Click here to sign-up to receive the newsletter every week in your email in-box.
As I mentioned in a previous newsletter, I was out at the National Hardware Show in Las Vegas earlier this month. If the show is any indication, will be a ton of pizza ovens out this summer, and many of them will feature rotating stones. Another trend is outdoor cooking products with touchscreens. We’re starting to see it now, with more on the way.
While all the companies did a great job, Nexgrill and Camp Chef both stood out with their impressive products. When you saw them all under one tent, you got the full scope of what they offer.
Sticking with industry news, we released a slide that Weber put together through their process of going private about the opportunities and risks of their business. While they have a griddle and an electric grill for this grilling season, they’re betting on their 2024 new products to make a big impact. In general, they’re betting on a revival in 2024.
Over at Char-Broil, they’re the latest company to see a leadership change. They announced a new CEO this week that reports directly the CEO of their parent company. No word was given on the reason for the change, but this is at least the 5th CEO change in the industry over the past year.
On to the product releases, the most publicized of the week was the Traeger Ironwood. It has a similar design to the Timberline that came out last year, has easy cleaning, a touchscreen, and improved smoke. We’ll see if next year features a redesigned Traeger Pro, since it looks dated compared to the other two new models.
Pit Boss also had a new product release with a battery powered portable pellet grill. It’s neat that companies are trying to solve for the power problem on portable pellet grills, but it leaves me wondering if that’s the right problem to solve. Pellet grills may not be the best solution for a portable grill, once you’re away from a power source.
While we’re waiting for Grilla Grills to release their new products for 2023 we took a look at their recent trademark filings to speculate. If I had to guess what they’ll release over the next few months, it would be a vertical smoker, a fire pit and a pizza oven.
Finally, Paradise Grills issued a recall for their outdoor kitchens through 2020, which they estimate is about 18,000 grills. Apparently, LP gas can accumulate under the grill lid and in the cabinets. This is obviously a formula for disaster once the grill is being lit.