choza batida está agregando nuevos elementos a su menú para celebrar el próximo regreso del verano.
Inspirándose en la temporada de barbacoas de verano, la cadena de restaurantes estrenará una variedad de hamburguesas y papas fritas, que se agregarán al nuevo menú “Summer BBQ”.
“HECHO CON INGREDIENTES DE CALIDAD: el delicioso menú de verano de Shake Shack incluye 100 % carne de res Angus y la receta exclusiva de salsa BBQ de Shake Shack que es ahumada con la cantidad justa de especias. La Carolina BBQ Burger presenta una mezcla de la clásica salsa BBQ de Shake Shack mezclada con miel y mostaza para un perfil más dulce.
Esto es lo que habrá en el menú:
Shake Shack está agregando nuevas hamburguesas a su menú para celebrar el próximo regreso del verano. (Shake Shack)
Hamburguesa BBQ clásica ahumada: 100% carne Angus cubierta con queso americano, tocino ahumado en madera de manzano, pepinillos encurtidos, cebollas crujientes y la clásica salsa BBQ ahumada de Shake Shack en un panecillo de papa tostada.
Hamburguesa Carolina BBQ con pepinillos fritos: 100% carne Angus cubierta con queso pepper jack, tocino ahumado en madera de manzano, pepinillos fritos y salsa BBQ dulce y picante estilo Carolina en un panecillo de papa tostada.
Papas fritas a la barbacoa: Trozos crujientes y rizados sazonados con condimento BBQ y servidos con su elección de Salsa BBQ Shack o Salsa BBQ Carolina.
Papas fritas con queso BBQ: Trozos crujientes cubiertos con salsa de queso, aderezado con condimento BBQ y servidos con su elección de Salsa BBQ Shack o Salsa BBQ Carolina.
El menú Summer BBQ se lanzará en todo el país el viernes.
Everyone loves BBQ season… except perhaps the poor person stuck tending the grill. A new wave of smart grills looks set to change all of that, but Brisk It’s Origin is one of the first we’ve seen to use generative AI as a cooking assistant. One whose attention won’t wane, and who won’t get tipsy and burn the sausages as the afternoon wears on.
The design offers automatic temperature adjustment, achieved via a selection of heat probes and a PID algorithm. Set a desired temperature and it’ll manage the fuel for you, to keep your food cooking at a stable temperature, with no tinkering required.
For the ultimate in hands-off hosting, the Origin comes with a range of presets – so you can press a button and leave it to do its thing, whether that’s searing steak at super-hot temperatures or going low-and-slow for pulled pork.
(Image credit: Brisk It)
This smart grill can learn your personal preferences and respond to what the brand intriguingly refers to as ‘unexpected surprises’. We’re assuming things like temperature swings, rather than, for example, the dog running into the BBQ and setting fire to the garden, but we have asked Brisk It to clarify.
If you prefer to be more involved, you can also control the Grill It Origin yourself. Similar to the likes of the Ninja Woodfire Pro Connect XL (which ushered our Lifestyle Ed into her grill master era), it comes with a companion app that provides real-time updates and notifications and can be used to control the grill without having to hop up from the table every 10 minutes. You can even ignite it remotely.
(Image credit: Brisk It)
It’s entirely fueled by wood pellets, so expect that authentic smokey flavor that can be missing with gas or electric BBQs. The Origin-580 Grill is big enough to fit four chickens, five rib racks, or four pork butts and there’s an even bigger Origin-940 option if you’re feeding a bigger party (or have very hungry friends).
There’s mention of the Origin taking care of pre-cook prep, although reading between the lines, we think that just means it’ll walk you through the steps required. It’s not quite advanced enough to be getting your meat out of the fridge and whipping up a marinade. Yet.
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Brisk It says there are more AI features in the pipeline, with upgrades available over the cloud. But if the current feature lineup is enough to convince you that a Brisk It should be part of your summer plans, their Origin-580 is currently $150 off at Home Depot, taking the price down to $699.
