Outback barbecue grills are probably the leading BBQ brand in the UK being sold through many of the large garden centres and when my brother in law phoned me to tell me he'd bought one I just had to get up there and find out more.
I first asked him why he'd gone for Outback and he said it was because of build quality. He'd checked out other brands readily available in the UK such as Weber and Coleman but decided that the build both looked better and “felt” better on the Outback. Just more robust all round.
The model he'd gone for was the 1000i which has a hot plate, grill, side burner for sauces and a rotisserie although he hasn't used the rotisserie yet, still preferring the old charcoal spit roast.
Given that he already has a charcoal grill, why did he want a gas grill? “It's simply for when there's a nice evening and you just fancy slapping some steaks or chops on the barbie” was his reply. The grill is good for searing whilst the hotplate serves well of veggies, burgers and sausages. He had tried sausages on the grill but found that they just got burnt.
So I got chance to quiz him and view his choice but not to road test it. I did go for lunch and the barbecue was alight, but it was the charcoal one! I guess that just says that given time, it's not the cooking that interests him, it's the playing with fire. I can sympathize but let's not take anything away from Outback barbecue grills.
Looking at the complete range my one criticism would be that none of them have a smoke box option so I guess the popularity for smoking has yet to hit the UK. I'll keep trying.