Tech Talk

The Weber Connect Smart Grilling Hub and the Weber iGrill 3 are two modern tools created to make grilling easier and more accurate by giving you precise temperature reads of your food. The Weber Connect Smart Grilling Hub can make any grill smart with its Bluetooth and Wifi connectivity and is a true grilling assistant that'll guide you by letting you know when it's time to flip your meat or when your food will be ready.

The more affordable Weber iGrill 3, on the other hand, is an app-connected thermometer that's perfect for someone who already owns a Genesis II or Spirit II gas grill and wants to make grilling a bit easier with the help of the Weber iGrill App. You'll still get loads of useful notifications on your phone, thanks to it being Bluetooth-enabled.

Weber Connect Smart Grilling Hub vs. Weber iGrill 3: What's the difference?

If you've ever been behind the grill, you know that it's not always easy. Sometimes, you get caught up in a conversation and forget that your chicken has been cooking for way too long, and other times you're standing above your steak wondering if it's actually medium-rare. Both the Weber Connect Smart Grilling Hub and the Weber iGrill 3 were created to make life easier by making grilling smarter. Because these devices are Bluetooth-enabled, they'll send useful notifications to your phone as you're grilling and will monitor the doneness of your meat. Best of all, they'll let you know when your food is ready to be served. Here's what sets these two smart grilling devices apart.

Though the Weber Connect Smart Grilling Hub costs a bit more than the iGrill 3, it's compatible with any grill. It has a USB rechargeable battery, a LED display, and Wi-Fi connectivity. It'll send a variety of useful notifications to your phone to guide you along the way and make grilling flawless. The Weber iGrill 3 is a simpler app-connected thermometer. It won't transform your grilling experience in the way that the Weber Connect Smart Grilling Hub will, but it'll still make things easier with the resourceful Weber iGrill app. Unfortunately, it's only compatible with a Weber Genesis II or Spirit II gas grill and needs to be permanently mounted. This could be an initial hassle, but once mounted, you'll never lose track of this grilling gadget.

Weber Connect Smart Grilling Hub vs. Weber iGrill 3: Weber Connect Smart Grilling Hub

In the hopes of making cookouts smarter, Weber launched its Weber Connect Smart Grilling Hub back in 2020. Sure enough, this device is a true step-by-step assistant that will kick your grilling skills up a notch. To use it, all you have to do is connect it to the free Weber Connect app through Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, stick up to four probes into your meat, and the device will do all the dirty work from there. With the Weber Connect Smart Grilling Hub, two probes come included: one meat probe and one ambient probe to measure the grill's temperature.

Before you even throw your food on the grill, you're able to select the desired doneness, and you'll get an estimated cook time. You can sit back and relax because you won't lose track of time with the Smart Grilling Hub's handy food readiness countdown. As the grill works its magic, you'll receive notifications directly on your phone letting you know when it's time to flip your meat and when it's time to serve.

Weber Connect Smart Grilling Hub vs. Weber iGrill 3: Weber iGrill 3

The Weber iGrill 3 is one of the best BBQ and grilling accessories available today. This app-connected thermometer mounts directly into a Genesis II or Spirit II gas grill. Like the Weber Connect Smart Grilling Hub, it has a four-probe capacity but comes including two meat probes. Likewise, you can monitor the doneness of up to four cuts of meat, and because it's Bluetooth-enabled, you'll get alerts on your phone as you grill and a notification when the food has reached the right temperature and is ready to be served. Though you can't connect the iGrill 3 to Wi-Fi, you'll stay connected as long as you're within a 150-foot range.

The Weber iGrill 3 works hand-in-hand with the Weber iGrill App, one of the best apps for barbequing, which features convenient preset alarms as well as useful time and temperature guides for a variety of foods. With the app, you'll also have access to Weber's popular grilling recipes, which can be useful when you need some inspiration. Though the Weber iGrill 3 doesn't have a rechargeable battery like the Weber Connect Smart Grilling Hub, you'll still get 250 hours of use before you have to change the batteries. And if you're worried about running out of fuel while you're hosting a cookout, there's a convenient in-app fuel detector with the iGrill 3.

Weber Connect Smart Grilling Hub vs. Weber iGrill 3: Which is right for your BBQ?

The first question you should ask yourself when deciding between the Weber Connect Smart Grilling Hub or the Weber iGrill 3 is: Which would work best with the barbecue grill you already have? If you have a Genesis II or Spirit II gas grill, I would purchase the iGrill 3. It's more affordable and is powered by the fantastic Weber iGrill app, which will let you track your food's doneness and is a great resource for recipes and guides. Though the iGrill 3 doesn't have rechargeable batteries, Wi-Fi connectivity, or as many cool smart features, the Weber iGrill 3 does its job well. It has impressive reviews on Amazon and on Weber's website and, to me, this makes up for a few missing fancy features.

But if you own any other grill and want to upgrade it to a true smart grill with a step-by-step grilling assistant, you should go for the Weber Connect Smart Grilling Hub. It's hard to pass up the opportunity for a device that will let you know when it's time to flip your meat, or that counts down the time until your food is ready to be served. However, one hesitation with the Weber Connect Smart Grilling Hub is the Weber Connect app, which received poor reviews when the device first launched in 2020. Since then, Weber created an entirely redesigned app experience, but there are still qualms about it and the iGrill app remains a more solid grilling companion.

Weber Connect Smart Grilling Hub

The Griller's Sous Chef

$129 at Amazon $130 at Weber

The smart grilling assistant that'll revolutionize your BBQ

The Weber Connect Smart Grilling Hub, which works with any grill, is bound to make grilling smarter. Though the Weber Connect app might need some improvements, you'll still get step-by-step grilling assistance and notifications when your meat is ready to flip and serve.

Weber iGrill 3

Smarter Grilling

A convenient app-connected thermometer that'll make cookouts easier

$75 at Amazon $100 at Weber

If you already own a Genesis II or Spirit II gas grill, then the Weber iGrill 3 is a great way to improve the grilling experience. Thanks to Bluetooth connectivity, you'll have access to the Weber iGrill app's recipes and guides and receive notifications on your phone when your food is ready.