Smarter BBQing
Although it’s still pretty rare, this isn’t the only smart BBQ to dabble in AI – Seer Grills won an Innovation Award at this year’s CES for its AI-powered Perfecta grill. That one looks a little less like a grill and a little more like a futuristic multi-cooker that someone has dragged outside (and it’s electric/gas-powered, so no smokey flavor from pellets), but its functions are undoubtedly impressive.
The gadget senses the thickness of your food and promises fully automated, dual-sided cooking, in double-quick time (a burger in a minute and a half! A pizza in under three minutes!). Either way, it looks like we could be heading for a far less labor-intensive future when it comes to BBQing.
Ninja’s near-relentless mission to become king of all appliances continues with the launch of the Ninja Woodfire Pro Connect XL, its first smart Woodfire offering huge capacity and the same delicious flavors.
We loved the Ninja Woodfire, scoring it a perfect five stars in our review. Nevertheless, on a personal level, I’d remained largely unconvinced by Ninja’s outdoor cookers – until now. Adding smart features such as the app-connected thermostat and a higher capacity for catering to larger groups, the Ninja Woodfire Pro Connect XL stands to make a grill master out of me yet.
Delivering delicious smoky flavors, convenient smart cooking features, and fantastic ease of use, there’s very little to complain about with the Ninja Woodfire Pro Connect XL BBQ Grill and Smoker. If I’m nitpicking, I’d say the hefty 40.2lb /18.3kg weight warrants the inclusion of the Ninja Woodfire stand, especially if you have a wooden table as I do and are concerned about it buckling; but that might have driven up the price enough to discourage prospective grillmasters, so I understand the logic.
At 16.1 x 22.4 x 20.1in / 41 x 57 x 51cm, it’s a little larger than the 13.4 x 18.1in x 18.1in / 34 x 46 x 46cm (h x w x d) standard Woodfire model, and enough so to offer 30% greater capacity according to Ninja. In practice, it offers some (much-needed) headroom, plus space for another portion or two of food – which, in my opinion, is more than enough to justify the meager $ / £50 / AU$ price difference. In addition, there’s the included smart thermostat, which can connect with the Ninja app to ensure perfect results every time.
With that logic in mind, I’d go as far as to say the Ninja Woodfire Pro Connect XL BBQ Grill and Smoker is far more than a capacity upgrade to the original model. It might not quite qualify as a next-generation device, but it iterates enough upon the success of the original to stand on its own four feet.
(Image credit: Future)
Ninja Woodfire Pro Connect XL review: price & availability
List price: $449 / £499
Available in the US and UK, no confirmation on AU release
Available for $449 / £499 directly from Ninja US and Ninja UK, as well as third-party retailers such as Amazon, the Ninja Woodfire Pro Connect XL is a fairly pricey purchase, coming in at around double the cost of a standard, basic BBQ – but you get a whole lot more for that price.
It arrives with a sample pack of robust blend pellets, plus a pack of all-around blend wood pellets, which you can purchase separately for $32 / £30 for two 2lbs / 900g bags. Also included is the Ninja smart thermostat, which you can buy separately for $19.95 / £19.99, as well as a pellet scoop, a crisper basket, the grill plate, and the grease tray.
There are a few further accessories you might need, however. The Ninja Woodfire Pro Connect XL is water resistant to IPX4, but to keep it in good condition if storing outdoors, you’ll want the waterproof cover that costs an additional $25 / £25.
While the outdoor cooker’s underside is heat-safe and won’t damage surfaces, it’s a fairly heavy piece of kit, so you might prefer to shell out for Ninja’s collapsible grill stand, too, which will set you back a further $150 / £130.
If you want the full assortment of accessories, there are a variety of bundles available through both Ninja and Amazon.
