THE DECODER
...is the starting price of this barbecue grill. Here’s what makes it a piece of culinary art
At 120,500, could this state-of-the-art grill be the world’s most expensive barbecue?
The Aemyrie Igneum grill is handmade upon commission by a team of designers, craftsmen and fabricators in the United Kingdom. It comes with Nasa-developed technology in the form of an ecofriendly insulator called Aerogel, which ensures a safe-touch exterior even when the grill is operating at its maximum temperature of 350°C. State-of-the-art technology lies at the heart of this gadget: its Ceramignite ignition system brings the grill to cooking temperature in a matter of minutes; a computer-run software controls its fans, air channels and vents, thus monitoring and managing the airflow at all times; and the high-heat feature allows the grill to self-clean, as any residue simply carbonises and can be brushed away. Design-wise, because they are built to order only, no two Aemyrie grills look the same. The outer panels of the company’s showpiece are created from pinstriped woods, inspired by the boat-tail cars and yachts of the 1920s and 1960s, but the design team can combine woods, metals and composites, plus brushed, satin or polished stainless steels, to create a truly bespoke piece. Customers can also choose from a variety of hardwoods for the end panels, and a range of finishes such as paints, varnishes, lacquers, enamels or liquid metals in almost any colour palette. All the components are assembled by hand, while the final stages are completed on-site, so you can see it all come together. The chosen material and overall design theme can be reinforced in the door and hood handles, temperature control knobs and other accents, which can be rendered in nickel, chrome, brass, silver or gold. The grill weighs between 350 kilograms and 400kg, depending on the materials specified, and stands 1.4 metres high. It can cook for 30 guests in one go. Aemyrie was founded in 2015 by fine food and grilling connoisseur Peter Walsh, who fell in love with the unique taste achieved through cooking on wood fires. According to Walsh, flavour is at the heart of the Aemyrie. “There are many cooking styles available to a chef when using this grill. A world-first, patent-pending intelligent temperature-control mechanism adjusts the grill to ensure food is cooked precisely. This allows both food lovers and professional chefs to create everything from a steak seared for seconds, to melt-in-the-mouth meat that has been smoked at a very low temperature for 20 hours or more.”