BBQ?

Any general items, polls
Truman
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Joined: Mon Aug 28, 2017 11:14 am

BBQ?

Post by Truman »

Hi, my first post ... We're in the market for a new BBQ. I want something that'll get real hot (the quicker the better) so as to sear a steak well while rare inside. (The previous Weber Q didn't come close.) I've heard the Everdure Blumenthal Furnace is good, but never seen it in action. Am open to charcoal, if it heats quickly because mid-week we don't have time to wait 30min for the thing to heat up. (We have an old Weber kettle which we could use on weekends for roasts or when we have more time.) Does the Everdure HUB heat quickly with its electric starter? Ideally, under $2000. All ideas most welcome.

Used the kettle weber on the weekend and sprinkled some rosemary on the coals and while the steak was great tasting I didn't notice a great deal of rosemary flavour in the rump (I realise rosemary pairs better with lamb). Does that method work?
Davo
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Re: BBQ?

Post by Davo »

Hi Truman and welcome to the Aussie BBQ forum,

After reading your post about the Everdure Blumenthal BBQ, I know the Brand Name and Chef but didn't know about this particular system that had been created....so after some Googling, I watched a brief video starring the Heston himself and I must say it looks rather awesome. A bit narrow though but it can be ready in 10 minutes using charcoal...mind you it has to be lump wood charcoal only for it to do that but lump is pretty easy to source these days. It's fairly premium priced for an open grill but it does look good quality. I don't think you'll go wrong.....I love it when new ideas come out like that.

Can i ask what Weber Q model did you use before? I have the family Q and it gets pretty hot unlike my Q220 i had before...I think the mid size was a trifle underwhelming...but the baby Q was awesome....it was a little dynomite!!

Cheers

Davo
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Truman
Posts: 34
Joined: Mon Aug 28, 2017 11:14 am

Re: BBQ?

Post by Truman »

Thanks Davo. (Firstly, I has subsequently realised I should have headed this 'Which' BBQ?, but anyway ...)

Yes, I have seen those Blumenthal videos, but have read other reviews which in part indicate that, yes, it can be ready in 10min for the charcoal over the burner, but if you want to use more of the cooking surface you have to move the charcoal around to heat the other charcoal, meaning to have a full plate ready you're looking at about 40mins.

We had the smaller Weber Q, not the baby, but the next size up I think. The burners, on full, just looked pissey.

I've looked at the Weber Genisis II LX, and for me it's just a tad off-putting when the burners are so far from the plate/grill, about 6 inches. But I guess Webers are meant for closed hood cooking.
12x7
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Re: BBQ?

Post by 12x7 »

Everdure Blumenthal BBQ is about $1,800.

How about getting an Akorn Kamado.

it is made out of metal and can be heated up real fast to around @350C. At this temp you can sear outside and keep the middle rare.

There's lots of youtube videos with people cooking awesome steaks.

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Heaps of flexibility too. It can do awesome low and slow.

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You can get all this for $499 from Bunnings.

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https://www.bunnings.com.au/char-grille ... r_p3180332
Truman
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Re: BBQ?

Post by Truman »

Oh, we will also get a small BBQ for our camper trailer. Is the baby Weber Q better than the Ziegler & Brown equivalent?

And with the Heston HUB, it seems it has no flat plate? So what about the onions?
Truman
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Joined: Mon Aug 28, 2017 11:14 am

Re: BBQ?

Post by Truman »

Thanks, about the Komado, I heard it weighs a ton? And we'd need a larger cooking surface, meaning the larger Komado (I'm pretty sure there is a larger one, and really $$?). But yes, it did look good.
12x7
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Re: BBQ?

Post by 12x7 »

Truman wrote: Tue Aug 29, 2017 12:42 pm Oh, we will also get a small BBQ for our camper trailer. Is the baby Weber Q better than the Ziegler & Brown equivalent?
With Ziggy's you can cook with the lid open or closed, plus they cook hotter.

The Q's are lid closed.

both are good. Select on the way you prefer the cook. eg lid open or closed.
12x7
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Re: BBQ?

Post by 12x7 »

Truman wrote: Tue Aug 29, 2017 12:44 pm Thanks, about the Komado, I heard it weighs a ton? And we'd need a larger cooking surface, meaning the larger Komado (I'm pretty sure there is a larger one, and really $$?). But yes, it did look good.
The ceramic Kamados are heavy. The Akorn is made of metal and are no heavier than a gas BBQ.

If you are coming from a gas BBQ background and used to only one level cooking area you may not notice the Akorn has multi level cooking. This greatly increases the cooking area, plus offers different temperature zones.

re: larger cooking area. How many people are you cooking for at one time? eg if you are searing steaks at @350C. the steak will only be on the grill for about a minute each side and then you rest it.
12x7
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Re: BBQ?

