( 2 reviews )
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( 1 of 1 found this review helpful ) Posted: 06-28-2009
I own this grill with the side fire box. While it has a number of great features, such as cast iron grills, the overall built quality is poor. 1. The grill is not air-tight. Contrary to what the ads say, this grill leaks like an old bucket. Air, and smoke, leak everywhere. As a result it uses way more fuel than - for example - an airtight Weber and it's impossible to shut it down and use the remaining charcoal for the next BBQ. 2. The paint is not heat proof. Considering this is a BBQ, using paint that will flake off when exposed to heat is just the strangest decision ever. Once the paint is off, the metal will start rusting, so you will have to clean off the rust and repaint with proper heat proof paint. 3. The fire grill bends. The metal is too thin and soft to withstand the heat from a charcoal or wood fire and bends down.4. The warming shelf bends. Again, the metal is too thin to stand up against direct heat and bends. There are ways to make this grill more useful, such as adding firebricks to the bottom part to hold heat in. Probably to the poor insulation it is extremely difficult to get temperatures in excess of 500 degress, even with a direct wood fire. Adding bricks helps. If you're planning on low and slow cooking, this is not a bad solution but I personally would not purchase this grill again.
