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When I first got my iPod Touch, I was dumping apps onto it like crazy.  Free apps, apps that made top 10 lists, just about anything.  Many of those have been long since deleted.  Weber’s On The Grill, however, has made the cut, and definitely falls into the category of “there’s an app for that.”

Premise

At first glance, you’d think that the Weber’s On The Grill was a typical, self-serving corporate app.  But Weber has managed to make an app that’s both useful and subtly self-promoting at the same time.  The app combines everything you need to know to grill or barbeque.  There are sections on recipes, techniques, and grilling time guidelines. There’s also a built-in grill timer and shopping list.

Presentation

The basis of the app is recipes and techniques, and a key to presenting those, whether it’s in book for or electronic app, is photos.  Weber’s On The Grill does it right, with at least one photo of every recipe, viewable on the recipe screen and (probably more importantly) on the recipe list screens like the one below.  I can’t stand cookbooks that don’t show you pictures of what you’re making!  There are multiple pictures in the Techniques articles as well, and even a few videos, like “Controlling Flare-Ups” and “”The Two-Zone Fire.”

Interface

The app uses the classic iPhone / iPod Touch app interface with the category buttons at the bottom of the screen.  The Grill Guide sections and the Grill Timer also use the standard wheel for selections.  Both are appropriate for their application in the app.

The recipe section includes recipes for the following: starters, red meat, pork, poultry, seafood, vegetables & sides, dessert, and rubs, marinades & sauces.  The recipes are laid out as you’d expect: basic info at the top (serving size, prep time, marinating time, grilling time, special equipment), followed by an ingredient list, including rub and sauce ingredients, and then the cooking instructions.  All is easily readable with white text on a dark gray background.  Techniques gives you grilling basics, food prep instructions, grilling safety tips, grill maintenance, and videos.  The grill guide will give you cooking times and temperatures for different foods.

Freshness

The Weber people have made several improvements since the app was released last summer.  One is with the shopping list, which is a nice idea, but not overly functional if one spouse has the device and the other is at the grocery store.  Version 2 added the ability to email the shopping list, and the program will combine multiple instances of the same ingredient into one line item, making it much more functional.  The Grill Timer was also improved, and will now ding and vibrate even if your iPhone / iPod Touch is in sleep mode, and it adds functionality to the app even if you are not following a Weber recipe.

You can also tag your favorite recipes and techniques, which is not an entirely original idea, but goes to the little details that make the app user-friendly.

Value

The app came out in July of 2009, and has never swayed from its $4.99 price point.  Don’t expect to wait for it to be on sale to pick it up.  Also, the recipes don’t appear to be new, but come from other Weber sources, so you may have some of them in other places.  It’s not the cheapest of apps.

On the plus side, though, it is a very well made app that you’d have a hard time outgrowing.  There are over 250 recipes, not counting rub and marinade recipes, and over 100 grilling tips.  The app can basically take you from deciding what to eat, through buying and prepping ingredients, through firing up the grill and cooking for the proper time at the proper temp.  All you need to supply is the grill and the food.

Summary

Premise:  Good
Presentation:  Very Good
Interface:  Great
Freshness:  Good
Value:  Decent
Overall:  Great app

Want more?  ‘Appy to oblige.  Check out my other APPraisals.