Looking past that, the app doesn’t give you any kind of prediction when the meat is done like other smart meters. Which seems like a pretty standard thing these days. This app fails all the time. There will be times I will go to open it, and it will just automatically shut itself down. Like if you leave the open for an hour or two or more. Now suddenly, my woodwind 24 is no longer sending notifications so I have no idea when the meat is done and I keep having to just check the app when I remember. Ask me how that worked out my brisket for Labor Day. The bottom line is it’s pretty disappointing. When you spend this amount of money on a product that works so flawlessly but the technology that comes with it is nowhere near close. I would invest some money in R&D and try to get your app more on par with Meater. Yes, I understand I can use that thermometer, but I should be able to use the ones that come with the device. Beyond that, this is a superior machine. I got the sidekick with the seer box which heats up in a matter of seconds. It’s not a very even seer, though, which is more more of a box I guess. It doesn’t put a flat sear on the meat like it would a pan or a griddle. I didn’t know a lot about smokers when I started buying them, but I was intrigued with Camp Chef warranty and they’re willing to stand behind their product. I just wish they invested a little more in the smart stuff.
My woodwind pro 36 does it all? Between the Wi-Fi connection the versatility of temperature control, smoke control, and being able to do it while I’m walking the isles of a grocery store with my wife is phenomenal. The smoker has been well engineered. Well thought out and is the perfect addition to any backyard barbecue enthusiast. I absolutely love this smoker! I went from a Walmart brand Traeger to a Camp Chef and never regretted a minute of it. I know every opinion is open for debate. I’ve been smoking for quite some time and love the additions that Camp Chef has made to the woodwind pro series! I’ve done two turkeys at a time. Six chickens at a time, multiple racks of baby back ribs at a time, 2 briskets at a time, and much more. This thing gives a perfect flavor of smoke, convenience, and versatility that I was looking for. well done Camp Chef your engineers need a pat on the back! Thank you for some of the most memorable family get-togethers I’ve ever had! Love your products!
My first cook was an overnight pork shoulder. The smoker seemed to start connected to both WiFi and Bluetooth pretty reliably. But about 20% of the time I'd open the app to check on temps, the app would just close suddenly. No big deal, reopen and try again. Small annoyance. The real annoyance was the prone temp display in the app. When I hit about the 140s (and stall), the temp in the app read "1..." as if the font was too large to display the digits. I would have to open the graph (nice feature though) and scroll to the most recent reading and see the temp there. Major oversight on the app creator to not test the display to make sure all digits fit on the screen. Those are my two gripes with the app. Otherwise, I'd call it maybe too simple. There's room for improvement for sure. Such as if you're not using the second probe, don't display the blank data that just takes up screen space. I'm nitpicking, but this is an honest review. The smoker works great otherwise!
So the app used to have problems setting goal temps, that has been fixed months ago and I use the smoker at least weekly. When it did have a lot of issues disconnecting from wifi, it was because my router was set to roaming, which disconnects devices that have a poor signal, and so my router was kicking my smoker offline. 0 issues after I turned that off. The smoker could have a better antenna for the wifi and I think that would solve most problems. The app does crash randomly sometimes and I need to reopen. It would be nice if there was functionality for changing the chamber temp at a set internal temp. Edit: August 10, 2024. The smoker had an update, it thinks it is connected to WiFi but it is not. You can’t set probe names or temps with Bluetooth. App is almost completely useless.
I like the Camp Chef grill app. It’s really complete but my only gripe is that there is not a manually check for update option. This would complete the app. Also a secondary Wi-Fi connection would be great in case of drop from primary connection and would pickup on the secondary. Also it would be nice if there was an option to add other 3rd party meat thermometers so that during a cooking a person would have the option of more than 4 probes. Those function would be really big. Probably one of the big features missing is that there is not a Apple Watch app to keep you connected. My Weber app has Apple Watch app and it kept me connected even when i didn’t have my phone. With the investment that should be available for the customer. This is a need! Make sure it the watch app allows notification chimes and vibration so that if you don’t hear the watch chime you get the vibration to your wrist.
