El altavoz Xiaomi Sound Outdoor se lanzará en India la próxima semana. El altavoz Bluetooth será detectado junto con Redmi Nota 14 Teléfonos y auriculares de la serie Redmi Buds 6 en el país. Se ha confirmado que Xiaomi Sound Outdoor estará disponible en tres opciones de color distintas. El altavoz portátil cuenta con conectividad Bluetooth 5.4 y admite emparejamiento de altavoces para sonido estéreo. Xiaomi Sound Outdoor tiene un diseño con clasificación IP67 y se dice que proporciona hasta 12 horas de reproducción con una sola carga.
Especificaciones y características de Xiaomi Sound Outdoor
Xiaomi Sound Outdoor se presentará en India el 9 de diciembre Xiaomi Anunciar durante X manija el martes. Se espera que el altavoz esté disponible en opciones de color negro, azul y rojo. Como indica la palabra “exterior” en el nombre del producto, está diseñado para uso en exteriores. La serie Redmi Note 14 5G y los auriculares Redmi Buds 6 también están programados para lanzarse el mismo día.
Lleva el sitio web Mi.com. A Micrositio Lo cual revela el diseño y algunas otras características del altavoz Xiaomi Sound Outdoor. Tiene conectividad Bluetooth 5.4 y es resistente al agua y al polvo IP67. El altavoz incluye un cable de goma y una almohadilla de silicona antideslizante para garantizar la seguridad al sujetarlo. Se afirma que puede sincronizarse con hasta 100 altavoces.
Se anuncia que el altavoz Sound Outdoor de Xiaomi proporciona hasta 12 horas de reproducción al 50 por ciento del volumen con una sola carga. Los auriculares incluyen micrófonos y cuentan con un botón Bluetooth dedicado. Se pueden emparejar automáticamente dos altavoces Xiaomi Sound Outdoor para usarlos como un equipo estéreo inteligente.
El altavoz Xiaomi Sound Outdoor ya existe disponible En mercados globales seleccionados fuera de la India. El rango de frecuencia es de 60 Hz a 20 kHz y la relación señal-ruido es de 80 dB. El altavoz alberga una batería de iones de litio de 2600 mAh que se dice que logra una carga completa en 2,5 horas. El altavoz mide 196,6 x 68 x 66 mm y pesa 597 gramos.
Los enlaces de afiliados pueden generarse automáticamente; consulte nuestro sitio web Declaración de ética Para más detalles.
Por lo general, vemos que los precios caen en algunos dispositivos de Amazon, incluidas las cámaras Blink, antes de los Prime Days en julio y octubre. Esta vez, los miembros Prime tienen una oferta exclusiva disponible ahora en un paquete que incluye Pantalla inteligente Echo Show 5 y sistema de cámaras Blink Outdoor 4 Por sólo $60. Eso es un enorme descuento de $130 sobre el precio estándar y es un mínimo histórico. Es parte de un Mayores ventas anticipadas de Prime Day en dispositivos Blinkincluidos sistemas multicámara, timbres con video y más.
Este paquete tiene mucho sentido. Podrás usar el Echo Show 5 para obtener una vista en vivo de todo lo que captura la cámara Blink Outdoor 4 con un simple comando de Alexa.
Amazonas
El paquete de cámara Blink Outdoor 4 y pantalla inteligente Echo Show 5 ha bajado a $ 60, su precio más bajo hasta ahora. Pero debes ser miembro Prime para obtener este descuento.
Recomendamos ambos productos individualmente en nuestras guías. Creemos que el Blink Outdoor 4 es el mejor La mejor cámara de seguridad inalámbrica alrededor. El nombre es un poco inapropiado, ya que también puedes colocarlo fácilmente dentro de tu casa, sobre todo porque funciona con dos baterías AA. Sólo necesitarás reemplazar las celdas aproximadamente cada dos años.
Si coloca su cámara afuera, puede estar tranquilo sabiendo que es resistente a la intemperie. Otras características incluyen visión nocturna, detección de movimiento y audio bidireccional. Necesitará un plan de suscripción a Blink para almacenar clips en la nube. De lo contrario, puede guardar el metraje localmente utilizando el Módulo de sincronización 2 (que está disponible por separado) y una unidad flash USB.
