Smart Smoker for Less Babysitting

How smart does a wood pellet smoker need to be? Anyone who has slept on the couch while a brisket cooked in the backyard would say it needs to be at least a little intelligent. The Brisk It Origin-940 connects to a mobile app over Wi-Fi for remote control and assistance with pre-programmed recipes. While a grill might not need to be a genius, having wireless access makes grilling a lot more convenient.

Brisk It Origin-940

Remotely manage your Origin-940 from your mobile phone with confidence—anytime, anywhere. Proactive notifications let you know when the grill is ignited, pre-heated, cooled, when food reaches the desired temperature, and more.

Manufacturer

Brisk It

Color

Black with silver

Type

Wood pellet smoker

Weight

167lbs

Max Temperature

500F

Cooking araa

940 square inches of grilling space

Materials

Rolled Steel, Stainless Steel

Pellet Hopper Capacity

22lbs

Paint

High Temp Powder Coat

Pros

• Reliable Wi-Fi and mobile connectivity
• Even cook temperatures
• Two temperature probes
• large pellet hopper size

Cons

• No Pellet monitor
• Only one small side shelf for food prep
• Lack of polish in mobile app

The Look of a Smart Grill

The Origin-940 is Brisk It’s second grill. It joins the smaller Origin-580 model, primarily adding more cooking space without changing the formula too much. In fact, using the Origin-940 felt a lot like using the Origin-580. It was noticeably bigger while loading it with meat, but the unit didn’t overly consume my suburban backyard. Apartment dwellers with tiny patios should stick to the smaller model, but anyone with some space could go with either option.

In addition to being a bigger size, the Origin-940 does add under-grill storage and a way to switch out unused pellets from the hopper with a trap door. Those weren’t make-or-break omissions from the smaller model but were very nice to have in this new unit. Like the Origin-580, all the grill’s controls are on the color non-touch screen. A twist dial and a few buttons can handle setting temperature, changing settings, and setting timers—if the mobile app doesn’t get used for those items.

I may be tech-minded, but I thought the on-grill controls were all very straightforward and simple to use. I used the mobile app most of the time, but I would still occasionally reach out and use the physical controls if I was within range.

The small side table on the Origin-940 doesn’t quite match the needs of this larger grill as it did with the Origin-580. More cooking area usually means more food, so a larger, foldable side prep area would have been appreciated. Most of the time, I used the top of the 22lb hopper to set food or tools to gain more prep space.

The shelf underneath wouldn’t really be suitable for food. It’s made for storing things like bins of pellets. Side walls or a complete enclosure underneath the grill would have made it much more functional for long-term storage away from the outdoor elements.

The hidden ash and grease collection in the pull-out tray underneath worked well enough. It can spill and make a huge mess if it does get pulled out too far and not held properly. But overall, it’s a tidier solution than hanging a bucket off the side.

Broadly speaking, all smokers are heavy and unwieldy to set up. This one, with a shipping weight of around 140 pounds, was no exception. (There was a second shipping box with some of the miscellaneous parts, which is why the main shipping box was less than the grill’s total weight.)

I was able to put the shipping box on a furniture dolly, roll it to my backyard, and assemble most of the grill by myself, with one major exception. Connecting the legs does require two able bodies. Tilting the grill back and then up onto its legs only required about five minutes of my wife’s time, but I couldn’t have assembled it without her help.

The unit never felt unstable, but overall, it’s a more barebones product than some other wood pellet smokers on the market. It’s not the most polished, but it’s also an outdoor grill. I didn’t mind its simple look and configuration.

Cooking With the Origin-940 Smoker

I usually try to cook a wide range of foods when testing smokers. From shorter commitments like burgers and steaks to longer smoking sessions for pulled pork and brisket. The Origin-940 had much more space than I needed to cook burgers for my family, but it worked surprisingly well. The ignition process and getting the grill going takes longer than using propane, but other than that, it works similarly. I think burgers have a little better taste, too.

One evening, I threw on a couple of 1-inch-thick steaks on the Origin-940 for dinner. I smoked them at 225 degrees for about an hour and then seared them for a couple of minutes. They tasted near perfect.

