium. The Premium is around $80 more and features a built-in thermometer in the lid, a hinged cooking grate, and a fancier ash-removal system. They're the same size and feature the same cooking space. Unless you really like the easier ash-removal system, save that cash and stick with t

The 6 Best Grills and Smokers of 2026: Smart, Portable, Pellet | WIRED