En cuanto al Echo Show 5, es uno de Las mejores pantallas inteligentes con Amazon Alexa (Solo es superado por su hermano mayor, el Echo Show 8). Es una pantalla inteligente compacta de 5,5 pulgadas que funciona bien como despertador en su mesa de noche. Una función de tocar para posponer resulta útil allí, mientras que hay una alarma de amanecer que ilumina gradualmente la pantalla.
El Echo Show 5 tiene una cámara incorporada, lo que puede causarle preocupación si desea colocarlo al lado de su cama. Pero la cubierta de la cámara debería aclarar cualquier problema de privacidad en ese frente.
Aunque la edición de octubre del Amazon Prime Day aún no está en pleno apogeo, todavía está ahí Toneladas de acuerdos por hacerespecialmente en los productos propios de la empresa. Hay un paquete de la cámara Blink Outdoor 4 y la pantalla inteligente Echo Show 5 . Eso es $130 de descuento sobre el precio normal y un mínimo histórico para este paquete. Sin embargo, hay una advertencia: esta oferta solo está disponible para miembros Prime.
Este paquete tiene mucho sentido. Podrás usar el Echo Show 5 para obtener una vista en vivo de todo lo que captura la cámara Blink Outdoor 4 con un simple comando de Alexa.
Amazonas
El paquete de cámara Blink Outdoor 4 y pantalla inteligente Echo Show 5 ha bajado a $ 60, su precio más bajo hasta ahora. Pero debes ser miembro Prime para obtener este descuento.
Recomendamos ambos productos individualmente en nuestras guías. Creemos que el Blink Outdoor 4 es el mejor alrededor. El nombre es un poco inapropiado, ya que también puedes colocarlo fácilmente dentro de tu casa, sobre todo porque funciona con dos baterías AA. Sólo necesitarás reemplazar las celdas aproximadamente cada dos años.
Si coloca su cámara afuera, puede estar tranquilo sabiendo que es resistente a la intemperie. Otras características incluyen visión nocturna, detección de movimiento y audio bidireccional. Necesitará un plan de suscripción a Blink para almacenar clips en la nube. De lo contrario, puede guardar el metraje localmente utilizando el Módulo de sincronización 2 (que está disponible por separado) y una unidad flash USB.
En cuanto al Echo Show 5, es uno de (Solo es superado por su hermano mayor, el Echo Show 8). Es una pantalla inteligente compacta de 5,5 pulgadas que funciona bien como despertador en su mesa de noche. Una función de tocar para posponer resulta útil allí, mientras que hay una alarma de amanecer que ilumina gradualmente la pantalla.
El Echo Show 5 tiene una cámara incorporada, lo que puede causarle preocupación si desea colocarlo al lado de su cama. Pero la cubierta de la cámara debería aclarar cualquier problema de privacidad en ese frente.
Si está buscando mejorar la seguridad de su hogar pero no quiere gastar una fortuna, Amazon Prime Day es un excelente momento para comprar equipo nuevo. Oferta anticipada de Prime Day Blink Outdoor ofrece un descuento del 63 por ciento en este paquete. Por $120 – en lugar de $320 – puedes conseguir Timbre con vídeo parpadeante y tres cámaras de seguridad exteriores inteligentes Con Sync Module 2. Como la mayoría de las ofertas de Prime Day, esta oferta es exclusiva para miembros Prime en el período previo al gran día.
pestaña
El kit Blink te permite monitorear tu hogar, ya sea que estés dentro o fuera. Puede utilizar un timbre con vídeo para abrir la puerta, recibir alertas cuando haya movimiento y hablar con los visitantes. Utiliza visión nocturna por infrarrojos y vista en vivo de 1080p para brindarle una visión clara durante el día o la noche. El dispositivo requiere dos pilas AA dobles (incluidas en el kit) y debería durar unos dos años.
