What is the Best Charcoal Grill on the Market?

Since first hitting the market way back in 1948, Hasty Bake’s backyard barbecues have lead the industry in both quality and reliability. As the first portable grilling unit, Hasty Bake grills changed how home cooks were able to prepare meals for their families. New innovations such as the development of the first hooded unit and the invention of a way to cook using indirect heat only furthered the brand’s profile and allowed creative barbecue fans to dream up their own fun ways to prepare mouthwatering spreads for their friends and family.

Nearly 70+  years later, Hasty Bake is still producing the best charcoal grill available. Our 14 expertly designed models were built to match all kinds of grilling lifestyles, from easy-carry units ideal for on-to-go cooks to spacious cookers suitable for a crowd. To browse our full line of products, check out our grill catalog.

How Do I Use a Hasty Bake Charcoal Grill as a Smoker?

Hasty Bake is known first and foremost as a company that specializes in charcoal grills, but our versatile ovens also double as beautiful smokers. Thanks to our grill’s smart design features such as the adjustable firebox, dual air vents, and a ventless hood, we’re able to provide outstanding temperature control – something that’s fundamental to the “low and slow” technique at the heart of great smoking. The offset fire box creates both a hot spot and a cool area on the opposite end and the fire door is roomy to provide plenty of access for refueling mid-smoke.

Depending on the type of wood chips you use, you can achieve some very interesting and infinitely delectable flavor profiles as you smoke. Apple lends fish and duck an earthy yet sweet flavor while hickory is an all-purpose choice that works especially well with pork.

Whether you’re looking to grill, smoke, or even bake – it’s possible! – you can learn more about how to best use our charcoal oven by visiting our comprehensive FAQ.

How Do I Cook with a Charcoal Grill?

A charcoal grill is a fantastic way to quickly and conveniently cook all kinds of dishes. The key is to embrace a charcoal-burning grill as the multipurpose tool it really is. Most people will start off using direct heat to grill things like burgers, ribs, hot dogs, chicken, fish, and vegetables. Getting the cook-off underway is as easy as filling the fire box half full with hardwood charcoal and setting it alight. You can then either keep your cooking to that half of the grill and use the other half for keeping fully cooked food warm or you can spread out the lit charcoal so you can use the full breadth of the grate.

The actual lighting of the charcoal is easy thanks to Hasty Bake’s Firelighters. Simply place one or two lit Firelighters in the ash pan, slide the pan back in the oven, then lower the fire box until it’s hovering just above the Firelighters. The flame will leap up to meet the charcoal and you’ll be ready to cook in about 10 to 15 minutes. For more tips, watch our instructional videos.

Where Can I Find Recipes for Cooking on a Charcoal Grill?

The best way to get familiar with your new charcoal grill is to try out all kinds of interesting recipes, including ideas that you may previously thought would be impossible to tackle on an outdoor cooker.

You can start off your backyard bash or summer grilling get-together by grilling up pineapple for a smoky-meets-sweet twist on a traditional margarita. You can test out your baking skills with a Guinness-infused Irish soda bread, beat the heat with a Kalbi-style porterhouse topped with green tomato relish, and even serve up a grilled pound cake with brown sugar-macerated berries for dessert. For more inspiration, read through our tried-and-true grilling recipes.