My wife’s a Jersey girl and was looking for the best indoor grill and it had to be charcoal not gas. I wanted something easy to clean that looked snazzy like the kind you see in the Frontgate catalogs. I know those are gas, but still. And call me shallow, but I just couldn’t live with another little round Weber. Or even a big one. When I grew up grills didn’t look like big eggs on stilts. But really it has nothing to do with that – I just wanted something that was I don’t know substantial looking and rectangular. In answer to my prayers, a Kingsford 24″ charcoal “Chuckwagon” grill on sale at Wallmart and on display right at the front of the garden center. It looked like a shiny black and chrome Corvette. It had gleaming handles, doors, and vents and a stainless steelcrank to adjust the height of the coals – and even black shiny hubcaps for the wheels. I kid you not. And the best part, we also found stove and grill parts for less at pellethead.com.
But you buy it in a box. I got it home, opened it up, figuring against all logic that it would just snap together like, well, a Weber. But inside the box, the diagram and parts packed inside tightly together looked like a nightmare. The list of parts went on and on. The instructions were a graphic novel. I was having trouble breathing, but dads don’t cry – at least not when their wives and daughters are hanging around anxious for dinner. The introduction to the instructions said it’d take 1 hr to assemble. It took me all afternoon, multiple diet Dews, and cursing while I lost and found bolts, nuts, and washers – replacing one bolt with a saved bolt from a dresser I assembled last year that also looked great put together in the store, all the while with my dog looking at me with profound canine pity. But it’s now actually up and cooking and my god it’s a beautiful thing.
A Corvette that makes cheeseburgers. If you are looking for reasonable and fashioned grills, you can read this article about the Best infrared grills under $500.