Heat Beads Entertainer charcoal Grill/BBQ Review

[Smokey]

Its all cool, I Told him toung in cheek to let him off the hook and ease his embarrassment.
His old man gave him a SS one after that. Dont know what brand, I moved interstate after that.

[Davo]

Its all cool, I Told him toung in cheek to let him off the hook and ease his embarrassment.
His old man gave him a SS one after that. Dont know what brand, I moved interstate after that.

WISE MOVE MICK>>>WISE MOVE

[Diana]

Hi urbangriller
So glad to read a review on the Heatbeads Charcoal BBQ - nearly bought hubby one last year, but was a bit dubious about the fact that they couldn't be viewed anywhere but in showroom Mon-Fri BH when I couldn't get to it! As you say, I was worried about the quality......we have had THE ONE WEBER BBQ FOR 26 YEARS !!!!! Yes, really, 26 yrs!
Although I love the concept of this new design, I think I shall go for another, maybe top of the range Weber and wait for some competition to improve the quality of the Heatbeads one! The actual cooking space available is pretty much the same as the Weber, isn't it? It appears larger caus of shape/rectangle, but overall, I think it works out the same.

[Captain Cook]

Diana

Hi and Welcome.

Congratulations on the life of your Weber, They first came onto the market in Australia in there own right in '83 so you have one of the first. It is a testimony of the quality of the product, I hope that when you retire it you store it in the back shed and bring it out for special occasions like Christmas Dinner.
If you want to go to the top of the line in kettles, have a look at the Weber "Performer", it has all the features you wish you had with the old kettle. The gas assisted starting for the heatbeads/charcoal is great. I use it and the Heatbeads Chimney Starter that way I can set up the kettle in any configuration to achieve the cooking style that I want. (Direct, Indirect or a three zone set-up or variations)

We would sure like to see some of the recipes and methods that you have developed with the kettle.

Cheers

Phil aka Captain Cook

[ideaswoman]

Thank you for this great thread and info.

I am wanting a portable wood fired oven as I rent, especially for cooking pizzas and breads and was thinking of possibly converting this Heat Bead bbq into one as steel portable WFO are so expensive - at least $2K all up with stand etc.

I am wanting to line with foil and add refractory bricks and then get an IR thermometer to check temps.

Chris, as you use this bbq, do you think it worthy of me trying to do this with this unit or should I be considering something else?

Gayle

EDIT: was hoping to use wood as I am not certain heat beads will get up to high temps - maybe I am wrong

[Davo]

Ask Captain Cook about his new Traegar wood pellet BBQ, this might be exactly what you need, I've hear dthey make great pizza as well as other stuff

Cheers

Davo

[Captain Cook]

Gayle
Hi and Welcome to the Forum
Go to www.traeger.com and look at the Little Tex 070

I can get probably you a fantastic deal on this and you can cook pizzas, bread, roasts, veggies, seafood, cakes everything on it. It uses wood pellets which cost 12 for a 20 kg bag and you get about 20-30 hours cooking out of the bag. It does smoke and requires electricity to run. It gives a smoky taste on low and a slight smoky taste on high.

Heat beads will get up to higher temps but will be harder to maintain the temps.

A warning on the IR thermometers they measure reflected heat not actual temp. Point it at a heat bead that is alight and it will probably go to 800 - 900 F but that is the heat of the burn the actual heat in the BBQ may only be 250-300 F.

Cheers

Phil aka Captain Cook

[ideaswoman]

Here is the link: http://www.traegeroutlet.com/inc/sdetail/108 for the exact unit. Thanks for the recommendation, but after a wood option without gas or electricity.

[Captain Cook]

Gayle - how much room do you have. Garth have a Outdoor Pizza Oven which is wood burning - independent of Gas/electricity. They are available in Bunnings for 1499 last time I looked. The following is the web link to them. http://www.garth.com.au/pages/products_ ... at=1&id=97
Cheers

Phil aka Captain Cook

[ideaswoman]

Heaps of room Phil.

I have seen that plus almost EVERY one on the market around the world! There are some great ones out there.

Pivot Stone have a great range. http://www.pivotstove.com.au/index.php/ ... pAodgw7UmA

This is new: http://www.barbequesandmore.com.au/gall ... number=541

http://www.instructables.com/id/BBQ-Pizza-Dome/ make your own

http://www.earthfire.co.za/pizza.htm from South Africa

http://www.wildfiremanufacturing.com/Pa ... ry%202.htm nice but never replied to my emails!

http://www.aromaticembers.com/Pages/SmallSteel.htm

Even this little thing: http://www.pizzaque.com.au/index.html

Now you can see why I am considering the Heat Beads BBQ to turn into a pizza oven.

[Captain Cook]

Great work Gayle, you have done more homework than a year 12 student just before the VCE.
I guess that Chris is the most appropriate person to ask regarding the Headbeads Entertainer.

Pity you cant have electricity as the Traegers are awesome and the flavour is great.

Good luck let us know what you end up with. Someone who has done that much research has got to be a perfectionist when it comes to cooking. Would love to see some photos of your cooks when you take some.

cheers
Phil aka Captain Cook

[ideaswoman]

Thanks Phil. I am counting on Chris as Heat Beads could not offer any help to the suitability, nor a retailer address to look at it. Looks like you can only buy it direct.

If I do go ahead with some type of refit to an existing unit, I will be blogging the process. I have learned so much from everyone else, I must do the same in return!

[urbangriller]

Hi Gayle,

Here is something my father would say, “you are trying to make a silk purse out of a sows ear”, the entertainer is a BBQ and you can cook a pizza on it and get a good result, you do not need fire bricks, in fact there is no where to put them that will help the process.
Look at my video on making pizza in a hooded gas grill and this is the same process I use in the entertainer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdot_Q7z ... annel_page

I’ll make pizza on Sunday and take some pix for you (if it is not pissing down).

The entertainer will do the job, for the same money, so will the Gasmate pizza oven: http://www.sitro.com.au/sub_categories/7/products/14 you could put a tray of Heat Beads and wood in the bottom and get a good result, or use the gas and a smoking box, the only mod I would suggest is to remove the rear plate and stuff the wall cavities with pink batts.

Cheers
Chris

[Davo]

And by applying a similar set up to Chris's Gas BBQ cooking pizza can be done wonderfully using a Humble Weber kettle.....who'd have thunk it!!
Need to get the pizza as closr to the top of the lid as possible and by using 3 steel or aluminium cans,this can be done easily.

I've looked at some of those woodfire pizza style ovens and can't beleive how expensive they are for what they are and I kinda beleive they are somewhat of a fad and there'd be limitations to what is cooked in there...this is only my opinion however.

I'd be more interested in the Traegar for pizza making other than the kettle and once Phil (Capt.Cook) has become more accustomed to this new cooker,then he can properly be able to tell others how it's done....but so far it's the most innovative new cooker that has come down here and very cheap to run.

Cheers

Davo

[ideaswoman]

Thanks Chris, I do understand what you mean. I thought this bbq may work as it offers the ability to increase and decrease the airflow. A refractory tile would be $10.00 to help increase the bbq temp.

You all may be interested in this http://www.fornobravo.com/forum/f24/any ... -1511.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYRnKe6gJxs

I did not realise you can use heat beads in a Gasmate pizza oven. I will investigate that further. I do not own a Weber which is my reason for looking for other options without forking out big bucks.

I do make great pizzas already but want to make them even better and outside seeing I hate heating up the house cooking pizza.