Following on from the ‘why’ thread.

We’ve just got a basic bucket type thing that’s been fine for a couple of years, but it’s a bit small for when we have a few people round.

What should we be looking for?
Decent makes?
What type?
How much do we need to spend?

Would prefer the charcoal type, don’t really fancy a gas one.
It’ll live in the garage when not in use, don’t really fancy building one.

Thanks in advance.

You want a kettle one. I don’t think the make matters but an ash catcher underneath is handy. Asda have good looking Weber clones for £40 I think.

I’ve had a Dancookfor a couple of years. It still looks great even after being left outside uncovered for several winters.

I use english charcoal with it which you can light with out and fuel so you get a lovely clean taste. The barbecue/charcoal works well and I never end up with charred on the outside/raw inside food.

Ta, just popping down to town so will have a look at what’s available. 🙂

Personally I’ve always preferred barrel style ones to round kettles, on some you can open the top all the way and use that as an extended grill if you’ve lots of people round and aren’t using it kettle stylee.

Hmmmm do we need to start another all encompassing BBQ thread, sorry for the thread Hijack – Rusty.

but

pebblebeach has raised a interesting point. I’ve always used what ever charcoal was available and I hate the quick lighting stuff or the use of any additional starter fuel, detracts from the taste.

So What Charcoal is best? and;

What beer to drink whilst lighting said BBQ, I opted for Brewdog IPA last night 😉

These are da rools:

Get one with a lid that air travels through from top to bottom and can be controlled.

Two levels is good.

avoid any chrome trimmings on the outside as they will rust quite quickly.

Can’t think of any others that are important. Plus a combination of charcoal and briquettes works well.

EDIT: Robert Dyas do one for £50 which works well, but does have chrome racks and legs

aren’t using it kettle stylee

After using our Weber kettle style with indirect heat for the first time last weekend, I will NEVER AGAIN use it the traditional way. There’s absolutely no comparsion. And it was way easier too.

So What Charcoal is best?

The english stuff I use, you can buy a low rent version of it in Morrisons which is perfectly acceptable, unfortunately you do have to go into morrisons to buy it though.

After using our Weber kettle style with indirect heat for the first time last weekend, I will NEVER AGAIN use it the traditional way. There’s absolutely no comparsion. And it was way easier too.

Different tools for different jobs, surely? I’d not cook steak that way for example.

I’d not cook steak that way for example.

Try it, you might change your mind! Until recently I swore by the super high heat school of steak cooking, but that’s only really successful with an expensive cut. I just put a rump steak on the grill, shut the lid and came back 20 odd mins later, the result was unbelievable. Quite different to a crispy grilled one mind, which I do still like of course.

I have tried it.

we had steak on the barbecue yesterday, 2-3 minutes each side, perfect. Wasn’t crisp at all.

I never end up with charred on the outside/raw inside food.

perfect. Wasn’t crisp at all.

We eat our steaks very differently!

We bought a cheap kettle BBQ years ago and love it.
We can section the coals off to the side, or in the middle depending on what we are cooking.
Whole chickens cooked in a baking tray on the centre of the grill with the coals to the side and the lid on are awesome. So much flavour.
We have a gas BBQ too (was left in the garage when we moved in), but only use it if we have a lot of people round.

Have to say that I’m not to bothered about the type of BBQ; as long as its cooked over charcoal and cooked well that’s all that’s needed.

I bought a cheap BBQ for £25 from B&Q, should last a few years with a decent cover.

I see that Able and Cole deliver the English Charcoal and a reasonable price…..nice.

Steakwise, I’ve always been a firm believer in super hot pan and just a few mins on each side, but then I went to La Grilla in Rome. Best steak ever, cooked more slowly and throughly in a hot oven, taste was amazing. But then they did have two butchered cows in chillers on view in the restaurant.

I have tried it.

Fair enough, I thought it was one of the outstanding steaks I’ve had, along with crispy high-heat sauteed and grilled ones.

No need to restrict yourself to one way.

So What Charcoal is best?

Supagrill Lumpwood Charcoal is very good. Can be bought from Coals2U but they have a minimum order quantity.

Weber. Expensive (they used to flog the medium size ones for $50 in the US), but now they are £100+. Still worth it, and if you keep them inside (after they have cooled down…), then they should last a while.

