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Balcony Friendly Grill for Apartment Dwellers


Shel_B

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I'm looking to move into a new apartment in a few months, and Toots thought that these grills might be something to consider. Maybe some of you would like something like these:

http://craziestgadgets.com/2011/08/22/balcony-bbq-mounts-on-railings/
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/portable-balconyfriendly-grill-150342

http://imgur.com/gallery/CyYEx

I'd certainly consider one of these ...

Edited by Shel_B (log)

 ... Shel


 

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I'd consider units made for tailgating. I think Cabellas has a selection.<br /><br />Spent coal disposal might be an issue. Would gas be better ?

Edited by gfweb (log)
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Man, I am pro-grilling. I own seven grills, all charcoal. When summer gets in full swing, I'll have sometimes 3 going at once.

That said, I'd never, ever use charcoal on an apartment balcony. I won't even use it on my deck. I lived in an OK apartment complex where the building next to mine burned down due to a flare up. No people killed, but pets died. It's typically against fire code, and for good reason.

I have no experience with gas, but I'd follow the fire code.

If I were going to grill in an apartment simplex (autocorrect: supposed to be complex), I'd do it in the outdoor common area or the parking lot. I might even let neighbors join me if they supplied beer or something.

ETA. Spent coal disposal is not terribly difficult if one is careful. I use what looks like a mini trash can. The problem is that coals can stay hot for days. My coals stay in fireproof canisters until they can be put out on the street for trash pickup. Locally, a house burned down when a maid cleaned out the fireplace 3 days after it had been used.

Edited by Ttogull (log)
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Simple electric plug in grills are balcony friendly....Meco makes a variety of small, plug in grills suitable for light use. http://www.amazon.com/b?ie=UTF8&node=13994431

I am full of gloom and doom tonight. Make sure you get an appropriate extension cord. Recently a family of 4 in our area died because the used an underrated cord for an outdoor smoker. The cord overheated, shorted, and burned down their house while they were sleeping.

Edited by Ttogull (log)
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  • 2 years later...

I've been grill-less for quite some time, but yesterday I closed a deal on a gas grill.  I've only cooked on gas once, and that was last summer on the very grill I just acquired.  So, cookin' with gas is a new thing to me.

 

That said, the grill I purchased is a Kenmore ... it doesn't seem to be a very high end grill, but the price was right: $45.00.  In addition, it belongs to our tenants who are moving at the end of the month, and they don't want to move that puppy to Southern California.  So, not only did I get it at a decent price, but it's already on the patio, so there's no need for me to move it at all.

 

Here's a pic of the grill I purchased as it was when shiny new.  I won't get a chance to snap a pic of the actual grill until later in the week.

 

Kenmore Grill.jpg

 

Any tips on using a gas grill?  Accessories I should think about?  Thanks!

  • Like 3

 ... Shel


 

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Nice.  Great price too.  Some inexpensive gas grills only last two or three years.  A good cleaning will probably be in order.  Take out the burners and make sure the holes aren't clogged or have spiders inside.  Check the hoses for leaks and replace if necessary. 

 

The first time I got a gas grill and told my son, he was living in Seattle.  We were talking on the phone when I told him.  There was a pause then he said "what have you done to my real dad?"  After that, there was never a time when not having one was ever under consideration.  In the last 30 years or so, I have ended up having an electric stove in the kitchen so the side burner alone its worth it sometimes. It's really handy for hamburgers on a hot day.  I have baked bread and pizzas in it too.  If you use a pizza stone, be sure to heat it fully and slowly.  The bread was done with the heat on either side but off in the middle.  There are lots of things you can use it for.

Edited by Norm Matthews (log)
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once you clean it up and get the hang of it consider GrillGrates :

 

http://www.grillgrate.com/

 

they will eliminate flair-ups

 

there is a GG thread.  look it up if you decide to go this way

 

there is a coupon there.  just change the 14 to 15 and Id bet it works.

 

if you want to add smoke, look for fruit-wood or other hard wood chips at places like HomeDepot

 

you can start with a folded over ( disposable ) aluminum pie plate or aluminum foil, just get the chips started and then limit air intake.

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flair-ups are esp. important w chicken.  i do vertical chicken on the weber now and once i put them on  I forget about them until done

 

also check your thermometer if the grill has one.  sometimes if they are twisted they are off by quite a bit.

