Grand Fire BBQ

[MUSTANG2]

I am looking for a built in BBQ for an outdoor kitchen and have narrowed down the field to Smeg, Lynx, Fisher & Paykel DSC and Grand Fire. I cannot find any posts about Grand Fire BBQs. Can anyone help with any Grand Fire reports or cooking quality as they use a ceramic cassette or any other information. They look like they will perform with 72 mj/h but it is very difficult to get anyone to demonstrate their cooking ability as a meat grill. Also I cannot get any info on any forum about them. Can anyone please help with any suggestions for the best a built in BBQ.

[Commander Cody]

here ya go.

http://www.grandfirebbqs.com.au/

http://www.grandfirebbqs.com.au/collect ... in-series/

but i bet you have these links already 'ey.....if there are no reviews..... maybe go for the smeg ,
users of that brand seem very happy with them.

here is a link to the other 2 brands sort of reviewed in one artical

http://www.applianceretailer.com.au/201 ... XoC8_mqqko

and you are right ya know......i can not find any reviews for grand fire either.

kevin

[James Bond]

I am looking for a built in BBQ for an outdoor kitchen and have narrowed down the field to Smeg, Lynx, Fisher & Paykel DSC and Grand Fire. I cannot find any posts about Grand Fire BBQs. Can anyone help with any Grand Fire reports or cooking quality as they use a ceramic cassette or any other information. They look like they will perform with 72 mj/h but it is very difficult to get anyone to demonstrate their cooking ability as a meat grill. Also I cannot get any info on any forum about them. Can anyone please help with any suggestions for the best a built in BBQ.

Hi mate, same challenge.

I reckon I have looked at almost every stainless steel BBQ available in the last few weeks and I think the GrandFire ticks almost all my boxes. I'm going to have another look at one tomorrow morning and if the retailer is able to give me the right deal I reckon I'll bite the bullet.

Whereabouts are you based yourself?

JB

[Gumb]

Mod Note : Topic has been moved from the Welcome section as it is not an introductory post and deals with BBQ selection.

[MUSTANG2]

Thanks for the replies to Commander Cody and James Bond. I have found that none of the retailers will let you try their BBQs or give you names of people who have bought them. I have asked them and NO is their answer, except for Smeg. I live an the Sunshine Coast Queensland and they arranged a test for me at their Brisbane showroom. Yesterday my wife and I went to them and they started up their BBQ and we raced off and could only buy bacon so we cooked same. The BBQ is beautifully built and has been well thought out and made. It generated tremendous heat but produced some smoke from the bacon but it was way too hot and I believe it will cook things beautifully once temperatures are better managed than I did yesterday. I have to give them their credit, they are the only manufacturer who is prepared to stand behind their product and let you use them. The others could learn something from this as I would probably buy on the spot once they performed successfully. The Smeg makes for such a better installation given that it fits flush on the benchtop and doesn't need the small, difficult to clean space at the back. Having said that, I still think that the Grand Fire makes a beautiful BBQ and I am very keen on their burners and ceramic cassette system. If they made it as flush fit model it would be just perfect. I don't think that I will find the pefect BBQ for me but at this stage the Smeg is the winner and I will buy one next week, unless someone can convince me otherwise. Bring on the debate. I am open to other BBQs.

[James Bond]

The Smeg certainly looks like a beautifully designed BBQ from the pictures. It doesn't have as many features as the Grand Fire but these may be "nice to haves" and not essential. It seems more expensive than the Grand Fire by about $1000. Also mixed reviews on productreview.com.au, but as we can't find any reviews at all on the Grand Fire these can be ignored for comparison purposes.

The retailer who I am talking to about Grand Fire has been in contact with Hauland (who are the "manufacturer" - based in NZ, although it is made in China) while I was in the store, and Hauland are apparently sending him some emails that they have received from clients in NZ (presumably praising / reviewing the product).

If you can hold fire on pushing the go button for a short while I will share these with you which may help with your decision. I will also go and have a look at a Smeg in a shop. Thanks for the pointer.

Cheers

JB

[MUSTANG2]

Thanks JB, I will hold fire until your info comes through. The extras on the Grand Fire are superfluous to me. I have never needed and never will need a rotissorie and the lights and ignition mean that you have to have 240 power to the the BBQ. The Smeg has a 9 volt battery ignition and I have overhead LEDs so no need for the onboard lighting. I prefer the simplicity and clean lines of the Smeg. There are some mixed reviews of the Smeg, mainly relating to excess smoke, but this is mainly due to having the 2 interkocking grills incorrectly assembled, and also having it too hot as it does have the potential for extreme heat. I strongly suggest that you have a look at the Smeg in the flesh before any decision is made. I am still open to suggestions but the Smeg is in front by a nose. The cost is not an issue because it is only expensive if you have to buy a replacement BBQ. Where are you in Australia?
Thanks, Mustang 2.

[James Bond]

Hi mate I am in SE Melbourne. I will definitely look at the Smeg now you have brought it to my attention.

Will hopefully hear back from the Grand Fire dealer next week.

