In case you missed it, the world of home robotics has now reached your backyard patio. In this Grillbot Review, we break down just why you need this new robotic gadget.
Maybe you don’t think you need a robotic cleaner for your grill, but Ethan Woods has now made it a solution to a problem you never thought existed. To be fair, there is nothing worse than laboring over a hot grill on a humid summer day trying to clean your grill by hand.
The Grillbot is being billed as the Roomba for grills…
The Grillbot is a Roomba for your grill | Geek-Cetera | Geek.com
You probably didn’t even know this was a problem that needed solving.
Geek.com takes a look at just what this little robot can do. Each device has little spurs with brushes attached….
It is not yet clear just how the Grillbot will operate and what kinds of technology it will be using. Below is an early promotional video of the device in action:
As you can see, the device maneuvers pretty adeptly around this grill. The Grillbot will reportedly work on both gas and charcoal grills will feature a rechargeable battery.
Gizmag goes more in depth with the product features…
Grillbot – the new BBQ cleaning king?
The Grillbot is designed to scrub the filth away from your BBQ … while you crack another beer.
Contents (Jump to)
Features
- Sophisticated CPU: The technology in the Grillbot is pretty advanced and even a novice user can get the Grillbot started right away with little to no background knowledge about the product.
- 3 Electric Motors: the high powered electric motors control the removable bristles and provides more than enough juice to tackle even the most messy grills.
- Push Button Operation: Scrubbing a grill clean is certainly an annoying task. However, I robot should be able to dramatically alter your time investment. The creators of the Grillbot have essentially narrowed the process down to a simple push button approach.
- Dishwasher Safe Bristles: For easy cleaning, you can pop the removable bristles right into the dishwasher.
- Safe to Use Under 250 Degrees: Once the grill is cooled to below 250 (usually about 10-15 minutes), you can safely start the Grillbot.
- Alarm and LCD Timer: The device comes standard with an LCD timer and alarm so that you can set it and forget it until it has finished the cleaning cycle.
- 180 Limited Warranty: Against factory defects. This is a nice “peace of mind” feature.
Cons of the Grillbot – Questions That Still Need to be Answered
It is still too early to tell if this device will be a success, so here are some questions that need to be answered regarding the Grillbot…
- Price Point: What will the base-line Grillbot retail for? This is an important question that all creators of home robotics need to answer. A higher price point does not mean the product will be a failure. Climbing down the value chain is an effective strategy as evidenced by the success of iRobot. BUT, price it too high for too long and this type of product will not catch on or go mainstream. It is currently available for a decent price at this listing. This isn’t a terrible price point, but it’s still something you’ll need to think twice about.
- Defining the Problem it Solves: Defining the problem that the Grillbot is solving will determine whether it becomes a novelty for techies or a common household tool. Making the case to the public – not just the geek community – will be imperative. If the public can be sold on the need of this device, then expect a similar success trajectory as the Roomba vacuums. However, merely saying that it is the Roomba for grills is not necessarily convincing. Robotic vacuums make sense if you have significant square footage to cover in your house, but grills are smaller, more seasonal, and arguably used less frequently. Furthermore, you don’t necessarily need to use your grill in order to cook dinner every night while you do need to vacuum once every few weeks (for those of us who don’t live in filth). To put it bluntly, the market is not necessarily smaller but it will be harder to sell as anything more than a luxury accessory.
Pros of the Grillbot – Things That Really Work
There are a bunch of things that I really liked about the Grillbot. They are as follows:
- Works as Advertised: Home robotics can run the spectrum from excellent in theory/poor in execution to excellent on both fronts (or many points in between). Thankfully, the Grillbot really works as advertised. It might be a pricey gadget, but it IS a functional one. Due to the persistent passes it makes, it probably actually does a better job than I could (or would!) do.
- Works on All Sizes and Shapes of Grills: I was curious to see how the Grillbot would work on circular vs. rectangular grills. It works on both without any noticeable issues or differences in performance.
- Durable: I was half expecting the Grillbot to arrive as a delicate robotic device. Some robotics can be really temperamental. Not the Grillbot. I treat it like any other small kitchen appliance (like an egg beater). You can easily clean it and upgrade the bristles if needed (and it’s dishwasher safe!).
Where to Buy Grillbot
As of very recently, you can now begin purchasing the Grillbot directly from Amazon.com: See the Grillbot on Amazon.
Check back here frequently as we will continue to monitor the progress of this new home robot for your grill.
Patrick Sinclair is a geek; make no mistake about that. He runs All Home Robotics in his spare time so he doesn’t have to think about his depressing cubicle and it gives him an excuse to buy expensive gadgets to review!
Leave a Reply