Grills

I’m changing the tone here, dear readers. Let’s talk about grills. Sure I’d love one of those huge Ducane built-ins right off the kitchen on the patio, with built-in frig and wine frig. But I live in an urban environment where it’s illegal to grill anything on site, except down in the fireplace area where there are two grills for use by us “lofties.”

Let’s see, main criteria are: ease of use; portability; and easy to clean.

For years I had a full-sized (in terms of grilling space, not height) Smoky Joe that I loved. Still can’t believe I gave it away five years ago when we moved to Texas. The handle held the top on and it was easy to toss in the back of the Jeep with hardwood charcoal, chimney and newspaper, food, tools and go to the beach for a cookout. Even better, if I placed the top on and closed the vents, it was cold 20 minutes after cooking and ready to transport home. The only downside to this incredibly affordable Weber is that the grate position cannot be changed and you really need to open all the vents and use the cover to finish cooking food like steaks or chicken, making it more like an oven. This was the grill we used to feed 20-30 people at our local park every July 4th and it brings back wonderful memories.

A couple of years ago we bought a Coleman Road Trip grill for about $100. It uses small propane tanks and folds up like traveling luggage with wheels so it can be toted anywhere. The cooking plates are easy to clean especially if you have a deep or wide sink so they can be soaked before scrubbing. The plates are mostly solid, however, so sometimes food tends to steam rather than grill. It works well for our lifestyle, however.

When living in California, we had a large deck so splurged and got a Uniflame gas grill with four burners and a side burner. It had cast iron grill plates and we used it nearly every night. One winter evening we burned a whole canister of propane using it as a heater to keep us and our dinner guests warm! But with living in 1,000 sf in the big city, we chose to give it to cousin Val the Vet (Zoe’s surgeon). It was a $300 grill and I would buy one again in a heartbeat if we had the big yard and patio and an environment that wasn’t 100 degrees and 98% humidity for the six “normal” grilling months per year.

I bought the Smoky Joe pre-Jim, and didn’t do any serious research but lucked out. For the Uniflame and Coleman, Jim, who could be a professional internet shopper, checked out Consumer Reports and priced it online and at every store in the area. Yes, he can spend six hours researching a $100 purchase which is part of why I love him but sometimes he drives me crazy! So these were informed purchases that hopefully you might consider for your needs. But not if you have the Ducane setup out back…. Happy grilling! Dee