NeoTrout
is Blowin Smoke!
- Joined
- Nov 26, 2008
- Location
- Elmhurst, Illinois
Saw this in the newspaper this morning. Does anyone think you can replace charcoal? :roll:
Gizmo out to convert charcoal grillers
FlameDisk relies on solidified ethanol for cleaner burn
May 12, 2010
BY LISA DONOVAN Staff Reporter
Are you a charcoal or gas griller?
I live in a charcoal household. We believe that smoke and heat give food a nice charred flavor that’s different than what we get with our indoor George Foreman grill.
We’re in the minority. Seven out of 10 grillers cook with gas, according to a Consumer Reports survey. But 25 percent of those gas grillers also own a charcoal grill.
Now comes Chad Sorenson to convert the charcoal-using grillers among us.
Sorenson is the Madison, Wis. inventor whose ethanol-powered FlameDisk was made for charcoal grills.
Put the aluminum disk, which resembles a Frisbee-sized Jiffy Pop popcorn container, on the grate where you’d usually load your charcoal, peel back the top and light. A few minutes more, and you’re ready to grill.
“It’s targeted at people who like the simplicity and upfront cost of the charcoal grill but don’t want to deal with the soot and ash. They’re getting gas-like performance in their charcoal grill,” says Sorenson, a mechanical engineer.
Sorenson is big on talking about how his invention has been tested and is good for the environment, since the solidified ethanol used in the disk is a renewable energy source and burns cleaner than charcoal and lighter fluid.
Still, many of the new-fangled charcoals, including the popular Cowboy brand of hardwood lump charcoal, claim to be coal-free and chemical-free but also quick-burning.
Flavor tells the real story. We threw some bratwurst and steaks over the FlameDisk. Sure enough, the food turned out juicy and flavorful, thanks to a “smoker component” in the disk that collects grease and sends the vapors up and into the food.
Since the FlameDisk is designed for one-time-only use — one disk lasts for one hour — it isn’t ideal for a couple who just want to throw a few bratwurst on the grill. The disks are better for a day at the beach or for tailgating before the game.
For the charcoal devotees who want to dip their toes in the gas-grilling waters, this is a perfectly reasonable way to do it. They’re $4.99 at Target and Aldi stores.
Gizmo out to convert charcoal grillers
FlameDisk relies on solidified ethanol for cleaner burn
May 12, 2010
BY LISA DONOVAN Staff Reporter
Are you a charcoal or gas griller?
I live in a charcoal household. We believe that smoke and heat give food a nice charred flavor that’s different than what we get with our indoor George Foreman grill.
We’re in the minority. Seven out of 10 grillers cook with gas, according to a Consumer Reports survey. But 25 percent of those gas grillers also own a charcoal grill.
Now comes Chad Sorenson to convert the charcoal-using grillers among us.
Sorenson is the Madison, Wis. inventor whose ethanol-powered FlameDisk was made for charcoal grills.
Put the aluminum disk, which resembles a Frisbee-sized Jiffy Pop popcorn container, on the grate where you’d usually load your charcoal, peel back the top and light. A few minutes more, and you’re ready to grill.
“It’s targeted at people who like the simplicity and upfront cost of the charcoal grill but don’t want to deal with the soot and ash. They’re getting gas-like performance in their charcoal grill,” says Sorenson, a mechanical engineer.
Sorenson is big on talking about how his invention has been tested and is good for the environment, since the solidified ethanol used in the disk is a renewable energy source and burns cleaner than charcoal and lighter fluid.
Still, many of the new-fangled charcoals, including the popular Cowboy brand of hardwood lump charcoal, claim to be coal-free and chemical-free but also quick-burning.
Flavor tells the real story. We threw some bratwurst and steaks over the FlameDisk. Sure enough, the food turned out juicy and flavorful, thanks to a “smoker component” in the disk that collects grease and sends the vapors up and into the food.
Since the FlameDisk is designed for one-time-only use — one disk lasts for one hour — it isn’t ideal for a couple who just want to throw a few bratwurst on the grill. The disks are better for a day at the beach or for tailgating before the game.
For the charcoal devotees who want to dip their toes in the gas-grilling waters, this is a perfectly reasonable way to do it. They’re $4.99 at Target and Aldi stores.
