Barbecue Utility Apps

The Photo Cookbook - Barbecue Grilling is a universal app that will help turn your barbecue into the most talked about event of the summer. The app is gorgeous, filled with pictures of 60 different recipes that are divided into four sections: "Meat," "Poultry," "Fish & Seafood," and "Vegetables and Cheese." There are recipes for all types of grilling enthusiasts, including recipes for grilling over indirect heat with lids closed, as you would with a kettle grill. Ingredients needed are shown at the beginning of each recipe. Photos of each step you will take to prepare each dish are included. Think of this app as your own personal, at-home grilling lesson. This is an essential app for anyone interested in barbecue grilling.

Weber Grills is an attractive, universal app just like the one mentioned above, but it differs slightly. Instead of containing a set amount of recipes, there are 75 new recipes available every Friday. Also included are grocery lists, a grill gallery, video tutorials, prep school, and more.

GrillTime is a unique app that serves as both a grilling guide and a timer in one. Simply pick the cut of meat that you desire, its thickness, and how "done" you would like your meat to be. GrillTime will let you know the ideal amount of time that you will need to grill your meat and what temperature you should grill it at. Who wouldn't love a universal app that will tell you when to flip your steak or burger and when it's done?

Weber's On the Grill is an all-in-one grilling helper that includes over 300 recipes, a grill timer, over 100 reference tips, handy instructional videos, and even a customizable shopping list. This iPhone app may be a little pricey for some, but does deliver some great graphics and very handy tools to make you the grilling expert of your neighborhood. There is also an iPad-only version, Weber's On the Grill for iPad, which is linked below.

Barbecues & Grilling has a good variety of barbecue recipes and step by step instructions that will please most aspiring grillers. Depending on what type of grilling you would most like to do, there are recipes for barbecues, grilling, and char grilling. Some of the recipes are a bit over the top if you are hoping for something a bit more simple, but nevertheless, this universal app is a notable option.

Owners of the iGrill device will be happy to know that there is an accompanying app for it. The universal app is simple, yet maintains a classy appearance and feel. You can set temperature, kitchen, and smoker timers, as well as see what other owners of the iGrill device are cooking. You can even use Bluetooth from up to 200 feet away. There is not a whole lot more to this app, but it does what it is meant to do.

This universal app is wonderful whether you are barbecueing in your back yard, cooking in a competition, or catering a party. The Pit Pal BBQ takes the history of tracking your grilling and cooking into account, such as what wood or sauce/rub combos you were using or what the weather was like while you were cooking. This information becomes helpful when you need to grill again because you are able to look back on what you may want to tweak a bit. Save photos, add notes and temperatures, and more. The app also has direct interaction with the BBQ Guru CyberQ Wi-Fi.

Another great app for the grill master who is looking for new recipes ideas is Grill-It! Grilling and BBQ Recipes. This app does not do anything too special or fancy, but it is well put together. It is an iPhone-only app that offers a good variety of recipes. The recipe database updates weekly, which guarantees that you will always find something new.