Si no necesitas tres cámaras y quieres ahorrar algo de dinero, existe otra opción para ti. Incluye paquete de oferta anticipada de Prime Day Solo un timbre con video Blink y una cámara de seguridad exterior inteligente Con Sync Module 2. El par también tiene un 63 por ciento de descuento, y la oferta reduce su precio de $160 a $60.
Tu guía de compras del Prime Day:Ver todos nuestros productos Día pico Cobertura. Compre las mejores ofertas de Prime Day en Yahoo Life. Siga Engadget para obtener Ofertas tecnológicas en Prime DayEscuche a los expertos de Autoblog hablar sobre los mejores Ofertas del día Prime de Amazon Para tu coche, garaje, casa y encontrar Ventas del día principal Compra en AOL, seleccionados solo para ti.
Día del Primer Ministro Eso no será hasta el próximo mes, pero Amazon ya está descontando muchos artículos excelentes para los miembros Prime. El último robo se produce gracias a un descuento del 64 por ciento en Paquete Blink Outdoor 4 y Blink Mini 2El dúo normalmente cuesta $140, pero ahora mismo puedes conseguirlos por $50.
pestaña
Una combinación de intermitente al aire libre 4 Blink Mini 2 te mantiene protegido dentro y fuera de tu hogar. Hemos nombrado a Outdoor 4 como uno de Los mejores dispositivos domésticos inteligentes de 2024El dispositivo inalámbrico ofrece audio bidireccional, integración de Alexa y video 1080HD. Además, la lente se ha ampliado a un campo de visión de 143 grados, con visibilidad mejorada en condiciones de poca luz y captura de movimiento más rápida, en comparación con el modelo anterior.
el Parpadeo Mini 2 También es un paso significativo respecto al original. Una cámara de seguridad adicional ha mejorado la calidad de imagen de día y de noche, junto con un foco LED para permitir la visión nocturna en color. Con una suscripción mensual a Blink de $3, obtienes acceso a grabación en la nube, notificaciones inteligentes y descubrimiento de personas.
Como una de las mejores cámaras de seguridad para exteriores que funcionan con baterías del mercado, la Blink Outdoor de cuarta generación ya tiene un descuento de $ 207. Esto representa un descuento del 60% y es el precio más bajo jamás alcanzado para este kit de cuatro cámaras.
Esta oferta es sólo para miembros de Amazon Prime, por lo que los no suscriptores no podrán aprovecharla. Si te gusta el aspecto de Blink Outdoor 4, puedes Regístrese para una prueba gratuita de 30 días Para acceder a esta oferta y a todas las demás ofertas que se lanzarán cuando llegue Prime Day el 16 de julio.
Las mejores ofertas de cámaras de seguridad Blink de hoy
La cámara de seguridad inteligente inalámbrica Blink Outdoor 4 ya era una de las opciones con batería más asequibles del mercado. Gracias a este último acuerdo, ahora parece una tontería no aprovechar la oferta de Amazon.
La grabación de vídeo Full HD en todo momento del día y la increíble duración de la batería significan que Blink Outdoor cumple en todos los frentes. Usando solo dos baterías AA normales, Blink promete que esta batería durará hasta dos años. Es increíble.
Las imágenes se graban cuando se detecta movimiento en el campo de visión de 110 grados y se envía una alerta a su teléfono inteligente para que pueda ver la transmisión en vivo de la cámara. En nuestro Revisión de Blink OutdoorDescubrimos que las imágenes Full HD son claras: exactamente lo que necesitas de las imágenes de las cámaras de seguridad.
Si está buscando timbres con video más simples, eche un vistazo a las ofertas de Arlo, Ring, Eufy y Google en nuestro país El mejor timbre con video existente. con Día Prime de Amazon Con el Año Nuevo acercándose rápidamente, también vale la pena estar atento a más ofertas en productos de cámaras de seguridad.
Bring music almost anywhere with this waterproof, shockproof speaker, on sale for $60. Photo: Cult of Mac Deals
When you’re heading outdoors, you don’t need to leave all the comforts of home behind. Whether you want an intense movie night while camping or pulse-pounding music by the beach, you can make it happen when you pack a Treblab HD77 Bluetooth speaker built for the outdoors.
