Reviews of Brinkmann 810-5301-6 Charcoal Grill and Smoker, Black

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $119.78
Sale Price: $74.86
Today's Bonus: 38% Off

Let me start off by saying I bought this because it was cheap, so I did not have great expectations for it. It was more something to start off with until I get my big one. Having said that, it is good for what you pay. Since you are probably wondering what the biggest issues will be, let me explain the issues I have had with it:

1. The bowl that holds the charcoal is too shallow, and there is no grate provided to allow ashes to drop. That means when you want to smoke a brisket right (i.e. 10+ hours), the coals will suffocate in their own ashes and the temperature will drop too low. I have remedied this problem by installing my own makeshift grate which allows the ashes to sift to the bottom. But, since it is shallow, it limits the total cook time you have until the ashes pile up and suffocate the coals anyway.

2. The little door on the side that allows you access to the smoker without opening the lid is entirely too small for its intended purpose. This means when you need to add wood or charcoal, there is really no way to add it evenly or quickly. I have had to resort to using tongs, heat-resistant gloves, and throwing the charcoal in order to get it evenly dispersed. Further adding to the frustration is trying to add water to the water bowl. It sits well to the top of the door, so there is no effective way to pour water in. I have resulted to using a folded paper plate to funnel the water to the bowl.

3. Limited access to the meat. If you have a full smoker going, the top rack actually blocks access to the stuff you have underneath. That means if you have anything on the top rack, there is no real way to get to what is underneath if you want to turn it, baste it, or anything else. That also means that if you have any mopping sauce etc. to add to anything on the bottom, there isn't any way to do it evenly. Further, if you do want to baste anything using the water bowl mixture, you will have to open the side door and use a baster to suck up the liquid, then go through the open top to apply it.

So, like the title says, don't expect too much. This is a great little smoker for small jobs, especially for the price, but don't expect to get any serious smoking done with it.

P.S. cleaning this thing can be dangerous. The metal supports that hold up the bowls/racks are really sharp.

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Although, I have to use more charcoal than recommended amd some work is required to assemble, it still deserves 5 stars. It won't cook hot enough without a nearly full basin of charcoal, at the start. I do understand that smokers cook at lower temps, but it's just too slow without a good amount of charcoal. Cheapo charcoal doesn't work so well with this one, unless you are cooking burgers, steaks or hot dogs only. This is especially true if you are cooking a lot of meat and using both racks. I like having the nice size door because it's possible to turn over the meat you are slow smoking (with a very long tong) on the second rack, without having to remove the lid and the top cooking rack, but in doing so, you really need to be careful. If needed, you can use the door to add more charcoal/woodchips. The reason this grill is my all time favorite; the meat gets so tender, and there's no burn char. It browns and gets a delicious color, nice smokey flavor, but no burned areas. No charcoal residue gets on your meat. I don't use a water pan. This is a slow way to cook, but you don't have to constantly watch over your meat. I find when I get a good, even smoke going, only have to turn the meat once. Really, I can go cook my side dishes without running out to check on the meat every 10 minutes. Flare ups are rare. Healthy size slabs of ribs takes about 3 1/2 hours to cook. Best to cook burgers and hot dogs first, as soon as the charcoal is ready, without the lid on...after they are done, I put on the ribs and let them slow smoke.

I don't know where they get that 50 lbs of meat from. Each rack holds approx., 1 large St Louis style ribs with tip attached or 2 baby back slabs or 2 chickens or 5 nice size steaks. It will smoke a 12 to 18 pound turkey and each rack will easily hold 3 lbs of hot dogs or sausage or 10 midsize burgers.

UPDATE: I can attest, this smoker cooks up tender, moist and....evenly cooked meats, without vents. Never a need to place your meat into a low temp oven to finish cooking and tender up. No. The meat is lip smacking good, evenly cooked, beautiful color, and tender moist, right off this smoker.

Yes, it has an open bottom area for the charcoal pan...makes for easier cleanups. The pan covers the bottom of the smoker. The smoke rises up through your meat and delivers smokey flavor. I use a, whiskey oak/hickory blend, of chips. That smoke flavor is in every delicious bite, okay. Once the charcoal is well ashed over and burned down some, you will not have flareups as long as the lid is properly fitted down into the barrel.

I add about 8 briquettes for every 1 1/2 hours of smoking, for the amount I cook. I start bone down and only, turn my meat once. You don't have to monitor temps. It's not necessary. Once you get a good smoke going, this smoker holds it's temp. With experience, you begin to know how many briquettes to add for the amount of meat you are smoking. Old fashioned, Kingsford's charcoal and water soaked wood chips, works best. Matchlight is convenient, but it burns too fast and you can't use it as "add to" charcoal because of the lighter fluid infused into it.

The only person I would not recommend this smoker for....someone that wants to cook up a lot of meat at one time. It doesn't handle a lot of meat, very well. I wish the cooking grate was 22", but it's closer to 18" It is not as durable as Weber's Smokey Mountain, but it's also about 1/5 the price.

