The Weber iGrill comes in three models – iGrill Mini (one probe) and iGrill2 (up to four probes) for any BBQ, and iGrill3 for its BBQs. But its use as a Bluetooth digital thermometer is far wider.
For this review, we focus on the Weber iGrill2 with two probes as that is what I got for Xmas. Why something complicated like Bluetooth? Why not a simple $15 meat thermometer from Woollies?
Well, read on how the Weber iGrill has become an indispensable cooking aid and how I now get perfect roasts and steaks! Did I say perfect- well impeccable, mouth-watering, consummate…
Weber iGrill
Australian Website here
Price:
- Mini $79.95
- 2 – with two probes $149.95
- 3 – with two probes $179.95
- Extra probes $19.95
Warranty: 2-years
Available from any Weber Dealer.
First look
My daughter rang and asked what I wanted for Xmas. At that time I was having a lot of fun (and still am) with the Ninja Foodi Grill (review here) doing grilling, roasting, baking and more but I wanted to take the guesswork out of cooking roasts or grilling meat.
I already had a Breville Smart Grill Pro (double grill) for steaks, and it has a temperature probe that was pretty foolproof. So, I did some research and the iGrill came up tops. Perhaps that is great Weber marketing but let me tell you upfront- it works better than advertised.
Specs iGrill2
- iGrill2 – four-probe capacity (5.59 square x 8.13cm high) with LED display
- Two probes provided (probes are on long 380° heat resistant, 1.2m braided stainless steel cords)
- Bluetooth Digital readout (can’t put this inside the BBQ)
- iGrill App for Android and iOS
- BT distance 45m
- Two AA batteries (200 hours use)
Using a probe
In investigating I came across a negative review on the Weber site that said, “Useless for steaks as it reads the temp from the BBQ heat and your steak is always undercooked. Great for roasts because the meat is thicker and doesn’t get meat temp confused with BBQ temp.”
Rule #1. Be careful how you place the probe. It must be inside the thickest part of the meat. If it touches the plate – reposition it. If you use thin steaks forget it.
Rule#2. The reviewer is full of s*&t. The probe measures at the tip – not down the stalk. If placed correctly, it will measure inside meat temperature.
Rule #3. Use the second probe to measure the BBQ interior temperature (or buy more probes).
I have now done several small lamb roasts (1kg), chickens, roast beef, scotch fillet and porterhouse steaks. The probe temperature has been perfect.
The only issue with a probe is that you should turn the steaks only once and while it is tempting to use the probe as a handle – don’t! Ouch, hot!
The probes have a 1.2m stainless steel braided cord that is perfect to snake around oven doors.
How do you know what temperature to cook at?
Good old Chef Google is perfect for getting a basic idea. Either ask OK Google or search for ‘Temperature of rare/medium/well done/Celsius and the meat type’.
You may be surprised that the internal temperature of roast beef is
- Rare at 45-50°,
- M-Rare at 55-60°
- Medium at 60-65°
- M-Well 65-70°
- Well done 70° and above
Lamb needs about 10° more, Chicken/turkey is always 75-80° and pork 60-65.
Yet, your oven may well be anywhere from 150-300°.
The trick with all cooking is to match the heat temperature with the delicateness of the meat – it is not just throwing another steak on a ‘hell-fire’ BBQ.
The other thing is to rest the meat. Meat continues to cook ‘at rest’, and temperatures can increase 5-10° – leave the probe in to see what is happening.
Suggested rest time is up to15 minutes for roasts and usually putting a steak on the plate for 5-10 minutes is best. Never cut the meat without resting it first.
Or use the Weber iGrill App
- Turn on the iGrill, plug in a probe and the app finds the device.
- Select ‘Start Barbecuing’, and it brings up a huge range of meats, poultry and seafood and cuts and USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) food guidelines for various doneness.
- There is no suggested temperature for the cooking device. Again, consult Chef Google, and you will be surprised. For roast beef, it recommends 190° for the first 30 minutes and then 107° for the remainder! I was cooking at 275° using a Weber two-burner BBQ supposedly set to moderate heat. This is where a second probe comes in handy.
I mentioned the Ninja Foodi Grill. Where the Weber is cavernous for a crowd, this is perfect for a couple – taking small roasts up to 1kg and doing roast veggies to perfection. The veggies don’t need a probe – it is easier to use a skewer to test doneness.
I have also used the probe for bread and cake.
The App will alert you of the internal temperature, when to rest the meat, and you can set individual timers and more.
GadgetGuy’s take – Weber iGrill is indispensable if you want great steaks or roasts
As I get older and perhaps more selective about the quality of what I eat, I have less tolerance for poorly cooked, tough meat. And while I like medium-rare, my wife likes medium-well (no blood). The Weber iGrill2 has been a marvel – no more mistakes and no more leathery medium-well steaks as it allows you to monitor it to perfection.
We use it with the Weber, Ninja Foodie, Breville Double Grill, the gas oven and even on a grilling pan.
We also use it for temperature measurement (it picks up the ambient temperature very well) and to check frozen goods.
It is a must-have for either a casual or professional BBQ cook.
Just got this about a month ago. We’ve already used it multiple times in our grill and our smoker. It has performed flawlessly. I need to get two more probes as this one only came with two. The surprising part, to me, was that app actually functions perfectly and did from the beginning. I would definitely recommend this product.