To test a longer cook, I used a 5lb pork butt. This took around nine hours to smoke and another hour to rest. The meat pulled away beautifully and was nice and juicy. Next time, I’ll likely adjust the spices I used, but that part was on me. I didn’t run into any connection interruptions or technical issues. At one point, between 150 and 160 degrees, the Brisk It app alerted me to a potential temperature stall (a normal thing) and suggested a way to keep the food cooking on pace.

The lack of a pellet monitor inside the hopper really glared its head during a long-cook situation. Especially for new wood pellet barbequers, knowing how much fuel is left in the hopper is a must-have. When using a Traeger smoker, I got used to the ability to see what percent of wood pellets were left in the hopper right from Traeger’s mobile app, which made the lack of the feature on the Brisk It one noticeable—though not detrimental.

On the flip side, having two temperature probes available on the Origin-940 might not be necessary, but it was very handy. Most of the time, one is sufficient for me, but a second one built-in can be a lifesaver.

All around, I was extremely impressed with the results of the Brisk It Origin-940. I’m no grill master, but I had no problem operating the smoker to cook different types of meat.

If you do want some hand-holding, Innogrill is Brisk It’s automated cook process. It’s a pre-programmed recipe for different foods that can be selected from the app and sent to the grill. It’s a neat idea to have a grill automatically guide you through a recipe and adjust its temperature at certain times.

Most of the time, however, I didn’t want to follow the exact recipe offered, either for flavor or type of cut reasons. That made using the automated process less appealing or useful. Mostly, I’d love to see this area get even smarter by allowing a person to tell the app their type of meat and sides and then have it create a custom plan on the spot.

Having the pre-made recipes baked into the app did at least provide a starting place. It’s certainly more helpful for novice chefs rather than having nothing.

Add Wi-Fi to Every Appliance

It’s not just the Brisk It grills that have added Wi-Fi. Plenty of cooking appliances are adding wireless connectivity to assist in smart cooking. Being alerted when the food needs attention is too convenient not to have on all kinds of devices.

Brisk It is less subtle about its wireless connection than Traeger, but it seemed subjectively more reliable. Unlike Traeger’s hidden connection point, Brisk It attaches a black antenna underneath its grills, in plain sight, that can then be angled and repositioned. Potentially unsightly? Maybe. In this case, more stability is a better substitute.

Brisk It Mobile App

The Brisk It mobile app, available for iPhone and Android, was satisfactory, but not spectacular in any way. It handled the tasks I asked of it. Compared to Traeger’s mobile app or some other smart appliances like the June oven, it looked dated and disorganized.

Setting a timer was one example of the app’s lackluster feel and function. There would be a few seconds delay between selecting the time and when it actually showed on the main screen. It was a minor thing, but one that gave me pause more than once. Immediately after connecting the app to the grill and selecting the option to season it, it told me I needed to be connected to my phone to do that. It was a concerning message that was either wrong or unclear and confusing. Although it didn’t prevent any functionality, it was another place for the company to add polish to its software.

So, while I had no problem using the app overall, it ultimately is one of the weakest parts of the Brisk It Origin-940 simply because the grill itself leaves little to be desired.

Origin-940 Price and Availability

The Brisk It Origin-940 is available for purchase and retails for $1,199.99. Although that’s a competitive price, keep an eye out for promotions around the new grill because the Origin-580 has rarely been full price since it launched.

Should You Buy the Brisk It Origin-940?

I have been pleasantly surprised by both Brisk It grills. First, by the Origin-580, and now by the more sizeable Origin-940. It’s not quite as polished as more established brands, but I had almost no qualms in terms of performance and smarts.

The Origin-940 offers more cooking space and matches most other features of a popular pellet smoker on the market at a significant price difference to make it a great value. This is a heavy product, not easy to return, so I don’t make this recommendation lightly. The Brisk It Origin-940 is a great first smart (connected) grill.

Brisk It Origin-940

Remotely manage your Origin-940 from your mobile phone with confidence—anytime, anywhere. Proactive notifications let you know when the grill is ignited, pre-heated, cooled, when food reaches the desired temperature, and more.