bbq reviews

[ksanders]

I have a Magma Newport infared grill and I hate it.

The wind, even a small breeze blows it out.

I bought a new regulator (yes the correct one) and it still sucks.

I am not going into another boating season fighting this grill.

Does anybody have experience with the dickenson SEA-B-QUE ?

How about the non infared Magmas?

Right now I have a rod holder mount, and prefer to keep that style mount, if possible.

 

[Pack Mule]

I have a Dickerson Spitfire and I really like it.

 

[HopCar]

Kevin thanks for the feed back on the infrared Magma. I've never had a problem with the regular Magmas. Why don't you get the regular Newport and you can use the mount you already have?

 

[twistedtree]

I have a Magma non-IR and it's OK. The stainless isn't the greatest quality and rusts easily. We too are looking for something better. I was looking at Dickerson, so it's interesting to hear at least one good review.

 

[windmill29130]

Magmas Suck! Overpriced, burn everything, stainless steel gets discolored after a couple uses, go out with a little wind. I bought a $30 Coleman from Bed, Bath, and beyond that out performs it by far.

 

[jukesy]

I'm not all that pleased with my Magna either. I think this is my next BBQ.

Napoleon PTSS215P Freestyle Portable Gas Grill
http://amazon.ca/dp/B001BLMHSA

 

[MC Escher]

I thought this thread was going to be about Steaks & Ribs.

I am... disappoint...

 

[ronlord]

Our last Magma totally rusted out on the inside in less than 5 years. Their quality has gone way down.

We replaced it with a Weber Baby Q.

 

[psneeld]

Lowes Home Store -$64 not as heavy duty as a Magma...but have several friends/relatives who bought them and all love it....leave it out in the weather too as it is stainless..may have cheaper parts but I'll bet cheaper than Magma in the long run...

Shop Master Forge Stainless Steel Portable Gas Grill 12,000-BTU 198-sq in Portable Gas Grill at Lowes.com -

 

[Conrad]

An ancient looking Kuuma came with Blue Sky when we purchased her last year. It works great, the heat seems to be fairly even across the grill, and it seems to be stingy on propane. Haven't used it in any wind to speak of so can't comment on that. I'm not sure but I think Kuuma was Force 10?

Stay away from Jackson Grills though. We purchased one a couple of years ago and found the quality to be sub par. The fuel control fittings were dinky, the clamps for levelling it did not keep it level, and after being exposed to the sea air (not sea water) on a two day cruise it was covered in surface rust.

 

[O C Diver]

I'm not all that pleased with my Magna either. I think this is my next BBQ.

Napoleon PTSS215P Freestyle Portable Gas Grill
http://amazon.ca/dp/B001BLMHSA

I have had one of those for 2 years now at my house. IMO, they have pluses and a minus. Quality of construction is very good. Everything but the gas regulator is stainless, even the burner and the grate (solid stainless rod). The minus is that they aren't good in modest wind. There is a fresh air hole on the side opposite the regulator. Also there is a designed vent in the back where the cover closes. Wind blowing in either of these areas tends to plow the flame out. Have to get creative with wind sheilds on windy days. Not sure how this will work on a boat.

Ted

 

[SteveH]

Here's my chance to vent on my Magma Marine Kettle gas grill. I hate it! It's like cooking with a frick'en blow torch. I sent in the regulator when it was new thinking that might be the problem, but no dice..... it wasn't the regulator. The so-called "LOW" setting is not nearly low enough, and you need to watch the thing very very closely because as soon as you take your eye off it, it soon goes into thermal runaway. The only solution is to cook with aluminum foil over the grill to prevent any fat from dripping onto the flame. Not my idea of grilling. Oh well, I live with it.

I feel better now.

SteveH

 

[jukesy]

Thanks for the tip O C.

 

[Rusty]

We have a Dickenson Spitfire. It works well. We have no complaints though it occasionally seems a bit small. We use a rail mount that allows us to put it away when not in use. We have a plan to mount it on the aft cabin (like so many other Grand Banks have done) at some point in the future.

 

[BruceK]

Lowes Home Store -$64 not as heavy duty as a Magma...but have several friends/relatives who bought them and all love it....leave it out in the weather too as it is stainless..may have cheaper parts but I'll bet cheaper than Magma in the long run...

Shop Master Forge Stainless Steel Portable Gas Grill 12,000-BTU 198-sq in Portable Gas Grill at Lowes.com -

The Magma in that design here from friendly chandlers is 449 AUD & up. Plus mountings! So the Lowes version is super cheap.
Our Magma Kettle works well, no blast furnace effects on low, but the s/steel discolors badly. We only mount it as needed but leave it up when cruising.

 

[Alex F]

I have a Magma Newport infared grill and I hate it.

The wind, even a small breeze blows it out.

I bought a new regulator (yes the correct one) and it still sucks.

I am not going into another boating season fighting this grill.

Does anybody have experience with the dickenson SEA-B-QUE ?

How about the non infared Magmas?

Right now I have a rod holder mount, and prefer to keep that style mount, if possible.

I was experiencing very similar issues shortly after I purchased my Magma infrared couple of years ago. This seems to be a common problem with these grills and lately I've noticed that Magma came out with a fix to drill extra holes in the "infrared" plates. I've heard that people sent the plates (those that didn't have holes) back to the factory to have the holes made. I made even simpler fix, I just took the plates out turning the grill back to regular version, non-infrared. It works much better. I'll use it while I'm looking for much better alternative, which turns out to be not such an easy find.

 

[Bay Pelican]

Over ten years with a regular Magnum (propane rectangular) looks brand new (always covered) and wind has not blow out the unit yet. The grill is located on our aft deck and we always have the bow pointed into the wind so that may protect the grill from high winds. We have replaced the regulator and the propane feed element.

