More people are grilling year-round and have higher expectations for grilling equipment due to increased grilling knowledge from cooking shows. Grill manufacturers are responding by providing more sophisticated hybrid grills that allow users to cook with gas, charcoal, or wood for flexibility and diverse flavors. Hybrid grill models that have split cooking surfaces for gas on one side and charcoal on the other are gaining popularity. Meanwhile, smokers and ceramic grills are also being adapted to meet consumer demands for convenience, functionality, and customizable outdoor cooking experiences.

1. More folks are
grilling all year
long. Add to that a grow-
ing fan base of people
watching cooking shows
– who thought we would
have the Food Network
dedicated to this kind of
programming? And the
result is a more knowledge-
able, passionate grilling
crowd than ever.
For grill manufacturers,
it means providing grills
and smokers that deliver a
more sophisticated cooking
experience. More people
understand barbecue now
and their expectations
are higher, according to
Roy Slicker, president of the
National Barbecue Association
(NBBQA).
Having it all
with hybrids
Coyote Outdoor Living
introduced a hybrid grill two
years ago to address a food
trend taking shape, said Jim
Ginocchi, president. “Grillers
today want options on how to
cook,” he said. “Indoor cooking
trends tend to make their way
from the indoor kitchen to the
outdoors. The most popular
choices by customers for indoor
ovens are dual fuel options.
Customers want the same ver-
satility outdoors as well.”
The hybrid grill will appease
foodies and beginners alike,
Ginocchi said. “The 50-inch
grill has a split canopy and
firebox with half of the grill be-
ing a two-burner gas grill and
the other half functions as a
fully loadable charcoal cooking
BBQ,” he said.
“It’s about having it all,” said
Don Sivesind, vice president of
sales for Kalamazoo Outdoor
Gourmet. “Outdoor cooks now
understand and appreciate the
subtleties of flavor that come
from cooking over a wood or
charcoal fire, but they also
want the quick convenience
that comes from cooking over
a gas fire.”
Sivesind said Kalamzaoo
decided in 2012 to switch to
selling Hybrid Fire grills that
can cook with any combina-
tion of gas, charcoal or wood.
“We made the decision to sell
only hybrids because they gave
people maximum flexibility,”
he said. “We were outselling
them 11-to-1.”
casualliving.comAugust 201446
Fixed on Flavor
S m o k e r s , h y b r i d s a n d c e r a m i c g r i l l s o f f e r c u s t o m way s t o c o o k
BB Q TODAY
by Chris Mordi
This Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet gas grill can hit temperatures typically
produced by infrared grills without giving foods that broiled flavor, said Derrick
Riches of bbq.about.com who reviewed the grill.
Coate Grills are
designed and built
entirely by hand,
using cast aluminum
construction.

2. casualliving.comAugust 201448
Coates Grills, a “small
artisan company” that
makes grills in Brigh-
ton, Mich., continues to
refine its hybrid grills
to meet customer
demand. “We have designed a
new hybrid burner that uses
wood and propane for a smoke
flavor and the convenience of
gas,” said Tom Coates, owner
of the company.
Up in Smoke
Even smokers, that
bastion of tradition,
are being adapted for
the growing sophisti-
cation of consumers.
Ben Lang, owner of
Nahunta, Ga.-based Lang
Smokers, said authenticity,
ease of use and durability are
benchmarks that are always
in style. “What’s new in the
barbecue and smoked food
sector is that authentic is back
in a big and new way,” he said.
“The latest fads in barbecue
smoking devices are beginning
to fade away and show their
unreliability.”
“Folks want barbecue smok-
ers that are durable, work to
perfection, are easy to use and
will become a legend in the
family,” Lang said.
Even though Lang stresses
authenticity, his changes to
the traditional offset wood-
burning smoker make cooking
on it “goof proof” every time, he
said. For instance, a “reverse-
flow baffle” gives the smoker
the ability to heat up fast and
retain an even cooking tem-
perature.
Slicker sees a similar trend
among NBBQA members. “At
a time when everyone expects
BB Q TODAY
Continued
The commercial crank on the front face of the Coyote hybrid allows
the griller to adjust the tray upward for maximum heat or lower for
slow bargecue cooking and smoking.
Cookshack supports its dealers, distributors
and consumers by getting involved in barbecue
competitions, posting videos to its website or
YouTube channel and sending quarterly news-
letters with recipes and tips.