This rugged wireless speaker is IPX6 waterproof, shock-resistant and boasts a super-long battery life. Get one while they’re on sale for $59.99 (regularly $99).
Rugged Bluetooth speaker you can take to the beach or campfire
Ready to hit the great outdoors? Hang this portable wireless speaker from your hiking bag and start walking. The Treblab HD77 is a tough speaker with excellent sound quality and a battery that can last up to 20 hours of uninterrupted playtime.
This rugged, outdoor-ready Bluetooth speaker even comes with a strap and carabiner, so you can dangle it from your bag, hook it to your climbing gear or attach it to your pop-up tent. And if you need to take a call out in the wild, you can use the Treblab HD77’s built-in mic.
Waterproof and wireless, this beast will make a splash at your pool
Planning a pool party? This speaker’s waterproof rating means you shouldn’t fully submerge it, but splashes won’t hurt. Plus, the 360-degree HD sound coverage, coupled with the DualBass double subwoofers and 25 watts of power, mean you can blast the music over the sounds of poolside fun.
This speaker gives you a few ways to connect. Bluetooth-enabled devices can connect from up to 33 feet away. Or you can use an aux cord. To recharge, just use the included USB Type-C cable.
Save on an outdoor Bluetooth speaker that’s rugged and waterproof
Already known for all sorts of innovative smart lighting, Nanoleaf unveiled its first outdoor string lights at CES 2024 in January. But now you can finally buy them to dress up your yard or patio in time for spring. Nanoleaf Matter Smart Multicolor Outdoor String Lights come in three lengths.
The new Nanoleaf Matter Smart Multicolor Outdoor String Lights are designed to illuminate your outdoor spaces with a dash of color and smart functionality.
Nanoleaf, maker of smart-lighting products from modular light panels to smart bulbs, introduced its first dedicated outdoor lighting solution at CES 2024. And now, at last, you can purchase Matter Smart Multicolor Outdoor String Lights to class up your outdoor spaces in time for warmer weather.
Product design and features
Nanoleaf’s new outdoor string lights look a bit different from many traditional string lights. The geometric form factor adds an aesthetic touch while creating multidimensional lighting effects.
These string lights come with addressable, color-changing LED bulbs. This means each bulb can display a different color, enabling dynamic, flowing color gradients. They are also IP65 water-resistant, making them ideal for outdoor use, rain or shine.
Smart functionality
The new outdoor string lights offer many color choices and control options. Photo: Nanoleaf
Nanoleaf’s new outdoor lights work with multiple smart home platforms, including Apple Home, Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Samsung SmartThings.
That means you can control your lights using voice commands or through the respective smart home ecosystem apps. Additionally, the lights can be controlled via Nanoleaf’s app over Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
The string lights also come with an easy-access controller for quick adjustments. You can turn your string lights On/Off, adjust brightness or cycle through various colors.
Advanced features
Beyond the core functionalities, the Matter Smart Multicolor Outdoor String Lights pack several advanced features. Users can create custom color palettes and motions for dynamic multicolor scenes. The lights can also respond to music, creating a synchronized light show.
The lights integrate with the Nanoleaf Orchestrator software, a music visualizer that enables customizable light shows that respond intelligently to music. This software is compatible with all streaming music platforms and audio players.
Availability and pricing
Matter Smart Multicolor Outdoor String Lights come in two kits — “smarter” and expansion — in three lengths. Smarter kits: 49-foot (15m) is priced at $129.99. The 98-foot (30m) length costs $199.99. And the 148 ft (45m) kit goes for $277.48. Expansion packs (49-foot) are $99.99.
Nanoleaf offers a 10% discount as a launch promotion with the code OSL10.
Popular home lighting company Nanoleaf today introduced its latest product, Smart Multicolor Outdoor String Lights that bring HomeKit-compatible decorative lighting to decks, porches, backyards, gardens, pool areas, and more.
Nanoleaf is known for unique light designs, and the Outdoor String Lights aren’t an exception. The bulbs have an angular five-sided shape that makes them more geometric than soft. They’re made from a hard, clear plastic material and they look like they’re made from crystal or ice. If you want cozy, romantic-style lighting, Nanoleaf’s lights might not be the right vibe because of the shape, but if you want lights that are fun and eye-catching, these are perfect.
