PORTABLE BARBECUES
We rate the latest kitchen kit each month – find more reviews at bbcgoodfood.com
1 BEST BLOWOUT BARBIE
Cobb® Premier charcoal grill £109.99, lakeland.co.uk
This is one serious piece of al fresco kit – not only does it barbecue food, it’s also suitable for smoking, roasting and pizza-making.
The design is sleek and futuristic, bordering on Ufo-like, it requires minimal charcoal and the Teflon cooking plate is really easy to clean. It’s worth pointing out that as it doesn’t have traditional griddle grooves, our sausages rolled around and got a bit unruly. The padded shoulder bag is a welcome touch if you might have a long walk to the beach or park.
2 BEST FOR IMPATIENT COOKS
Lotus Standard Grill £145, lotusgrilluk.com
If the worst part of barbecuing is waiting for your food, then this is the one for you. The Lotusgrill has an inbuilt fan, which gets the charcoal up to temperature in around five minutes. Compared with other charcoal barbecues, we couldn’t believe the ease with which you could cook – no need to coax the coals, you simply fire up and expect good heat for over half an hour. The charcoal is in an enclosed container and with a fan going, you don’t get much in the way of charcoal flavour. But the efficiency and generous cooking area – it cooks enough for 4-5 people – easily make up for this.
3 BEST FOR LONGEVITY STAR BUY
Weber Smokey Joe Premium £69.99, weber.com
Weber doesn’t just do barbecues – it does epic, Tony Soprano-friendly contraptions the size of small sheds. For those of us without acres of lawn, it also makes this neat, dinky Smokey Joe dome. This is classic American barbecue design at its finest. The porcelain-enamelled material is deceptively lightweight and extremely durable, and there’s a handy lid that clips onto the side for protection against the wind. Plus it’s a doddle to clean, and durable: we left ours outside, uncovered, for an entire winter and it barely diminished, despite considerable pummelling from the British weather.