Latest news with #grill
The Sun
an hour ago
- Lifestyle
- The Sun
Ninja Woodfire review: I love this versatile outdoor cooking gadget
LIVING in the city but craving that smoky BBQ flavour? The struggle is real when balancing outdoor cooking dreams with limited space. Enter the Ninja Woodfire – the compact cooking powerhouse that has become my absolute summer essential since its launch, and we've had the chance to update our Ninja Woodfire review. Ninja Woodfire Electric BBQ Grill and Smoker, £299.99 BUY HERE This clever little gadget packs seven cooking functions into one portable unit, allowing you to grill, smoke, air fry, and more without needing a massive traditional barbecue. What makes it brilliant is how it delivers proper smoky flavour from a unit barely bigger than a carry-on suitcase. Perfect for balconies, small gardens, or even taking to a mate's place for the ultimate cookout. The results? Juicy, flavour-packed food that genuinely rivals traditional BBQ methods. Want to know if it's worth the investment for your summer cookouts? Read my review below to see why this space-saving marvel continues to impress. Ninja Woofire: Key stats Cooking functions 7-in-1 (grill, smoke, air fry, roast, bake, reheat, dehydrate) Power source Electric (120V) with wood pellet smoke flavouring Cooking area 141 square inches – enough for 2-4 servings Maximum temperature 371°C Wattage 1760 watts Smoke generation 45 minutes from 1/2 cup of wood pellets Preheating time 20+ minutes to reach max temperature Dimensions H34 x W46 x D46 cm Weight 12 kg Pros Compact Versatile Easy to set up Easy to clean Intuitive Smoker function takes BBQ food to the next level Cons Rating: 9/10 Ninja Woodfire: The Nitty Gritty The Ninja Woodfire essentially stands alone on the market, but the best way to describe it is as a multicooker geared towards summer. You get many of the same features as air fryer/grill hybrids like the Salter AeroGrill Pro or the Ninja Foodi Health Grill, but with one summery addition: a smoker function, which allows you to impart your food with wonderful, woodsy flavours. There are a total of seven functions, including Grill, Roast, Air Fry, and Bake. The BBQ grill and smoking function indicate that it's an outdoor gadget, and Ninja states explicitly that it's for outdoor use only. Delivery and first impressions The Woodfire is a compact gadget, measuring 34cm x 46cm x 46cm. That means it's great for those with small gardens, or those who only want to make enough food for a couple of people. It's actually small enough that you could feasibly take it away camping, as long as you had a power source. However, its portability does mean it's not suited to cooking for a crowd. It's also a really nice gadget to look at, with a sleek black, silver and gunmetal grey design, and a smart digital display. Setup is an absolute breeze; the only sort of assembly you need to undertake is attaching the side handles, which is easy thanks to the inclusion of an Allen key. All you need to do then is plug it into a socket, and you're ready to go. The only complaint our reviewer had about the design was that the side handles and feet are made of cheap hard plastic rather than something smarter and rubberised; it doesn't match up with the rest of the build quality, which is as sturdy as you'd expect from a Ninja gadget. A nice touch is the inclusion of a recipe booklet, which provides inspiration for cooking with a range of the device's functions; a recipe we're particularly looking forward to trying is the smoked tear-and-share garlic bread. Gino D'Acampo has even teamed up with Ninja to produce a trio of recipes for the Woodfire. It's worth noting that the Woodfire doesn't come with a cover, but it is water resistant to rating IPX4, meaning light splashes won't affect it. If you'd rather be safe and get a cover, there is one available on Amazon for £16.99. Ninja also does a bundle comprising a Woodfire, a cover and a stand for £499.97, although at the time of writing, it's out of stock. Does it deliver? The Ninja Woodfire comes with seven cooking functions: Smoke BBQ Grill Air Fry Roast Bake Dehydrate Reheat To achieve these functions, the device comes with a BBQ grill like you'd get on a standard BBQ, which can reach temperatures of 260 degrees. You