Spent today fixing blueboard to some parts of my BBQ area - doing a big reno on it, the BBQ is going to be the centrepiece!

JB

[urbangriller]

Thanks JB, I will hold fire until your info comes through. The extras on the Grand Fire are superfluous to me. I have never needed and never will need a rotissorie and the lights and ignition mean that you have to have 240 power to the the BBQ. The Smeg has a 9 volt battery ignition and I have overhead LEDs so no need for the onboard lighting. I prefer the simplicity and clean lines of the Smeg. There are some mixed reviews of the Smeg, mainly relating to excess smoke, but this is mainly due to having the 2 interkocking grills incorrectly assembled, and also having it too hot as it does have the potential for extreme heat. I strongly suggest that you have a look at the Smeg in the flesh before any decision is made. I am still open to suggestions but the Smeg is in front by a nose. The cost is not an issue because it is only expensive if you have to buy a replacement BBQ. Where are you in Australia?
Thanks, Mustang 2.

Excess smoke is a dirty BBQ!

Chris

[James Bond]

Thanks JB, I will hold fire until your info comes through. The extras on the Grand Fire are superfluous to me. I have never needed and never will need a rotissorie and the lights and ignition mean that you have to have 240 power to the the BBQ. The Smeg has a 9 volt battery ignition and I have overhead LEDs so no need for the onboard lighting. I prefer the simplicity and clean lines of the Smeg. There are some mixed reviews of the Smeg, mainly relating to excess smoke, but this is mainly due to having the 2 interkocking grills incorrectly assembled, and also having it too hot as it does have the potential for extreme heat. I strongly suggest that you have a look at the Smeg in the flesh before any decision is made. I am still open to suggestions but the Smeg is in front by a nose. The cost is not an issue because it is only expensive if you have to buy a replacement BBQ. Where are you in Australia?
Thanks, Mustang 2.

Well Mustang2, don't hold your breath on reviews from GrandFire in NZ. They haven't sent anything to the dealer and when I rang them directly in New Zealand the response I got to my query wasn't fantastic.

Still interested in them, but currently considering this - http://www.gasmate.com.au/sub-category/ ... assic-BBQ/

Going to a dealer that stocks both (and the ubiquitous Beefeater and Weber) at the weekend. Will let you know what I conclude.

JB

[James Bond]

And to add to that, it looks to me like the Grand Fire is a chinese copy of the Lynx. They look very very similar.

https://www.lynxgrills.com/

BB

[Jkspinner]

I have the 42" Grandfire, have owned it for about 15 months, moved from a Weber Summit.. it is definetily a copy of the Lynx, just half the price. It is a very hot BBQ, took me a while to get use to it, especially coming from a low heat webber. I love this BBQ, and the ceremic heat tamers are great. I know the weber lovers will dissagree, but the Grandfire cooks a better steak than the weber, i think its because of the extra heat and the ceramic beads, they provide more flavour than the triangle shapped steel tamers that other brands use. You do get more flare ups, but after I got use to that, I now like it. The lights and the ignition sysrem are fantastic, and the rotisery, a feature I thought I would never use is great. I am not sure what it is about an infared burner, but it adds a great flavour. Many American BBQs now include an infared burner for searing steaks, and my American friends would not cook a steak on anything else. I dont think infared burners under a grill pass Australian gas rules.
I bought this BBQ as it is the only BBQ that will warrant the use of two plates, although I am not keen on the wonky plate that comes with it, i bought a nice flat plate as well.
Happy to answer any questions

[James Bond]

Thank you for being the first person in the world to review any of the Grand Fire models!

I've bought the Gasmate now, hope it is as good as the experience you have had with your Grand Fire.

JB

[urbangriller]

I have the 42" Grandfire, have owned it for about 15 months, moved from a Weber Summit.. it is definetily a copy of the Lynx, just half the price. It is a very hot BBQ, took me a while to get use to it, especially coming from a low heat webber. I love this BBQ, and the ceremic heat tamers are great. I know the weber lovers will dissagree, but the Grandfire cooks a better steak than the weber, i think its because of the extra heat and the ceramic beads, they provide more flavour than the triangle shapped steel tamers that other brands use. You do get more flare ups, but after I got use to that, I now like it. The lights and the ignition sysrem are fantastic, and the rotisery, a feature I thought I would never use is great. I am not sure what it is about an infared burner, but it adds a great flavour. Many American BBQs now include an infared burner for searing steaks, and my American friends would not cook a steak on anything else. I dont think infared burners under a grill pass Australian gas rules.
I bought this BBQ as it is the only BBQ that will warrant the use of two plates, although I am not keen on the wonky plate that comes with it, i bought a nice flat plate as well.
Happy to answer any questions

Yes both Napoleon and the (BBQs Galore) Turbo have IR burners under the grill, the Napoleon has a sheet of quarts to protect the burners and the Turbo uses quartz domes.

As Far as using two flat plates.....well that's not BBQ...you may as well use an electric frying pan!

[Gumb]

Yup, flat hot plates make good bacon and eggs and that's where it stops.