Everdure by Heston Blumenthal Furnace gas BBQ review

First impressions of the Everdure Furnace gas BBQ

This is a hefty, high-quality barbecue that's robust without being too weighty. It has long legs that keep it far from the ground, so you shouldn't need a heatproof surface underneath.

At just over 1.3m wide, there's also a large cooking area, with room for up to 28 burgers, 13 medium steaks, or three roast chickens at one time – ideal if you're feeding a crowd.

The hood is equally sturdy and there's a good-sized heatproof handle across the front. A temperature gauge sits above it, with both Fahrenheit and celsius clearly displayed.

How easy is the Everdure Furnace gas BBQ to assemble?

The BBQ is tightly packed, which makes removing it from the box quite tricky. Elements of the assembly are also fiddly, especially as some of the screws didn't thread through easily – this meant we ended up scratching and peeling back some of the plastic around the legs.

None of the parts are labelled, which makes some of them more difficult to identify. Some screws were already attached to the barbecue and required unfastening and refastening again later, which was a faff.

On the plus side, the instructions are mostly clear, and while no tools are included, all we needed was a Phillips screwdriver. You can also keep the barbecue assembled once you've built it.

How easy is the Everdure Furnace gas BBQ to use?

Once we'd assembled the Furnace, we found it very simple to use. It hooks up to the gas easily and hits 200C in about 2-3 minutes. There are a few colder spots, though the heat is otherwise well distributed. It also reacts quickly to temperature changes, which we adjusted using the three hob-like dials on the right-hand side.

Because the grill is so wide, you can keep veg and meat far apart – handy if you're catering for different dietary requirements.

It's easy to clean, too, though some of the ingredients (like halloumi) got stuck to the grill during cooking, so we had to scrape this off with a non-abrasive scourer.

Cooking results

This barbecue is a joy to cook on, and while there wasn't as much consistency as we'd like, most of the food had even grill lines and a decent char.

We started with potato slices, which cooked gently and had a soft middle and crispy skin. A whole aubergine took around 20 minutes on the grill, and was soft and well blistered around the outside.

We achieved great results with meat. First, we tested it with a whole chicken, which cooked for 40 minutes and had caramelised skin from the crisped-up fat. Our sirloin steaks were medium-rare and juicy after grilling on high for 6 minutes on both sides, then left to rest.

Our halloumi kebabs were nicely charred but inconsistent in texture – the courgette needed barbecuing for longer, but the rest of the veg had a softer bite.

How sustainable is the Everdure Furnace gas BBQ?

Other than the cardboard boxes that the Furnace came in, most of the packaging around the Furnace couldn't be recycled – there was a combination of plastic, polystyrene and bubblewrap.

The parts of the barbecue made from aluminium and plastic (that includes the hood, firebox, sides and legs) have a five-year warranty, while other remaining parts, including the paint, have two years, which is reasonable for the price.

We couldn't find any advice about how to source replacement parts for the Furnace, but other online retailers sell certain components if you need them.

Conclusion

The biggest selling point of the Furnace for us is the sheer amount of space on the grill – and because there's so much room to work with, it's enjoyable to use.

We like that we can flit between direct and indirect heat by moving ingredients from one grill to another, and that meat and veg can be kept far apart, too. Controlling the heat is effortless, and the heating elements react well to temperature changes.

Where this barbecue lets us down is the assembly – we were dissatisfied with how some of the screws scratched the plastic when we fastened them in. Once the barbecue is built though, it can stay assembled.

It is on the expensive side, and this is likely a reflection of the celebrity name attached to it. That aside, it's a high-performing piece of kit with plenty of user-friendly features and an attractive, robust design.

Everdure Furnace gas BBQ specifications

Brand: Everdure by Heston Blumenthal
Model: Furnace
RRP: £899
Dimensions: 1068 x 1312 x 742 mm
Materials: die-cast aluminium
Warranty: 5 years (aluminium and plastic parts), 2 years (remaining parts)
Fuel needed: gas

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