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List Price: $89.95
Sale Price: $79.99
Today's Bonus: 11% Off
I bought this grill because it looked like it had it all, and I must say it really lived up to the expectations. Living in Sweden we have a fairly short summer that really makes you want to be out as often as you can. For me happiness lives in the ability to barbecue. Disposable grills is something that is big here, unfortunately its not very environmentally friendly or very good. So far the Son of Hibachi has been able to replace them with style.
The product description is pretty much on the money. Start-up is easy and fast, I would say the 10 minute mark can swing up and down a little depending on what coals you use. Lump coal is faster, briquettes a little slower but if you can normally light your coals with fire starters, be it liquids or other you will have no problem here. The chimney effect of the closed up grill is noticeable and works as a charm.
When you notice the top coals are lit, peeking down from the top, you fold it open and the top handles become legs for the grill sides to rest upon. What strikes you at first is the intense heat wave created by the two surfaces it is hot! Fortunately you can adjust the grilles in four levels to reduce some of that intense first heat.
We have tried cooking some different things now from hot dogs to chicken breasts to hamburgers and so far it has all worked out very well. The heavy duty grilles leave some nice black patterns on the cooking surface, just the way I think it should be.
The whole construction breathes sturdy, everything has that robust feel about it all packed with coals it weighs in on about 16 pounds (7.5 kilo) which is a little heavy but knowing that nothing about this grill spells flimsy I accept that.
Another real good thing about this combo is the Snuff-out-pouch which really elevates this purchase. Once done grilling you close up the grill again and let that chimney effect clean of your grilles. Then smoking hot you put it down in your fire retardant pouch and zip it up in litterally less than 10 seconds you are ready to go. Sure the bag heats up a little but considering the heat of the grill its nothing. The instructions state to leave it for at least 30 minutes before putting it in your trunk an obvious protection against lawsuits. We have found this to be, in our case, unnecessary. As long as it stands up it's not going to damage anything. The bag can let out some smoke initially when packed but this settles pretty fast once oxygen depravation in the bag sets in.
My only gripe about Amazons product description is that the grill ships with a "Grill N Fry cast iron griddle for cooking eggs, pancakes, etc." which is only half true. Part of the grille has a flat surface true, but I don't see how it would be enough for a pancake an egg id probably fine. Luckily you can get a complete frying surface as an accessory if you look around online for a little bit.
All in all this is a marvelous little bbq which is well worth its pretty low price tag (in my opinion). Highly recommended for the excursion barbecuer.
EDIT: I would like to clarify one thing with the snuff-out pouch. I did actually manage to burn a backpack slightly I had crammed against the side of the pouch in my trunk. The sides of the pouch does get very hot after packing so I would avoid putting anything against it for a while. THe front and back however never gets very hot.
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I bought this grill 2 years ago and have loved it. My family and friends love the food I make on it as well. I have cooked on it about fifteen times and have not had one disaster or complete failure to cook good food with it.
That said, there was a learning curve too it. I first tried using MatchLight Charcoal with it, and that resulted in three-foot tall flames coming out of it during the starting process. It also did not get hot enough to sear the food, but the results were still better than I get with a gas grill.
I then tried natural wood charcoal chunks. This was a serious mistake. The grill got hot enough, and the food was as we like it, but the popping of the charcoal resulted in me constantly having to put out hot coals that flew out of it. I did not try that charcoal again.
Next I ordered some "Wicked Good Charcoal" and that has been just what the doctor ordered. It still takes about 30 minutes to get the fire good and hot, but this charcoal gets HOT and lasts well.
I've tried a variety of starter methods. A couple of sheets of newspapaper like in a chimney starter do not get the job done. The starter sticks from Son of Hibachi do well, but you need to use several at a time for best results. I've tried some MatchLight starter sticks and they do well, but burn with a black smoke that coats the grills with soot. My favorite method is to use newspaper and a jellied alcohol type starter that I get at Whole Foods. I do find that putting enough charcoal in to force the two halves slightly apart gives more air-flow to the upper half of the grill in the starter configuration, and gives a better light to the upper half.
I've found that the grills are not entirely self cleaning, but a minute with a wire brush cleans them nicely. I use Weber's non-stick spray on the grills, and this completely eliminates sticking. If I do not spray the grills with some kind of oil spray, there is bad sticking.
Some things I've found;
Thin cuts cook best.
If you want to cook thicker cuts, sear them then raise the grill, and cover the food on the grill with foil to trap the heat and help the food cook quicker.
Some wood chips give a nice hint of smoke flavor, and covering the food helps trap the smoke against the food, giving more smoke flavor.
