There is no polite way to soften this one. The Lidl Grill Meister Steck-Gasgrill doesn’t just fall short, it misses the point entirely. At €34.99, expectations are modest. Nobody is asking for precision engineering or restaurant-grade performance. But even at this level, a grill should do one thing properly: produce consistent, usable heat. This one doesn’t.

First Impressions: Packaging and Concept

The grill arrives in a black carry bag, a practical touch that suggests portability and simplicity. Everything is packed inside: 

• 1 x burner tube
• 1 x foot section
• 1 x head section
• 1 x base section
• 2 x side section
• 1 x heat distributor
• 1 x grill plate
• 1 x gas hose
• 1 x fireproof underlay
• 1 x instruction manual 

Everything you need except the gas bottle, which is not supplied. On paper, it’s the kind of compact solution that fits neatly into a boot or pannier, ready for spontaneous use.

There’s a certain appeal in that. Minimal, self-contained, no fuss. But first impressions don’t last long.

Assembly: Simple, but Not Refined

Putting it together is straightforward enough. One pair of hands is sufficient, and the modular “slot together” concept keeps things fairly quick. No tools, no instructions needed beyond common sense.

That said, the finish is reflected in the price. Some of the slots lack enough tolerance to let the components slide together without jiggling. Some punched edges are left with a noticeable lip and sharp enough to catch skin if you’re not paying attention. It’s not catastrophic, but it’s careless. The sort of detail that tells you someone in marketing was more interested in delivering an aggressive price than supplying quality.

In Use: Where It Falls Apart

This is where the grill stops being a product and becomes a liability.

The burner simply does not distribute heat evenly. In testing, one side of the 33 x 23 cm grill plate reached high temperature quickly while the other side remained effectively cold. Not warm. Not low heat. Cold. A simple toast test left one half charred, the other cold.

That’s not a minor imbalance. That’s a fundamental failure.

At that point, there’s no point loading it with meat. Cooking becomes guesswork at best, wasteful at worst. A grill that cannot deliver even heat across its surface isn’t a compromised tool, it’s a non-functional one.

A quick search for a solution on the internet and typical problems with gas grills can be put down to spiders have setting up home in the burner tube or gas outlet holes blocked by fat from an earlier cooking session. But we are talking about a brand new piece of kit straight out of the box. Interestingly, the search threw up other disgruntled users who had fallen into the same trap.

Verdict

The idea is sound: compact, affordable, portable. But execution matters, and here it simply isn’t there.

This is not a case of “good for the price”, it’s a case of not working as intended.

You would genuinely achieve more consistent heat distribution by setting fire to €35 in notes and trying to cook over the result.

Blunt, but accurate.

Conclusion: Not recommended.

The post Lidl Grill Meister Portable Gas Barbecue: Cheap, Compact, and Fundamentally Broken appeared first on overland-europe.

Loved how the grass underneath was unscathed, even without placing the lid underneath—which I did purely to keep the kit together; I had a grill plate too which I didn’t use this time. I cooked my chicken rubbed with a lemon herb mix and half a can of organic stout up its bottom, along with a side dish of peppers and courgettes in the Dutch oven I placed directly into the coals. The cooking time was about two hours for the chicken. Falling off the bone it was well-cooked.

The lid was great for when we wanted to go to sleep. Easy to clean and tip out the cold coals. Popped it back in the bag and we were off. A bit heavier than the fold-ups and travel kits—but perfect for my Land Rover weekends and longer-stay trips, and it looks lovely in my garden too. Not used the Bread Oven as yet. Next time.

SPECIFICATIONS

Measurements (LxBxH): 50 x 25 x 15 cm
Cooking area: 50 x 25 cm
Weight: 7 kg
Material: folded and welded steel construction with enamel finish
Package includes: legs, body, lid, stainless steel grill, black PVC pouch

£180 (BBQ & Fire Pit), £36 (BBQ Bread Oven) | BUSH-PIG

The post FIELD TESTED: BushPig BBQ- who else has a barbecue painted in the colour of their Land Rover appeared first on overland-europe.

The stainless steel Atago has been a reliable travel companion for two years. It’s immediately ready to use as a firepit straight out of the box (or the optional canvas case).  

Petromax offers a wide range of equipment to make outdoor life and cooking as simple or as comfortable as you wish. With it’s accessories, the Atago is a highly versatile piece of kit. If you pick it up using the handle and give it slight jolt, three legs fold out, the grill section extends upward and automatically locks. The set includes a barbecue grate but it can also accommodate a dutch oven.

Once you’re finished with cooking and want to settle down around a campfire with your mates to spin yarns, all you need to do is carefully lift the outer ring of the body (wearing suitably insulated gloves); the three legs fold in; the grill section lowers out of the way. Remove the barbecue grate and the firepit is ready to take on wood. Even after continued use, the mechanism still works as well as it did when I first took it out of the box.

Packed in its sturdy canvas case, the Atago measures approx. 41 cm in diameter x 17 cm high, and weighs 7.6 kg (∅ 40 cm x H 15 cm, 6.1 kg without case). The package is not completely rattle-free, but the grate is stowed in a separate inner compartment of the optional case to minimise the noise. Two-year warranty, made in Germany.

Pros
Quality stainless steel construction
Fastest setup
Variable airflow at base
Wide range of accessories, including convection lid

Cons
Canvas case is not included

€220 | petromax.de

This article was first published in the Summer 2018 issue of Overland Journal Europe.

The post Field Tested: Petromax Atago Firepit / Barbecue appeared first on overland-europe.