Grills & Smokers
Z Grills 450A2 Review: Two Years of Weekend Smoking on a Pellet Grill
Two years of weekend smoking on the Z Grills ZPG-450A2. What holds up, what does not, and whether it is the right first pellet grill for your patio.
Hank Dorsey spent decades babysitting fires. Then he bought a Z Grills pellet grill and learned what 'set the temperature and walk away' really means.
Two years of weekend smoking on the Z Grills ZPG-450A2. What holds up, what does not, and whether it is the right first pellet grill for your patio.
Two years on the Z Grills 450A2, a close look at the Traeger Pro 575, and the honest comparison most reviews skip.
A plain-spoken look at why a pellet grill is the better first smoker for a backyard beginner, from a guy who still owns a charcoal kettle.
Hank Dorsey spent decades babysitting fires. Then he bought a Z Grills pellet grill and learned what 'set the temperature and walk away' really means.
A plain-spoken, step-by-step guide to smoking a pork butt on a pellet grill, from rub to rest, with the temperatures that work.
Two years of real backyard cooking on a Z Grills ZPG-450A2, including the parts the ads leave out.
A year of backyard cooks on the Weber Original Kettle 22-inch. What holds up, what needs attention, and who should buy one.
A side-by-side look at the Weber Original Kettle 22-inch and a ceramic kamado grill, with honest wins and losses on price, fuel, temperature, and cleanup.
Why a plain 22-inch Weber kettle still beats fancier rigs for backyard cooks who want good food without a second mortgage.
The story of how a plain black kettle became the busiest spot on our patio, and what it taught me about buying a grill that lasts.
A plain-spoken, step-by-step method for lighting a full chimney of charcoal in your Weber kettle, with the airflow and heat tricks that make it work every time.
What six years with the same 22-inch kettle taught me, including the parts the Amazon listing leaves out.
A two-year, hands-on review of the Blackstone 22 tabletop griddle from a backyard cook who uses it every week.
A practical comparison between two popular flat top griddles, based on two years of backyard cooking.
Why a flat-top Blackstone earns its spot on the patio table every single morning, from a guy who used to fire up the kettle for bacon and eggs.
How a 22-inch Blackstone tabletop griddle became the busiest thing on our patio, and what I'd tell a neighbor before they bought one.
Season a new griddle top the right way so your smash burgers do not stick and the steel does not rust. Plain-spoken, hands-on steps from a backyard cook who has done it more than once.
Two years of weekend breakfasts, camping trips, and one very honest look at the Blackstone 22 tabletop griddle.
A year and a half of briskets, pork butts, and Sunday chickens with the MEATER Plus. What holds up, what doesn't, and who should buy it.
A backyard cook compares the wireless thermometer he has lived with for a year and a half against the dedicated receiver he borrowed for two weekends.
Hank Dorsey has cooked brisket in his backyard for decades. Here is why he cooks with a wireless thermometer now, and what you need to know before you buy one.
A plain-spoken look at the MEATER Plus wireless thermometer from a backyard cook who got tired of ruining expensive roasts by guessing.
A plain-spoken, step-by-step guide to low-and-slow brisket using the MEATER Plus wireless thermometer, written by a backyard cook who has burned his share of them.
A year and a half with the MEATER Plus on a kettle, a pellet grill and a gas griddle. What it does well, what it does not, and the honest answer on whether you need one.
A year with the GRILLART 18-inch bristle-free brush: how it cleans, where it struggles, and why I finally tossed my wire brush.
Which grill brush belongs on your patio? After a year of cleaning grates with both, here is how the GRILLART bristle-free brush stacks up against a standard wire brush.
A backyard cook's plain-spoken case for ditching wire bristles, with the GRILLART brush as the tool that made the switch stick.
Hank Dorsey spent forty years scrubbing grates with a wire brush. Here is why he switched to the GRILLART bristle-free brush, and what a year of use taught him.
A plain-spoken, step-by-step guide to keeping your grill grate clean with a bristle-free brush, from a backyard cook who made the switch.
A year with the GRILLART bristle-free grill brush: what it cleans well, what it leaves behind, and what nobody tells you before you buy one.
Two years of weekend smoking on the Z Grills ZPG-450A2. What holds up, what does not, and whether it is the right first pellet grill for your patio.
Two years of real backyard cooking on a Z Grills ZPG-450A2, including the parts the ads leave out.
A year of backyard cooks on the Weber Original Kettle 22-inch. What holds up, what needs attention, and who should buy one.
What six years with the same 22-inch kettle taught me, including the parts the Amazon listing leaves out.
A two-year, hands-on review of the Blackstone 22 tabletop griddle from a backyard cook who uses it every week.
Two years of weekend breakfasts, camping trips, and one very honest look at the Blackstone 22 tabletop griddle.
A year and a half of briskets, pork butts, and Sunday chickens with the MEATER Plus. What holds up, what doesn't, and who should buy it.
A year and a half with the MEATER Plus on a kettle, a pellet grill and a gas griddle. What it does well, what it does not, and the honest answer on whether you need one.
A year with the GRILLART 18-inch bristle-free brush: how it cleans, where it struggles, and why I finally tossed my wire brush.
A year with the GRILLART bristle-free grill brush: what it cleans well, what it leaves behind, and what nobody tells you before you buy one.