Char Crust dry rub seasoning works GREAT at giving a good flavor and sealing in the juices.
Use some foil to block the wind if it is windy, or the food will cook unevenly.
Spray the grils with an oil spray, preferably a high-heat spray or Weber's grill spray.
Empty the grill and clean the grills if you are not going to use it for a while, as the grills will rust.
Quality charcoal briquettes are required. Don't cheap out on the charcoal. You'll be using less than half of what you'd expect to use, since you can just top off the grill rather than throwing away the old charcoal.
If using quality charcoal that gets very hot, let the grill cool down a bit before putting it in the bag. I've melted some of the piping on the bag and the zipper in one spot from putting the grill in after only a few minutes with the lid on.
In summary, I LOVE this grill, and my friends and family love the food I cook with it. Just be aware that it may not live up to all it's claims fully. I still feel it is worth it.
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Let me start by saying "I love this grill!". I used it twice last weekend, once at a Nascar event. I had none of the problems that I read in some other reviews. Following the instructions, I filled the grill compartments with charcoal ( I used Stubbs), then placed 4 briquettes in the center tray and a few small torn pieces of newspaper. Then I squirted a couple of ounces of Charcoal lighter fluid on the 4 briquettes and paper in the tray (NOT on the charcoals under the grills!!). In 10 minutes it is one hot Son Of Hibachi.
For my first test, I had read the reviews saying it wasn't hot enough, so I added about 6 pieces of charcoal to each side after opening the hot grill. It worked great, but was close to being too hot. Plus it took hours for the thing to finally cool in the pouch!!
We used it at the Nascar Race in Loudon NH on the following day. We cooked Hamburgers, Brats, and steak kabobs for four guys. No complaints, everyone thought the grill was great. When it was time to go we stuck it in the pouch, waited 15 20 minutes, placed it in the car, and we were off to sit in traffic.
Now for my one complaint. When i first set up the grill, I opened the Snuff Out Pouch to insert the grill, and one of the seams just came appart, obviously it was not sewn through. I contacted the company that makes the grill by multiple emails and left messages by phone. I thought maybe they could replace the bag rather than me having to return the entire grill to Amazon after using it at Nascar. After 3 days of this, I still had not received a response. So I ended up returning the entire package, and Amazon is sending me another at no charge to me (Nice job Amazon that's why I shop here Amazon knows how important good customer service is!). So now, rather than help a customer, the manufacturer will get a perfectly fine used grill back. Not to mention that I had to sew the stupid pouch so I could use it on Sunday!
Bottom line: Great grill, just hope you never need any kind of support. Knowing that, I liked it enough to re-order a replacement Son of Hibachi.
10-19-2009
UPDATE !!!!!! I think it's only fair that I update this review. About 10 days after I first contacted the manufacturer of the grill and pouch, 4 days after receiving the new grill and pouch from Amazon, I came home from work to find a package on my doorstep that contained a new Snuff-out pouch. So....like the first pouch, I am torn (sorry). As it turns out, they heard my plea for help and sent me a new bag (nice job), but if they had replied to my email or called me on my cell phone (which I had provided in every one of my emails and voicemails)to let me know they were going to send the new bag, it would have saved me a lot of trouble! So, the manifacturer does provide decent customer service, just a bit confused.
One last thing on the new grill, the small plastic handle on the center tray cracked on first use. I applied a little epoxy, and all is fine. Main point I LOVE THIS LITTLE GRILL !!!!!
May 2011
Another UPDATE: I've used the grill about a dozen times in the past year, I still recommend to everyone who asks me about it. If you go to concerts, ballgames, etc., spend the money, you won't regret it. The bag holds the grill and has a pocket in which I carry a knife, fork and flipper, and even a small plastic cutting board all in one unit that you can carry with one hand.
Honest reviews on Son of Hibachi Combo with Snuff out Pouch
Extremely pleased with grill. Works exactly like description states. Takes less time to heat and less charcoal. Fold up for storage. We are campers and every time we use, we have people wanting to know what kind of grill this is and where we purchased it. Great improvement over previous Hibachi!!!
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Son of Hibachi displays excellent design in every aspect. From the moment you take it out of the box, you realize that this grill was worth every penny. The unit is heavy-duty, beautifully finished, and the chimney start and snuff pouch work as advertised. The grills are pre-coated in wax to insure proper seasoning during the first chimney start.
Yes, the cooking surfaces are small, as the unit is designed to be highly portable. It can cook meat and sides for 2-3 people, or meat only for 3-5 people. If only they made a bigger one! But Son of Hibachi is perfectly suited for grilling dinner for a small family.
