I’ve gotta go along with Sean when he said (in reporting a similar recall last August) “sometimes I’m glad I don’t own a gas grill.” The manufacturer and importer of the SLG series “Perfect Flame” brand outdoor propane or natural gas grills is voluntarily recalling almost 663,000 of the above-pictured model in the United States and an other 1,700 in Canada. Why?

The firm has received about 40 reports of fires from the burners deteriorating and about 23 reports of the lids catching fire. The firm is aware of one report of an eye injury requiring surgery and 21 incidents of minor burns to the hands, arms, or face.

Ouch!

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If you’re a fair-weather griller, you can ignore this post. There’s nothing for you to see here. But if you grill in the rain, sleet, snow, and (oh my!) cold — like we do –  get thee to your local sporting goods store where they’re dumping grills like Martha Stewart dumps soon-to-be-bad stock. I stumbled across Sean’s favorite tiny grill (above) for about $30 off.

Dig a little and you’ll probably find similar deals. As the it’s-too-cold crowd loses interest they’ll want that shelf space back for I don’t know, toboggans, toques, and other cold-weather stuff. Winner: you. And drop us a line in comments if you score!

There are times when I’m very glad I don’t own a gas grill. I’m sure many people use them without issue, but I’ve heard of folks’ houses burning down after faulty shutdowns and any number of other issues after a summer or so of operation. Most of that is hearsay of course, but it seems Fiesta Grills has a real tale of woe with the voluntary recall of around 88,000 of their Blue Ember Gas Grills.

Fiesta has received 161 reports of malfunctions resulting in 9 incidents that produced major burns and one case of temporary hearing loss. The recall states the cause of all this mess is that the gas hose can get too close to the firebox. Once it does, it gets bad.

The recall notice had this to say on what to do if your unit is one of the affected models.

Consumers should immediately stop using the grill and call Fiesta Gas Grills to obtain a free replacement grease pan assembly and instructions for installing the part and the gas tank. The grill should not be used until the new grease pan assembly and the gas tank have been installed correctly. Consumers should also inspect the gas burner hose and regulator, which will be replaced free of charge if there are signs of damage.

Check out the CPSC site for more info on how to identify which grills are included in the recall. And should your grill be one of the guilty parties don’t just ignore the notice and light up anyway. The way this recall reads, it’s only a matter of time.

Recall Information [CPSC.gov]

We’ve heard a lot about portable grills that fold like briefcases or look like Crock Pots, beer kegs, woks, or UFOs.  Is the Tool Box Grill just another novelty, or is it a decent cooker?

The construction is mostly sheet metal with a porcelain grate and shield (the heated components). The manufacturer’s site says the 10,000 BTU stainless steel burner tube provides “even cooking heat,” though user reviews cast some doubt on this. The grill’s dimensions are 19.5″ x 8.75″ x 10.5″, or 173 sq. inches of cooking surface, which is a fine size for a portable grill.  Its design lets you store tools and propane inside the box and, at 19 lbs., you can carry the whole thing in one hand.

But while a portable grill should be lightweight, the flimsy construction might require some extra care. Also, we found conflicting information about the propane tank;  the manufacturer says the grill uses a standard 1lb. “camping” style canister, while a reviewer at About.com notes that it actually takes the 14 oz. disposable bottle found in most stores’ tool section.

At around $65, this grill could be a good grab for camping, picnics, and cookouts while traveling — if the griller treats it gently and doesn’t mind low heat.  Let us know what you think in comments.

The Tool Box Grill [Hans Plads]
Street Pricing [Google]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

There are a few schools of thought on cleaning the grill.  Some think it’s the eighth deadly sin to clean it, that leaving the charred food and grease “seasons the grill”.  Others can be fanatical about keeping the grates sparkling clean.  Most of us probably fall somewhere in between.

If you lean towards cleaning the grill on a regular basis, these disposable grill wipes from Grate Chef clean and oil the grates at the same time. The absorbent wipes deliver a high-heat food-service grade oil to the grill which won’t burn off and keeps food from sticking to the grate.  The biodegradable wipes are also flame retardant and cling to the bristles of a rectangular grill brush.

Considering that a six-pack of disposable wipes will set you back a whole $3, are these wipes worth the money, or is the old grill brush good enough?  Let us know what you think in comments.

Grill Wipes [Grate Chef]
Street Pricing [Google]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

We came across this Patio Pro grill at the local Albertson’s earlier this week with a hefty $30 markdown that brought it to $60.  Char-Griller makes this awesome grill from the fire box of a larger smoker, decked out with sweet cast-iron grill plates and a rolling stand.

We’ve spent time with these bad boys and they grill some mean steaks.  The grill surface itself measures 18″x14” — big enough to cook steaks and vegetables for a family of four without a problem.  Plus its heavy iron construction means you won’t need to replace it nearly as soon as you would a thinner-walled unit .

Patio Pro [Char-Griller]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]

A friend of ours sent us a fine example of how to get people’s attention at your next BBQ — it’s got room for a pile of burgers and it sports mud tires to boot. Seriously, how many grills have you seen that look like field artillery?

If the smoke vents out of the tip of the barrel we’ll have to say this is one of the largest caliber smokers we’ve ever seen — most certainly one of the cleverest.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission recently announced a recall of about 24,000 Perfect Flame grills sold exclusively at Lowe’s. According to the CPSC, the four-burner LP gas grills can melt and/or ignite — not exactly the impress-the-guests ending you might desire.