I'm just replacing mine. It never developed any inside rust, just a little on the outside after 13 years and I was not nice to my smoker. With care, this Brinkmann's will last a good 15 years. It's constructed of a heavier gauge steel. Over time, the thermometer may fall out, unless you seal it. I never paid attention to the temp readings anyway ( I focus on how my charcoal is burning) and when mine fell out, I plugged the area with aluminum foil.

My father was real old school. His, was an open grill was on a tripod; no lid, no hood, no vents, or thermometer. All he had was a spray bottle for flare ups, a big basting brush and some heavy duty foil. He'd sit there and baby that meat for hours and clamp a foil tent over the entire, meat filled, grate. His, were some of the smoked best ribs you'd ever sink your teeth into.

Best Deals for Brinkmann 810-5301-6 Charcoal Grill and Smoker, Black

It won't get hot enough if you use the charcoal in the pan as directed. I drilled a bunch of holes all over the pan to get some airflow through the charcoal. Works great now.

Honest reviews on Brinkmann 810-5301-6 Charcoal Grill and Smoker, Black

I have been reading these reviews and after seeing all the recommended modifications, I would have changed my mind and I would never buy this smoker thinking that it will never function properly. With that being said, I have actually had this smoker for over a year and cooked right out of the box (No Mods) with excellent results. On the last 4th of July, I had smoked 40 pounds of pork butt all at once for 13 hours. They melted in your mouth!

So let's get real. This is an entry level smoker. I got mine at Home Depot for $. You definitely should use good charcoal and you have to keep the door open and the lid off until the charcoal ashes over. Once it's hot, put in your wood "chunks," then your water pan. Put in the racks and add the meat. Now put the lid on and you're off. If you put enough charcoal in, then you will probably need to add more every hour. Use tongs to push some of the old charcoal back and add more wood/charcoal. You will probably have to add water every 2 to 3 hours pouring carefully through the grating. Remember that you are not looking at a propane or electric smoker where you can set the heat and walk away. Charcoal needs a little finesse. This is what barbecuing is all about!! The thermometer reads warm/ideal/hot. I cook at ideal (duh) and have still had great results. Once the meat looks cooked, check the temp in the meat to see if it's done. If this had a real thermometer, I might get frustrated trying to keep the temp in the same place all day long, but again its charcoal. You won't have prolonged steady heat.

Considering this is an entry level smoker for $ I give it 5 stars. I have never regretted buying this smoker. This smoker will only better your smoking skills. Hope this helps!

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Brinkmann 810-5301-6 Charcoal Grill and Smoker, Black

The original review posted followed a 2 year long odyssey in getting to an excellent working smoker for less than half the price of the smaller Weber Smokey Mountain, but included a number of things that didn't work out. I've condensed all that into this shorter review which only includes the things that worked.

The money saving design of this smoker has serious operational and safety issues. One of the problems is that when you place the initial load of charcoal in the charcoal pan, it immediately begins ashing over and smothering itself. This is exacerbated by lack of ventilation for the charcoal and quickly gets worse as ashes form. After a while, there are hot briquettes covered with ash producing very low and inefficient heat. So now you need to add more charcoal. Your choices are two: 1) Add it piece by piece through the miniscule door provided good luck getting an even spread, or 2) wearing stout leather gloves, remove the food and food grill, remove the second grill, remove the water pan, and then drop briquettes into the charcoal pan thereby creating clouds of charcoal ash which then proceeds to coat everything nearby including the interior of the smoker. This also tends to partially bury the newly added charcoal thereby hurrying the smothering process described earlier. Of course, one could reach down into the 200+degree smoker (wearing their stout leather gloves thereby burning only the upper arms and perhaps the face...) and lift out the charcoal pan. However, this requires tilting the pan to clear the upper brackets thereby dumping some ash and pieces of partially spent charcoal on the ground. This also happens when replacing the pan.

So, to get around all this, and solve some other issues, there are a number of things that can be done to turn this into a more user friendly smoker and one that really "smokes".

I mounted the legs on the OUTSIDE of the smoker, making sure the heads of the screws are inside the smoker and the square nuts are inside the channels of the legs on the outside of the smoker. This allows the entire smoker to be lifted off the charcoal pan If you need to add or adjust the charcoal, simply lift the complete smoker (lid in place) off the charcoal pan and its mesh fence, add or adjust the charcoal, add more "smoke wood" if desired, and lower the smoker back onto the charcoal pan/fence all without losing significant heat. This may sound cumbersome, but it's pretty simple, takes only seconds, and it works great. This is why the screw heads holding the legs are on the inside there's nothing protruding to catch on the lip of the charcoal pan when lifting the smoker off and/or putting it back on.

Then I went to Lowe's and bought:

* 8 one foot concrete square pavers ($.99 each)

* a sheet of Lath Diamond Mesh (27" x 96") for $6.98 Lowe's item number 11811

* 2 small grills to fit on top of the charcoal pan (Weber #7440 charcoal grates the description says 18.5" diameter, but they're actually 13.5" about $10.00 apiece)

* A 2 foot by 2 foot piece of galvanized steel (used for putting under water heaters) for a couple of bucks.

