If May’s wet weather could kindly step aside, we would all happily proclaim that barbecue season is upon us, however it looks as though we’ll have to wait a little longer before we can dust off our tongs and make those succulent marinades and kebabs.
Having said this, at any given gap in the clouds, I have made it my mission to get outside and get cooking, whether that’s with a barbecue, pizza oven or simply just enjoying a dinner out in the sunshine. I was recently able to test out a shining new offering by Char-Broil – the Professional PRO S3 version barbecue – here’s what I thought.
The compact, gas-powered barbecue comes gleaming in a shining stainless-steel silver, which adds instant impact to your garden and instantly assures you that the outer won’t rust. Upon assembly, which takes a good hour and a half, even for the most proficient of amateur furniture builders, the barbecue takes pride of position on a patio or deck, and I was pleased to see that company uses eco-friendly, recyclable packaging for their barbecues. Be warned, it’s not the lightest of instruments and you will want to protect it from the elements in winter, so be prepared to haul its weight in and out of an outbuilding twice a year. You can, of course, purchase a cover to fit perfectly from Char-Broil to keep it safe from the elements as perhaps a simpler alternative.
Char-Broil has plenty of experience in the field of grill production – they have been in the business since the 1940s and have spent their time wisely, constantly upgrading, innovating and utilising the latest technologies to bring their customers a great grilling experience across their range of charcoal, gas and electric grills, smokers and grill accessories.
The PRO range is the most advanced of the Professional grills from Char-Broil, and aims for maximum performance, versatility and convenience – just what the griller of the household wants. All new models feature an innovative high-performance sear burner on the side, to reach high temperatures quicker for perfect sear marks and sealed-in flavour. Made of heavy cast iron, the sear burner is set on the right of the grill, in its own section, with a protective lid, and can have different wood chips added to a section underneath to add flavour to whatever food is cooking above. It quickly reaches high temperatures (a minimum of 800 oC) and is ideal for whipping up a quick steak.
Another innovation of this grill is the TRU-Infrared cooking system, which is designed to provide perfectly even cooking, with no flare-ups and superb, up to 50%, juicier results. This is achieved through stainless steel emitter plates, which ensure even distribution of heat while protecting the burner and firebox from meat juices and fat. The grilling surface is made of heavy porcelain enamelled 8mm thick cast iron and the grill area is designed to provide optimum cooking space. The high-quality design includes a new extra high double layer cold-rolled stainless-steel lid to provide constant temperatures and optimal insulation, and an elegant and clearly structured control panel.
So, the above assures you that the quality of the food through innovative cooking systems are well looked after, but what about the coveted added extras? It’s often the additional accessories that make an all-round experience, and with Char-Broil you can go mad with their accessory system. Every model can be expanded to suit you, this includes storage add-ons that can be clipped to the side, an integrated bottle opener at a handy position on the control panel, and a specially designed smoker box that turns the grill into a smoker. Clever storage allows you to fit gas bottles up to 11kg along with smaller accessories inside and an outside shelf to hold pizza stones, griddles and the like.
One of the more positives aspects of the grill is the look. The silver with red accent grill is very visually pleasing and it’s the little design touches that make this piece of equipment stand out, in a good way, in your garden. Elegant chrome plated knobs are illuminated red with battery-powered LED lights to show you which of the three burners are lit and the temperature gauge on the lid and the embossed flame logo have red highlights to tie in the aesthetics. As mentioned, it is a shining silver, so it will take some time and effort to keep it looking this good, if you take pride in your belongings, but it will be worth it.
Ergonomically-shaped handles make for ease of use without you even really noticing and the compact grill is gas fired, so it can be placed anywhere in the garden without you having to worry about electricity leads. The main benefit of gas-fired grills is the quick heat up time, so you can be ready for cooking in no time, the barbecue comes with a handy grilling guide for inspiration and information, and with the TRU-infrared technology and sear burner, your food will be grilled to a really good standard every time.
Professional Pro 3-burner
Price: £719.99
Where to buy: charbroil.co.uk/professional-pro-s-3-140920