I really wanted to like this thing, but every single time I smoke there is an update. Which delays my start time. And half the time there is a function on the app not working. Either it drops connectivity or the probe “desired temp” settings don’t work. The grill is great and I really like it, but unfortunately the extra money I spent on the wifi option sours the whole experience. Too bad. Update: I’m smoking a brisket overnight and the app keeps crashing. It only connects when I’m close to the grill (like Bluetooth) but doesn’t at all act like a wifi connection. I have no way of monitoring the smoke from my bed… which means I must get up every 3 hours. Again, worst wifi app I’ve used in a long time. Buy a traeger
My Camp Chef Woodwind Pro Wifi is an amazing smoker. I made brisket on it last weekend and it turned out amazing. That being said, while the smoker is amazing and has few flaws, the app is literally the WORST. The whole point of this $1500 smoker is that it can be monitored and controlled over wifi. Guess what the app doesn't do.. it doesn't connect to wifi. I can only load my smoker settings on the app if I'm within 30 feet of the smoker, which means it's only connecting via Bluetooth. Once I am outside that range, I get an error message upon connection. The app does the ABSOLUTE BARE MINIMUM. I can see my temp and smoke and I can adjust my temp and smoke only if I am within range of Bluetooth. Not only that, but I cannot set the meat probe to a specific temp to notify me once my internal temp is at goal. What is the point of this app if its only capabilities don't function? Camp chef better get their act together!
Probe goals still broken on 2.5.5, I can’t save an alarm! Update: Had to uninstall and reinstall the same app version to get probe goals working again. Now the app blows up and quits when you check the temp. Try restarting the app and it can find the grill, but has now lost the probe, lost the temp, and lost the smoke level. Hire some Q&A before you totally destroy this application and drive us to other grill makers! “Error grill not running” is an invalid message. No error, it’s either in Startup or Shutdown mode. App should be smart enough to know which state it’s in and report it correctly. Set a probe temperature and then later want to delete it, how?! Another software fail: Set a temperature alarm. When the probe gets to that Temperature, no alarm triggers. If your not dutifully staring at the app, your meat gets overcooked. No message, alarm, nothing but the red temp.
The app is great when it works. Most of the time it won’t connect 4 feet away on Bluetooth or even 20 feet away from a Wi-Fi connection. I understand that is probably due to the antenna inside the device, but a quick google of issues with these units and it’s apparent that I am not alone with this problem. The app is one of the primary features that sold me on this device. So, I am obviously disappointed in it. Add to that the fact that the unit rusted out after two years in the same location, my Traeger lasted 12 years and I will never buy another Camp Chef again.
Having trouble navigating the app, it’s not very logical. Hamburger menu button seems to be decorative as it is non functioning. Connection to my device is difficult, and has to be done every time I want to use the grill. By connecting I mean, complete set up. The dial on the grill doesn’t seem to allow for a temperature change as pushing it changes a menu option and turning it does the same. One is forced to go through the app which works marginally, in order to gain control of temperature, smoke level, etc. By them time all of these issues are worked out it’s time to go to bed. An afternoon barbecue gets preempted before food goes bad waiting. Disappointed.
The biggest point of having the app for me is for letting me know what temps my food is at without staring at the app or the grill, but even though the latest update states that it fixed an issue setting goal temps, it hasn’t been fixed. I used to be able to set goals with a bit of fiddling, now it doesn’t at all, so i either have to watch the app or watch the grill. Added info: I’m able to set goal temps now after deleting and reinstalling the app, however, now I do not get notifications, regardless of the settings in the app or in my phone, so it’s still useless.
Had the apex 24 for about 1.5 years now. I have a couple issues with it. The grill build quality is average at best there some issues with screws not threading and also a few manufactured holes in the chamber that leak grease down the legs unless you clean it out every cook. The app is also problematic for long range monitoring. I often have to close and relaunch the app to get any probe updates. And the temperatures controls seem buggy whenever I select the low or high smoke presets.
The app is set up to easily allow remote control smoker settings and monitoring of meat and smoker temperatures. It also suggests cooking and final meat temps which can be helpful. My only complaint is that when the meat is done I often don’t hear the notification go off on my phone and have overcooked meats several times. I wish it would sound a loud alarm when final meat temps are achieved. I have looked in the settings section of my iPhone and in the app and I cannot figure out how to change that.
Controls the temperature and smoke level fine but the menus to set probe target temperatures and probe names never work. If you enter a manual probe name/target temp and confirm them it doesn’t take. I also wish I could adjust the “low temperature” and “high temperature” warning thresholds because it will ping my phone constantly when at smoke level 10, even though it always comes back within range within 5 minutes or so. They could also add more default options for target probe temperatures. Ribs aren’t listed at all, for example.
Not sure why updates for this app do more harm then good. Now temp goals don’t work and the graph is nowhere to be found. The graph helps track cooks and monitors temp so it’s pretty important and I use every single cook. Also my WiFi simply will not work though it says connected. If I walk far enough away it has problems connecting. I prefer WiFi over Bluetooth so in times past I would turn off my phone Bluetooth to force it to WiFi. Well now it makes it so the grill is undiscoverable. Based off comments you can see others get very disappointed that one issue gets fixed and more are made with each update.
