Belated Sneak Peek: NEW Hasty-Bake 357 Pro Review!

[Huskee]

Forgive me for not getting this one posted earlier, but here's Meathead's review of the fantastic new model from Hasty-Bake, the 357 Pro. Enjoy!

Hasty-Bake 357 Pro, by Meathead

https://amazingribs.com/ratings-reviews/combo/hasty-bake-357-pro

[Mosca]

Oh man. I was hooked all the way up to the bottom line... and then I got away.

[Mosca]

Not even a mid-price! I was thinking about 1700-1900.

[Mr. Bones]

Wail, it does say Free Shippin, though lol

[tbob4]

Mr. Bones - You had me belly laughing!

[Razor]

You trying to tell me something? I was just ah "researching" this last night! 😳

So next month when I win the monthly drawing, can I upgrade and pay the difference?

[Hulagn1971]

For that price tag, I think the "Optional accessories" should come with it. That is one high-dolla cooker.

[ecowper]

heh, I have the same problem with my dogs and the grease trap system on my Hasty-Bake Gourmet ..... one of my mutts will crawl under the cover and go after the grease. I used the same solution as Meathead and removed the grease trap system. Not a big deal since I have a pan on the indirect side and Grill Grates on the direct side.

I am curious if you would add Grill Grates to the 357 Meathead?

seriously considering putting this on my wishlist and selling my Gourmet

[Troutman]

Yea at $3600 I can buy a half dozen Weber products and be good to go. That's a really great cooker but way too much of an investment.

[Mosca]

Two WSCGs, with side tables, for instance.

[ecowper]

Mosca I’ve looked at the WSCG’s .... a lot ... and I”m not sold

[Mosca]

Yeah? I’ve never seen one. I have seen a Hasty Bake 256. Nice unit. Smaller than I thought it would be.

[klflowers]

Way out of my price range. But a nice looking cooker.

[Uncle Bob]

So, the former marketing/business owner guy inside me enjoys watching the variety of reactions to features/price evaluation. Each customer brings their own set of priorities, beliefs, and values to the equation. Though MH doesn't emphasize it for the sake of this discussion I'll assume (oy) that this is made up of all/mostly 304 stainless steel. Which brings up the idea of marketing "tricks" that the overall marketplace plays. Most of the commodity cookers as well as some of the more "mid-range" products tout their use of stainless steel as if all stainless steel is equal in quality/performance. They typically will use 430 grade, which is not a bad product, but lacks the higher chromium content of 304, which, for most folks, equates to greater corrosion resistance. The old "trick" of, "will a magnet stick" is a common test. A magnet will stick to 430 but not to 304, a result of that chromium content. Just to frame the difference in a different light, a 16ga, 4' x 8' sheet of 304 at retail is somewhere around $1250 (pre corona virus), a similar sheet of 430 nearly half. Sure, larger scale manufacturers don't pay retail, but those figures are for comparison, not cost accounting. Now, if you're going to let your MCS run wild and flip cookers on your patio with some regularity, the longevity benefits of 304 probably don't mean much. But for those who value longevity, and as MH offered, pass the cooker on to life survivors, then the price premium for 304 is more meaningful. Form or function? You makes your choices and picks your weapons. For comparable sized and featured charcoal cookers in the marketplace this isn't so crazily priced (though crowding the upper end by my views). Anything you compare to that is significantly lower in cost, while maybe still giving you (based on your own priorities) equal outcomes, is not going to likely last as well...………..but that isn't what you're after..

BTW MH, cute trick with the bricks to manage the fire progression.

[Uncle Bob]

For pretty much the same reason that Toyota makes a Corolla (or whatever the current equivalent is), and Mercedes makes the Maybach. They each will get from point A to point B pretty much the same. But...…….………………………………………………..

[ecowper]

Uncle Bob great point about the quality of the SS. I have a Hasty-Bake Gourmet. Owned it for 10 years. The only thing I’ve had to replace is the nut on the fire door handle. Troutman I love my WSM 22, but I do not believe that it is something that my kids will inherit. I do believe that about my Hasty-Bake.

[Mosca]

All good points, yes. But you can justify the cost and it can still be too expensive. That’s why I still have a BGE and not a Komodo; the food isn’t going to know the difference.

[Huskee]

Both affordable every-man cookers and luxury cookers get you from point A to B, but it's the ride quality that will likely be different. I bet a Weber kettle and a Hasty-Bake 357's pork chops will taste identical. That ends the story for many of us. There's more to it than that though, from nearly every angle. That said, I will probably never be in the "yeah, I think I'll order that cooker" camp. Not unless I score one heck of a raise sometime soon, or my kid lands a job as a child actor on a Disney show (attention Disney casting directors...)..... Kalamazoo and Fire Magic all come to mind in that regard as well. Surely the Ferrari and Mercedes of their species.

[ecowper]

The point of the suitcase story is that sometimes the thing we believe is too expensive for the initial price turns out to be very cost beneficial over the long run. I firmly believe this to be the case with Hasty-Bake. I’ve owned my Gourmet for 10 years and love it. I expect it to outlast me

[DesertRaider]

ecowper While I sorta agree on some more costly items outlasting the less costly ones, I would add that my Aussie gasser that I bought almost 20 years back lasted 15 with no issues or replacements. Back then it cost me ~$300. Sometimes, some things are just more expensive because of the name. Many factors come in to play beyond the brand.

[Huskee]

Troutman Lol, maybe if membership cost $100/year there'd be that kinda thing! ecowper, great points, I did neglect to mention longevity, that is very true. My Yoder stickburner was my most expensive cooker by far and will be there for my grandkids to cook on, highly doubtful the others will.

[Cheef]

Someday it will be mine!!!!

[GBA]

You can have 4.5 PK360's for the same price,they will last at least as long.

[JCGrill]

Steep price, but it has my attention. I've often thought the Hasty Bake could be my next cooker. But I generally look an awfully long time before I make my move. I'm sure it will be a couple more years before I buy anything.

[BBQPhil]

Uncle Bob Interesting post. So right about stainless steel. The new marketing hype is fascinated with materials: Aircraft grade aluminum, engineered resins (aka plastic), etc. I've found stainless steel on my Weber and on some other accessories (top of Keter outdoor prep table, etc.) to easily rust and be hard to clean. Only resemblance to really good stainless steel is the color when brand new.

[70monte]

This grill definitely interests me but with all of my fire management issues I have with my Legacy which I'm not sure will be any different with this newer one, I would be hard pressed to pull the trigger, especially at that price. I would probably get the M Grills stainless steel M1 before this one even though it has less cooking room.