can also remove the grill and replace it with an air fryer basket. The headline features here are obviously the smoking and BBQ grill abilities, which are what separates the Woodfire from the huge selection of other multicookers on the market. Included with the Woodfire is a Wood Pellet Starter Pack, which allows you to get to grips with the smoke function. There are two types of pellets included: Robust, which imparts a stronger BBQ flavour more suited to meats, and the All-Purpose Blend, which is suited to meat, fish and vegetables. Ninja includes enough of each pellet for six smoking sessions. Both pellets imbue your food with a wonderful, discernable smoky flavour that is undoubtedly a cut above the food you usually eat in people's back gardens — we made some smoked ribs for a family party and were showered with compliments. 2 Ninja Woodfire Electric BBQ Grill and Smoker, £299.99 BUY HERE At 28cm x 37 cm, the cooking area isn't the biggest in the world, but we found that it's more than enough to smoke a 1.5kg joint of meat (enough for six or so people) or grill a full meal for two. And we were happy to give up some of the cooking area in exchange for the Woodfire's portability. The air fryer functions also work perfectly and efficiently (sweet potato fries took us 12 minutes, as a yardstick), and we loved the fact that it beeps to remind you when to turn your food. A factor that often puts people off barbecuing is the cleanup, which can be greasy, messy and a bit off-putting. However, the Woodfire is extremely easy to clean; thanks to the non-stick properties of both the grill and the air fryer basket, all you really need to do is give them a wipe. However, these components aren't dishwasher-friendly. Where to buy the Ninja Woodfire It's a testament to the Ninja Woodfire's immediate popularity that several retailers have already sold out of their stock of the gadget. However, there are still plenty of places you can buy it, and you'll usually find it at one of these retailers: Ninja Lakeland Very Argos Currys Studio Robert Dyas Ninja Woodfire alternatives It's also worth noting that, to the best of our knowledge, there are currently no other devices that can do that; the closest alternative is probably the Landmann Fryton BBQ, which features an integrated air fryer but lacks smoking capabilities. However, if you aren't too bothered about the Woodfire's BBQ and smoking capacities, then there's a whole host of indoor multicookers that cost a lot less. We're fans of the Salter AeroGrill Pro, which can grill and air fry and is over £200 cheaper than the Woodfire.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Cotswold hotel launches its own bespoke grill
A STROUD hotel has launched its own bespoke grill. Burleigh Court, situated between Stroud and Minchinhampton, has teamed up with well-known wine expert Cicely Elliott Berry to open the grill on their new outdoor terrace kitchen area. Cicely is an award-winning British entrepreneur, recognised as the director and co-founder of Sibling Distillery in Cheltenham and the owner of Our House, a wine and cocktail bar in Gloucester. She launched the grill by holding an evening of food and drink, choosing a wine for each course. The evening was the start of a new partnership between the hotel and Cicely. The food on the evening was cooked on the new grill and its various parts were tested by the fire cooking guru and head chef of Burleigh Court, Duncan Wales. The business collaboration was part of plans for further work with outside foodie and drink companies as part of Burleigh's plans to not only be a hotel but a foodie destination. Tom Leahy, one of the managers of the hotel said: "It was great to have Cicely come along and talk to the guests about the wine and drink choices. "We think we have something here that appeals to all, especially in the summer. "The new cooking area in the terrace is exciting and I enjoyed getting involved with the cooking. "The food looked almost as good as the views from the garden over the valleys." For more information, or to book a table at Burleigh Court please call: 01453 883804 or visit the Burleigh Court website.
The Independent
6 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
The three reasons why beef is so expensive in the U.S.