Own the windwood 36 with side burner, also on the double burner stand with pizza oven. Have at least 36 bags of pellets remaining. Replace controller the first year on original grill. This grill is kept on a dry deck, weatherproof and rusted at bottom side. Camp Chef did replace this grill. Second grill replace controller on it the first year also. Continuous issues with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Even today a swing of 50+ degrees smoking at 225. if you want customer service do not cook on a weekend there is none. if you do register customer service expect a minimum of one week for response. I thought with this American made company I was doing the right thing. I will not repeat and do not recommend. Sorry, Camp Chef.
It was a bit difficult to get past the firmware updates and initial installation. Once it was done and synchronized with my phone it worked great! You have 4 probes to track internal temps and heat presets for various types of meat and cooking temps. The graphing feature shows you thermal changes by the minute alongside the internal temperature probe info. It would be helpful if you could turn the unit on with the app, but otherwise it’s a solid feature for grilling and smoking.
This app is rock solid. It does exactly what it advertises it can do. It’s easy to get registered and connected with your grill. The interface is intuitive. You can control everything going on with your grill from your phone and see realtime updates of your cooks complete with graphs. My guess is that the bad reviews really struggle with technology because we are loving the grill and the app.
Networking isn’t complicated and neither is app testing. Egregious failures that invalidates the entire point of purchasing a camp chef grill. Unbelievable a company would accept an ill functioning piece of their product severing key features from customers. Would never buy another camp chef product again. The app has been unacceptably broken for years but “as long as the grill still smokes” they continue to deem it a viable product. Stop cheaping out on the wifi controller, app development, and worst of all your unreliable cloud-based MQTT broker for controlling these grills. A lone customer shouldn’t be able to do better on their own. Earn your usefulness.
I’m sad to say that Camp Chef really missed the mark with their app. The smoker is great but the app is poorly designed and buggy. The one thing that is does do alright is allow you to see and adjust the grill temp. However it frequently disconnects and you must kill and restart the app to reconnect. Camp Chef could learn a thing or to by looking at the competition’s apps. Update: I honestly hate this app. Since the last update, it will no longer connect to my grill. I’ve tried everything suggested in the forums but it just hangs at “establishing connection”. I swear I’m ready to ditch this whole unit and try a different brand.
The set a temp and name a probe now does not work, even after a recent update. App control and grilling awareness was a major selling point when I bought this. If they cannot get their development in line, this will be the last camp chef product I buy. Other than maintenance, there have not been major upgrades to the app since purchasing, so why can they not get this fixed? My guess- they sold the product, now they don’t care.
The app just updated and the firmware just updated today. In previous versions I could pull up the probe chart and now I cannot. This is perfect for looking back on total cook time but now is not available. Not sure what changed, but this is a serious flaw in being able to track current cooking times and temperature charts. I see that there is now a history section but of course it isn’t current. Cam Chef, please fix this. The old app and grill firmware were way better and provided so much more.
Hey Campchef since last update mobile app will not keep up with grill previously had .5 seconds updates now will freeze temp and will not refresh until you close app and open again also no longer keeps previous cooks in history to monitor temps and smoke levels. Thanks liked previous version better
I’ve given this app several chances. I’ve followed all of the FAQ suggestions. I’ve dealt with tech support. You’ll get it connected eventually, but it’s going to drop connection on 9/10 cooks. There is nothing worse than waking up in the morning to a pellet grill that flamed out on an overnight cook when the app is supposed to alert you when it happens. Get a Traeger instead. Or save your money and get a camp chef without the useless WiFi connectivity and buy a Meater thermometer. Huge waste of money to buy anything app or WiFi related by camp chef. I wish I could give this zero stars.
Design is nice, but constantly disconnects from grill
The app has nice features, but they’re not any good use as the app has gotten worse in reliability over the last few years (I’ve been using since 2020). I have to constantly restart the app despite a strong WiFi connection. Notifications sometimes work, sometimes don’t. Not ideal when you try to do overnight smoke and can’t check status on phone vs having to go to the grill as designed.
The app used to work great on my phone and then something changed now it’s always having trouble connecting it will say device found connecting but three or four hours later it still trying to connect on top of that you can’t exit off of that screen you can only reset your phone to make it stop trying. also keeps saying it needs to update but yet there’s no update I’ve tried deleting the app and going back to the App Store and reloading it but nothing changed Tried everything still no luck connecting
The grill regularly drops connectivity to the WiFi despite being very close to the router. I’ve also been having problems getting the probe target temps to stick which means I don’t get the notifications when I’m getting close. However when things do work, it’s very convenient. Unfortunately it’s rare when I get through an entire cook and everything. Stays connected and works properly.