There are multicolor LEDs in each bulb, so you can control the lights individually and set them to any color, including shades of white. If you unscrew one of the bulbs, there’s actually a second protective plastic dome inside that further diffuses the light. The bulb shape might not have a cozy feel, but the lights can be soft yellows and whites, or any other shade of the rainbow, plus there are dimming controls. The colors are accurate and it does well with blues, purples, and greens, shades that can sometimes be off with LED lighting.
The Outdoor String Lights are meant for ambient lighting, and even at 100 percent brightness, they’re on the dimmer side depending on the colors used. Nanoleaf says they’re 55 lumens per bulb, so a 15-meter strand is 1100 lumens total. These are available in 15-meter (49ft) and 30-meter lengths (98ft), with the 15-meter version offering 20 bulbs and the 30-meter version offering 40 bulbs.
Strands can be connected together, but the maximum length is 45 meters or 147 feet, equivalent to one 30-meter strand and one 15-meter expansion. For anything longer, you’ll need separate sets with multiple power supplies. The lights have thick black cabling for weather protection, so these are probably not string lights you’re going to want to use indoors unless you have a room where an industrial look works.
There’s 6.5 feet of cord between the power supply and the controller and then another foot or so between the controller and the first light. The bulbs are spaced about two feet apart, and they hang down four inches, so they look best when draped down across beams or using outdoor light poles.
The lights have IP65 water resistance and the controller is IP67 rated, so they can be used outdoors in the rain and elements without protection all year. Nanoleaf offers a two-year warranty on the lights.
In terms of aesthetics, the Nanoleaf Outdoor Lights are great, but connectivity needs improvement. These connect to HomeKit through Matter, and Matter devices continue to face issues on Apple’s platform. I think it’s more of an Apple issue than a Nanoleaf issue because I see these same Matter problems regardless of device, but it’s a problem any potential buyer needs to be aware of.
The Outdoor String Lights have randomly disconnected or become unreachable for no particular reason a handful of times. Sometimes unplugging them fixes it, and sometimes they just start working again after being unreachable. As a caveat, I don’t know if the Matter/HomeKit interoperability issue I have is exacerbated by my Wi-Fi network or other factors. I have an Orbi mesh Wi-Fi 6E network, and while my standard HomeKit products seem to generally be reliable (especially those with hubs), Matter is not. The Outdoor String Lights are mostly functional and the disconnects aren’t constant, but it is worth noting that the lights may not always work seamlessly for HomeKit users.
I would have preferred native HomeKit support to Matter for the lights, but these are Matter only. There is no Thread support, and as with other Nanoleaf products, you can only use a 2.4GHz network.
On a more positive note, Nanoleaf has one of the better smart home apps. There are built-in scenes available in the app for the Outdoor String Lights, but I can also create my own or use scenes created by other Nanoleaf users. Nanoleaf also has an AI feature where you can type in any phrase like “tropical sunset” or “ocean waves” to get a custom scene in colors that match what you’re aiming for.
The AI works with a fairly wide range of suggestions, and I get a good range of colors. The only downside is that it appears to have a single color-shifting pattern, but Nanoleaf does support other patterns when you create your own scenes or download them. As these are able to connect to HomeKit via Matter, you can use Siri commands and turn them on and off with the Home app.
The Home app also supports automations for turning the Outdoor Lights on and off at select times or pairing them with other HomeKit devices.
Bottom Line
The Nanoleaf Outdoor String Lights are some of the neatest outdoor lights that I’ve seen, and the multicolored LEDs pair well with the geometric shape. These are expensive and are not cost efficient if you have a large area to cover in lights, but one or two strands will elevate any outdoor setup.
I have not seen flawless operation from the Outdoor String Lights, and have had to deal with some disconnects, so that’s something to be aware of. I am hopeful that Apple and Nanoleaf updates in the future will fix any of the lingering issues that Matter-enabled devices are still experiencing.