The rising price of beef, though not a new phenomenon, looks set to continue. Hamburger patties and steaks are getting even more expensive – which is bad news if you are looking to fire up the grill this summer. And experts say consumers shouldn't expect much relief soon, either. The average price of a pound of ground beef rose to $6.12 in June, up nearly 12 per cent from a year ago, according to U.S. government data. The average price of all uncooked beef steaks rose eight per cent to $11.49 per pound. Beef prices have been steadily rising over the past 20 years because the supply of cattle remains tight while beef remains popular. In fact, the U.S. cattle herd has been steadily shrinking for decades. As of Jan. 1, the U.S. had 86.7 million cattle and calves, down eight per cent from the most recent peak in 2019. That's the lowest number of cattle since 1951, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Many factors including drought and cattle prices have contributed to that decline. And now the emergence of a pesky parasite in Mexico and the prospect of widespread tariffs may further reduce supply and raise prices. Here's a look at what's causing the price of beef to rise. Smaller herds The American beef industry has gotten better at breeding larger animals, so ranchers can provide the same amount of beef with fewer cattle, said David Anderson, a livestock economist at Texas A&M. Then in 2020, a three-year drought began that dried out pastures and raised the cost of feed for cattle, according to the American Farm Bureau. Drought has continued to be a problem across the West since then, and the price of feed has put more pressure on ranchers who already operate on slim profit margins. In response, many farmers slaughtered more female cattle than usual, which helped beef supplies in the short term but lowered the size of future herds. Lower cattle supplies has raised prices. In recent years cattle prices have soared, so that now animals are selling for thousands of dollars apiece. Recent prices show cattle selling for more than $230 per hundredweight, or hundred pounds. Those higher prices give ranchers more incentive to sell cows now to capture profits instead of hanging onto them for breeding given that prices for those calves in the years ahead may decrease, Anderson said. 'For them, the balance is, 'Do I sell that animal now and take this record high check?' Or 'do I keep her to realize her returns over her productive life when she's having calves?'' Anderson said. 'And so it's this balancing act and so far the side that's been winning is to sell her and get the check.' Disease dilemma The emergence of a flesh-eating pest in cattle herds in Mexico has put extra pressure on supply because officials cut off all imports of cattle from south of the border last year. Somefour per cent of the cattle the U.S. feeds to slaughter for beef comes from Mexico. The pest is the New World screwworm fly, and female cows lay eggs in wounds on warm-blooded animals. The larvae that hatch are unusual among flies for feeding on live flesh and fluids instead of dead material. American officials worry that if the fly reaches Texas, its flesh-eating maggots could cause large economic losses as they did decades ago before the U.S. eradicated the pest. Agricultural economist Bernt Nelson with the Farm Bureau said the loss of that much cattle is putting additional pressure on supply that is helping drive prices higher. Tariff trouble President Donald Trump's tariffs have yet to have a major impact on beef prices but they could be another factor that drives prices higher because the U.S. imports more than 4 million pounds of beef every year. Much of what is imported is lean beef trimmings that meatpackers mix with fattier beef produced in the U.S. to produce the varieties of ground beef that domestic consumers want. Much of that lean beef comes from Australia and New Zealand that have only seen a 10 per cent tariff, but some of it comes from Brazil where Trump has threatened tariffs as high as 50 per cent. If the tariffs remain in place long-term, meat processors will have to pay higher prices on imported lean beef. It wouldn't be easy for U.S. producers to replace because the country's system is geared toward producing fattier beef known for marbled steaks. Prices will likely stay high It's the height of grilling season and demand in the U.S. for beef remains strong, which Kansas State agricultural economist Glynn Tonsor said will help keep prices higher. If prices remain this high, shoppers will likely start to buy more hamburger meat and fewer steaks, but that doesn't appear to be happening broadly yet — and people also don't seem to be buying chicken or pork instead of beef. Nelson said that recently the drought has eased — allowing pasture conditions to improve — and grain prices are down thanks to the drop in export demand for corn because of the tariffs. Those factors, combined with the high cattle prices might persuade more ranchers to keep their cows and breed them to expand the size of their herds. Even if ranchers decided to raise more cattle to help replace those imports, it would take at least two years to breed and raise them. And it wouldn't be clear if that is happening until later this fall when ranchers typically make those decisions. 'We've still got a lot of barriers in the way to grow this herd,' Nelson said. Just consider that a young farmer who wants to add 25 bred heifers to his herd has to be prepared to spend more than $100,000 at auction at a time when borrowing costs remain high. There is typically a seasonal decline in beef prices as grilling season slows down into the fall, but those price declines are likely to be modest.