Recently installed the latest app update and the WiFi connection does not work. Additionally, the probe temp does not read on the app. It works on the smoker display but not on my phone. It says it’s connected to my network but when I shut off Bluetooth it says it’s offline all together. The reason I bought my Camp Chef was for the connectivity. I used to be able to set it, and periodically check temp, timer, smoke levels, etc while in other parts of house or yard. Now unless I’m within 10 feet of the unit I cannot. This needs to get fixed ASAP
I dint believe I ever gave this app 5 stars, and I can’t change that for some reason, more like 3.5 stars because: Seems like the connection problems are better. There’s a standard alarm to time a cook, which isn’t really anything special because I set them on my phone where it’s easier, how bout adding an audio alarm for the meat probes so we don’t have to keep watching the app to see if they hit temp??
I’ve used Camp Chef pellet smokers for over 10 years. I love the features and the customer support. I replaced the manual controller 3 years ago with the WiFi controller. And, the controller and app worked perfectly back then. Unfortunately it’s gone downhill since then. The app will show the current grill and probe temperature and will allow setting the temperature/smoke. However, it won’t let me set and save the desired probe temperatures. It no longer connects via WiFi, only via Bluetooth. Both app and grill are connected to the same network but app won’t recognize the grill and errors out. Means to monitor the grill, you have to be in Bluetooth range. No monitoring anymore when away from home — this previously worked.
Wifi won’t connect to three different routers using 2.4ghz. Type password incorrect and it tells me the password is wrong so it is communicating with the router but when the password is correct it spins for awhile and times out. Garbage and it is too bad because the rest of the woodwind pro is very solid and I love the product. Put a firmware upgrade out that fixes this please. I can connect to my phone hotspot long enough to get firmware updates. Too much money for a pellet grill if a standard feature in 2024 will not work.
This app is just okay. You can change temp and smoke setting and initiate shutdown, but the temperature set for the probes doesn’t work. At all. And hasn’t for several months. You have to physically check the probe temp on the app to know where you’re at; it used to set and notify you when you were getting close and hit your temps. Feature doesn’t work anymore.
Was experiencing all the same issues on this app everyone else has complained about and finally just deleted the app and downloaded it again. I didn’t lose any of my logs and everything seems to now be working at least as well as it used to.
Unfortunately the app is no longer worth using. The WiFi feature never connects and I have to be in close proximity via Bluetooth. The cool graph is no a small thumbnail that is illegible. The probe label and temperature setting for each probe no longer works. The only thing that seems to work, is the temp and smoke level. The app used to work great, but updates have rendered it an app that just takes up room on my phone. Come on Camp Chef…do better!
Temp notifications on the app notifies me that the grill is at desired temperature (either after Start Up is complete, or when changing the temperature (higher), when in fact, the notification is at least ten degrees lower than the readout on the controller. I deleted the app and reinstalled it, but that did mot correct the issue. Perhaps an update to the app is due.
I’ve had my Woodwind for about two years now and have issues with it every time I use it. Sometimes it gets stuck in starting mode and the temperature spikes and the only way to stop it is to unplug it and start over again. Sometimes that works. Other times it doesn’t come close to holding the temperature. When it does work, I like it. But the guessing game of what happens when I start it is getting old.
Love the smoker but the app is just ok and has been buggy since I started using in 6 months ago. First when I tried to set the probes to the meat they were in it wouldn’t save. Tried multiple times and it didn’t “stick”. Then I tried to rename the probes and that didn’t work either. Lately when I rename the probes I put a name in one probe and it shows up for another. Many other bugs but this review is already too long.
Keep stack clean, empty pellets, don’t let grease buildup, dont wash external probes before use because of moisture internal, care for probes otherwise they short out the microcontroller 5v supply and mess with display and other things, basic maintenance and its a fantastic grill wouldn’t buy another have one of the first production grills lovin it
When I first got my woodwind Wi-Fi 24 it worked really well. Several updates since then and now it tends to disconnect from the app and not let me pull it up to see what temperature it’s at however, it’s still constantly pings my phone with notifications about temperature swings. I don’t know how it can ping my phone with temperature swings, but it won’t let me actually view the data in the app saying not connected.
Looked for other aves to contact CC directly but links just went to their full retail site. Up until this last cook, I’ve been nothing but pleased by the app’s interface, so my assumption is something is messed up in v14.9.6. I was doing an overnight cook and after starting it up and placing a probe, I couldn’t set a Target Temp for my probe. Tried resetting, reloading app and no luck. Ended up having to set manual phone alarms to wake and check meat temp. Happy early Easter all, hope your dinners and day are delicious!