How to Buy
Nanoleaf’s Outdoor String Lights can be purchased from the Nanoleaf website. A 15-meter strand is priced at $100, and a 30-meter strand is priced at $180. Additional 15-meter expansion packs are available for $70.
Note: Nanoleaf provided MacRumors with a set of Outdoor String Lights for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.
As temperatures begin to rise, it’s time to prepare your outdoor space for some seasonal relaxation. That, of course, includes showing off your culinary skills on the porch, patio or in the backyard for guests. During the winter, your grill has probably been hibernating, so you’ll need to give it a tune-up before it’s ready for heavy use from spring to fall. Even if you kept the grill going in the cold, now is a great time for a thorough cleaning before the official outdoor cooking season begins. Here are a few tips and tricks that will hopefully make things easier.
Disassemble, scrub, reassemble
Billy Steele/Engadget
A good rule of thumb when it comes to cleaning anything you haven’t used in a while is to take it apart as much as you feel comfortable and give it a thorough wipe down. For grills, this means removing the grates and any bars or burner covers – basically, anything you can take out that’s not the heating element. This gives you a chance to inspect the burners of your gas grill or the fire pot of a pellet model for any unsightly wear and tear. If those components are worn out or overly rusted, most companies offer replacements that you can easily swap out with a few basic tools.
Once all the pieces are out, start by scraping excess debris off all sides of the interior – with the help of some cleaner if needed. For a gas grill, this likely means pushing everything out through the grease trap. On a pellet grill, you’ll want to scrape the grease chute clear and out into the catch can, but you’ll also need to vacuum the interior with a shop vac – just like you would after every few hours of use. And while you’re at it, go ahead and empty the hopper of any old pellets that have been sitting since Labor Day. Fuel that’s been sitting in the grill for months won’t give you the best results when it comes time to cook so you might as well start fresh.
Thankfully, pellet grill companies have made easy cleaning a key part of their designs. Weber’s SmokeFire has a set of metal bars on the inside that can be removed quickly to open up the bottom of the chamber. This is also a design feature of the company’s gas grills. Simply vacuum or push the debris out the grease chute. The catch pan where all of the garbage ends up is also easy to access from the front of the grill, and you can remove the aluminum liner and replace it with a new one in seconds.
Traeger’s most recent pellet grills were also redesigned to improve cleaning. Most notably, grease and ash end up in the same “keg” that’s easy to detach from the front of the grill. The company also allows you to quickly remove all of the interior components, though they’re larger than what you find on the SmokeFire. Lastly, Traeger moved the pellet chute to the front of the new Timberline and Ironwood, making it a lot more convenient to swap out wood varieties or empty an old supply.
You’ll want to get as much of the food leftovers out of your grill as possible for a few reasons. First, that stuff is old and lots of build-up over time can hinder cooking performance and might impact flavor. The last thing you want is old food or grease burning off right under an expensive ribeye. Second, in the case of pellet grills, not properly clearing out grease and dust can be dangerous. It’s easy for grease fires to start at searing temperatures and if there’s enough pellet dust in the bottom of your grill, it can actually ignite or explode. That’s why companies tell you to vacuum it out after every few hours of use.
All of that dust, grease and debris should be removed before you fire the grill back up. (Billy Steele/Engadget)
To actually clean the surfaces, you’ll want to get an all-natural grill cleaner. There are tons of options here, and it may take some time to find one you like. I typically use Traeger’s formula since it’s readily available at the places I buy pellets and I’ve found it works well cutting through stuck-on muck. You want an all-natural grill cleaner over a regular household product as it’s safe to use on surfaces that will touch your food. They’re also safe to use on the exterior of your grill without doing any damage to chrome, stainless steel or any other materials.
Spray down the inside and give things a few minutes to work. Wipe it all clean and go back over any super dirty spots as needed. Ditto for the grates, bars and any other pieces you removed. I like to lay these out on a yard waste trash bag (they’re bigger than kitchen bags) so all the stuff I scrape or clean off doesn’t get all over my deck. You can use shop towels if you want to recycle or paper towels if not, but just know whatever you choose will be covered in nasty black grime so you won’t want to just toss them in the clothes washer when you’re done. A pre-wash in a bucket or sink is needed to make sure you don’t transfer gunk from your grill to your business casuals.
