A connected grill is nothing new. But a connected modular grill that expands and customizes as you like? Well, now you’re cookin’ with gas. Literally.
German grill maker Otto Wilde is in the final days of its Kickstarter campaign for the G32, the company’s smart, modular grill. The campaign itself has blown past its goal of $33,862 to raise more than $4.3 million on the crowdfunding platform.
The grill features a ton of high-end features and finishes like multi-zone gas grilling, four commercial grade burners that can reach a temperature of 810 degrees Fahrenheit, an and extra-long rotisserie burner. It also features an accompanying mobile app that works via WiFi and Bluetooth for remote control of the grill and guided recipe cooking.
But as I mentioned, these types of connected features aren’t new. The Traeger WiFire grills offers much the same remote control, and the Weber Smart Hub powered by the June OS brings connectivity to “dumb” grills.
But what Otto Wilde does offer is the ability to add a range of modular components to your backyard bbq set up. The system allows you to easily add more burners, sear stations, storage and more.
There are two versions of the G32 available to backers right now. The G32 Connected is €1,299 (~$1,500 USD) plus shipping for delivery in November of this year; and the G32 Smart, which features the ability control the grill remotely, guided cooking and burner grouping is €1,799 (~$2,000) plus shipping for delivery in March of 2021. That’s not cheap, but it’s also not beyond the pale if the grills deliver on their promise. And this being a Kickstarter project, delivering on that promise is always a risk (just ask Spinn backers).
We’re actually seeing a lot of technology and innovation coming to the outdoor grill. In addition to the smarts of Otto, Traeger and Weber, companies like Spark are combining high design with patented Briqs to reinvent cooking with coals.
Ironically, all this innovation comes at a time with the neighborhood barbeque won’t be the same given our socially distant summer. But that just gives people time to practice with their own families before dazzling friends next year.
