BROIL KING REGAL 500
As solidly built as it is solidly reliable in cooking up mouth-watering grub
It offers ace results, with smoke rings and fall-offthe-bone tenderness
When we say that the Broil King Regal 500 is built like a steam train, we really mean it, chimney and all. Tap any surface of its 2mm, 14-gauge steel cladding and we guarantee your knuckles will hurt. Make no mistake, this is arguably the most solidly built barbecue you’ll ever come across and, once in position, even a landslide would have trouble budging it.
Uniquely, this pellet grill also features an ingenious fire pot cleaning agitator that empties the burnt ashes into a little container underneath the chassis. Simply wiggle the front lever from side to side after each grilling session and it’s ready to roll for the next one. This is a major convenience because practically all other pellet smokers require removing the greasy grill plate, the deflector and the fire pot protector in order to vacuum up the inevitable mess of pellet dust that follows every grilling session.
Aside from the Regal 500 display’s three preset cook buttons – Smoke, Roast and Grill – you can also select your own temperatures at will by using the huge rubberised control on the front. Like all the best pellet grills, you can use the Regal 500 with an app so it can be controlled remotely from anywhere you like.
The Regal 500 is an ideal all-rounder, whether you’re grilling, roasting, baking, slow smoking or even searing.
To test it we first slapped on a pair of pre-rubbed baby back ribs and tapped the preset ‘Smoke’ button, which maintained the temperature at 107˚C throughout the entire six-hour process. Needless to say, it produced stunning results, with noticeable smoke rings, a crunchy/ chewy bark and fall-off-the-bone tenderness.
We then tried something that most pellet smokers are incapable of pulling off with charcoal-style success – namely searing. After we tapped the preset ‘Grill’ button, the temperature rose to its predetermined 315˚C in about 45 minutes. This is a phenomenal temperature for a pellet grill to achieve but the Regal 500 pulled it off with consummate ease. We then slapped on a prime sirloin steak and we could hear the sizzling as it caramelised the meat to perfection.
At around £1,900 (albeit costing less if you look around), the Broil King Regal 500 is far from cheap, but it’s such a wondrous grill in so many respects that we have no compunction in awarding it an unequivocal high five. It simply rocks on all fronts.