I fastened the charcoal grates to the top of the charcoal pan at right angles to each other such that the "holes" created are square (I originally started out with only one grate, but lost too much charcoal through the slots, so I added the second one later.) I drilled four 3/16" holes just outside the diameter of the 7440 grates and used 4 #8 T-nuts on top of the pan (prongs facing down) and 4 #8 screws coming up through the bottom of the lip of the charcoal pan and into the T-Nuts. The flanges of the T-Nuts grip the bottom grate and hold it to the charcoal pan. I fastened the second grate to the first using baling wire (I could probably have fastened the two together just using the T-nuts & bolts if I had done it all at the same time).

Next, I cut a 2 1/2" strip off the mesh lengthwise and formed it into a circle such that it is about 10-11 inches in diameter (and 2 ½ inch high). I fastened the ends of this together with wire and fastened it directly to the charcoal grates with wire, which in turn are fastened to the charcoal pan as described earlier. There are 2 reasons the fence is smaller in diameter than the top of the charcoal pan: 1) to allow air to be sucked down into the charcoal pan around the periphery of the fence and then up through the charcoal promoting even burning. (Some people suggest drilling large holes in the charcoal pan, but then you're dealing with charcoal ash spilling out of the vent holes, etc.), and 2) to direct the heat from the charcoal to the bottom of the water pan and reduce the amount of heat going directly up along the walls of the smoker .

This resolves a couple of issues. 1) The charcoal now has circulation around it and burns more evenly and completely. 2) The ash that forms now falls through the grate into the charcoal pan instead of smothering the charcoal.

The ECB has no adjustable vents like the Weber Smokey Mountain, and has a BIG open bottom. I had to sit in front of the thing the whole time monitoring a digital thermometer probe at grill level and add/remove briquettes one at a time every 15-30 minutes in order to maintain a temperature near 225 degrees (but in fact the temperature varied from 205 to 240). So, I decided to fix this.

I went back to Lowe's and bought a roll of aluminum "flashing" 6" wide by 25 feet long (Lowe's #12535 $14.36). From this I made a "skirt" to fit around the bottom of the smoker body between it and the ground essentially extending the smoker body to the ground. The ends of the skirt are fastened together with "Pop" rivets. The smoker body sits about 5" off the ground on its legs, so the 6" high skirt fits between the legs and the body. I punched twelve 3/4 inch holes in the skirt, 4 between each leg on 2 inch centers. Then I made three sliding doors (from the flashing) with matching holes to shut off the air flow to each set of four holes. Now I had adjustable bottom vents.

The ECB lid fits very loosely. That coupled with no top vent makes precise control like that described by Weber Smokey Mountain users not possible.

So I decided to complete the fix of the Brinkmann ECB by addressing these two areas. I cut a round piece of the aluminum flashing 4 ½" in diameter and left two 1" by 1" "ears" sticking out of each side which I bent up to look like the Weber round vents. I drilled 4 1" holes in the top of the ECB behind the handle (opposite the side of the thermometer). I drilled 4 matching holes in the round aluminum vent with a fifth small hole in the middle to fasten it to the ECB lid so it could be rotated to allow full vent or complete closure. The round aluminum piece is flat and the top of the smoker is domed, so it won't seal adequately as it is. To remedy this, after mounting it, I "crimped" it in the four places on the edge at each of the four holes by inserting a 1/8" pin under it and pressing down with a pair of pliers on either side of the pin this has the effect of shrinking the periphery and pulling it down to the domed lid surface. You can see this detail in the video.

I also added a small flap made from the same flashing to fit over a ¾" hole to allow for a "feed through" for an electronic temperature probe.

Next step was to seal the lid. After trying fiberglass "rope" as someone suggested (didn't work well and fell off after a few uses), I got some Saint Gobain 100S Strip-N-Stick Silicone Gasket Tape, 3/16" Thick x 1/2" Wide x 15 Feet Long with High Temperature Pressure-Sensitive-Adhesive Backing for around $20 from Amazon. I applied the tape so it was partially on the round "outdent" that runs around near the bottom of the lid and partially on the narrower part of the lid just below this "outdent". The effect is that the gasket tape forms a taper fit narrower at the bottom and wider at the top because of the "outdent". When placing the lid on the ECB, a little care needs to be used to make sure the gasket seats properly.

Now for the final assembly. I laid out and leveled the 8 pavers in a 2' x 4' rectangle. I put the 2' x 2' piece of galvanized steel on top of the 4 pavers on the left and the charcoal pan on top of that. (The galvanized sheet provides a better seal around the bottom of the skirt and the four pavers on the right provide an even surface to set the smoker when you lift it off to adjust charcoal, etc.) Then I lower the smoker body over the charcoal pan.

