Nice To Meat You: The Best BBQ iPad Accessories & Apps

May 14, 2012

With Memorial Day just two weeks away, it’s time to start planning your next picnic, and we’ve rounded up some iPhone and iPad accessories and apps to make your BBQ the best ever.

Weber’s On the Grill for iPad ($4.99) – Take it from Weber; they’ve been making grills for over 50 years and grilling reference guides for over a decade, and their first foray into iPad apps is no slouch. Weber’s On the Grill has over 300 recipes and a huge set of all-purpose tips, how-to demonstration videos, and built-in cooking timers to make your next meal come off as smoothly as possible. The incredible in-app food photography will give you something to aspire to, and the ability to make your own notes on their provided recipes will ensure that every time you use this app is better than the BBQ that came before it.

MeatTemps (Free) – If you’re more of a grill-it-by-ear chef, it’s still handy to have a temperature guide like MeatTemps at your side. Considering it’s free and iPhone-pocket-friendly, your days of wondering “is this done?” are over. Maybe just leave it on the heat a minute longer, or so they might say at the USDA.

iGrill Cooking Thermometer ($79.95) – Monitor your meat from afar with this sleek looking bluetooth thermometer, the king of cooking-with-iPad accessories. The iGrill has two individual metal probes to monitor multiple roasts or both interior and exterior temperatures at once, and boasts a range of up to 200 ft. While it does have a display for glancing while you’re at the grill, the accompanying iPhone and iPad app will keep you informed while you’re off chatting with guests or making quick work of some potato salad on the other side of the lawn.

Grillmeister HD ($1.99) – Most certainly the best BBQ app for vegetarians (or even vegans!), this simulated Grillmeister HD cooktop delivers all of the fun of a summer cook-out with no actual cooking or eating of meat whatsoever. Swipe to light a faux-wood match and toss some photo-realistic slab of beef onto your screen to watch it sizzle and char, without the mess of cleaning up or that irritating full feeling that comes from eating actual food. All that’s missing is a way to transfer your leftovers to your virtual pet.

 

Alexei Bochenek is a lifelong tech nerd & film buff based in Los Angeles. When he’s not playing with his phone, it’s because the movie has started. Shhhhh!