I grilled, smoked, seared, cleaned, and synced digital temp controllers to find the best grill option for every cookout and tailgate.

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 ...