Charcoal novice. What to buy?
- Thread starter Pappymn
- Start date
Hey Pappy,
I went through the same dilemma. I have a 2 star general and then added a Hasty-Bake gourmet to the quiver. Awesome combo. I can cook anything. I have been doing batches of apricot wings by starting them on the MAK and then crisping the skin on the hasty-bake. Over the top. Highly recommend getting the HB if you can swing it. I can have that thing fired and ready in about 12 minutes. It is the easiest charcoal grill I have used. As far as charcoal goes, the HB charcoal is the bees knees.
I went through the same dilemma. I have a 2 star general and then added a Hasty-Bake gourmet to the quiver. Awesome combo. I can cook anything. I have been doing batches of apricot wings by starting them on the MAK and then crisping the skin on the hasty-bake. Over the top. Highly recommend getting the HB if you can swing it. I can have that thing fired and ready in about 12 minutes. It is the easiest charcoal grill I have used. As far as charcoal goes, the HB charcoal is the bees knees.
Pappymn
New member
Thanks a lot Stone and BP. What size HB did you get? I have a family of five total, and want to make sure I have enough room.
Big Poppa
Administrator
Pappy the hasty bake is ;primarily a charcoal grill/oven...if your primary use is steaks and stuff it is easy peasy and the right choice...if it is mostly low and slow then you may want to consider other things let me know and I will steer you in the right direction...read meatheads review of the hasty bake gourmet at amazingribs.com
Hey Pappy, here's my two cents.
I went with the Gourmet with the powder coat base and stainless top (without glass). Regarding grill area, I have a family of six and the grill space is AMPLE to say the least. I have yet to need more even with company and feeding 12. No need to worry about surface area.
For your second question of ease of use. It is easy enough to get started that my wife has started using it (and she had never used charcoal). You put the amount of charcoal you want to the near side of the firebox, place a firestarter in the ash pan, lower the charcoal over down over the flame and it acts as it's own chimney starter. 12 minutes and your fire is ready for searing. The Gourmet gives you a lot of flexibility, you can adjust your coal bed height like a Santa Maria style grill, the firebox is a large rectangle so a two stage fire is easy, it has vents only in the bottom portion (none in the lid) so you get a lot of smoke up around your food (unbeatable flavor influence) and these are fully adjustable. The coolest feature is the slightly slanted grates and the v-channel rod underneath the center of the grates. All of the grease from the food flow down and out into a foil catch pan. I have grilled the fattest steaks with no fires - it will spit a flame or two but no more flare up and fires on my food. Awesome. So, the added flexibility means you can control more variables if you want to. But it is not complicated. If I could do it all over again, I would have started on the HB instead of going through the Weber (damn good grill) and a Char-broil progression. The HB will last a lifetime and you will learn to cook your style on it and the added flexibility will let you dial-in some additional preferences for each type of grilling you do.
The MAK is superior at ease of use, low and slow barbeque. The HB will knock your socks off for straight up grilling. Sparky in this forum has the same quiver and sets a high bar for the rest of us.
You can talk with Kirstin, Jessie, or Big Poppa at BPS for all the details - they won't steer you wrong. Feel free to email me separately if you want to get into any additional specifics.
I went with the Gourmet with the powder coat base and stainless top (without glass). Regarding grill area, I have a family of six and the grill space is AMPLE to say the least. I have yet to need more even with company and feeding 12. No need to worry about surface area.
For your second question of ease of use. It is easy enough to get started that my wife has started using it (and she had never used charcoal). You put the amount of charcoal you want to the near side of the firebox, place a firestarter in the ash pan, lower the charcoal over down over the flame and it acts as it's own chimney starter. 12 minutes and your fire is ready for searing. The Gourmet gives you a lot of flexibility, you can adjust your coal bed height like a Santa Maria style grill, the firebox is a large rectangle so a two stage fire is easy, it has vents only in the bottom portion (none in the lid) so you get a lot of smoke up around your food (unbeatable flavor influence) and these are fully adjustable. The coolest feature is the slightly slanted grates and the v-channel rod underneath the center of the grates. All of the grease from the food flow down and out into a foil catch pan. I have grilled the fattest steaks with no fires - it will spit a flame or two but no more flare up and fires on my food. Awesome. So, the added flexibility means you can control more variables if you want to. But it is not complicated. If I could do it all over again, I would have started on the HB instead of going through the Weber (damn good grill) and a Char-broil progression. The HB will last a lifetime and you will learn to cook your style on it and the added flexibility will let you dial-in some additional preferences for each type of grilling you do.
The MAK is superior at ease of use, low and slow barbeque. The HB will knock your socks off for straight up grilling. Sparky in this forum has the same quiver and sets a high bar for the rest of us.
You can talk with Kirstin, Jessie, or Big Poppa at BPS for all the details - they won't steer you wrong. Feel free to email me separately if you want to get into any additional specifics.