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[ylr]

Old school here, mainly because of economics. I can't see myself spending $$$$ for stainless, wi-fi, apps(and a smart phone or tablet to run it), remote thermometers, or anything else state of the art. As long as I can make stuff superior to what I can buy at a restaurant, then my $400 PB 820 (It does have a digital display! ) and my $20 Thermopop is good enough for me!

If I do win the lottery, then I retract the above statement; of course, I have to buy a lottery ticket first.......

[rwalters]

44 and work in IT. Spent the $$ and bought the WiFi add-on for my MAK. Used it several times and discovered 2 things:

-More trouble then it was worth (lots of lost signal).
-I enjoy cooking way more without the extra layer of technology.

I sent it back for a full refund.

No wifi for this backyard cook

[pmillen]

I bought a Rock's Stoker to control the temperature in my drum smoker.  It's WiFi equipped and I use it to remotely control the drum's temperature and monitor the meat's internal temperature.

It makes real time graphs that display on computers, tablets and smartphones.  So I also use it on every PG500 cook.  Not to control temperature but for the monitoring and graphing capabilities.  I retain the graphs as reference material.

Is that enough technology use for me to be admitted to the New School?

[bproffer]

43 and work in the gas and oilfield automation field. I think the techy stuff is cool and I use it, but would be just fine without it.

[4given]

Old School.  I don't want to hassle with WiFi on my grill.  I have an older GMG with the remote control option. Between in and my Thermoworks Smoke I have all the control I need.

[Michael_NW]

Old school, here. I don't get much time to cook, so I like to use it as a time to slow down, enjoy the process and the smells, and relax. I use a Tappecue, but find that the more I use my smoker the less I use the Tappecue as I gain experience with the look and feel of the meat I'm smoking. My son gave me a Lava Tools thermometer and it gets the most use.

[Jcorwin818]

I’m old school and will not change.  I enjoy cooking hands on and using all my senses plus kicking back and opening a beer and watch the smoke rise.

[Craig in Indy]

I'm a 63 year old architect and now Indiana State Building Commissioner. I've been intrigued by the wifi controllers but in reality I don't think they'd add enough convenience or protection beyond what I enjoy now with the gadgets I have. Plus all I seem to read about are problems.

[urnmor]

At 73, I consider myself a little bit of both. Those who know me  know that I enjoy cooking and baking however up to now I did not realize how spoil I (we) have become because of all of our electrical appliances to include the use of wifi etc. (You always hear that the younger generation is spoiled but not ours). Over the last two years we have had problems with three of our major appliances the stove, the clothes washer and now our dishwasher. The first two were only bumps on the road to me because I don’t do laundry and the stove worked albeit not so good until the replacement came. Now the dishwasher is another matter. I did not realize how dependent and easy it made cooking and baking. Just take a dirty dish or pot place it in the dishwasher and let it do its thing. Now for the last week I have been washing dishes and pots and pans by hand. Yes I did it before as part of basic training and OCS but that was along time ago and not every day. So what is the big deal. Well all of the modern conveniences has certainly made our lives easier and has clearly provided a lot of free time that our parents never had to do other things. As to the wifi and BBQing and grilling I will at times use the Remote Boss but other times when bowing or grilling on the Greenegg I will do it the old fashion way. Anyway when you think about it we are all pampered when it comes to cooking, I just never truly realized it until now.

[Rick]

I guess I'm a little bit of both.

OLD SCHOOL - I'm back to charcoal for all my BBQ needs.  I use no Wifi gadgets.  I don't monitor internal temps of my meat.  I use a thermapen and go by feel.  Alot of times, I probe meat and don't even look at the temp.  I'm just looking for the feeling.  I compete on drums now and I don't use any electronics to control my pit temp.  No electricity at all for me.

NEW SCHOOL - I am a hot and fast guy now.  I'm usually cooking at or over 300 degrees. 

[Big Bear]

65 years a leg in both arenas - if it ain't broke don't fix it and if you can make it better -MODIFY!

[silverbullet]

64  old school, No wifi pit for me.

[Chris__M]

My GMG has WiFi, which I love. I work from home. The WiFi lets me easily do all-day cooks in my back garden, while working in my home office in the front. I can keep an eye on where the temperature is, without the distraction of going out there to check it.

Can I use the grill without WiFi? Of course I can, and I sometimes do, if I happen to be cooking while working in the garden.

Meanwhile, my old Traeger currently doesn't even have a control board. It is wired up to work flat out all the time it is switched on. As I generally use it for either flipping burgers or - with a stone - as a bread oven, this is not a problem.

[pmillen]

I referenced my Rock's Stoker in this thread.  I just discovered that it's no longer offered.  The web site notice indicates that they will support existing customers (apparently with fans, probes and such) but will not offer new stokers (controllers).

[glitchy]

I'm 44 and work in IT and am most definitely new school. I like to cook, but not sure I love it. I also don't have - or at least don't want to make the time - to thoroughly watch over long cooks. I bought a Smokin' Tex because it was more set it and forget it than a propane smoker and my first pellet grill because it was even easier yet (and the electric smokers are limited in what they make well, IMO). I built my own Heatermeter just to have a WiFi multi-probe temp gauge with text alerts before there were a dozen options available. Now I have a WiFi Memphis and a Fireboard both so I can set it and forget it and get alerted when food is done or if the pit catches fire or flames out.

While I like to cook, I cook mostly because I love to eat the final product or watch others enjoy the final product. At times with 2 active kids I load up the grill with food to last all week and with meats that will finish at different times and then go do a bunch of chores only looking at the grill every hour or two or when I get an alert. That all being said, the one thing I really need to make more time for related to cooking is taking notes. I can never remember what seasoning I put on X when everyone liked it or about how long a 7 pound turkey breast took and what temp I cooked it at, etc. Maybe if I incorporated more technology into that

"Hey Siri, get the cook data from the Memphis and save it noting it was a Black Ops seasoned brisket at 13.1 pounds at everyone liked it" <- that would be ideal.