The 6 Best Grills and Smokers of 2026: Smart, Portable, Pellet

The Grill has changed. The smoker has changed, too. Once governed mostly by feel and experience, the best grills and the best smokers now offer a fair amount of tech to measure and control temperature (think: temperature probes and fans to modulate airflow). After all, mankind's formative invention wasn't the “discovery” of fire; it was the power to control it.

The WIRED Reviews team has been testing grills for more than a decade—searing, smoking, grilling, and even baking on them in all kinds of weather—to find the best choice for everyone. These days, I've been most excited about the next-gen smart technology that allows for tight monitoring and temperature control. For instance, I tricked out my top-pick for smart upgrades, an old-fashioned Weber kettle, with the excellent Spider Venom ($280) digital temperature controller that allows me to turn my charcoal grill temps up and down like an oven. Summer is good. Also, charcoal makes all meat taste more like bacon. Mmmmm, bacon.

After you're set with the best grills and smokers, check out other backyard buying guides for all your outdoor needs, like the Best Flat Top Grills and Griddles, Best Wireless Meat Thermometers, and Best Smokeless Firepits.

Best Grills of 2026

Best Charcoal Grill for Smart Upgrades

Weber Original Kettle Charcoal

Jump to review

$139 $129 (7% off)

Amazon (18-inch)

Best Smart Pellet Smoker

Recteq Flagship 1600 Pellet Smoker and Grill

Jump to review

$1,600

BBQGuys

Best Smart Charcoal Grill

Masterbuilt Gravity Series 1150 Digital Charcoal Grill

Jump to review

$1,100

Home Depot

Best Gas Grill

Weber Spirit E-210 Gas Grill

Jump to review

$449

The Home Depot

I'd argue that the best way to take advantage of top smart-grill technology is to add the newest and best tech to a sturdy, old-fashioned, classic grill that'll outlast the tech. A grill like the classic 22-inch Weber Kettle.

The Weber Kettle is the infinitely hackable Honda Civic of backyard grills. Its combination of simplicity, reliability, durability, affordability, and outright ubiquity has spawned an innovative secondary market devoted to tricking out the humble cooker with smart temperature controls and more features than a multiplex.

The best Weber add-on I've tried so far is a fan-modulated temperature controller from Spider Grills called the Venom ($280) that tracks the temperature on each cook, allowing you to heat it up or turn it down, like a stove. According to my testing, it holds your charcoal grill to temperature within about 30 degrees Fahrenheit of the target, which is great for both low-and-slow cooking and for creating repeatable sear temps for a steak. This is especially true when using the attached meat probes. The only downside is that the Venom needs to be plugged in. Might I suggest a nice power bank?

WIRED product reviewer Scott Gilbertson has favored the excellent Weber Connect Smart Hub ($70) for years, which features probes to monitor meat temps and flipping times and can alert your phone (or just your ears) when your grill hits the ideal temperature zone. However, he admits that the Hub's USB-A charger is starting to feel a bit old-fashioned.