Kalamazoo hybrid fire

[das85]

Need a grill for new house and considering budget which would allow a K750.

I love the idea of hybrid fire, but curious how effective it is in practice..

Most of my experience is cooking on gas grills and pellet cookers, so I'm relatively uneducated when it comes to true wood fire...but most of what I read says fire management is both challenging and critical to good results (good smoke vs creosote, burning meat to a crisp over direct wood fire, etc).

Does the drawer system which holds the wood allow or facilitate getting this right? I can see it working for charcoal, but the ability to cook with wood is what could make it really special for me...if it works.

I assume this isn't a good tool for true low and slow, but I do a lot of thick steaks and roasts by reverse sear, starting on smoker and moving to grill.. And spatchcock chickens on pellet smoker at higher heat.. Wondering if the hybrid fire would work well for this kind of use.

Would particularly love to hear from anyone who has cooked on one or eaten food made on one. Or has a view on the practicality of using this to get the smoke flavor of burning real wood.

Thanks in advance for any responses!

[FireMan]

In my good for not much opinion, they are the ultimate in cookers & that caught my eye a few years back. Never in my budget but one can dream. If they build it, it’s got to be good. Learnin curve? Sure. Can you handle it, ditto.

[Jfrosty27]

I had never heard of Kalamazoo grills. I looked at their website. Very nice! Way over my budget though. Sorry I’m no help.

[Santamarina]

If my budget allowed it I’d get their Gaucho grill. That Santa Maria style grill is perfect for reverse searing steaks. Between a smoker and that grill I could cover all my cooking needs.

[bbqLuv]

If the price is not an option . . .

[JakeT]

Certainly beautiful equipment. Substantially more affordable option would be Sunterra Outdoor.

If money were not a consideration I’d go with Grillworks though.

[FireMan]

They also have kamado other worldly looking.

[HawkerXP]

A founding Father's first post! Welcome!

[das85]

Thanks! I read a lot here, should really post more..

[Max Good]

das85 You're looking at the Rolls Royce of gas grill$. They are capable of getting very good smoke quality. The ignition system consists of a low output burner that runs across the front. You can use the ignition burner for low heat and burn wood in the drawer.

[das85]

Thanks for replying and also for your review, which is what first got me interested. The "Rolls Royce" comparisons are actually part of what makes me nervous - lots of people saying this grill will impress the neighbors, I'm more focused on what it's like to cook on!

[Max Good]

Part Rolls Royce, part tank, with fire power and versatility to spare, Kalamazoo grills are imposing in appearance, performance and price.

[Smoldering Flea]

Have not cooked on one but from what i'm looking at, shouldn't you just approach it like a 2 zone gas grill setup with the exception being your hot zone would be wood + gas fueled (providing smoke to your indirect zone?) Seems like the main question is whether you can get the wood burning hot enough for clean smoke while keeping the indirect side of the grill at the temperature you want.

[Max Good]

One big difference is that Kalamazoo's unique designs require a bit less ventilation than other gas grills so smoke doesn't just blow out the back vent before kissing the meat. This is just one item in the whole Kalamazoo picture.

[das85]

Thanks both...agree one key q is can you have indirect at reasonable temp while burning wood on the other side, and also whether the smoke will stay enough to add flavor - when I've tried creating smoke using special boxes on other gas grills it does mostly just seem to dissipate. Also wonder whether it's practical to cook direct over wood or with no ability to raise the grate will the meat just incinerate. Seems like their videos mostly use charcoal with a couple of wood chunks, not logs.

[Smoldering Flea]

Re direct cooking over wood, does not seem like something you could do for extended period of time unless the shelf is high enoufh

[painter]

Wow. In my lotto dreams...

[Stuey1515]

Wow!! $94378 Ozi peso's, but free delivery so that's good value.
Seriously though, how good can it be for that price, does it pleasure you while you cook?

[DavidNorcross]

Since you are a founding member, I am not sure this is appropriate. I see this appears to be your first post, so I assume welcome is in order? I am familiar with this cooker and brand, but just not one that I can provide any answers on. Interested in this thread.

[das85]

Thanks! Always nice to be welcomed

[jad117]

We have an outdoor kitchen that should be finished in the next week with the Kalamazoo Hybrid Grill, Smoker, and Pizza Oven. The builder isn't letting me touch it until it passes inspection, but I can post our experience after the project is complete.

[FireMan]

Oooh! Oooh! Ooooh! We will be waitin fer the works, pics, cook, fire, yessir! 👍👍👍

[das85]

Thanks and congrats! Will be very interested to hear your experience (and see photos - that sounds like quite a set-up)

[JakeT]

Looking forward to the pics!