Tribute tries out the BBQ in winter!

Did our grills stand up to the 30 degree weather of Pittsburgh? As with any grill (large or small), wind is the biggest temperature thief when it is cold outside. In a calm setting, a grill or smoker can heat up the immediate air around itself. Even a light breeze will blow away any external warmth that may have been created. This causes the temperature next to the grill to be equal to the outside air temperature. Although wind is the primary concern, it is not the only one. The cold temperature means that more fuel must be burned to reach and maintain a desired temperature.  I will add here that it is GREAT for emergency cooking when the power goes out - outdoors of course!  Our grills did a wonderful job!

Trib tested: EZ Grill

Buzz up!

By The Tribune-Review Monday, January 4, 2010 

 

EZ Grill

The claim: An earth-friendly all-in-one BBQ and disposable instant grill. This portable and 100-percent recyclable instant grill comes complete with foil pan, grill grate, stand and charcoal. Instant all-natural charcoal -- with no additives, chemicals, fillers or lighter fluid -- lights with one match and cooks for as long as 1 1/2 hours. It offers convenient cleanup, which means no mess.
Cost: $4.99 for the regular size (1.81 pounds), $9.99 for party size (3.31 pounds)

A 30-degree December day might not have been what the creators of EZ Grill had in mind when they sent grills to us to test, but as they say they're ideal for tailgating, around Pittsburgh, it's plausible.

Setting up and lighting were EZ as promised: One match was all I needed. It took a little longer than the 15 minutes the instructions say for being ready to use, and it was a little more "smokey" than I expected, but that might have been because of the weather. When I use one again, I'll use a skewer to make sure the coals are distributed evenly. Shaking it before lighting didn't quite do the job.
And, yeah, again, because I would buy one for picnics, camping or tailgating occasions when I don't want to drag my propane grill.

On one regular-size EZ Grill, I cooked (in shifts) a steak and a hamburger, a half-dozen hot dogs, and a zucchini and portobello mushroom strips. But because the coals don't quite cover the space of the grill top, I wouldn't plan on cooking more than two steaks or four burgers at a time, and no more than two "shifts" of meats, because when the grill starts to cool down, you're out of time, and you can't add any more charcoal.

Cleanup was EZ, too. I doused it with water, let it sit for a half-hour to make sure everything was out, and threw it in the trash.
-- Vaunda Bonnett

The EZ Grill seems too easy. Accompanying materials tout it as a timesaver, a portable and disposable grill that uses natural charcoal. It looks and fills a bit too flimsy, the equivalent of those cheap Styrofoam coolers that fall apart when filled with ice.
But the darn thing works surprisingly well, albeit, with limitations.

It is easy to use. Take out the grill, shake it, place it on the small metal stand that's included. Strike a match. Light the starter sheet, wait 15 minutes, and it is ready for grilling.

We plopped on a couple of hot dogs and burgers, and they came out just fine. But because the regular-size EZ Grill is small -- about the size of a laptop computer. So you definitely would need the party size for big gatherings. And because it's so light (made from recyclable aluminum), the EZ Grill might not do so well with steaks and chicken.
But for a quick fix on those days when you don't want to lug a large grill to the beach or a tailgate party, it's a nifty solution.
-- Rege Behe

On the rare evenings that my spouse and I find ourselves alone at home for dinner, it seems like such a waste of charcoal to fire up the kettle grill for just the two of us. So the EZ Grill Disposable Instant Grill sounded like a possible solution. Measuring just less than 9-inches-by-12-inches, this self-contained charcoal grill needs only the light of a single match to get the proceedings under way.
The aluminum foil container is covered with a metal mesh, and the charcoal briquettes are covered with a flammable paper that actually ignites and serves as starter for the charcoal. Within 15 minutes, the flames have died down enough that you can start grilling.

Its convenience, portability and self-contained storage might make it a good choice for the very casual griller who needs to fire off a couple of hot dogs at a park or campground. But EZ though it might be, there also are drawbacks.
The charcoal pan gets very hot, very fast and stays that way, and the grill pan and metal stand are so light that they easily could be knocked over. You'll want to use lots of caution when using it around a lot of people -- especially youngsters and pets.
Because you can't place it on any surfaces that would be harmed by heat -- a tailgate, a car hood, grass, a wooden picnic table -- you might find yourself stooping over or searching for a stone ledge at waist height.
The ends of the metal mesh grill surface are sharp, so use caution when crimping the edges of the pan to secure the mesh.

Food seems to take forever to cook -- well over 20 minutes for hamburgers. Plus, there's little distance between the coals and the food and little to no way to manipulate coals or add wood chips for smoking. The results are edible and serviceable, but fall short of providing the flavors and textures of well-grilled meat.
You might consider tucking one in the car trunk as insurance against a grilling emergency, but how likely is that?
-- Alice T. Carter