We were introduced to the Batavia 4Grill last September at Glee when it made quite an impression on the UK's outdoor leisure and garden retail buyers. With its clever telescopic design allowing it to be packed down into an easily transportable unit and the fact that it gives great versatility offering multiple applications for the home, camping, beach and festival environments, Batavias 4Grill packs a real punch.
The true beauty of the 4Grill is that it wears many masks. It smokes, it grills, it slow cooks and it heats as a firepit and, it does them all very well indeed! With the versatility on offer both in terms of it being a multiple use unit for various cooking applications and with it being so easily packed down and transportable, it promises to be a big hit with the UK gaden centres and consumer BBQ enthusiasts alike.
During our review of the 4Grill we used it within all of its applications.
As a smoker, the 4Grill offers some great extras which make the experience enjoyable and effective such as the removable water bowl which gives you the option to retain a good level of moisture in the meat you are smoking. Sleek handles give you an easy way to lift the water bowl in and out and with heat resistant grips helping you avoid any contact with hot metal. These handles are also universal and work with every piece of the unit such as the charcoal tray and outside grips to lift each off the three sections when the unit is hot and in use. With the large 57cm diameter grill surface you can easily fit a 6kg pork butt or large brisket with plenty of room left. You also have the option to hang fish from the grill to smoke with the fish hooks included. The lid has a useful analog thermometer built in and the 4Grill also boasts a double venting system with one vent on the lid and a bottom drafting vent on the bottom section of the unit.
As a traditional BBQ, the 4Grill offers 2 different heights to place the coal platform or the grill. It also has a heat reflector under the coal / fuel platform which directs all of the heat upwards. With the grill being 57cm there is plenty of cooking space. The only thing it misses is a warming rack but this can easily be overcome with some tinfoil wrapping whilst resting your meats.
As a slow cooker the 4Grill is very good. By maintaining a low and slow temperature and having the coals right at the bottom of the unit and the grill at the top, slow cooking is easy with Batavias latest offering.
As a firepit the 4Grill is very easy to use. Simply taking off the top two sections and leaving the fire basket sat in the bottom section turns your BBQ or Smoker into a post meal leg and foot warmer!
This is sure to be a big hit with UK and with it serving so many cooking applications it's a must for anyone looking for something versatile. To see the versatility we are talking about, please view the Batavia 4Grill in action on their YouTube channel here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LuO4ZTuNr9o
To discuss stockist information please contact Clive Boughton on cb@batavia.eu or call Clive on 07860384555. You can see Batavia's full range of BBQ and Garden Power Tool solutions at www.batavia.eu
See the gallery below for pictures of the 4Grill in action.
Australias number one selling BBQ Fuel - Heat Beads.
Heat Beads BBQ Briquettes - Australias best selling and longest lasting BBQ fuel was used in a series of cooking methods in order to test its durability and versatility. Boasting the title "Australias number one selling BBQ fuel" we were keen to see how it performed under different applications and burn times.
First things first, how easy was it to light the briquettes and get ready for cooking? Over the various cook off's we undertook, we found that the most efficient way to light the briquettes was in a starter chimmney. In comparison to other similar premium briquetttes on the market, we actually found that Heat Beads took a little longer to get up to cooking temperature and to achieve the desired grey 'hot' glow. We put this down to the unique composition of the briquettes which allows them to burn at a higher temperature for longer periods of time. We anticipate end users seeing this as a worth while compromise in light of the cooking benefits.
Heat Beads also supplied us with a packet of BBQ Firelighter Cells and a BBQ Lighter (See Pictures) - both of which made the lighting process that bit easier. The gas lighter is refillable and boasts a child lock and an adjustable flame and is a useful addition to any barbequing or camping application. The firelighters come in a well branded pack and are contained in a foil topped tray (consisting of 24 blocks) allowing you to break the foil on each individual block as and when you need it. The lighters are efficient, low in odour and long burning.
Due to the high performance and efficiency of Heat Beads, not only will you save money by not having to top up your fuels half way though a cook, your burn time is longer with a hotter cooking temperature allowing you to cook multiple items on one single fill of the BBQ. One 4kg bag was enough to fill our large upright Batavia Drum BBQ.
During our trials using Heat Beads we smoked a 4kg blade in pork shoulder for 8 hours on a single fill (One 4kg bag) - this started at a grill temperature of 160 down to 125 degrees for the first 3 hours, 125 down to 95 degrees for the middle 2 hours and 95 down to 62 degrees for the final 3 hours. The pork was rested for 2 hours in tin foil and then pulled and was.....delicious!
We also completed a 4 hour cook for 16 people which offered enough heat to cook 20 sausages, 15 burgers, 30 hot wings,18 chicken drum sticks, 16 ribeye steaks and 10 large corn cobs. Over the 4 hours the temperature range went from 155 degrees at the start of the cook down to 100 degrees at the end of the cook - all on a 65cm grill.
Overall we were very impressed with Heat Beads Briquettes and feel they out performed other premium briquettes by offering a longer hotter burn with the added benefit of increased efficiency. Our rating of 9/10 would have been a full house if only they were slightly easier to light! It was easy to see why they are Australia's number one seller.
Heat Beads Briquettes and associated Heat Beads BBQ products are proudly distributed in the UK by Hilton Banks - To become a trade stockist please contact Richard Norris on richardn@hiltonbanks.com or call Hilton Banks Ltd on 020 8979 8284.
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