Hello All!
Been a long time charcoal grilling enthusiast, and I've only recently discovered this forum. Some really good information here. I've learned a lot through trial and error, and it's great to finally find a group that knows what they're talking about!
I used a bunch of miscellaneous grills before I was gifted a 14in smokey joe in 2014-ish. I was living in an apt at the time, so I would store it in an outdoor closet and take it down to picnic / pool area. The smokey joe is perfect for this purpose. I've also taken it to the beach, friends places, and the park. Everyone should own one!
When we moved into a rental house I built a concrete block stand for it and that was a game changer. I wanted a permanent stand to get it off the ground and free up table space. I also wanted something I could move with later on, cheap to build, and functional. The block stand is awesome! I highly recommend it if you're in a similar situation. I used construction adhesive to attach two cedar blocks with tool hooks to the concrete. The holes in the concrete store matches and newsprint. With the smaller size blocks on top it's the perfect belly height.
I was gifted an 18in Jumbo Joe a few years later and I've never looked back. The increased surface area and carrying handle / lid holder is awesome. I added charcoal holders, as I only use hardwood lump nowadays, and that keeps everything tidy so I can create sear & indirect zones in the grill. I store everything in the garage now. I gave up on grill covers a long time ago. Everything just deteriorates too fast outside. With the handle, it's pretty simple to move the Jumbo Joe from the garage to the backyard.
I have a pretty minimal setup. Now that I'm in a house, I'm thinking about upgrades. Might go for a 22 or 26in, but storing in the garage on a shelf is pretty nice compared to outside with a cover. I might just upgrade the Jumbo Joe until I make a decision. I've done just about everything on these little guys though. Crab legs, hamburgers, steak, kabobs, pork loin, chicken, pizza, etc. Haven't got into smoking yet. I think a bigger kettle or dedicated smoker would be best for that purpose anyway. I just like the immediate gratification of grilling too much
Cheers!
- wzywg
Topic: Greetings from ATX (Read 781 times)
