Expert: Whitestag - 5/21/2007

Question
QUESTION: Hi,
I'm looking for a stainless steel wood-burning grill. Do you have any recommendations?
Thanks.

ANSWER: I need a bit of clarification.  Do you mean that you're looking for a grill in which the entire unit is made of stainless steel?  Or do you mean just the grilling surface?  Regardless, most of the stainless units of which I am aware are gas-fired.  There are a few electrically-heated stainless steel wood smokers available, but I don't think that's what you want.  Again, please give me a bit of clarification and a description of how you'll be using the unit.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi,
Sorry I wasn't clear. Yes, I am looking for a grill in which the entire unit is made of stainless steel. I don't have a gas outlet, so I am looking for something that can work on electricity. Can a wood smoker grill meats as well? I'm looking to grill meats mainly, but with a wood tasting smell.
Thank you.

Answer
No, the ones I know of are smokers only, designed for slow-cooking with smoke.  Check out the Cookshack line of product at http://www.cookshack.com/ for example.  Give me a day or two to look around, and I'll let you know what I find.

I did a bit of web surfing and found a few manufacturers of all-stainless charcoal/wood burning grills:

 Barbecook (http://www.barbecook.com/).  Several different sizes, reasonably priced.
 The Grillery (http://www.grillery.com/index.html).  Large, heavy duty, and expensive.
 Brinkmann (http://www.brinkmann.net).  One of the major manufacturers of grills and smokers, they make their Smoke,N Grill in stainless steel.

This list is just a selection -- you can find more by searching on "stainless steel charcoal grill" (strip the quotes).

You can get a smoky flavor with almost any grill if you throw a handful of wood chips on the heat source.  Personally, I find that a charcoal heat source works best -- it burns hotter.  Keep in mind that if you're cooking over charcoal, you should avoid using lighter fluid -- use an electtric or a chimney starter.  Lots of companies package wood chips especially for getting a smoky flavor, but you can make your own from any sweet wood.  Fruit or nut woods (apple, cherry, oak, hickory, e.g.) are best.  Maple is also standard, or mesquite for a more Southwest flavor.

While I understand that you'd really prefer a stainless steel grill, I'd like to mention that I've been using enameled steel grills (like the Weber One Touch) for over 20 years will excellent results.  They may not look as nice, but they're inexpensive and very reliable.