EPILOGUE

The mods described cost about $75, so depending on where you buy the Brinkmann, the total cost of it plus mods will be between $105 and $140 still a far cry from $275 for the smaller Weber Smokey Mountain grill. And I had fun doing it!

I can now start a pile of charcoal in a Weber starter chimney, put a ring of unlit charcoal inside the periphery of the little mesh fence that sits atop the charcoal grid, and after 20 minutes or so, dump the lit charcoal in the middle. While the charcoal is lighting itself in the chimney, I fill the water pan, place the meat on the grills, and place the thermometers in the meat and on the grill and lower the "loaded" ECB over the hot charcoal and I'm good to go.

I originally thought that I'd buy the Weber if we really liked smoked food, but I wouldn't trade this one for a Weber on a bet! And speaking of bets, I'd bet this one works better than the Weber...if for no other reason than I can lift the body off and easily get to the charcoal. I've been using this for over a year with outstanding results and in fact have made some of the best pastrami I've ever tasted including pastrami from a famous New York Deli!

SOME NOTES ON TEMPERATURE GUAGES

The gauge that comes with the Brinkmann shows Warm, Ideal & Hot. This is not bad in and of itself. I.e.; if you know the "I" in IDEAL is 220 degrees, you could just set it there. The problem is the reaction time of the gauge is way too long. During one smoke session, a wind gust came along and the internal temperature at the grid level (according to my Fluke digital thermal probe) went from 230 to 195 degrees within about 30 seconds. The built in gauge didn't move. The problem is that there is no probe on the built in gauge and the temperature gauge body is mounted to the lid. Therefore, the gauge measures the temperature of the actual lid itself. This is a big "heat sink" and is very slow to react making the gauge reading essentially worthless. I replaced it with a Taylor Weekend Warrior Grill /Smoker Thermometer $12.56 at Amazon. While this does have a probe extending out from the body and does respond a bit faster than the ECB stock gauge, it too is a bit slow to react to temperature changes. So I got a Maverick Wireless BBQ Thermometer Set Maverick ET732 approx. $60 from Amazon. The Maverick has two probes one for the grill temperature and one for the food. It also has a remote. So now I can get everything set up and take my remote into the house, watch TV, read a book and, only glance at the remote infrequently to check the temps (it also has alarms that can be set in case the temperatures get too high or too low...). I didn't count the cost of the Maverick since I'd use it no matter what smoker I was using, and didn't count the cost of the Taylor since I wouldn't have done that.

SOME NOTES ON TEMPERATURE CONTROL

There are two ways to control the temperature of a charcoal "fire": regulate the amount of charcoal (as the original factory Brinkmann design intended) or regulate the amount of airflow to the charcoal. Of course you could try to do both, but regulating the amount of charcoal is tricky and has a long response time. Regulating the airflow is far and away the best method and this is what this design allows. I can now open one of the sliding doors and open the top vent about ¾ of the way and walk away keeping the Maverick remote handy since I'm paranoid. The grill temp will rise to around 225 and stay there for hours. To raise it, open some of the vents; to lower it, close some of the vents. Wind has only a little effect on temperature. There is still some time lag between adjusting the vents and seeing a temperature change between 5 15 minutes, but that would be the same with any smoker using air vents.

Hope all this helps...

Discount AcuRite 03168 Wireless Cooking and Barbeque Thermometer with Pager

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List Price: $36.99
Sale Price: $27.60
Today's Bonus: 25% Off

Purchased item from another website, but Amazon shipping and customer service is always great so have no fear buying from Amazon.

Thermometer unit has kitchen timer and temp sensing. Temp probe helped me deliver the best BBQ chicken I have ever grilled, perfectly cooked. Cooked NY steak the next night, perfect medium.

Pager unit works well everywhere in my house and yard (~5500 sq feet lot).

Love this thing and will be buying another for family!

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I got this product during a Woot promotion and was very happy with it for about a year until it started reporting the wrong temperature, such as telling me that my kitchen was 135 degrees Fahrenheit (it is not). Apparently, the probe and its metal braid cable cannot be submerged, which I frequently do during cooking and when cleaning up afterward. Googling for a way to re-calibrate my unit, I found out that this is a common problem with this style of thermometer (not just this model), and that when it happens, it can be fixed!

Just put the probe in the oven at 350 degrees and bake for 30 minutes to reset it to perfect working condition. This will evaporate off any water that is shorting out the probe from the inside. It works great again! No need to buy a new probe or a whole new thermometer.

Best Deals for AcuRite 03168 Wireless Cooking and Barbeque Thermometer with Pager

I purchased my AcuRite 03168 Thermometer about 3 years ago, and have used it about 30-40 times since in both the kitchen oven and in an outdoor smoker/grill. I've been highly satisfied with the results, as it's finally allowed me to accurately cook beef and pork roasts and large poultry to the desired level of doneness. The pager has proven to be a significant feature, as it allowed me to put my attention on other parts of a meal (or even other chores around the house) without fear of losing track of what's going on in the oven or grill.

Last night, though, the probe failed part-way through grilling a roast--yep, the dreaded HH failure. I wasn't aware of this issue until I scanned the Amazon reviews, so it caught me a bit off-guard. It was a bit disappointing to have what still felt like a new tool fail on me, particularly as I had always carefully cleaned and stored the probe as designed. I wasn't that thrilled to find that a replacement probe from the manufacturer cost $10 (including shipping), either.

So why is this a 4-star review? After looking at the big picture, I realized the following:

* I bought an inexpensive tool with a 1-year warranty that lasted me at least a full 3 years without a problem. Considering the lack of longevity built into the cheap electronic devices nowadays, that's about as good as I can reasonably expect.

* The probe and wire are detachable; as they are the single most likely point of failure in the system, this makes sense--the probe and wire are exposed to extremely high temperatures. If they hadn't been so easily replaceable, then I'd really have something to gripe about.

* With a replacement cost of the probe of $10 and an original price of $28, comparing this unit to the next-least-expensive cooking thermometer with a remote feature at $60 (the Maverick ET732; it has a large remote receiver, not a small, wearable pager; the latter makes more sense to me) means that I can afford to replace the probe 3 times before I break even--and that assumes that the probe on that $58 unit lasts as long as 4 probes on this one. Since the probes on the two units look identical (and that's true of almost every unit sold on Amazon in this price range; I wouldn't be surprised if they're all made by the same Chinese manufacturer), it's likely that the other unit's probe won't make it any longer than the probe on the AcuRite did. I'm probably still coming out ahead, even if I had to replace a probe every year (which I probably won't, since I don't use the thermometer that frequently).

So if you're cooking/grilling every week and want a thermometer that will last you several years without any failures or need for replacement parts, then by all means look for something that costs 4-5x what this unit does--it *may* be worth it to you (but I'd still recommend that you take a close look at the probe and wire assembly, to see if it looks any better that what comes with the AcuRite). For me, this thermometer makes sense, even if I do have to consider the probe to be a consumable item that's going to need occasional replacement. Over time, I'm still going to have saved money and enjoyed the benefits of cooking to temperature rather than by time.

Honest reviews on AcuRite 03168 Wireless Cooking and Barbeque Thermometer with Pager

I actually purchased this product off of Woot.com. It worked fine a couple times in the broiler, but since then it only reads "HH." Do not purchase this product.

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I like many others had problems with the probe early when I owned this. I emailed the company and they sent me 2 new probes for free without any question(only asked for 1). I have taken care of the probe since I got the replacement and it works fantastic. DO NOT get the probe wet where the cord plugs into the probe or it will ruin the probe. DO NOT use the spot on the back of the device to store the probe. You have to wrap it too tight and it causes the cord to pull out of the probe. Follow these simple instructions and it will give you many years of enjoyment. If your probe is bad call or email the company they were very helpful.

Best Fire Sense Hotspot Notebook Portable Grill Deals

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List Price: $39.99
Sale Price: $16.98
Today's Bonus: 58% Off

The Good:

I bought this grill for this summers motorcycle camping adventures. I can't think of a better use for this grill. Narrower main body section gives many options for tying down, and on my bike (a shadow 750) the bottom "foot hole" was able to go over and around my sissy bar and sit on my rack. Pretty sweet. 2 up camping now comes with a BBQ!

The Bad (at least for motorcycle camping):

It is a bit flimsy (but quite stable when open for grilling). With care, I am expecting to get about 50 or so BBQs out of it. After it falls apart I am planning to go to a metal shop in town and have it re-fabricated in some heaver gauge steel. I would be willing to have a little heaver (and smaller) grill for motorcycle camping if it was durable. The grilling surface is large. Expect to need about 3 pounds of charcoal to get it going well, 6 pounds (an entire small bag) of charcoal for a full grill to feed 4+ people. This makes it a requirement to setup camp, and then ride out to get groceries and charcoal. Messy.

I've BBQ'd for years and have to say the "action" on this grill is quite good. If you really have a need for an extremely portable grill, I would definitely recommend it. If you are just looking for a smaller grill for car camping or porch cookouts I would recommend the more traditional Coleman and Weber portable grills with a lid and better durability.

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I had been wanting a foldable grill and didn't even know they existed until I came across this one on Amazon. It not only saves TONS of space on my small patio but it delivers in quality of food too! I've had a few bbq's with this grill so far and the quality of food has been phenominal. I find the easiest thing to do is to buy one of those small charcoal bags that all you do is light it no need to open the bag. It fits perfectly in this grill. The cleanup is very easy and not messy at all. And I absolutely love that it folds up to be about 1/2" wide. It takes up no room at all on my patio. I gave up my Weber big grill for this one great decision!!! I highly recommend this grill as it is great for serving about 6 good sized burgers and about 4 hot dogs on the grill at the same time. When I had it delivered at my job a couple of co-workers had me open it and display it for them. Then after that weekend of testing it out, I reported the good news to them and they bought it too. If you're looking for a small portable, durable, inexpensive, & reliable grill -get this one!!!

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I bought this grill because I have a small RV camper with limited space. The grill worked great except the grill is on very top with no sides so hot dogs can easily roll off. Also after one use, the paint peeled off and looks terrible. Seems like they could have used heat resistant paint like other grills. Once nice thing is after you finish cooking, you can throw in a couple of small pieces of wood and have a small camp fire. It is made of very thin material so it cools off fast once you dump out the coals so you can pack it up for travel. It would be nice to have a carrying case as it is nearly impossible to put back in the box. Other than that is exactly what I have been looking for for years.

Honest reviews on Fire Sense Hotspot Notebook Portable Grill

It's an OK grill. Can't be moved with ease once lit. It's good for trips to the park with the way it folds up when not in use. I DON'T like the holes in the bottom because the coal dust falls out and this item cannot be put on say something (grass) that can go on fire. With the hole in the bottom there should be some sort of tray to catch the burned out coals that fall. I'm somewhat disapointed.

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It is so flimsy that it was bent when I opened it, and as a result, it lost alignment. Don't buy it.

Cheap Music City Metals 61812 Gloss Cast Iron Cooking Grid Replacement

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List Price: $94.95
Sale Price: $70.89
Today's Bonus: 25% Off

if you're looking to replace your permasteel grates you know the ones that have pretty much rusted away in places well, these will do it. They are very nice cast iron grates with what appears to be a heavy enamel coating. The only reason they are losing one star is they are not as thick as they said they were in the description, they are not 1 inch, they aren't even a half inch. However, they were about half the cost for 2 as most of the others, so it's a trade off I'm willing to make, I'd just like to know I was making the trade off BEFORE I bought them.

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Bought this for my PerfectGlo grill I bought several years ago.

It is about one third the price of the original replacement grate and works great!

Best Kay Home Products 30157DI Mini Table Top Grill Deals

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We live near a park and love to have picnics there. This mini-grill has cut down on all the supplies we use to have to bring. Just bring this grill, hotdogs, buns, mustard, sodas, matches and go! It lights very quickly, and gets very hot. It holds enough for three small thin steaks, four hamburgers or several hotdogs. The heat lasts long enough to cook the food to well done, but if you want second helpings, or want to toast marshmellows, bring two grills with you. Also, don't forget to bring water to put the coals out when you leave, and you're done! Great for bringing to the football games for pre-game parties as well.

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I bought 5 of these to keep on hand for camping trips. It sits pretty low so I was concerned about using it on a picnic table just on the wood, but found that it is ideal on the fire ring at the campsite. Cooked a steak very well, and I loved being able to just toss it out the next day. They are small, so don't expect to fit a lot of food on just one.

Best Weber 7510 Igniter Kit Deals

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List Price: $16.99
Sale Price: $10.99
Today's Bonus: 35% Off

I see my friends buy cheap grills and replace them every couple of years, I just replace the parts on my Weber Genesis Silver B. I have had my Weber for 10 years and this is the first time I have replaced the igniter. It should take the average person about 5 minutes to install hopefully it will last as long as the last one.

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Genuine Weber part I purchased for my Gensis Sliver C grill. The descriptions left a great deal of question as to whether or not this was the right part. Had to go to Weber's website to verify this was the right part for my grill. This new part eliminates the screw in mounting and uses plastic tabs instead. Upon installation, one of the tabs broke as I attempted to slide the part into place. Fortunately, the part fit snugly enough that the broken tab seems to matter little in the finished installation and use. However, the cheap plastic tabs do break easily and could be better designed. Installed in minutes.

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I purchased the Grill Igniter Kit for my potato gun! I was using grill lighters but they kept burning out from the explosion. The performance of the gun is way more reactive than before! Cheap and came ready to use! Shipping and packaging were perfect!

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What do you expect... works as designed and easy to replace as well... took about 15 minutes to replace and most of that was cleaning my 7+ year old grill... the hardest part was deciding which part fit my grill... took some research and then a guess... this one fits the Genesis Silver I bought at Home Depot with the cast iron grill grates...

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Exact replacement for my grill. Go to the Weber site (help/part replacements section) to identify your exact grill and proper part. Think this particular igniter fits quite a few grills. FYI, the push button fits UNDER the gray plastic rocker switch on my grill. At first I thought it wasn't an exact match because it didn't have this gray switch.

Landmann Haywood Tree Leaves 22 x 22 in. Fire Pit - Georgia Clay Review

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List Price: $163.20
Sale Price: $101.64
Today's Bonus: 38% Off

This is a very nice product. It is exactly as described and having a fire in it was very easy. It took less than 30 minutes to put together. The price on Amazon is 1/2 what it is on other sites. If you're looking for a portable firepit for your backyard, deck, patio, or camping site, this would be perfect for you. The cut-outs add a nice effect.