Considering the original Woodfire sold for $370 / £350 at launch in 2023 and now is available for $399 / £399, the relatively slim price difference between the original and the new XL version makes for a compelling argument to spend a little more for a whole lot more.
Value score: 4.5 out of 5
(Image credit: Future)
Specifications
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Price
$449 / £499
Cooking functions
Grill, Smoker, Roast, Bake, Dehydrate, Air Crisp, and Broil (US model)/ Grill, Smoker, Roast, Bake, Dehydrate, Air Fry, Reheat (UK model)
Weight
18.3kg / 40.2lbs
Size
16.1 x 22.4 x 20.1in / 41 x 57 x 51cm
Air fry capacity:
4lbs / 1.8kg
Grill size
17.7 x 12.2in / 45cm x 31cm
Design
Bigger capacity than the original
Handy smart thermostat storage tray
IPX4 water-resistant for rainy days
It’s pretty hard to make a BBQ, grill and smoker multicooker look sexy, but Ninja has certainly tried – and to great effect. Available in an attractive blue colorway, it’s a fairly robust device, weighing 40.2lbs/ 18.3kg and measuring 16.1 x 22.4 x 20.1in / 41 x 57 x 51cm.
One of the biggest design departures from the original Woodfire is the layout of the control panel, which has been entirely revamped. From left to right, you’ll find the seven cooking functions (Grill, Smoker, Roast, Bake, Dehydrate, Air Crisp, and Broil), which can be easily navigated using the Mode button, as well as the Woodfire Flavor button to the left, the LCD panel and temperature/time controls in the center, and the control dial, start/stop and thermometer buttons to the right. This offers a significant improvement over the original model, which we found difficult to navigate for our original review.
(Image credit: Future)
Above the control panel is the lid handle, which stays cool even after longer cooking periods. A surprising omission, given the increased weight of the Pro Connect XL, is the handles – meaning it’s a little more difficult to maneuver than the original Woodfire. Thankfully, however, there are still small grips on either side to help you lift and maneuver the Woodfire Pro Connect XL. On the right-hand side of the device, you’ll find the wood pellet tray, and underneath the control panel is a slot that houses the smart thermostat when it isn’t in use.
One of the biggest drawbacks of the entire Woodfire product line is that none of the accessories are dishwasher-safe. This isn’t too much of an issue when it comes to the grill and grease tray, which are relatively easy to clean by hand; but the crisper basket is quite a chore to clean off after use. At least all of the accessories are non-stick, but due to the increased size of the Ninja Woodfire Pro Connect XL, they’re just a little too large to soak in the sink.
(Image credit: Future)
Performance
Delicious, smoky flavors
Very easy to use
Smart thermometer app pairing and features work well
As someone who isn’t really a fan of a BBQ, I was pleasantly surprised by how consistently and deliciously well the Ninja Woodfire Pro Connect XL performed on-test. In terms of its cooking capabilities, it’s as successful as the original Woodfire; both smoked and unsmoked dishes were bursting with flavor and cooked to perfection.
It’s easier than ever to smoke your meals with the Ninja Woodfire Pro Connect XL. Simply throw in one level scoop of pellets, preheat the grill, and you’re set to throw on whatever you’re cooking. For my test, I tried chicken, ribs and asparagus with the robust blend wood pellets, using the smart thermostat to primarily test the internal temperature of the chicken. Following Ninja’s instructions, I set the Pro Connect XL to cook for one hour at 275°F / 135°C.
Both the ribs and chicken cooked faster than the app had suggested, but it’s worth noting both were pretty lean to begin with. Regardless, the speed with which Ninja’s Woodfire cookers can work while still creating delicious food is incredibly impressive.
The results overall were spectacular. Enriched with smooth yet smoky flavors, the wood pellets had clearly done a fantastic job of imparting flavor to the meat. I loved that I barely had to interact with the cooker, freeing me up to speak with guests, tidy up the kitchen, or even file my taxes.
