Spec me a BBQ

oneilldo · 15 Apr 2007 at 21:56

I was going to build my own BBQ this summer but after looking at some of the masonry BBQ's on http://www.thebbq.co.uk/
I could be tempted to go with one of them. They are expensive but look fairly substantial and hopefully should last for years.
I am tempted by the Big K Granada masonry BBQ, but at £450 for a charcoal BBQ it better last forever.
Has anyone used these types of BBQ's before - I think R0551 posted a pick of one last year?
Any problems with cracking?
Can anyone recommend any other BBQ's (it has to be charcoal powered)?

This BBQ looks fairly solid but I can't find it in the UK

I am tempted to build one of the clay ovens like scuzi did but I need a BBQ as well.

thanks
oneilldo

Glaucus · 15 Apr 2007 at 22:02

build it your self it'd dead easy. get some normal bricks, a sheet of scrap metal, a sheet of mesh metal and a welder or find a garage to weld it together. be done all in for £50. Only if i had a picture of my parents one.

daven1986 · 15 Apr 2007 at 22:11

yeah buy a tray from B&Q you get the plans and then you build it yourself. my dad and i did it and it is great

oneilldo · 15 Apr 2007 at 22:22

Hmm I am tempted by a build it yourself one but the ones I find at B&Q etc aren't that big. I am tempted to get one of those half oil barrel size BBQ's and not attaching the legs and mounting that on top of a pile of bricks.

The thing is I just know it will be wonky or won't be sturdy enough and I'll end up with 1st degree burns in a drunken stupor.

Has anyone used the masonary ones (they are still sort of DIY but seem a lot bigger/sturdier)?

Glaucus · 15 Apr 2007 at 22:26

oneilldo said:
Hmm I am tempted by a build it yourself one but the ones I find at B&Q etc aren't that big. I am tempted to get one of those half oil barrel size BBQ's and not attaching the legs and mounting that on top of a pile of bricks.

The thing is I just know it will be wonky or won't be sturdy enough and I'll end up with 1st degree burns in a drunken stupor.

Has anyone used the masonary ones (they are still sort of DIY but seem a lot bigger/sturdier)?

it's so easy it'll be fine.
Are you going to build it against a wall in which case you just need to build the sides?
get/find some 3mm steel and some steel grill can usually find it in hardware shops.
this way you can build it as big as you like.
I can even give you some drawings if you tell me what size you want.

oneilldo · 15 Apr 2007 at 23:01

I am thinking the bigger the better. I was tempted to get an oil drum type BBQ like this one and just mount this in a brick base.

If I were to design it myself I would probably go for a grill size of about 1mx40cm depth (after all I don't need to use the full length all of the time).
I would also do a 50cm side table (perhaps brick walls with a stainless steel top).

Is there anyway I could create it so the charcoal tray was movable up and down with a fairly fine granularity (like the first link in my first post for the Professional Charcoal Barbecue). I presume I would need some sort of ratchet mechanism but am unsure

It will be built against a stone backwall, but I would probably do a back wall in bricks as well.

After having a look on some auction sites I don;t think I will go for the masonary one if I decide building ones too tricky. There is one called ARCHWAY BBQ DELUXE ( CHARCOAL BARBECUE ) MESH GRILL which looks pretty decent. The legs are detachable so I could always brick this in as well.
You can find the one I am on about on http://www.archwaysm.com/ website (can't direct link as its annoying flash).