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beats our old chimnea with the smaller opening. much better for entertaining. well built and deep storage for ash. good unit

Reviews of Cuisinart CGC-21 All-Foods Gas Grill Cover

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List Price: $24.99
Sale Price: $16.98
Today's Bonus: 32% Off

This is a really nice cover that fits the grill nice. However, if you own the stand, then a longer cover may be better. We've had some pretty bad weather and both cover & stand have done OK so far.

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First, the good this cover fits the grille perfectly, and does seem to do an admirable job of covering it.

For the bad, however after being out in the summer weather for a few months, it's become bleached to the point of it being almost white in color. When I contacted Cuisinart, they directed me to contact another company, The Fulham Group. Their response was that this was normal, and that it's functioning just fine.

If it wasn't for the bleaching, I'd give this 4 stars. However, given that it looks like a several year old cover after a few months, dropped it down. Just hoping that it's only the coloration that's an issue, and not the protection.

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I was very impressed by this grill cover. It is a good quality, heavy (almost fabric-like) all weather material. Fits the grill perfectly an includes velcro straps to hold it in place.

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Ample in size and extremely sturdy unlike most grill covers on the market these days. Heavy enough not to blow off in bad weather.

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Purchased this cover for the Cuisinart Grill it works great. Has stayed on in some pretty wicked spring/summer storms.

Buy Vortex 14.5 Inch Tabletop Gas Grill

Customer Ratings:

Purchased this for camping, because it uses a small propane container, and the price was really low compared to 2 other units I was considering. THIS IS A SUPER DEAL!! Used this for 2 nights of camping, and cooked hamburgers and hot dogs. It's a good size for doing 4 burger patties and 2-3 hot dogs at one time. Cooking time was really fast, and it's very easy to light up and clean as well. The size is perfect, and I like that it has a lid, which can be clamped on for travel. Really happy with this product! A GREAT VALUE for the price!!

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It sounds strange to rate excellent an item that had, at least in my hands, a major concern. We had this little gas grill for over 3 years. Never rusted -we never covered it but never left it in the rain either-, we never had the problem of the handle getting too hot when cooking, and the portability is fantastic. This grill cooks darn hot and really fast. One side of the grill was just a bit cooler, but I was actually happy about it so I could cook more delicate stuff at the same time or move there steaks that were about ready to serve to keep them warm. In addition, the food came out tasting wonderful, even if I usually cleaned grate and flavorizer with soap and water (I know, but...). I made burgers, hot dogs, chicken, steaks, chops and London Broil on it and always with excellent results. One very important thing: this grill never shut off its flames on us while cooking. The problem? The cooking grate, and I am suprised others did not complain about it. The grate sits on the very top edge of the grill resting merely on 3 tiny, really minuscole internal hooks. It made it very difficult to turn the food, as the grate slides around and often tilts on you. You need to push it down with a tool in your other hand while turning your burgers. Add to this fiery flame ups and you have a recipe for disaster, especially if one of your hands is busy holding something and you find yourself momentarily alone. Once too many a times of risking to set myself on fire -and you usually use such a grill where hospitals are no where to be foundI let it cool down and threw it away. This problem would not exist if the grate would sit on a round lip set below the grill's round edge instead of 3 stupid hooks. Could it be ours was missing some parts, as nobody else complained about this issue? Well, I regret I threw it away and we actually miss it a lot. We got a Weber Go Anywhere recently for our outdoor excursions, and I can see the difference, and not a positive one for Weber. The food does not taste as good, it quits from 1 to as many as 4 times while cooking on a full tank of propane, and we never get decent grill marks as it is not very hot, but this is material for another review. If I was sure the grate is now better positioned I would buy the Vortex on the spot.

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I would give this 0 stars if I could, I returned it because when we used it the flavor plate that is to sit right below the grill part is PAINTED!! and it left little flecks of silver paint all over our food. This can be dangerous especially since this is made in china and we know that china sometimes uses lead paint. You would have to heat the grill for quite a while to get all the paint burned off before it would be safe for cooking food. I would not reccommend this and I feel that there should be a recall on this since eating paint is not healthy. If you would use this in a low light situation you would never know that the paint ended up on your food.

Honest reviews on Vortex 14.5 Inch Tabletop Gas Grill

Small in size, easy to transport. Cooking area is large for compact grill. Can cook about 4-5 burgers at once. Easy to assemble and easy clean up.

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I have owned this grill for more than 5 years, have used it on a regular basis and I am definitely a fan but with some reservations. First the benefits:

1.) The gas valve can be adjusted from low/medium/high and the heat is distributed evenly with no discernible hot spots.

2.) It is very easy on gas because it cooks quickly/efficiently. I usually cook things like hot dogs, hamburgers and precooked chicken/ribs with barbeque sauce and have found the small propane tanks last for at least 5-8 average meals and usually a lot longer. Of course it all depends on what you're cooking. With the cover in place, (I always use the cover), 1/2-3/4" thick burgers are usually ready in only 6-8 minutes.