In terms of tools, you don’t need much. I’ve tried that grill robot that claims to do the job for you, but I’ve found sticking to the basics is more efficient. And honestly, when you get the hang of it, it doesn’t take all that long. It’s a good idea to have a wire brush specifically for the grates that you don’t use to clean anything else. After all, this will be touching the same surfaces you put food on. I recommend another, smaller wire brush – the ones that look like big toothbrushes – for cleaning the burners on a gas grill. If you notice the flame isn’t firing through one of the holes, you can use this to clean the pathway. Lastly, plastic is the way to go for a scraper, anything else and you risk scratching the surfaces of your grill. Sure, any damage done would be on the inside, but it’s still not a great feeling to knick up your previous investment.
Check for updates before your first cook
Traeger
If you have a smart grill from the likes of Traeger, Weber or another company, you’ll want to plug it in and check for software updates well in advance of your first grilling session. Chances are you haven’t cooked much since last fall, which means companies have had months to push updates to their devices. Trust me, there’s nothing worse than spending an hour trimming and seasoning a brisket only to walk outside to start the grill and it immediately launches into the update process. This could extend the whole cooking time significantly depending on the extent of the firmware additions and strength of your WiFi.
Thankfully, checking for updates is quick and easy. All you need to do is turn on your grill and open up the company’s app on your phone. If there’s a download ready for your model, the mobile software will let you know and it’s usually quite prominent. If there’s not a pop-up alert that displays immediately, you can check the settings menu just to make sure. Sometimes for smaller updates, a company might not beat you over the head to refresh. However, starting a fresh slate of firmware is always a safe bet and will ensure your grill is running at its best when it comes time to cook.
For a good time every time, clean after each use
Billy Steele/Engadget
I’ll be the first to admit I don’t adhere to my own advice here, but it’s nice to have goals. I will also be the first to tell you every single time I smoke a Boston Butt or some other super fatty cut of meat that I wish I would’ve done at least a quick cleaning right after the meal. Grease buildup is not only highly flammable but it’s much harder to clean once it cools and solidifies. Ditto for stuck-on sauce or cheese that’s left on your grates after chicken or burgers. It’s best to attack these things while the grill is still warm, but cooled down from the cook.
You don’t necessarily have to break out the shop vac each time for your pellet grill or empty the grease bin. But you’ll want to make sure that stuff is away from the main cooking area for safety and so any burn off won’t impact the flavor of your food. A few cups of hot water can cleanse the grease run-off while that wire brush I mentioned is best for the grates. It also doesn’t hurt to do a light wipe down with an all-natural cleaner so everything is ready to go when you want to cook again.
New grills coming soon
A number of grill companies have already announced their 2024 product lineups. If you’re looking for new gear for the summer, some of them are already available while others will be arriving over the next few weeks. Recteq announced a robust group of grills in October, all of which are Wi-Fi-connected pellet models. The company also updated its family of “regular” pellet grills while taking the wraps off the SmokeStone 600 griddle and the dual-chamber DualFire 1000.
Weber has also tipped its hand for 2024. Back at CES, the company revealed a redesigned pellet grill, the Searwood, that will replace the SmokeFire in North America. Part of Searwood’s feature set is a special mode that allows you to use the grill while the lid is open for things like searing and flat-top griddling. Weber also debuted a new gas griddle, the Slate, that has a specially designed cooking surface that the company promises won’t rust and a digital temperature gauge. What’s more, there’s a new premium Summit smart gas grill with a massive touchscreen color display and top-mounted infrared broiler. Smart features here help with everything from gas flow to individual burners to monitoring fuel supply and dialing in the cooking process. All of the new Weber grills are scheduled to arrive this spring.
We haven’t heard much from Traeger this year and there’s a good chance the company won’t have new grills in 2024. It overhauled the Timberline in 2022 and brought some of the latest features, including the touchscreen display, to the Ironwood in 2023. Never say never, but if you’re looking for another all-new Traeger grill, you might be waiting several months.
