Boss Grill Tennessee Charcoal Grill BBQ review

• Read our review of the best charcoal barbecues

First impressions of the Boss Grill Tennessee Charcoal Grill BBQ

This barbecue looks substantial but feels flimsy; we found that our charcoal basket was damaged, and the side tables bowed when we placed a few dishes of food on them. It features a chimney smoker to give meat an authentic smoky flavour, and we like that it comes with all the extras: side tables, adjustable charcoal basket, a warming rack, and even a set of utensils and three fixed hooks so you won’t misplace them. There’s also a temperature gauge, which means you can keep an eye on the internal temperature without opening the hood and losing heat, as well as a door to add fuel while you’re cooking.

How easy is the Boss Grill Tennessee Charcoal Grill BBQ to assemble?

The main body of the barbecue is preassembled, and it comes with a screwdriver for building the remainder of the elements, which takes about an hour. While the screws are labelled, they’re not in order, so it’s a bit of a faff to find the right ones.

How easy is the Boss Grill Tennessee Charcoal Grill BBQ to use?

This barbecue is comfortable to use for average-height chefs. The combination of the adjustable charcoal basket and air vent means you get plenty of control over the temperature and great cooking results, and there’s also a charcoal door, so you can add more fuel while you’re using it. Two chunky wheels make it easy to move around the garden and they lock into position. There’s also a shelf underneath the body of the barbecue, providing useful storage space. However, the metal catch on the door gets incredibly hot, as does the back of the unit, so we'd recommend setting it up on a heat-proof surface and not positioning it in front of wooden fencing.

Cooking results

This barbecue features a generous cooking area, which measures 53cm x 40cm and provides enough space for about 17 burgers. Using three kilograms of charcoal, it takes just over half an hour to heat up. Once heated up, we found that the heat distribution was quite uneven, with a large cool spot at the front of the grill, though the hood forms a good seal and it retains heat well. Although our potatoes and courgettes cooked slowly, and the halloumi in the kebab caught a little on the porcelain enamel grill, it created nicely defined grill lines on all the food we cooked.

How sustainable is the Boss Grill Tennessee Charcoal Grill BBQ?

It comes packaged in polystyrene, which isn’t a sustainable material, and only has a one-year warranty. With a power-coated body and stainless-steel trim, rusting shouldn’t be an issue, and it also comes with a cover, which will help increase its lifespan, too.

Conclusion

A family-sized barbecue that offers plenty of features without having to blow the budget. What it lacks in quality of materials, it makes up for with the overall cooking experience, which produces well-cooked, tasty food. We like that it also comes with a utensil set with hooks for storage, and a cover.

Available from:
Appliances Direct (£159.97)

Boss Grill Tennessee Charcoal Grill BBQ specifications

Brand: Boss Grill
Model: Tennessee Charcoal Grill
RRP: £169.97
Dimensions: H124cm x W128cm x D58cm
Materials: Powdered steel body, stainless-steel trim and porcelain enamelled wire cooking rack
Warranty: One-year warranty
Fuel needed: Charcoal

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