3.) The grilling surface is big enough for ~ 10 average sized burgers and another 1/2 dozen hot dogs at the same time. Once again the heat is evenly distributed evenly and all the burgers cook at the same rate with the cover forcing the heat over the top of the food as well. I wouldn't hesitate taking it when cooking for groups sizes 8-10 as long as you're cooking burgers/hot dogs. One other thing to mention is that the cover utilizes a second inner cone to keep the heat close the food. If your food is odd shaped or projects above the gill more than ~ 2" it may come into contact with the lid in some places. This happened to me when cooking thick ribs.

What I didn't like: This is a portable grill but it sure wasn't designed to be dissembled and reassembled compactly or easily. After using the grill a few times and realizing its benefits, I slightly modified it to make it user friendly. The bottom legs and splatter pan must be screwed together using a tiny screw, washer and nut for each use! I purchased a longer screw, attached it permanently to the splatter pan, threw away the nut and used a wing nut instead. I also used a wing nut on the burner plate assembly. Now taking it apart and reassembling is much faster/easier. Even so, trying to fit the legs/splatter pan inside the grill isn't easy and it's too bad they didn't consider this and a smaller handle when creating the grill. Quality of the components is ok for the price but don't expect a Weber. It would have been nice to have had a sturdier heat distribution pan, (keep it clean to make it last longer) and a thicker grill but it works.

Overall, if you`re looking for a propane grill that is economical on gas, cooks evenly and of decent quality, look at the Vortex. If you are looking for a small grill to pack it efficiently into your car or camper and want a quick assembly, you might want to look at a different model.

Bradley Smoker BTAL12 Alder Flavor Bisquettes, 12-Pack Review

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The alder bisquettes are one "flavor" of the several types of wood chip discs that work with the Bradley smoker. All are good, and you can read about the different types of wood and which are best (in the reviewer's opinion) for each type of smoking. The Bradley smoker is a very good product, and it has helped me make much better barbecue. I have the electric one with four racks, and it works fine, whatever wood you use. The only problem is that on cool or cold days, the heating element is a bit weak, and can't always get the temperature fully up to the desired temperature. That is a timing issue, not a cooking or safety issue, so it can be worked around fairly easily. Literally, you can put the meat on the smoker, fill it with bisquettes, and forget about it for several hours. Use a remote thermometer so you don't open the door, and your are a few hours away from some fine pulled pork or ribs. So, if you want to try home barbecue, try the Bradley smoker, and use whichever of the types of wood bisquettes you prefer.

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Buy Music City Metals 92311 Porcelain Steel Heat Plate Replacement

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List Price: $22.95
Sale Price: $18.61
Today's Bonus: 19% Off

Give me a break. I can get one just as good for $5 at my local Ace store. My bad, I thought I ordered a package of 3. Cheap chinese crap.

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This is the exact replacement that I needed. I pulled out the old ones and put in the new ones, and everything was like new again.

Buy Stainless Steel Heat Angle for Thermos, Charbroil, and Kenmore

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List Price: $27.95
Sale Price: $21.96
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This didn't fit in my grill until I made some modifications with a hammer and pliers. Now it fits fine. It's pretty thin steel. I don't know how long it will last at high temp.

Considering that it would have cost about the same for me to get a blank piece of stainless steel at my local hardware store and have to do ALL the shaping myself... I guess I came out ahead by having it already the right width and tent shaped. But don't expect to "plug and play".

Oh yeah, it came out of the box bent (the wrong way). It is too thin and not correctly protected. If it was thicker steel it might have survived better.

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Product worked well. Fixed a grill so we did not have to buy a new one. Would help if it did say it would fit up to a certain size grill interior. We had to guess on size.

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when this thing is heated, it loses its shape and becomes disfigured. Very disappointed. Would not recommend it!

Reviews of Brinkmann 19-Inch Adjustable Cooking Grate

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List Price: $23.76
Sale Price: $15.97
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This grate is awesome. We've used it at least 6 times already, and it's all you would want in a cooking grate. The fit was perfect. It was listed exactly, and the shipping was quick. Thanks you very much.!!!

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Better quality than the grate it replaces. Careful not to lose those clips provided to hold both pieces of the grate together.

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We purchased this adjustable size grate for an older BBQ that is difficult to fit with any available standard, fixed size unit. The sizing clips jumped off during the first use -from there everything collapsed into the burners. The adjustable size would be a good feature if it worked better...

Buy SUNSTONE COVERSB Weather Proof Cover for Drop-In Single Side Burner

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List Price: $25.00
Sale Price: $19.40
Today's Bonus: 22% Off

after 3 month outside the black color completely faded!!!!!!!!

now its looks like 10 years old cover! don't buy this s*****

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I purchased this along with the 34" grill cover and the if you read my review on the grill cover, well the same can basically be said on about this product. Would not recommend spending your money on it.

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Quality and perfect fit and matches the large cover for built in BBQ. Recommend! Should stand up in AZ sun.

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IF there is standing water it, eventually, will soak through. Using this is better than not so I recommend it.

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The cover is really good, water proof, and keeps our side burner protected from weather damage. It fitted properly and shipped on time