I turned my food halfway through for this test, given it was a whole (albeit small) chicken we were cooking. For the next meal, I made chicken wings, where I didn’t see as much benefit from the flavor when left unturned – which is pretty similar to my experience with the original model.
Image 1 of 4
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
(Image credit: Future)
Even the non-smoke-enhanced cook settings work fantastically, netting me some deliciously grilled burgers, immaculately air-fried potato wedges, and crispy asparagus full of flavor – and moisture. We tried and enjoyed baking brownies in the previous model, and while I wouldn’t normally bake in my garden, having the ability to do so is useful if only for the Pro Connect’s app controls.
If you opt to use the Woodfire technology for non-smoking settings, you really don’t need to use the recommended level scoop of wood pellets; better to be conservative with these fairly pricey pellets and opt for a half-scoop instead.
While the Woodfire Pro Connect XL is undoubtedly larger than the original, it’s nowhere near big enough to cater for larger groups. In terms of branding, Ninja would have been more accurate with “large”, since there’s nothing extra about this smart cooker when you’re feeding more than six people.
All in all, the Woodfire Pro Connect XL is a spectacular addition to any patio, porch or plot, offering impressive (albeit sometimes unnecessary) versatility, fantastic flavor, and blistering cooking speeds.
Should I buy?
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
Also consider
Swipe to scroll horizontally
Header Cell – Column 0
Ninja Woodfire Pro Connect XL
Ninja Woodfire
Ninja Foodi Smart XL 6-in-1 Indoor Grill & Air Fryer with Built in Thermometer, 2nd Generation
Price
$449 / £499
$370/ £350
$279
Cooking functions
Grill, Smoker, Roast, Bake, Dehydrate, Air Crisp, and Broil (US model)/ Grill, Smoker, Roast, Bake, Dehydrate, Air Fry, Reheat (UK model)
Grill, Smoker, Roast, Bake, Dehydrate, Air Crisp, and Broil (US model)/ Grill, Smoker, Roast, Bake, Dehydrate, Air Fry, Reheat (UK model)
Grill, Air fry, Roast, Bake, Dehydrate, Broil
Weight
40.2lbs / 18.3kg
30lbs / 12kg
16lbs / 7.3kg
Size
16.1 x 22.4 x 20.1in / 41 x 57 x 51cm
13.4 x 23.6 x 18.1in / 34 x 60 x 46cm (h x w x d)
16 x 11.1 x 15.7 in/ 40.6 x 28.2 x 40cm
Capacity
4lbs / 1.8kg
3lbs / 1.5kg
4 quarts/ 3.8 liters
How I tested the Ninja Woodfire Pro Connect XL BBQ Grill and smoker
I used the Ninja Woodfire Pro Connect XL BBQ Grill and Smoker to cook a variety of meals over several weeks
I tested all of its different cooking functions on vegetables, meat and fish
I used the smart thermostat and app to test the functionality
I put the Ninja Woodfire Pro Connect XL BBQ Grill and smoker through its paces by cooking a variety of different meals over the course of my three-week testing period – including chicken, ribs, salmon, pepper, asparagus and beans.
I tried all of the different settings, including the Woodfire mode where appropriate, and used both of the sample flavor packs that came with the device. I compared the results to my previous experience with standard BBQs as well as the original Ninja Woodfire, evaluating how well it delivered on flavor and ease of use.
While I’m no grill master, I’ve been cooking on BBQs during the rare bouts of summer sun in the UK for years, and I’ve also tried a host of electric cookers, both indoors and outdoors during that time.
It sounds too good to be true. The ability to smoke meats, seafood and more inside your kitchen without risking your security deposit doesn’t seem like something that should be possible. GE Appliances begs to differ. The company debuted the final version of its GE Profile Smart Indoor Smoker just before CES, quickly nabbing the attention of this wood-fired-grill reviewer. Thanks to a unique filtration system, the unit captures smoke while cooking and only expels warm air (out of the front). After getting a small taste (literally one bite) in Vegas of what the smoker could do, I’ve spent the last few weeks cooking a variety of proteins to see if the $999 device is as compelling as it seems.