Post by 12x7 »

For $1,800 a good combination is a Weber Family q for the everyday BBQ such as snags and the supermarket steaks, and an Akorn Kamado when you really want a superb steak, eg Cape Grim http://www.capegrimbeef.com.au/, eg reverse seared, real smoke flavour, with the added options of low and slow, roasting, plus pizzas.
Truman
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Joined: Mon Aug 28, 2017 11:14 am

Re: BBQ?

Post by Truman »

Thanks 12x7. Mostly, we cook for 4, mid-week. But we need to be able to cook for, say, 10.

I like the look of the Akorn Komado, will chat with the wife Cath about it.

I seem to be getting quite keen on the Everdure HUB. Just spoke with Harvey Norman, and a HUB distributor (Kristie from Shriro at Newstead in Brisbane) who was great to talk to and knew her stuff (and owns a HUB)). She assures me it takes no time to heat up and has offered for me to go in and see her fire it up.

Anyway, still open to alternatives. In the meantime we still have the Weber kettle to play with. Though I think I need to try some proper charcoal with it and not just heat beads.

Speaking of which, 12x7, if we have a kettle (albeit old) would the Akorn Komado add to it?
tagus
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Joined: Tue Feb 26, 2013 10:52 pm

Re: BBQ?

Post by tagus »

If you're happy with the Weber kettle, perhaps just buy the chimney + fan booster to get the fire going in about 12 minutes?

https://heatbeads.com.au/product/heat-b ... y-booster/



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Lovey
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Re: BBQ?

Post by Lovey »

Truman wrote: Tue Aug 29, 2017 12:34 pm We had the smaller Weber Q, not the baby, but the next size up I think. The burners, on full, just looked pissey.
The mid size Q has always been a bit under powered, as it has the same single burner as the baby Q, so more area to heat up with the one burner. The family Q, the biggest of the three has 2 burners, so it can heat up the bigger area with more burners.
The baby Q or the family Q will certainly get hot enough for a rare steak.
Mr Peter
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Re: BBQ?

Post by Mr Peter »

My gas grill is the Z&B Triple Grill - I get a decent sear on steaks, but still not as good as hot charcoal. I went the Z&B as it allows for different heat zones while the Q only has one gas ring.

If I really want a good sear on a rare steak in a hurry, I just sit a grill on top of my chimney starter and cook straight on top of it. It's like cooking over an afterburner (also works really well with seared sesame-crusted tuna). The catch - if you leave it too long, you'll be eating charcoal for dinner.

My best tip to get a nice rosemary flavour into beef - and IMO it's every bit as good as with lamb - is to heat a pan of butter with rosemary in it, then baste the meat with the rosemary-infused butter (preferably using a rosemary sprig as the basting brush). Amazing, although generously rubbing the steak with chopped sage and garlic is a life-changing experience.

EDIT: the Q's I saw only had 1 burner, but that was a long time ago...
Davo
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Re: BBQ?

Post by Davo »

The secret with the Weber Q's is to buy thicker steaks, preferable 1.5 inches or over 30 mills and they go perfect on the Q's, the trouble with some thin supermarket steaks is that by the time you get some caramalisation on the outside, it's too well done on the inside.

Cheers

Davo
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12x7
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Re: BBQ?

Post by 12x7 »

Truman wrote: Tue Aug 29, 2017 4:33 pm Speaking of which, 12x7, if we have a kettle (albeit old) would the Akorn Komado add to it?
A popular BBQ evolution is:

Gas-> Weber Kettle -> Akorn/Dragon Kamado (metal) -> Ceramic Kamado (eg Kamado Joe/Big Green Egg) -> Something else such as pellet etc.

When people have to choose if they could only have one BBQ, a popular choice is a Kamado.

Baby Back Maniac discusses why he believes a Kamado is the best choice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFJlBgNqfyE&t=163s

The Weber Kettle is a great BBQ. It can cook a wide range of things. It is my favourite Q to cook pork.

I own an Akorn Kamado and a Kamado Joe Kamado (ceramic), Weber Family Q and others.

A big difference between a Kamado and a kettle is how moist the meat is. The kettle has dry heat which is why you use water trays etc to stop the meat drying out. The Kamado with its sealed design cooks meat so it is really juicy. You don't need water trays. The negative side is for things where you need dry heat such as to make pork crackle, it is a lot harder to do compared to a kettle.

Unless you pay big dollars, gas doesn't get anywhere as hot as a Kamado or kettle. It's that high heat that give a true steak sear. Steak houses use special gas cookers that get to around 1,000F.

One of the best way to cook a steak using gas is to use Grill Grates.

https://www.grillgrate.com/

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They are available for gas, kettle and Kamado etc.

Competition BBQ'ers use them to win competitions, eg on their gas Q's

You can buy them at BBQ Galore.

A fast way to cook a steak is with a $20 gas portable and a cast iron fry pan.

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You can even use an electric stove, fry pan and then finish with a gas torch burner. That is what some top chefs do. You can get the perfect carmelisation.

After owning quite a few Qs. A key learning was to spend more money on things like better meat than over spend on BBQ cooker.
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