We were kindly provided with a Summit B&Co Alfresco Smokeless BBQ Grill to put through its paces and tell you exactly what we thought of it.
As a huge barbecue fan, I decided I’d take the B&Co grill on a recent camping trip to see what it had to offer.
Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised. Having never used such a device before I was somewhat sceptical of some of its claims. None less than, ‘smokeless’ being one of them. How can you have a BBQ that doesn’t give off smoke? Surely it’s not possible!
The Product:
When you purchase the grill you will find a sleek design, that is relatively lightweight and comfortably portable. The sturdy cast iron grill plate makes for a great cooking surface.
Quite handily, you also get a made to measure carry bag to transport the grill where ever the BBQ season takes you.
Main features:
The grill is fan assisted, which enables the heat to be circulated upwards to evenly cook your food. A neat 4 x AA battery operated fan sits underneath the grill.
You’ll be ready to cook in 5 minutes, which is much less time than a traditional BBQ takes.
I wouldn’t go as far to say it is entirely smokeless; it gives off considerably less smoke than a traditional BBQ for sure, but still generates some smoke. I do feel this is entirely unavoidable, as it seems that the smoke is caused by the fats dripping off the meat.
How it works:
Before you are ready to get your grill on, you’ll need a few extras that are not included with the grill.
- 4 X AA Batteries (For the fan).
- Charcoal (to fill the coal basket with) Ideally the smaller broken bits from a normal bag of coal. They worked just fine for me.
- Barbecue Lighting Gel or Firestarters.
Once you are all set up, place your fire starter on the small circular plate and ignite, making sure it is all alight before placing your coal basket carefully on top.
The coal was ready within 5 minutes!
Then simply place the cast iron grill over the top and all that’s left is to pop some food on.
Concluding thoughts:
- The size of the B&Co grill can comfortably cater for 2/3 people.
- The speed at which it is ready to cook over makes it perfect for a picnic or evening dining.
- The lightweight design and strong carry bag allow for great portability, making it really easy to put in the boot and take it with you where ever you want to go.
- I did find that the heat was contained to the inside, so the white surround stayed rather cool. An excellent feature for cooking around children.
- And finally, the ease of cleaning makes it very desirable. Once cool, simply wash up, or put the components in a dishwasher, and wipe clean on the inside with hot soapy water.
Verdict:
Overall the B&Co Smokeless BBQ Grill is great. The boast that it is ‘smokeless’ is not entirely accurate, however, it is considerably less than any other BBQ I’ve ever used.
If you are looking for something, quick, easy and portable, that can be used time and time again for your picnic or BBQs then this is the grill for you.
