Can I use a ProQ Frontier for normal BBQ'ing?

[lukech]

I'm interested in a ProQ Frontier, but I'll probably want to cook burgers, sausages, normal 'British' BBQ fare on it as much as I'll be doing slow-cooked pulled pork or smoked stuff.

The spiel does say it can work as a kettle BBQ, but I'm wondering how well it'll work in that capacity, what sort of number of burgers / steaks / sausages I could get on it in one go, etc.

There don't seem to be many YouTube video reviews, or indeed reviews at all that mention this.

Thanks in advance!

[keith157]

Yes, take out the sections, use the lid and you have a kettle bbq albeit not a very large one, you might want to set it on a stand/table of some sort to save bending down too much. This setup can often be seen at comps with competitors doing the bacon & sauages for brekkie.

[Saucy Pig]

Yes you can.
When I use mine for grilling I don't even bother to remove the stackers (I'm lazy)
It takes ever so slightly longer to grill but with more control and less chance of flair ups from the fat hitting the coals.

[keith157]

Yes you can.
When I use mine for grilling I don't even bother to remove the stackers (I'm lazy)
It takes ever so slightly longer to grill but with more control and less chance of flair ups from the fat hitting the coals.

And you don't have to bend over either...........

[Swindon_Ed]

A word of warning, don't build too big a fire if you are going to use it as a grill as i did this with my E20 and melted the handle off

[lukech]

Excellent, this is really helpful, thanks folks! A few more questions, if I may:

I actually found an extender rack thing (http://www.gardenxl.com/proq-step-up-gr ... tAodWDkAJw) – is the size of that image accurate, i.e. is the diameter of the grill surface big enough to get 20+ sausages on it like the image there? If I bought this extender, presumably I could just rotate what's on each shelf to make sure everything cooks evenly?

Also, could burgers theoretically BE smoked? If I were to put them on, say, the middle of the three platforms, how would they cook / taste? I know sausages can, but interested to know about burgers / chicken thighs / even perhaps corn on the cob, halloumi kebabs, etc.

Also, from a safety perspective, what are these things like when being left in a garden, would you be able to leave them going overnight?

Also, how's it hold up in windy conditions? This is Britain, after all.

And lastly, asides from the charcoal and wood chips, are there any other sundries needed to run the thing?

Thanks in advance, again, folks!

[Saucy Pig]

I'm guessing if its made by the guys at Pro Q then that pic is accurate. I'm pretty sure I read a review of it on here somewhere.

Smoking burgers is something I've never done, but from what I've read its very possible with some great results. The only problem is that to smoke them they would not be over the direct heat from your coals. Meaning you'd have to leave your water pan in place. Smoking at 225° for about 1-1 1/2 hours or so. So you couldn't smoke the burgers and grill the sausages at the same time. Maybe you could smoke them for a while first to get the flavour, then rig your smoker for grilling and finish them off? Personally I like a good sear on my burgers that you only really get from high heat.

Just off the top of my head I'd recommend a chimney starter. It'll get your coals going in no time without the need to resort to nasty chemicals. Apart from that it doesn't take a lot to get going. Maybe a good grill brush and if you're doing long smokes a cheap plastic spritzer bottle to add moisture/flavour to your food.
If you are going to go down the overnight smoking route, a good thermometer will pay for itself. Most people recommend the maverick. You can monitor the temps of food and smoker from inside and it will warn you if your temps are off.

Try to find a sheltered spot for your smoker, as the wind will play havoc with your temps. Some people erect temporary wind breaks or shelters if the weathers going to be bad. I rig up a cheap tarpaulin when smoking.
Once you've gotten used to your kit and know how to maximise your fuel there's no reason you can't leave it over night. Just make sure there's nothing close that can fall or blow onto it.

Hope that helps

Nick

[Saucy Pig]

Yes you can.
When I use mine for grilling I don't even bother to remove the stackers (I'm lazy)
It takes ever so slightly longer to grill but with more control and less chance of flair ups from the fat hitting the coals.

And you don't have to bend over either...........

I bend the knee for no man..

Maybe too much Game of Thrones over the weekend

[keith157]

You weren't mistaken Eddie did a great review of these grills

http://www.bbbqs.com/Forum/viewtopic.ph ... bbq#p26225