 

[Insequent]

I have a Magma Newport infared grill and I hate it.


Does anybody have experience with the dickenson SEA-B-QUE ?

I am basically giving one of these Sea-B-Q away, but I'm a long way from you Kevin! It doesn't put out much heat and is a bit small. I'd say its a pretty marginal unit.

I've just installed a Zeigler & Brown triple grill on my boat deck. Only been able to use it once, but seems good and had over 15 kn of wind at the time. I'm planning on doing roasts and pizza in it as well. Got rid of the oven in the galley - it just made the inside of the boat altogether to warm here in Brisbane.

 

[Peter B]

I'd recommend the Weber Baby Q, as someone mentioned. We have it's big brother at home, and they're great. Being alloy, they would be ok at sea I think. However, securing and storing could be an issue. Speaking for ourselves, for on the boat, we won't go past this…..

Home - Cobb International

 

[r-rossow]

Our last Magma totally rusted out on the inside in less than 5 years. Their quality has gone way down.

We replaced it with a Weber Baby Q.

+1

Very pleased with it.

 

[twistedtree]

Anybody else using a Dickinson? I want something that can be rail mounted, and it doesn't look like that can easily be done with the weber baby Q

 

[psneeld]

Anybody else using a Dickinson? I want something that can be rail mounted, and it doesn't look like that can easily be done with the weber baby Q

You can make a basic rail mount from a rod holder and cutting board (bait prep type) flange or just buy the whole cutting boards and set the grill on it.

It may require additional stabilization or not depending on your comfort level and under what conditions (like rolly anchorage) you will use it.

Just use a rail clamp rod holder...

 

[twistedtree]

That's certainly an option. We like to leave the grill in place rather than stow it after each use, so it need to be secure while underway in sometimes rough conditions. We just put on the cover and go. So I'd have to secure the grill to the table, but I'm sure that could be accomplished.

 

[ronlord]

You can drill holes in the legs of the Baby Q. I mounted mine on my transom that way. I also run it off a 20lb tank which lasts forever.

 

[psneeld]

That's certainly an option. We like to leave the grill in place rather than stow it after each use, so it need to be secure while underway in sometimes rough conditions. We just put on the cover and go. So I'd have to secure the grill to the table, but I'm sure that could be accomplished.

You can just buy the adjustable bracket that fits in the holder with no table and bolt the unit on...a small stabilizer bar or second rod holder/mount would make it very secure and still easily removed for deep cleaning etc...

 

[HiDHo]

My vote is for the Weber Baby Q also, but get the model with the thermometer in the lid. Weber really know how to build grills, the heat control is excellent.
Bill

 

[ksanders]

That's certainly an option. We like to leave the grill in place rather than stow it after each use, so it need to be secure while underway in sometimes rough conditions. We just put on the cover and go. So I'd have to secure the grill to the table, but I'm sure that could be accomplished.

Yes, Thanks!

All of the advice is very helpful from everybody!!!

I like to leave my BBQ mounted in a flush mount rod holder in the cockpit.
We use it almost every day when on the boat, and I'm not anxious to have to stow it every time I use it.

So, its going to have to be one of the "marine" units.

I even thought about buying a regular home stainless grill and using the crane to get it to the boat deck, but while my boat deck is pretty good sized, its also a well utilized space with liferaft, skiff, etc... up there. Then you run into the how do I secure it problem, since we use our boat for bluewater cruising.

 

[Rekindle]

We have also been in the market for a good quality BBQ. Used the original kettle for 20 years and love it but the parts they're making for repairs/maintenance just don't work.

Looked at the Galleymate that Boat Electric is carrying and even though it's $$$$ the quality and design seems to be far superior to anything else out there. They come from AU.

http://www.boatelectric.com/gallymate.html

 

[caltexflanc]

We had the largest, dual burner Magma mounted outboard on our flying bridge, an with age it too developed the flame-going-out problem. It was quite exposed and had a lot of use over 5 years, several times a week. Anyway, I was going to make a winter project of rebuilding it; in the meantime we bought Weber Q at Lowes one size up from the Baby, with a thermometer on the front. A dock neighbor had one on his Defever; he had bolted it to a piece of starboard then had that in turn bolted to some Magna rail mounts. He really touted me on it, and I had read good reviews on another boating forum. We never have got around to rebuilding the Magma, the parts come to about what I paid for the Q.

The Q is a simply great grill, stands up well to wind, very adjustable, etc etc. Note that Weber explicitly says it is not for RV or boat use. I am not sure why they say that other than perhaps the mounting issue. Highly recommended.

 

[Carolena]

We are going on seven (yes, 7) years with a Dickenson Sea-B-Q small, and are very, very happy with it. It has lived its entire life on the rail - first our sailboat, now the tug - and I haven't had to replace a single part. We do keep it covered. The only downside we've encountered is that it does run hot, but then again, it never blows out. Just need to keep an eye on the temp. This year I may replace the porcelain grates as they are starting to wear, but the burner still looks like new. A good friend has one of the little Webbers that have been mentioned here, and it is also a great unit. It does very well with lower temps, like for fish. We are often rafted together and divide the food between the two grills depending on the temps we want to cook with. Only real downside I see to the Webber is that you need a way to mount it, and it will blow out. The Dickenson has NEVER blown out. My friend dealt with these issues with the Webber by installing a fish clean/filet table on pedestal on his swim platform for mounting. And for wind, he has a very wide boat that pretty much blocks everything so long as bow is to wind (i.e. at anchor). Works for him but would not do as well on our boat. Just our experiences. Both are great products.