Can’t use mine as a neighbor creates such a fuss when we smoke the place out, so might get some of those hickory stick things that really smoke like crazy…

Medium Weber. I have the full size version and it’s a bit big for a family of 4. In fact I cooked for 10 the other day and something smaller would still have been OK. Used to have an Outlook gas BBQ. The Weber kettle cooking is much nicer. But you burn food on any BBQ 😆

We bought a cheap kettle BBQ years ago and love it.
We can section the coals off to the side, or in the middle depending on what we are cooking.
Whole chickens cooked in a baking tray on the centre of the grill with the coals to the side and the lid on are awesome. So much flavour.
We have a gas BBQ too (was left in the garage when we moved in), but only use it if we have a lot of people round.

This is the reason to get a kettle BBQ. The kitchen oven is now retired from roasting duties!

Incidentally we have left our Weber outside uncovered since we bought it, 3-4 years ago. It is not rusty.

This is how I roll….

Kettle Webber, lid on, coal in the corner, big joint smoking/cooking for 2-3 hours, constantly topping up coals…
Add chicken bits and cook them for about 30 min..

When the big joint’s done, take it off and leave it to ‘rest’ wrapped in foil, spread out the coals and cook ‘direct’ heat items such as steaks and char-grill the chicken bits.

Et voila – indirect and direct cooking on the trot!!

DrP

Who needs to buy a barbecue…

🙄 Oh dear!

Who needs to buy a barbecue…

You do bru, unless you are an imp or like to get a bad back bending over such a low slung braai. Nice boerewors though, piri piri?

But to the point in hand; 57cm Weber with a built in thermometer in the lid, get a chimney starter and a cover and you’ll have it for years

Ta for the replies folks.

towen – Member

Hmmmm do we need to start another all encompassing BBQ thread, sorry for the thread Hijack – Rusty.

Sorry 🙁
I just didn’t want to ruin the deeply philosophical nature of the previous thread with a consumerist, breadhead vibe.

Ok, been to look at various medium sized kettle style tings.

£50.00 for the generic Homebase type or £127.00 for the Weber?

The cynic in me says get the cheap one, but there’s no hard and fast rule for vfm 😀

So, Weber – all mouth and trousers or worth the extra?

FWIW, I love a bargain, but you can’t beat a nice, well made bit of kit if it offers a significant advantage in longevity and quality.

Lambchop, I had an Outback gas braai just out of the picture there, but it just sat rusting. Tried it a few times, but gas just isn’t the same as wood/charcoal. I’ll leave that to the aussies and poms, along with burger patties and pork sausages 😉

I prefer an Indian.

57cm Webber as above, it’s the true path.

and this

http://barbecuebible.com/

Mines 5 years old uncovered in the garden and still looks pretty new. NO rust and a quality item

What beer to drink whilst lighting said BBQ

😆 -cue images of a Homer Simpson style mushroom cloud 😆

Rusty – I wasn’t having a poke. Sorry it came across that way; was just enjoying the chance of a good BBQ thread, nothing beats a good BBQ except the ride before perhaps 😉 and the beer……. It’s all good

Rossi46 – or the ‘Men Behaving Badly’ BBQ next to the fence 😉

Get the medium One Touch Weber WITH the ash catcher. It makes all the difference.

Buy cheap, buy twice…

Quality is remembered long after price is forgotten.

My Weber is over 12 years old and still going strong!

It has had a couple of cheap covers that have blown away but it still looks good. You can buy spares if needed and they come with a 10 year warranty.

Mine has cost me less than 15 pence a week to own.

Weber 57″ for £109 here- http://www.wowbbq.co.uk/products/weber-one-touch-original-and-lid-thermometer-57cm–1341004.html includes free delivery.

Weber.

build your own smoker:

if you’ve got an old blue seal pie oven and a chip scuttle kicking about then you can make one like that.

Oh and for a more even smoke temperature line the bottom of your oven with rocks (ones from a night storage heater are good) or a big tray of sand as it’ll heat up during the hottest part of the process then leak out heat for that SLO0O0O0OW and LO0O0O0OW goodness!!

oh and charcoal, it HAS to be this: http://www.devoncharcoal.co.uk <– look at the “how to make” section.

@PebbleBeach – how do you get the charcoal lit without some form of starter? I’ve got a lighting chimney but still need something to get it going. Advice welcome…