● BARBECUE TIPS
GARDEN GADGETS
61
Stop playing silly burgers and pick one of these lean, mean (and sometimes
green) grilling machines to turn up the heat on your burning barbecue desires
he unlikely lovechild
of a Star Wars GNK
power droid and a
Big Green Egg barbecue (see
right), Heston Blumenthal’s
latest outdoor oven blends
ancient super-insulated
charcoal cooking (4000 years
old, hence the name) with the
latest in connected, idiot-proof
banger-cooking... and the
results are magnificent.Don’t light my fire
First up, this charcoal barbecue
lights itself, so there’s no need
to reach for the jerrycan when
flames are not forthcoming;
and ingeniously, there’s a
reloading drawer below the
cooking grates, so you can add
fresh charcoal during cooking
without disruption.
Auto-ignition requires mains
power, which won’t please the
traditionalists, but then neither
will the digital temperature
display, companion app
and integrated meat probes.
For the rest of us, it means
delicious results with the
minimum of fuss and virtuallyzero risk of spoiling everyone’s
party with a tasty bout of
campylobacter.Slow and low, that is the temp
While it doesn’t boast the
largest of cooking surfaces,
you can grill over several
different heights to increase
capacity – and thanks to the
insulated build, supremely
controllable airflow and smart
thermometer, it’s possible to
cook low and slow for hours at
as little as 110°C or crank it up
for searing steaks and baking
pizzas at 400°C ,thanks to a
1.4kW burner and the bundled
pizza stone.
The app is full of recipes
and tips but, most importantly,
keeps an eye on your cooking
progress, tracking internal and
ambient temperatures; it’ll ping
an alert if you need to add fuel
or increase airflow and then let
you know when your nosh is
ready to eat.
It comes in matt black or
white, or a more striking red,
orange or blue for riling Ned
Flanders next door.BIG GREEN EGG
Based on an ancient
Japanese oven,
this charcoal-fired
grill has an airtight
cooking chamber
and sealed firebox,
making it easy to
light and versatile,
with 24 hours of
cooking from one
load of charcoal.
You could even
cook eggs in it.
from £1045 /
biggreenegg.co.ukMORSØ
GRILL 71
This cast-iron
grill from Denmark,
designed in 1971
and in production
ever since, is
the perfect
patio companion
for smashing out
steaks without the
need to sell all your
garden furniture to
make room for a
hulking great BBQ.
£249 / morsoe.comBIOLITE
FIREPIT+
The flames on this
smoke-free wood
and charcoal burner
can be controlled
via an app to scare
the bejeezus out
of your garden
party guests. A
12,800mAh battery
fans those flames,
and it’ll last up to 30
hours on a charge
£270 /
bioliteenergy.comCAMPINGAZ
ATTITUDE
2100 LX
This tabletop gas
BBQ serves up a
generous cooking
space across two
enamel-coated
cast-iron grills. The
left side can be
fitted with a pizza
stone, roasting
skillet or paella
pan. Mmm, paella...
£260 /
campingaz.comCHAR-BROIL
GRILL2GO
An all-terrain action
BBQ built tough
for your camping
adventures (or
patio parties), the
Char-Broil uses
small gas canisters
for convenience
and features
infrared grilling
tech to ensure food
is cooked evenly
across the plate.
£180 / charbroil.euWEBER
SMOKEFIRE
EX4 GBS
This pellet-fired
all-in-one can cook
at any temperature
from 95 to 315°C,
so you can smoke
or sear steaks
without lifting a
finger... except to
pick up your phone
and check the
app’s countdown
to dinnertime.
£1469 / weber.comLET’S GET THIS
PATTY STARTED
For your charcoal,
invest in a chimney
starter (£25,
weber.com) and
use hardwood
lump charcoal, not
the instant-lighting
stuff – this will
add a smoky
flavour, rather
than stinking of
lighter fluid.HAVE A BIT
ON THE SIDE
Indirect cooking
is brilliant for slow
roasting instead of
just grilling the life
out of your poor
bangers. Set up
the grill so the heat
is on one side only
and place your
food on the other.
Keep the lid on for
better flavours.BE ANAL
ABOUT PROBES
Buy a digital meat
thermometer – or
better yet, invest
in a Meater
connected
probe (£79,
meater.com).
You’ll want to make
sure the internal
temperature of
your meat is at
least 75°C.EVERDURE 4K
FLAME ACADEMY
WE’RE ALSO WILD ABOUT...
£1899 / everdurebyheston.co.ukT