As of August 2024, it no longer possible to set probe names and temperatures so the app is almost useless. App will use Bluetooth even though grill says it is connected to WiFi. After a flameout, restarted grill, and the app will tell me it is connected and display valid data but as soon as you loose focus or short time the app pops up the flameout screen again and the only way to reconnect is to exit app and reconnect. I am sure if I cut the power to the grill it would work as expected but I am in the middle of a cook.
I’m not sure if other reviews are from old versions or I’ve just been lucky, but I felt the need to say I was pleasantly surprised at how well the app works for me after seeing how many people gave negative reviews. Notifications work, temperature settings work, so far so good.
I’m kind of disappointed flash fires are common still can’t get it paired to my phone but I have a bbq business and thought it would allow me more time away from it instead I’m having to sit near it just in case of flare up. I keep clean but I do after every cooking and the grease pail barely has any in it guess I was expecting something different. I use 2 wood burning pits so I’m not using something that I bought to incorporate into our work
I just upgraded my camp chef dlx 24 pellet grill panel. It works and connects on occasion but when I open the app to check the status it says error even though I get a few notifications. Really pisses me off that I spent over $200 on this panel for it to pretty much do what the standard one does. I have to be standing right next to it and turn the grill on and off over and over until it connects. Then open the app while I’m not home it says error. What gives? I want it fixed or a refund.
I usually do not write about nor give bad reviews. However, camp chef app seem to been unreliable for me. Maybe it has something to do with connection issues. During my long over night cook I was not getting probe notifications nor did the probe seem to be working correctly. Had to pull out the ol’ reliable thermo pen. Just not happy with how notifications were not coming through when setting a probe for doneness.
The grill is fantastic and the app is a good compliment to the start pellet grills. I like setting temperature thresholds for the probes and getting alerts when they are getting near or are reached. The rich data and history of cooking sessions helps perfect future cooks. Downside: The app seems to crash a lot when switching over to it. Seems like this should be easy to address.
This app has been rather buggy in the time I’ve used it over the past couple of years. They seem to fix one bug and introduce another. The only thing that seems to work somewhat reliably is the temperature readout. Everything else, good luck. For example… the latest bug is that you’re supposed to be able to set a goal temperature so the app will alert you when the probe hits that temperature. But attempting to set a goal temperature does absolutely nothing.
The app will grab data and then not update, the screen freezes. Even when it was working, there should be an alarm on the temp rather than just a timer. I have had several issues with the app this summer although it seemed to work better last year. Not sure if the software update 6 months ago was the issue, or the grill firmware update, or if has to do with apple updates.
Just when I thought the app was perfect. All the connectivity issues were resolved. A new log feature, which showed my cook, the temp readings on the sensors, and letting me take notes That I found to be perfect for keeping track of all of my smoking. Now I’m running into connectivity issues again, and the log feature is gone.
The grill is great but the app not so much. They need to hurry up and fix there app issues or start issuing refunds or returning grills. The app is glitchy and sometimes you have to close it out and reopen to be able to change temps. As far as probe set goal doesn’t work at all even after they said they fixed it. If that doesn’t get fixed soon they need to give me my money back as that was one of the main features that I spent extra money on this grill to have
The Camp Chef app introduces a bold, new convenient way to cook outdoors. Control your grill from your phone Tastiness if only a tap away! Use the Camp Chef app to connect to your WIFI/Bluetooth enabled pellet grill. You’ll be able to set and monitor temperatures, adjust smoke levels, and shut down your grill from your mobile device. Monitor your cook Actively monitor the temperature of your grill and meat probes on your phone. Set and enable pop-up notifications for grill timers or once meat probe goal temperatures have been met. Have the ability to connect and monitor your grill from anywhere, as if you were standing beside your grill. Your data stored on all your devices By creating an account through the Camp Chef app, your grill’s cook data is available to you at all times on all your mobile devices. Seamlessly switch between multiple Camp Chef grills. Historical cook graphs (coming soon) will allow you to view the results of a specific cook over time. These graphs will grant you access to information and insights allowing you to view what went well and what you would change. Robust help and support (Coming soon.) Access questions and answers by viewing various FAQ and how-to articles right from the app. Explore topics such as grill maintenance and care, optimal cook temperatures for certain meats, and much more! Setup your Camp Chef grill Use the app to connect your Camp Chef pellet grill to your local WIFI network, pair with Bluetooth, and more.
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