GrillEye Max
www.grilleye.com/product/max
£109.99

We’ve all seen thermometers that you can stick into your cooking to check whether your meat is cooked all the way through, and for serious and exacting barbequers, such things are a grill-side essential. The GrillEye Max aims to take this concept and build upon it, firstly by offering you a clear temperature read-out display on your grill in seconds, and secondly, by sending alerts to your phone, thus allowing you to walk away from the grill all together.

Personally, I thought half the fun of a BBQ was standing by the grill, prodding and turning the meat occasionally and saying ‘Hwelp’ whilst you grab a moment’s peace with a beer. Wait...is GrillEye calling me out over how much time I want to spend with my loved ones?

My personal BBQ-related crisis aside, this honestly is a very handy concept, and the GrillEye Max does it well. Its temperature readout has an accuracy of ±0.1°C / 0.18°F, and can get you a reading in two seconds or less. The GrillEye Max has a magnetic base that securely attaches it to your BBQ, though this isn’t necessary, as the read-out is measured from the included probes that you spike into your food as normal. The GrillEye will then track the temperature of your cooking, display it on a handy screen for an easy glance from you, and will ping you an alert on the app when grub’s up.

The GrillEye Max is an upgrade from the previous GrillEye PRO Plus, and the big leap from this last model is the speed and accuracy of its temperature readings. Another interesting feature of the Max is ‘Sessions’. If you’re anything like me, cooking tends to be a bit ‘make it up as you go along’, but sometimes that can create great results. The problem is, how do you recreate those results if you’re not entirely sure what you did last time? The Sessions feature records every step you take – at least in regards to the temperature and timers – and allows you to name, browse, store and delete past cooks. You can then use the GrillEye to prompt you in what needs to be done the next time.

Despite the name, the GrillEye can be used on more than just grills! Ovens, hobs, fridges and freezers – anything you want to measure. The pre-set temperature guides in the GrillEye Max are also very helpful, advising you on how to cook meats that you might not be used to.

I was surprised that the probes weren’t wireless – given that you’re able to track up to eight targets, that would be a very busy grill space, with so many tethers feeding back to the GrillEye. However, after a little investigating, I discovered that it’s these wired probes that give the readouts their incredible speed and accuracy, so it’s up to personal choice which is more important to you. I would have also preferred an opaque body, as the translucent plastic means you can see all the wires etc. inside, which isn’t very attractive.

That said, the GrillEye has a lot to recommend it. If you want to leave food cooking on your grill or hob without stress, you can easily keep your eye on your meal whilst you’re in a different room with your family (or the TV!). The main body is a little chunky for my liking, but with Sessions, fast and accurate readings and pre-set temperature guides, the GrillEye Max certainly pulls its weight.

4/5

Pros:
Fast, accurate readings
Clear, handy display
Rotating body for best display angle
Magnetic base
Easy to use
Records your cooks
Pre-set guides for new cooks
8 probes

Cons:
Probes aren’t wireless
Transparent case shows all the internal gubbins