Best Esbit Portable Folding Charcoal BBQ Grill with Carrying Bag Deals

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List Price: $89.99
Sale Price: $75.05
Today's Bonus: 17% Off

I bought the Esbit BBQ Box primarily for canoe camping trips with my fiancee. While we haven't taken it out in the canoe yet, I have had the opportunity to cook five meals with it.

I love this grill.

Set up is simple, there's enough space to cook a meal for two (a little creativity helps in arranging everything to fit), cleaning is super easy and it's smaller and lighter than my Cobb Grill.

The packaging is efficient (although my folding legs got a tiny bit bent in shipping: not enough to even worry about straightening), and the added touches of a charcoal bag and spare thumb screw are nice.

I might update this review when I've had a chance to try it with firewood as opposed to charcoal I really like this idea as we can save on the amount of charcoal we pack in.

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I have both this larger size and the smaller size which you can see on Esbit's website. Apparently, Esbit has chosen NOT to import the smaller version to the US, so I found one on eBay. The price for the smaller one is virtually the same that I paid for the larger one (which is why the importer told me over the phone that they didn't think it would sell too well in the US), but I'm a gadget guy, so I'm still satisfied. And the smaller one is really small, about 9"x6", barely enough for two burgers, but very portable. It's not a backpacker or minimalist unit though, due to weight. But the stainless steel construction is robust and the grill should last a long time if cared for.

The unit is very cleverly designed, a virtual scaled up copy of the classic Esbit tablet stoves (water boilers, really) that are popular among campers. And the idea translates pretty well ... I've cooked mostly hot dogs and hamburgers on it, and it gets the job done with a small amount of charcoal. One problem though, is that when cooking anything with significant fat content, the fat will drip down into the firebox on to the coals, and this makes the grill smoke like mad. I haven't had any flareups because of this, but the unit bears watching while in use just like any other charcoal grill. If anyone knows how to mitigate the smoke, leave a comment please. Of course, grilling lower fat items is one solution, and this heavy smoking did not occur with good quality hot dogs. But with burgers, you'll be visible for miles!

Cleanup is generally easy; you can help yourself by simply lining the firebox with a layer of aluminum foil before adding and lighting the coals. On the smaller unit, flipping the burgers generally resulted in some fat or juice hitting the sides and running down the outside of the firebox (inside the "wings"). This made cleanup a bit more difficult, and you may have the same problem on the larger unit offered here if you crowd the grill. Tongs are better than a spatula in this case, but cleanup is still not too problematic. The upper part screws on to the lower 'platform' for stability (this prevents the 'wings' from collapsing inward while in use). It is possible to move the unit while lit, but insulated gloves are necessary even when grasping the lower platform and the exercise still has some potential danger so I don't recommend it. If you trip or drop the grill, the coals will likely go all over, never a good thing at the campsite and even worse on your deck.

Some nice touches ... it includes a durable carrying bag and also includes a lined nylon bag that holds enough charcoal for one use. This smaller charcoal bag will fit inside the grill when it is folded, making a nice, self-contained package to bring to a picnic. It also includes some heavy plastic to enclose some individual parts and protect the unit from getting all scratched up while stored or transported. Esbit also gives you an extra thumbscrew (these are used to secure the unit to the platform base). And there is an included "tool" (really a heavy U-shaped and bent wire) that allows you to move the grilling surface higher or lower depending on how close to the coals you want the food.

Lastly, the unit suffers a bit in any significant wind. Better that you can find a sheltered place behind some type of windbreak while using it under these conditions. Nonetheless, since it cooks primarily due to direct heat, it still seems to work, albeit slower.

Overall, a well thought out, durable, portable grill that I would recommend and purchase again.

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I own the tiny Esbit pocket stove and like it for camping and emergency scenarios. This grill is essentially the same concept, but obviously much bigger. I like that concept, but the grill should be made of thicker metal sheets. Yeah, I get that doing so would add to the weight, but at least it won't always feel like it will cut my fingers. Also, be careful when opening/closing the grill.

This is probably the most portable grill that I have come across. It won't be my main grill, and I doubt it was designed to be anyone's main grill.