CNET
7 days ago
- Business
- CNET
Weber's Premium Outdoor Gas Griddle Is Just $279 Right Now (Normally $449)
Grills don't tend to go on sale during prime outdoor cooking season, but Ace Hardware has a whopper of a grill deal so good that I thought it must be a mistake. Weber's three-burner flat top griddle is down to $279 (normally $449). Even with the extra shipping cost -- or free if you pick it up locally -- this is about as good a grill deal as you're likely to find. Flat-top griddles, popularized by brands like Blackstone and Weber, have made big waves in the outdoor cooking space. They're loved by owners for their versatility and convenience. Griddles may require a smidge of maintenance to avoid rusting, but day-to-day use doesn't require scrubbing grates or picking food out from the grill's basin. Read more: Griddle vs. Grill: Can a Versatile Flat Top Overtake Traditional Grates? Another check in the advantages column for flat top grills is the ability to cook certain foods that you can't on a normal grill. I'm talkin' breakfast fare like scrambled eggs, pancakes and bacon, as well as flaky fish that tends to break apart when sizzled over grates. Yep, now you can even make bacon on the grill like you've always dreamed. Weber Why this deal matters I personally tested Weber's flat-top griddle, and, per the brand's high standards, this unit was well built and outperformed others in its price class. The ignition system worked every time, and the three burners distributed heat evenly across the flat-top griddle. Assembly took about 45 minutes, and the grill sports two handy prep shelves and rolls around on wheels if you need to move it. Ace Hardware is selling Weber's premium griddle for just $279 -- A cool $170 off the normal price. Take a look at other retailers, and you'll see that this is a seriously good bargain on a seriously good griddle. Shipping is not included, but you can pick it up for free if you're near an Ace with this grill in stock.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Alabama football lineman claims 'team grill master' status
Leave it to an interior lineman to make the claim as Alabama football's best griller. After all, who better than a 315-pound defensive tackle like Tim Keenan to be smoking proteins in large quantities? The Birmingham native admits to an ongoing learning curve when it comes to brisket − the trickiest, most temperamental of all smoked meats − but Keenan will put his barbecue game up against anyone else on the roster. "I'm the grill master, now. I can throw some chicken on there for you, smoked Rotel, good burgers, ribs," Keenan said Wednesday at SEC Media Days. "But I'm working on the brisket." VIDEO: Alabama football's Tim Keenan III talks about confidence in Kalen DeBoer at SEC media days TALKING SEASON: Alabama football LB Lawson on FSU QB's brash remarks: 'All disrespect will be addressed' Keenan enters his final season at the college level with high expectations as a returning starter in what should be one of the SEC's top defenses. Asked about the Alabama brand as it relates to coach Kalen DeBoer's recent stretch of recruiting success, Keenan tied in grill skills with his answer. "On these (official visits), you've got players who want to host these recruits. We even grilled out at my house. It's always good for the recruits to see us in (that) way," he said. From there, he rattled off his specialties; properly smoked Rotel can make for a fine dip, although Keenan likes to stick primarily with proteins. He's about to invest in a pellet grill, he said, with hopes that he can dial in brisket perfection with it. That's a lofty goal, but not one he needs to reach to be confident around the food fire. "Either way," he said. "We're going to have some good eats." Tuscaloosa News columnist Chase Goodbread is also the weekly co-host of Crimson Cover TV on WVUA-23. Reach him at cgoodbread@ Follow on @chasegoodbread. This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Who is Alabama football's team grill master? Bold claim made at SECMD
