There’s anticipation that Weber will have some bigger product releases next year. This year they were preserving cash, so their grill releases were limited to a new griddle, and the Lumin electric grill. There’s growing evidence to support that new smart grilling options will be part of the 2024 roadmap.
On top of the other indicators that we’ll get to, there was a new trademark filing from Weber. They filed for the name SmartControl, which is described as “Computer hardware and software system used to monitor and control outdoor cooking appliances, namely, barbecue grills, smokers, griddles, and the like, for use in the outdoor cooking field”.
It’s pretty likely from that filing, that their new connected controller will be called SmartControl. There’s good reason to believe that it will be used for a new pellet grill, a new gas grill, or both.
The Case for a New Pellet Grill
When it comes to pellet grills, Traeger is the undisputed leader in the market. They’ve released a new top of the line Timberline last year, and a new mid-range Ironwood this year.
Both feature improved tech for start-up and smoke production. They also have a more modern look and interface with a touchscreen controller and a less barrel-like design.
By comparison, Weber’s pellet grill offering, the SmokeFire, looks pretty dated. It also doesn’t have the tech to compete with the new Traeger grills. As the leader in grilling, Weber has some work to do to catch-up in that category.
Weber likely doesn’t want to be laggard in anything grilling. With this new trademark filing for SmartControl, and with their previous one for Searwood we think they have something up their sleeve.
The Case for a New Gas Grill
As we noted in our article on smart gas valves, connected gas grilling is coming. It’s already happened for pellet grills and charcoal grills, so it only makes sense for gas grilling. Plus, while the number has been in decline, gas grills are America’s favorite.
Weber also has a number of recent patents related to smart gas grills. As a leader in gas grills, it’s likely that Weber is heavily invested in this area. It makes sense that SmartControl could be what they call the control for their new connected gas grill.
Whether it’s for their new gas grill or pellet grill, we’re excited to find out, as soon as 2024.