Best grilling utility apps for your summer cookouts

You can make your summer sizzle if you know how to grill like a boss!

When summer hits full-swing, our thoughts turn to outdoor fun and food, which usually means grilling up meats and veggies while putting back a few cold ones. If you want to be the king of the grill this summer, we've got a list of the best apps for cooking over an open flame.

Weber Grills

Weber makes one of the most common household grills around, and the companion app turns you into an expert on open-flame cooking. It includes a timer with suggested preset grill times for common meat items. The suggested times also allow you to adjust the thickness of the meat and the level of doneness you are hoping for.

The Recipes section features dozens of delicious-looking meals straight off the grill. You can add items from the recipe cards to your shopping list. The Grill Guide provides general information on how hot the grill should be and how long you should cook specific items, like veggies, poultry, seafood, and beef.

You can also read up on best practices for grilling with gas or charcoal, how to cook fruits and veggies over open flame, and more.

Of course, Weber wants to be a part of your family, so there is a section dedicated to all of the grilling products the company has to offer.

If you are a Weber owner, or just want a great go-to app for recipes and a useful guide for cooking times, grab Weber Grills.

• Free - Download now

GrillTime

So, you're savvy with grilling, but want a meat timer to keep you from burning dinner. GrillTime will make you look like an expert without effort. Select the food you are cooking on the grill, get the suggestions for how hot the grill should be, when to flip the goods, and internal temperature suggestions.

Tap to add a timer for as many items as you wish and set them whenever you are ready. If you can tell you'll need a few more minutes, you can increase the time manually. With all timers set up on one screen, you have a clear idea of when each type of food should go on the grill. For example, bell peppers take longer to cook than steaks. So, you can quickly glance at your list of timers and know that you should drop those veggies about five minutes before you throw on the meats.

If you can competently grill over open flame, but need a bit of help doing the delicate ballet of food cook times, let GrillTime make it easier.

• $1.99 Download now

The Pit Pal

For the seasoned veteran of grilling, barbecuing, and smoking, the Pit Pal is going to be your new sidekick. With it, you can set up a dashboard with the name of your cookout, the type of cooker you are using, the food you are cooking, the temperature you want to reach, and more.

You can set up a timer within the app to remind you when it is time to check the meat. If you use a CyberQ WiFi Thermometer, you can connect it to this app and set up a notification to alert you when your food has reached a certain temperature.

All of your backyard cooking events will be saved for future reference so you can go back and see how long it took to get your grill the right temperature and your food cooked to perfection.

If you know your way around a grill, barbecue pit, or smoker, the Pit Pal will be your personal outdoor cooking journal.

• Free Download now

iDevices

If you have a connected grilling accessory by iDevice, like the iGrill Mini or iGrill2, you'll need the iDevice app to keep track of your cooking progress. When connected, you can select the type of meat and level of doneness. Then, stick the thermometer into the food and go watch the game, or drink the cocktails, or work on the car. The thermometer uses Bluetooth with a range of 150 feet and will send you a notification when your food has reached the correct internal temperature. Done, and done!

To be the ultimate tech griller, grab an iGrill2 or iGrill mini and the iDevices app and you'll be the talk of the neighborhood (for better or worse).

• Free - Download now

Your favorite?

Do you have a favorite go-to app for backyard grilling that we didn't mention? Let us know what it is and why you love it.

Updated June 2017: Updated the list with current top grilling utility apps.