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Digital gas grills are coming. That’s our prediction, as another patent from Weber was released on the subject. This one has different visuals of how a digital gas grill might look and operate. They had one version with a push-button design, but we prefer their other design, a classic knob approach for ease of use.
I was on The BBQ Central Show this week where I discussed a variety of topics with host Greg Rempe. We finished the segment talking about the Frankling BBQ Pit that I just got. It’s an amazing smoker that easily holds temps. It’s perfect for offset smoker pros, or for anyone looking to step up from a pellet grill.
Solo Stove launched a new pizza oven this week aimed at the entry level buyer. It carries an MSRP of $349 and has the same look as their Pi pizza oven that was released last year. This one is propane only, with a fixed burner design.
Earnings were released this week at The Home Depot and Ace Hardware. Starting with The Home Depot they noted what Traeger did previously, that their inventory levels were in a good position. On the negative side, they said that they are seeing softer sales of discretionary big-ticket items.
Ace Hardware also noted that they saw a decrease in average ticket. They had much more positive news on grills though. They has some of their largest gains in wholesale revenue from grills.
For fellow grilling and computer nerds, you’ll want to check out this article about a Redditor that built a pellet level monitor with a Raspberry Pi Peco. It uses an ultrasonic sensor to measure the pellet level, which it relays through a web-based app. It’s an interesting application and a fun mod for those with a pellet grill.
Finally, Yeti has some new products coming to end the year and in Q1 2024. To compliment their ice bucket they recently released, they are going to launch a cocktail shaker. They also plan in Q4 of this year to bring back the soft coolers they recalled. This will go along with some new sizes for dry bags and soft coolers.