The Backyard Beast 1200 gives you 1,220 square inches of cooking space, and with the sliding second rack in place that’s about 50 burgers, eight racks of baby backs, 126 wings or nine pork butts in one go. The 30 lb hopper runs about 30 hours straight, so a brisket started Friday night is still smoking when you get up.

The PID controller holds the temperature steady from 180°F for a long smoke up to 700°F for a sear. Set it from the push-button controls on the panel or from your phone through the recteq app, whichever is handier; the app’s there when you want it and the grill cooks the same without it.

Inside, the firepot is stainless steel with a cast iron heat deflector, a drip pan and two 1/4" stainless grates that won’t warp. Outside, it’s more stainless than you’d expect at this size, with polished bullhorn handles and a lid that wipes clean. The HotFlash ceramic igniter is built to light the grill over 100,000 times, so it’s one part you won’t be replacing.