A Nice Heavy Duty Camp "GRILL" Not a stove!! :)

[spressomon]

For those with the Solaire--How does it do in wind?

It looks like a really great unit. Spresso and Hoser are you guys still sold on it?

I ask, because for years I have been frustrated with grills going out in a wind, or even a breeze. Any thoughts?

I PM'd you on MUD. The design, once the ceramic burner is glowing and hot is impervious to wind based upon my experiences. Like all gas/propane grills they are really designed to be used with the lid in the closed position. However due to the fact this little grill has plenty of btu output it is necessary to open/prop the lid open when you want a lower grill temp (sausages, thicker chops).

Another trick I use: Sear the thicker cuts of meat/chops/sausages and then lay down a 2x/3x thick piece of HD foil and finish by pseudo roasting...

And this little grill makes GREAT pizzas!!!

 

[hoser]

I have yet to use mine in high winds but here are my thoughts about the Solaire so far...

-Sears meats great, like no other portable gas grill I've had but like Spresso said, low temperature cooking requires some foil or an aluminum sheet
-Heats evenly across the grill--much better than my Coleman with the single tube burner
-Fit and finish are very good. Unit is a bit bulky for the amount of cooking surface
-If not stored upright, the burner can pop out of place on rough roads
-The last time I used it, I preheated the grill on high and the regulator froze causing heat output to be low. Had to turn-off and warm regulator before I could use again.
-Must remember to keep burner on for 5-10 minutes after cooking to burn off grease/food bits otherwise it can clog the ceramic burner

 

[AndrewP]

Thanks guys for the replies. Dan-I returned your PM on ih8mud-thanks.

The Parker that was referenced here looks pretty good as well.

Re-the high heat-I sort of figure its a grill, not an oven, so I'd be prepared to deal with that.

I'd love to see one in person, so if either of you are in the Sac area, or if I get to the Reno area, I'd love to check it out, hook it up to my bulk tank etc.

 

[spressomon]

What is the burner type in the Parker? I went to their website but very limited information about it...

I don't have any immediate plans to be on the West side of the hill Andy but if you're going to be in Reno you're welcome to check my Solaire out.

It really does a great job on pizzas! I, as an experiment, during our Nevada Ghost/Mining Town made a couple pizzas...they turned out great. So as long as you buffer the heat from the ceramic burner with foil it actually works for baking (pizzas anyway ;-))

 

[Dave Bennett]

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=41054-40307-720-0001&lpage=none



I like this model. So far this seems to be the best balance of price and value.

SS is ideal for expedition camp cooking gear IMO.

 

[Dave Bennett]

I got one of these tonight at Lowe's for $54 out the door!

http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=41054-40307-720-0001&lpage=none

After looking at it up close, it is identical to the Devon except for the handle and the price... the Devon is $139.99!

The Devon

 

[hoser]

Andrew, I'm down in SF so if you are ever down this way, you are welcome to check out my Solaire grill. Or, if you want, I can snap some high resolution photos of the internals as well.

I found this review on the Parker. It sounds like a well made, high quality grill. They advertise a baffled air intake which might address concerns of use in high winds. To me, it looks like it would be good for cooking chicken or food that is likely to flare up. It has a tube burner that runs the length of the grill and has two vaporizer plates over the burner. Sounds good for chicken but not so good searing.

The Napoleon Grill above looks pretty nice too. Like the Solaire, it also has the IR type burner and supposedly can heat up to 1100 degrees on the cooking surface. Lots of cooking area but the outside dimensions are getting quite large too. 16x16x26

 

[benedmonson]

I have to say.. im a bbq addict. I bbq just about every night.. (actually smoking some jerky today too)..

Anyhoo.. Kevin, go to your local BBG and pick up a Turbo Sport.

Oh, for the people that don't know grill talk.. that's Barbecues Galore.

You want the best of the best? It even has INFARED!!!


http://www.bbqgalore.com/gas_grills/portable/286609

I just read on the www.bbqgalore.com site that this grill is made of the 304 stainless that is the best quality for grills, not sure of where it is made? I'm most likely ordering this one tomorrow based on the reviews. It seems that the regulator problem was fixed a few years ago with a recall. I think this would work for on the trail and at home for my wife and I. I love a rare seared steak!!!

 

[rusty_tlc]

What is the burner type in the Parker? I went to their website but very limited information about it...

I don't have any immediate plans to be on the West side of the hill Andy but if you're going to be in Reno you're welcome to check my Solaire out.

It really does a great job on pizzas! I, as an experiment, during our Nevada Ghost/Mining Town made a couple pizzas...they turned out great. So as long as you buffer the heat from the ceramic burner with foil it actually works for baking (pizzas anyway ;-))

Them was some good eats. And that is a slick grill.

 

[p1michaud]

Fun thread

Well I looked for a bit then did some searching on the net and found this link: Top 10 Small Grills.

I'll let you read what grills from this list made the top 10... :shakin:

I'm gettting hungry now!

 

[Tucson T4R]

Out of those top 10, the Solaire is the only one that apeals to me for packing and camping. Maybe Santa will be nice to me this year. :wings:

 

[cell4soul]

This one is a well built peice of equipment with 15,000 BTU and purchasing one supports the business of other Expo members. They can be purchased with 2 or 3 burners. With the all Aluminum case, rust will never be an issue;

http://adventuretrailers.com/accessories.html

Scroll down about half the page or so; I've seen this one and it is a great peice of equipment. I will get one, but there are other mods to spend money on first. Now if I could just find more time and more money.

 

[AndrewP]

This one is a well built peice of equipment with 15,000 BTU and purchasing one supports the business of other Expo members. They can be purchased with 2 or 3 burners. With the all Aluminum case, rust will never be an issue;

http://adventuretrailers.com/accessories.html

Scroll down about half the page or so; I've seen this one and it is a great peice of equipment. I will get one, but there are other mods to spend money on first. Now if I could just find more time and more money.

But that's a stove, though a really nice one!

(We're talkin' grills here...):chowtime:

 

[cell4soul]

But that's a stove, though a really nice one!

(We're talkin' grills here...):chowtime:

HaHa, I got so wrapped up in reading this thread that I forgot the title....
it says grill, as you just pointed out. I guess I've just been wanting that stove for quite a while.

 

[adventureduo]

Thanks to Yosh... my Christmas present is coming early today... UPS man should be here with this..

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t...470104&cm_ite=0042356517509a&_requestid=75074

:wings: