This little grill gadget has a one track mind
Hi, my name is Andrew Gebhart for CNet.
Today I'm here to talk about the Quirky + GE Refuel.
The Refuel is a connected sensor.
It lets you know via Quirky's Wink app how much propane the tank for your gas grill has.
And you can check on that anywhere.
Here's how it works.
You set your propane tank on top of this donut shaped piece.
Connect it to this hockey puck shaped piece.
Then, use the app on your phone to connect this thing to your WiFi router.
Once you're connected, you're going tell the wink app what the terraweight of your propane tank is.
The terraweight is what the propane tank would weigh if it didn't have any gas in it.
This doughnut piece is then going to weigh your tank, subtract your terraweight, and tell you how much out of the standard 20 pound of propane your tank has left in it.
The app will keep you up to date on your tank status.
If you don't have your phone on you, you can actually also check on your tank just by tapping on this sensor.
So the setup is simple, and the device is cool.
The cord that you use to attach is heat resistant, and the sensor is magnetic.
You could also customize the app to send you alerts when the tank if half full or quarter full, and it'll send you push notifications or emails.
That said, for a smart device, this thing is pretty simple.
Lots of other smart gadgets have hidden features.
This one doesn't.
It weighs your tank.
So the refuel is pretty excessive if you're comfortable with picking up the tank and telling how much fuel is in there plus lots of grills come with gauges for knowing where your level is at.
Not to mention the dozens of products you can get on amazon for 10 dollars or 20 dollars that measure gas pressure and tell you the same thing.
To top if off, this thing will only work with standard 20-pound propane tanks.
So, if you have an unusual setup at all or a hanging propane tank, this won't work for you.
Given its limitations and a number of other things that do the exact same function, the amount of people that are gonna find this useful is pretty small.
That said, it only promises to do one thing, and it does that one thing well.
I mentioned other sensors cost $10 or $20.
Well, this one's only $30 and it adds connectivity.
So sure, the device is frivolous, and unlike many other smart devices, it does not have the capacity to wow you in any way.
But for those couple of times a year when you're out shopping and you don't remember how much fuel you have, you might find it worth the convenience to be able pull out your phone and check.
For cnet, I'm Andrew Gephart.
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