Design
The GE indoor smoker has the stature of a small mini fridge. It’s not far off from the quick-cooking ovens behind the counter at Starbucks either. Its glossy front is two-thirds door, complete with viewing window, while the remaining space is dedicated to the control panel and pellet waste bin. Up top is a small sliding door at the front left for adding food-grade wood pellets. The sides and back look plain and boring, like a countertop oven or microwave, but that’s just fine. The contraption is short enough to fit under cabinets, but you’ll want to leave space on the sides and back for radiant heat.
GE
The smoker imparts noticeable wood-fired flavor into meats, seafood and sides, plus it offers some handy features. It requires a few extra steps grills don’t, but you also don’t have to venture outdoors to use it.
At the bottom of the front, there’s a vent where the GE indoor smoker expels warm air while it’s cooking. The company also provides a small drip tray that slides under the front edge to help keep your counter clean. Over to the right, a display sits up top to show you status, probe temperature, smoker temperature, cook time and smoke level. You turn a knob to navigate settings and menus and then press to confirm your choices. Back and Start buttons flank that dial on the left and right sides respectively. There’s progress and status lights that encircle the knob too, adding a visual cue during preheating, cooking and more.
Under the knob is a smattering of buttons to get to certain functions quickly. These include settings, cancel, the interior light, activating the Clear Smoke feature and toggling between probe temperature and cooking time on the display. There’s also a power switch in this group and they’re all touch-based rather than clicky physical buttons.
Inside, supports snap onto the sides to hold the three moveable racks in place. A drip pan slides into the bottom to catch grease and other debris. To keep tabs on food temps, a probe snaps into a jack at the top right of the cooking chamber and can be stored on the outside of the smoker via a magnetic holder when not in use. Lastly, the GE Profile Smart Indoor Smoker’s prime piece of tech, the Active Smoke Filtration system, is on the back interior wall.
Setup and use
Photo by Billy Steele/Engadget
Another benefit of the GE indoor smoker is that it’s ready to go out of the box. There’s no seasoning or burn-off required to get rid of oils or other manufacturing leftovers. Simply snap the rack supports in place, slide in the racks, put the drip pan in the bottom and that’s it for the cooking chamber. Once you add pellets in the slot up top and fill the water tank to the indicated level, the smoker is almost ready to start cooking.
One more step you’ll need to do the first time you cook, or anytime you empty the pellet chute, is to prime the auger. This ensures that the device will start producing smoke quickly and efficiently, giving your food as much time as possible to bathe in it. Afterwards, you can choose a preset or opt to go full manual mode (called Customize) and you’re off and running.
GE has dialed-in selections for brisket, pork ribs, pork butt, wings, chicken and salmon. These offer the necessary time and temperature settings for proper cooking, including a recommended smoke level. Additionally, you can determine the duration of the cook based on time or internal food temperature. Once either of those are achieved, the GE Profile Smart Indoor Smoker can automatically go into Keep Warm mode until you’re ready to eat.
Photo by Billy Steele/Engadget
A word on larger cuts: you’ll need to portion them out in order to make them fit. For things like ribs and brisket, you can easily slice them in half and make use of the rack system. I did chuckle when reading the recipe book as GE says you can fit a 18-pound brisket in this smoker. That single cut of beef would take up most of the cooking area on some pellet grills, so you definitely have to cut it to fit here. And even then, the pieces will be quite large.
Pork butts fit with ease, as do whole chickens. If you prefer to spatchcock your birds to cook them, that won’t work here. However, you could easily do two chicken halves. I was also able to accommodate nearly four pounds of wings (flats and drums) across the three racks. Basically, any meat you’d smoke on an outdoor grill can be done on this unit, but some of them will take a bit of extra planning, and maybe a few cuts, to get them to fit.
