This AI grill created a custom recipe and cooked my dinner for me
I've been testing the Brisk It Origin 580 AI smart grill just in time for barbecue season here in New York. This smart barbecue and smoker has produced some of the most flavorful chicken, ribs, and pork I've eaten. Dishes come out perfectly done thanks to the Origin's two smart temperature probes which monitor your proteins and automatically lowers or raises temperatures as meals progress through each step.
This grill connects to your Wi-Fi network so that you can keep an eye on your cooks remotely whether you head back into the house or step out into town.
But the real showstopper is Vera AI, which generates custom recipes on the fly and walks you through each step of the cook, making it the smartest among the best grills.
Brisk It Origin 580 review: Design and app
The Origin 580 looks like your standard wood pellet grill and smoker with a 22-pound hopper on the left-hand side, 580 square inches of space in the cabin, and a maximum temperature of 500 degrees Fahrenheit. It has a basic display panel on the left-hand side which you can control with a metal knob. This is your basic command center for cycling through actions like priming the auger, dialing in temperatures, and scrolling through cook presets in real-time.
The real meat of the experience comes from the BriskIt smartphone app which can control your grill, show you recipes that you can send to it, and provide access to Vera AI. The AI is accessible via the orange circle icon from the grill controls which you can see in the picture all the way to the right below.
Brisk It Origin 580 review: Vera AI
Vera's generative AI assists your cook through an interface like that of a ChatBot. You just type your query as naturally as you would text a friend to begin. This is most helpful for generating custom recipes. For example, I was limited on ingredients and time, so I asked Vera AI what to do with a two-pound pork loin I had sitting in the fridge. But I specified I only had four hours until dinner and access to basic ingredients.
Within seconds Vera AI generated a simple smoked barbecue pork loin and plan of attack how to cook it on the fly. With a press, I sent this to the grill to automate each step. While this is helpful if you're looking to achieve certain flavors, this is especially great if you have dietary restrictions like needing to avoid specific ingredients like nuts or want to make a dish keto-friendly.
Brisk It Origin 580 review: Performance
Of course, I had to season the meat, prime the auger, and set the pork on the grate. But from that point on, the process was streamlined enough to be almost entirely hands-off. The AI automatically moves you along steps like setting the temperature, raising the internal temperature to the desired doneness over a few hours, and then raising the heat once you return the meat to the grill after coating it.
In fact I stepped out for some errands and received a notification from the other side of town that the pork had hit its 145-degree internal temperature target. The grill regulated itself to keep the pork warm while I sent my dad a text to pull out the meat, coat it in sauce, and place it back on for the grill. Once he closed the hood, the Origin continued to take care of the rest up until the end where it even had a cooldown period. This makes everything especially easy if you're a beginner.
Throughout cooking, the Origin kicked its fan on and off every few seconds with minimal drops or spikes in temperature for a consistent doneness and smokey coating. Once complete, we were left with a deliciously woody yet sweet pork loin with a crispy exterior. But on the inside, the pork remained juicy and sweet like a ham.
Brisk It Origin 580 review: Verdict
Considering that the amount of hands-on time was under 10 minutes total for seasoning and quickly taking out the cut to coat it in sauce, this technology is seriously impressive. It's almost as easy as using one of the best air fryers with some light prep work and throwing your food in.
But it's especially helpful as recipes become more complex reminding you of basting and foiling to ensure the tastiest outcome. It's great to be able to throw on some BBQ chicken or pork then go about your day without worrying about your food and checking on it at a glance.
I plan on using the Brisk It Origin 580 much more this summer for ribs, brisket, and other tasty smoked meats, so stay tuned for more. But I'm already a fan of the results.
