Weber Spirit SX 315 Smart Grill Overview

Weber introduced a line of Smart gas grills in 2021 and the grills are generating both excitement and confusion.  Let’s take a look at what makes these grills “Smart” and compare them against other options from Weber.

If you are short on time then the summary is as follows:

I do not recommend the Spirit SX 315 Smart Grill.  Weber has better grills that cost less than the SX 315 and the Smart functionality is not something I value.

What Makes the Spirit SX-315 a Smart Grill?

The Weber Smart Grills are equipped with a built-in Weber Connect Smart Grilling Hub.  Weber developed this technology in partnership with June Ovens and eventually purchased June in January, 2021.

The Weber Connect Smart Grilling Hub has the ability to monitor two meat temperature probes (although only one is included) and send data to your smart phone via Wi-Fi.  The associated app lets you monitor the temperature of your meat, guides you through the grilling process (when to flip, etc) and sends an alarm when a target temperature is reached.

The built-in grilling hub also monitors the weight of your propane tank and will send an alert if you are running low on fuel.

I Do Not Recommend Buying the Spirit SX 315

The Spirit SX 315 is a fine grill but with an MSRP of $849 is not a product that I recommend.  The key issues that prevents me from recommending this grill are that the main feature Weber is promoting, the Smart Grilling Hub, is not that impressive and the grill itself lacks the functionality found in cheaper models.

Smart Grilling Limitations

At it’s core, the Smart Grilling Hub is a WiFi enabled meat probe.  And while the functionality is nice, there isn’t anything revolutionary about it.  You can go on Amazon and choose between 10-15 different meat probes with remote monitoring ability and they will only cost you about $50.

The Spirit SX 315 has an MSRP of $849 which is $200 higher than the identically sized Spirit S 315 without the Smart Grilling Hub.  I do not see a reason to pay a $200 premium for a built in meat probe when a standalone model can be bought for $50.

Another major concern for me is that building an electronic product into a Weber grill has a fundamental problem.  The grill itself is great and should last at least 10 years.  Given the rate of development of electronic products, WiFi technology, etc, I can’t believe that the Smart Grilling Hub will be anywhere close to being relevant in 5 years, much less 10.

Lack of Important Features

It is easy to get distracted by the electronic bells and whistles on this grill and forget that it is lacking two important features.  The 315 Spirit grills do not have a side burner or a Sear Station burner.

I would much rather own a grill that allowed me to put a serious sear on my steaks than one that let me monitor the temperature of some chicken breasts from my sofa.

Better Ways of Spending Your Money

I believe on of the absolute best bargains in the Weber grill product line is the Weber Spirit E 330.  The Spirit E 330 is the exact same size as the SX 315 and only costs $669.

Despite being almost $200 less expensive, the Spirit E 330 comes with a side burner and a Sear Station, both of which are lacking on the SX 315. You can read the full review and see customer ratings for the Spirit 330 in this post.

If you want to have a remote temperature monitoring system for your grill then head over to Amazon and search for an Inkbird Grill Thermometer.  The Inkbird is a great product and costs a heck of a lot less than Weber’s Smart Grilling Hub.