3. instant gratification, people are
embracing the time involved
in true barbecue,” he said.
“The key to all of it, at least
that I’ve seen and experi-
enced, is simplicity is king.”
Cookshack, based in Ponca
City, Okla., continues to tweak
its offerings based on what
customers are demanding. “We
are testing an upgraded digital
controller for our commercial
units,” said Regina Bookout,
marketing manager. “It will
feature more capabilities to
program cooking and holding
times, and capabilities to down-
load to a USB.”
Outdoor cooks’ desire for
more flavor from their smoker
is one major trend pushing her
business forward, Bookout
said. Ultimately, that trans-
lates to food-grade wood
pellets in a variety of flavors
as well as liquids.
“We offer a flavor infusion
reservoir,” Bookout said. “It
allows you to add wine, fruit
juice or any other flavoring
liquid to the reservoir. The heat
releases the aromatics that add
a subtle flavor to the food in the
smoker.”
Cookshack’s smokers also
can be adapted for use as a
built-in appliance in outdoor
kitchens, Bookout, noted.
Once you hit a target
temp, the Komodo
Kamado is rock solid with all
that mass holding that heat and
radiating it back slowly, according to Meathead
Goldwyn of amazingribs.com who tested the grill.
casualliving.comAugust 201450
BB Q TODAY
Continued
One of the biggest trends Lang Smokers Owner Ben Lang sees is that
buyers want the genuine experience that comes with cooking outdoors.

4. casualliving.com August 2014 51
Under the Dome
Adapting to changing-use
conditions is also prevalent in
the ceramic sector of the grill
industry.
Customers looking for grilling
stations represent a significant
trend, according to Ashish
Kohli, owner of Atlanta-based
Grill Dome. “They want an area
where they can not only prepare
food, but also entertain,” he
said. “By offering custom color
options, we are also enabling
our customers to design their
outdoor spaces as they envision.”
Kalamazoo’s Sivesind agreed.
“We’re seeing full outdoor
kitchens that have refrigeration,
cabinetry, a grill, a pizza oven
and a ceramic grill is now being
included,” he said. “Designers
are simply cutting large holes in
the countertops and dropping in
the ceramic grills.”
Dennis Linkletter, founder
and designer of Indonesian-
based Komodo Kamado grills,
went in a different direction
with his version of a ceramic
grill. He went the high-tech,
high-performance, high-end
route and had customers come
to him.
“We’re the only grill to use
refractory cement,” he said.
“Every blast furnace uses
refractory cement.” Accord-
ing to Linkletter, the material
holds heat better and allows the
cook to use less charcoal while
maintaining heat.
“You can put in 16 pounds of
charcoal and it will burn for 85
hours,” Linkletter said. “We’re
putting our money where our
mouth is regarding perfor-
mance.”
BB Q TODAY
Continued
For more information contact alfresco home or visit one of our showrooms:
PHILADELPHIA
610.705.8808
alfrescohome.com
sales@alfrescohome.com
open daily with appointment
CHICAGO
Alfresco Home
Suite 16-120
Chicago Merchandise Mart
ATLANTA
AmericasMart
Building 2 West Wing
The Gardens Showroom 10-C-119
Alfresco Home
Introduces:
Kalamazoo’s Hybrid Fire Grills place a
drawer between the cooking surface
and the burners. The drawer acts
as a diffuser when cooking only with
gas, but holds wood or charcoal when
solid-fuel fires are called for.