9 Smart Gadgets to Take Your Summer Cookout to the Next Level

It’s the middle of summer here in the Northern Hemisphere. That means there’s plenty of time to enjoy the longer days, warmer weather, and of course, grilling. What’s better than being outside cooking up all sorts of delicious food with family and friends?

The great thing about grilling is that, aside from a grill, you don’t really need much else. Yet, there are still plenty of gadgets and accessories that can make your grilling experience objectively better. Here are some we’ve curated for your next barbeque, cookout, or backyard grill session.

9 Grillbot Grill-Cleaning Robot

Most of us like grilling, but most of us probably hate cleaning the grill after we’re done. Because of that, it was only a matter of time before someone built a robot to handle that unpleasant task.

The Grillbot is essentially a Roomba for your grill. You set it on your grill top and forget it. With built-in brushes and a suite of smart sensors, the Grillbot will automatically clean every inch of your grill for you. That way, you can spend more time eating and less time scraping your cookware. Get it here for $88.00.

8 Coolest Cooler

We already have smart TVs, smart speakers, and even smart fridges — so why not a smart cooler? The Coolest Cooler will keep your drinks frosty, but it can also do so much more for your picnic, beach barbecue, or backyard grilling session.

It comes with a built-in blender for frozen cocktails, a splash-proof Bluetooth speaker, a built-in USB charger and an LED lid light. And yes, it can also keep your drinks cold with extra thick insulation for up to 5 days of ice retention. If that wasn’t enough, it also comes with a built-in bottle opener. Get it here for $399.99.

7 Meater Wireless Smart Meat Thermometer

The most important thing about grilling meat is knowing when it’s done. There’s a fine line between a perfectly cooked steak and one that’s barely edible (though, of course, that line is pretty subjective). That’s why you need a smart thermometer. The cleverly named Meater is a great choice.

It not only instantly reads internal temperature, but it sends you a “report” on your smartphone letting you know how much cook time is left for your desired doneness. With an integrated Guided Cook System, it can even walk to through cooking a particular food you don’t have experience with. Get it here for $69.

6. Looftlighter

For grilling traditionalists, there isn’t a substitute for a charcoal grill. But it can also be tricky to get a charcoal grill lit and ready to cook — and many people don’t exactly like the taste of lighter fluid in their burgers.

That’s where the Looflighter comes in. It may not be cheap, but it can get a fire started in about 60 seconds using nothing but a jet of hot air. It’s a smart alternative to a standard chimney lighter — and it doubles as a great grill-technique conversation starter. Get it here for $61.25.

5 GasWatch Digital Tank Scale

If you’re using a gas grill, you know that nothing can kill a barbecue or cookout faster than an empty propane tank. Thankfully, you can guard against this small summer tragedy with this smart tank scale.

The GasWatch sits underneath your propane and measures how much gas is still left in it. Better yet, it’ll display the remaining gas on the corresponding smartphone app via Bluetooth. It can even let you know how much “cook time” is left in the tank, and send you an alert when it gets too low. Get it here for $43.01.

4 Cooper Cooler Rapid Drink Chiller

Coffee, tea and hot chocolate notwithstanding, no one likes a warm beverage in the heat of summer. But you probably also don’t want to sit around waiting for your favorite drinks to get cold enough in the cooler or freezer.

Enter the Rapid Chiller. Whether you’re drinking beer, cider, soda or LaCroix, the rapid chiller can get a canned beverage down to an acceptable temperature in about a minute. If you’re a wine drinker, it can chill an entire bottle in about six minutes. It’s like magic. Get it here for $83.99.

3 BBQ Dragon Charcoal Starter

Good airflow is critical to starting a fire and keeping it going. That’s basically the entire idea behind the so-called BBQ Dragon. Just light your fire, and this clever grill fan will ensure it’s properly roaring in about 10 minutes.

Aside from rapid fire-starting, the BBQ Dragon can also keep your fire going for longer by ensuring that it gets properly oxygenated. Not only that, the variable speed motors even lets you easily control the temperature of your charcoal grill. It’s the perfect companion to the Looftlighter we mentioned earlier. Get it here for $39.95.

2 Opal Nugget Ice Maker

Is it possible for ice to be really good? If you read some of the reviews for the Opal Nugget Ice Maker, you’ll probably be convinced. This isn’t a particularly inexpensive kitchen appliance, but there’s no shortage of reviewers who say that it’s basically life-changing. Just think of it as an investment.

This is the soft, chewable ice that you know and love from particular restaurant chains. So it’s guaranteed to be a hit for all sorts of iced beverages at your next barbecue or cookout. It can make about 1 pound of ice an hour, and can be scheduled over Bluetooth from your iPhone ensuring that you’ll always have cubes to cool down your cocktails and drinks. Get it here for $499.00.

1 Greater Goods Nourish Digital Kitchen Scale

We probably all know how easy it is to go overboard with the awesome food when having a barbecue or cookout. Whether you’re trying to practice moderation, or you just want to know how much protein is in that piece of steak, this scale can help.

The Nourish is a smart kitchen scale that uses four super-precise sensors to get accurate measurements on a range of food. Better yet, you can get instant nutrition facts for up to 2,000 built-in food types — so you don’t have to keep Googling the macro and calorie counts of your grub. Get it here for $39.99.