 

use that thermometer as a reference point, not as a " true temp "

 

enjoy

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Nice.  Great price too.  Some inexpensive gas grills only last two or three years.  A good cleaning will probably be in order.  Take out the burners and make sure the holes aren't clogged or have spiders inside.  Check the hoses for leaks and replace if necessary. 

 

 

 

The tenants bought it used, so it's at least four years old.  A good cleaning and thorough examination is probably in order.  I haven't looked at it in months.  From a cursory exploration, it seems that Sears has a good supply of parts available.  Hope I don't need any ;-)

 

I'm really excited about grilling a few things this summer.  A close friend raises cattle, so I have a nice supply of grass fed beef available at zero cost.  This might be a fun summer of cooking.

Edited by Shel_B (log)
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 ... Shel


 

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I love my grill baskets for fish and veggies. 

 

I also have a box for wood chips. On reflection, I think the foil worked about as well.

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Don't ask. Eat it.

www.kayatthekeyboard.wordpress.com

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Re smoke. I use dried tree trimmings, usually apple, and wrap tightly in foil ...with one hole poked in it ...so they smoke but don't burn.  I trust my trees to be chemical-free more than the boxed chips at the store.

 

You can rig a cold smoker by putting a hotplate (<$10 at True Value) in the chamber and setting the foil-wrapped sticks on it set at a lowish temp.

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Re smoke. I use dried tree trimmings, usually apple, and wrap tightly in foil ...with one hole poked in it ...so they smoke but don't burn. 

 

[...]

 

You can rig a cold smoker by putting a hotplate (<$10 at True Value) in the chamber and setting the foil-wrapped sticks on it set at a lowish temp.

 

A couple of ideas worth considering.  I may still have a good supply of fruit wood ....

 ... Shel


 

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That's our grill! We've had it for 5 years with no problems. We use it 3-5 times a week until there is so much snow on what we call the 'grill porch' that we can't open the door. (Sadly that was many months this winter.) We have had no need for replacement parts or adjustments - it works great.

Elaina

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If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need. Cicero

But the library must contain cookbooks. Elaina

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I had a SS Plate made for mine..  so it acts a grill top!!

 

I did have a Cast plate, but SS is much easier to maintain

 

Something like this ( or below the picture ):  I had mine custom made for 75$  ..it is just flat with two handles

 

 

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002VLYBG0/ref=asc_df_B002VLYBG03791726?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=shopzilla0d-20&ascsubtag=shopzilla_rev_78-20;14370556139289578420910030302008005&linkCode=df0&creative=395093&creativeASIN=B002VLYBG0

Edited by Paul Bacino (log)

Its good to have Morels

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yep.   I have that Tube.   fantastic

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrsdPz1rEpI

 

http://www.amazenproducts.com/Default.asp

 

start w the pie-pan.  you can use that over and over and you can't so much w the foil

 

later if you really get into it the Tube is the way to go.

I would have one of those immediately - it looks great.

Mitch Weinstein aka "weinoo"

Tasty Travails - My Blog

My eGullet FoodBog - A Tale of Two Boroughs

Was it you baby...or just a Brilliant Disguise?

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I would have one of those immediately - it looks great.

 

It cooks even better than it looks.

 

I can't think of anything else I've gotten for $30 that has yielded such great results. I've used it to cold smoke cheese, butter, and pork belly, and have had fantastic results hot smoking pork shoulder and pork/beef killer ribs. The A-Maze-N people also make very high quality pellets for the smoker, and they're reasonably priced (especially if you buy in larger quantities).

 

Those pellets can be useful if you also have Grill Grates. If you're cooking a steak or chop, for instance, and want just a bit of smoke flavor, you can sprinkle some wood pellets over the grates before you throw the meat on. 

Edited by btbyrd (log)
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This video tells how to reset a balky regulator, a problem that occurs every other year or so and results in really low gas flow.

 I usually turn the knobs to "off" then turn off the regulator knob. I haven't noticed a problem but will reverse the order, just in case.

Edited by cyalexa (log)
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  • 6 years later...

@rrigreid 

 

as @gfweb suggested

 

make sure a BBQ is OK locally

 

you are not going to ge anything better

 

than a Weber  w your budget

 

and indeed a 3 burner Weber @ HomeDepot is 

 

$ 639 . and that's w the gas tank under the side and not concealed

 

gas grills drop off dramatically in quality if its not a Weber

 

a 2 burner Weber :

 

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Weber-Spirit-II-E-210-2-Burner-Propane-Gas-Grill-in-Black-44010001/302976462

 

$ 458.

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  • 5 months later...
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