If you own one of the affected grills — check the link below for serial number detail to see if yours is affected — your should immediately stop using the grill, disconnect the propane tanks, and return your grill (sans propane) to any Lowe’s store for a full refund.

Fire & Burn Hazards Prompt Grill Recall [CPSC]
Manufacturer Recall Info [Lucas Innovation]

We like to grill. While we’re grilling, we talk about grilling. When that gets boring, we switch to a completely different topic, like smoking. The stories bounce back and forth — about the biggest smokers, and the best pork shoulders you’ve ever had — so we weren’t surprised when someone sent us a link to this smoking king.

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Ah, summertime: it means camping, fishing, swimming, and, of course, burning your mouth on blackened hot dogs you jabbed on a stick and held too long in an open flame. Or does it? A variety of manufacturers make inexpensive campfire grills that claim to produce edible hot dogs, or even snazzier grill fare like kebabs. Most either screw-mount to a metal stake or have folding legs that can stand on uneven ground.

I’m inclined to think the stake-mounted model is preferable since you have more control over the distance between the heat source and the food. With the folding legs, you just have to hope it’s not sitting right in the fire or perched too far above the heat to cook properly. Also, the models from CampfireGrill feature a raised edge on all sides, which seems like a good idea (hence their slogan, “Our weenies never fall off!”). Street pricing starts around $15.

What do you think? Do campfire grills live up to the hype, or should I just go strip a branch and poke my dog the old-fashioned way? Let us know in comments.

Street Pricing [Google Products]

There was a time in the US when the dream of every post-WWII suburban Dad was to have his very own backyard BBQ pit/grill — a monolith of brick and asbestos that he would work nights and weekend to construct, an atomic-age hearth to gather his family around. That trend seems to have passed, and now most people opt for a cheap disposable grill or a high-dollar stainless steel leviathan. But you have to admire something as solid and reliable as built-in masonry, made by hand, that can grill the living hell out of darn near anything.

So what do you think? Is this a relic that should stay in the past or a forgotten DIY treasure that deserves a resurrection? Tell us in the comments.

Free Backyard Grill Plans [Backyard Spaces]

It’s Memorial Day at the Toolmonger shop and that means BBQ and beer wins out over shop work. To help you along on the road to good burgers and easy grilling take a look at a few posts that cover our favorite way to prepare food.

How-To: BBQ South African-Style
An awesome reader from South Africa named Freddie shows us how it’s done on the other side of the world. In short, big beef, big fire, big taste - we’re fans.

Hot or Not? Gas Grills (Vs. Charcoal)
The virtues of charcoal flame and gas powered grills still sets the grilling man to sing the praises of each.

What BBQ Tools Should Every Griller Own?
So you’ve picked your grill, now what? Try geeking out on some badass grilling tools.

Now if you’ll excuse us there’s a beer and some ground round that needs our attention.

When you go camping, you pretty much have to roast hot dogs and marshmallows over an open flame. What could be simpler than putting food on some sort of stick and lighting it on fire?  Over the years, I’ve impaled food on coat hangers, stainless steel implements, whittled tree limbs, and welding rods.  Now the FireFork aims to end those days of questionable cookware.

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With the weather hinting at a warmer weekend, the smell of charcoal is going to start filling up the minds of hungry folks around the country. Our advice is to not fight it. If you don’t already have a solid grill, go blow the $25 at the local big box, and eat well.

We’ve talked about our preference for charcoal before, but if you’re on the fence about it and think you might go gas-powered this year, stop by a charcoal-grilling neighbor’s place before you do. The taste alone might bring you around.

Street pricing starts at $25.

Model 39740 BBQ Grill [Lowe's]
Street Pricing [Google Products]

This week our friends over at Wired and Gizmodo mentioned Hammacher Schlemmer’s new $80 “60 second charcoal starter.” Tool Talk listeners know that we’ve adopted a cheaper but just as effective way of gettin’ the grill goin’ around the Toolmonger shop: a Bernz-o-Matic MAPP gas torch.

We originally picked up the torch to sweat some copper pipe, but after a great peanut-butter-meets-chocolate moment one Friday when we couldn’t find a lighter, we’ve used it exclusively to light the grill. And grilling at least once a week — we love our Friday steaks down here in Texas — we’ve been using it for over a year on the original gas bottle. But hey, even if you grill a lot more than we do, a replacement bottle is just $8 at your local big box.

Of course, you’ll want to be careful. You can burn yourself (and everything else) with it. And watch out: it scared the crap out of a Yankee guest a couple of weeks ago — though he did enjoy his steak.

Bernz-o-Matic Trigger Start Torch Kit [Lowe's]

I’m a sucker for anything made from composite materials, and I also happen to enjoy grilling. So you can imagine how excited I was when I saw The Lite Cylinder Company’s line of fiberglass propane tanks. The tanks don’t just look cool – they’re safer as well. They won’t rust, and you can tell how much fuel is left just by looking at ‘em.

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Grilling is easier when you can get a grip on the food, and this combination flipper and tongs set is truly more useful than the sum of its parts. The flipper blade slides under burgers more easily than the end of regular tongs, and the top tong holds securely for easy flipping and serving. Rubber-dipped handles make ‘em comfy, and at four bucks there’s no excuse not to own a set.

Rome Supertong Combo [Campmor]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What's this?]