How does the GE Indoor Smoker work?
After you’ve selected your preset or manually entered your cooking parameters and pressed start, the GE indoor smoker will ask you to confirm that you’ve added both pellets to the chute and water to the waste bin. From there, the device will preheat to the appropriate temperature before it begins producing any smoke. This will allow you to put your food inside without having to clear the smoke immediately. The last step is to push the start dial once more to begin the smoking process.
Before you open the door while things are cooking, you’ll need to activate the Clear Smoke function to avoid setting off any alarms in your kitchen. This takes 10 minutes, so you’ll have to plan ahead a bit – unless you don’t mind smoking up the room. I mention this because you will have to flip and rotate nearly everything you prepare in this thing to make sure it cooks evenly. I learned this lesson the hard way with a pork butt that burned on top but was undercooked near the bone. A simple flip and front-to-back rotation for everything about half-way through the process remedied the issue for everything I cooked after that, but it is an extra step that outdoor grills don’t require. You can leave a pork butt on a pellet grill unbothered until it’s done, but those have fans pushing heat around the cooking chamber. GE says it didn’t opt for a convection fan in this unit because of how it would’ve affected the flow of smoke.
Can you taste the smoke?
One of the biggest questions I had about the GE indoor smoker is if you’d actually be able to taste the smoke. The unit burns just enough wood pellets to fill the cooking chamber with smoke, which is enough to give proteins a kiss of flavor. It’s certainly not as intense as what you get on an outdoor grill, but it’s definitely there.
1 / 6
GE Profile Smart Indoor Smoker food samples
A single baby back rib bone, sliced to show the interior texture.
Since the GE Profile Smart Indoor Smoker does an excellent job of regulating temperature, the texture of all of those meats, and even seafood, is consistently moist and tender. Smoke flavor was most prominent in wings, chicken and salmon, but I could taste it in larger cuts of meat, too. GE allows you to adjust the smoke level from 0 to 5, so you can crank it all the way up to maximize the flavor if that’s your culinary preference. I almost always set it to level 5.
Let’s talk about smoke rings
One thing you won’t see on meat cooked low-and-slow in the GE Profile Smart Indoor Smoker is a smoke ring. This is the pink area along the outside of sliced meats that most people think indicates how well smoke has penetrated the food. That’s actually a misconception. A smoke ring is caused by a chemical reaction with nitric oxide gas produced by burning wood or charcoal. It isn’t by any means an indication of the level of smoke flavor, or even good barbecue.
Outdoor pellet grills, offset smokers and even a Weber kettle with charcoal will create a noticeable smoke ring on things like ribs, pork butts and briskets. The GE Profile Smart Indoor Smoker will not. That’s because the appliance isn’t burning wood pellets as the heat source – it’s only using them to flavor the food. That takes very little fuel, and it also requires barely any heat to smolder them.
You can actually fake a smoke ring if you really want one for the ‘gram, but overdoing it can ruin your food, so tread carefully. For that, you’ll need a small amount of something that contains sodium nitrate and sodium nitrite, like Morton’s Tender Quick. It’s the stuff that’s used to cure pastrami, where the pink color is essential.
Cleanup and maintenance
Photo by Billy Steele/Engadget
Unlike most outdoor grills, all of the racks and rack supports inside the GE Profile Smart Indoor Smoker are dishwasher safe – simply by virtue of being small enough to fit. Since you’ll have to wipe down the interior of the cooking chamber with a solution of either mild soap and water or vinegar and water, not having to hand-wash what’s sure to be the dirtiest part of the machine is a plus. The drip pan is made out of a similar material to roasting pans you’d use in an oven, so you can probably stick it in the dishwasher too. I have been doing this with no issues so far, but you can always wrap it in foil before you start smoking for easy cleaning.
You’ll also need to empty the water tank that collects and extinguishes the spent pellets after each use, though the smoker may ask you to do so midway through longer sessions. You’ll need to strain out the remaining wood particles from the water before discarding the cooled solids in the trash. Since the water container doesn’t touch any food, a quick wipe and rinse is all that’s needed here.
GE says you’ll occasionally need to clean the pellet ramp to ensure proper smoke production. The company includes a small brush that’s used to keep unwanted debris out of the cooking chamber. Simply lift the smoke inlet cover on the right side of the cooking area and use the brush to remove anything that’s accumulated there. The company also recommends that you wipe the interior light after each use. I assume that’s so you’ll be able to see well during the cooking process, but GE doesn’t elaborate on why you need to do it.
GE Profile SmartHQ app
The Smart Indoor Smoker works with GE’s SmartHQ app to allow you to monitor the small appliance over Wi-Fi. With this software, you can monitor smoker and food temperatures from anywhere, as well as activate the 10-minute Clear Smoke process from the sofa. The app also lets you turn the internal light on and off, but that’s really about it. You can’t actually adjust the smoker temperature without walking over to it.
The smoker comes with a recipe book, but it would’ve been great if those (and many more) were available inside the app. Those instructions, paired with the ability to send the appropriate cooking info to the device, would give new users a lot of ways to get started beyond the simple protein-specific presets. I would also love it if there was a way to trigger the Keep Warm function or shut down the smoker remotely. You know, for the times when I get too excited about putting pulled pork in my mouth and forget to turn the machine off before sitting down at the table.
Is it better than an outdoor grill?
Photo by Billy Steele/Engadget
While it’s tempting to compare the results from the GE Profile Smart Indoor Smoker to those of a pellet, charcoal or wood-burning grill, it would be like discussing apples and oranges. Since all of the other options have an open flame and use significantly more fuel as the primary heat source, the smoke flavor is much more intense. They also require a lot more planning. First, you’d need dedicated outdoor space where those grills and smokers will be safe to use. You’ll also need to consider the added cleaning and maintenance needed to keep them running well.
All of these outdoor grills have a wider temperature range, so they can be used for more than just smoking. You could use a pellet grill, for example, to do everything from brisket to searing steaks. Ditto for charcoal or wood-burning units. And if you factor in Wi-Fi-enabled features, outdoor grills typically allow you to adjust temperature in addition to just monitoring it. Some of them even offer advanced tools like the Super Smoke mode from Traeger or the ability to send recipes to the grill as part of step-by-step guidance.
All this considered, the GE Profile Smart Indoor Smoker is still a good option for people who can’t have an outdoor smoker due to rental agreements or a lack of space. You’ll certainly need to plan ahead on how to store the appliance when you’re not using it. But, the fact that you can put it in your kitchen opens up the ability to cook barbecue, smoked wings, tasty seafood and more that you otherwise wouldn’t be able to. It’s not entirely a “set it and forget it” type of device, and there are some hoops to jump through in terms of rotating things during the cook. However, you won’t have to spend hours babying the meats the cooking starts.
Wrap-up
The GE Profile Smart Indoor Smoker works just like the company describes. The only real nuisance is having to flip and rotate foods to make sure they’re cooked properly. I really wish the company was more up-front about this somewhere other than the troubleshooting table and recipe book. It’s a key action that shouldn’t be left to trial and error. Even with that caveat, the device produces noticeably smoky flavor in a range of foods, albeit in a more-subdued way than what an outdoor grill.
Presets make it easy to get started and the manual mode will provide an open playground once you gain some experience. This won’t replace your pellet or charcoal grill, but that’s not really the point. It lets people who can’t own one of those make some tasty barbecue inside their kitchens. You just have to find a place to store it, or give up previously allocated countertop space, between smoke sessions.
1 / 9
GE Profile Smart Indoor Smoker review
GE Profile Smart Indoor Smoker has just started smoked chicken wings. Photo is from the left corner, interior light is on.