[Closed] Which BBQ, Cobb?

Love the idea of the Cobb, ended up getting a Go Anywhere though as it's a lot cheaper! Plus with the rectangular shape it's very space efficient. Very pleased with it.

Cobb is very good but limited in space if cooking for a family. I think they do an larger one now but I do live mine it’s cracking.

I have a Cobb if you fancy one
Just used on a couple of camping holidays

I've got a Cobb. I love it for going camping, can do so much with it. Treat it like a small portable charcoal oven though - roasts, casseroles, curry/chili/stew good if you get the deep dish frying pan thing. Plus you can steam using the moat, and use it for smoking meat and fish etc.

For actual UK style BBQing (ie get it hot and slap a ton of burgers and sausages on it) I find it a bit lacking, can get by for one or two people but not as good as an actual BBQ due to relatively small cooking area (the charcoal/fuel brick is held in the centre so direct heat on the outskirts of the grill not so hot).

I'll always stick with the Cobb, nothing better than putting it on with a handfull of charcoal and coming back hours later after a days riding to a meal like it was out of a slow cooker only better cause it's outdoors!

Oh, you can bake with it as well. I've made loaves of bread quite a few times also flatbreads and focaccia. Never tried pizza but know other people do.

I have the Weber Go Anywhere (charcoal) and it's great, easily big enough for 4 people. That said I was mostly using disposable BBQ's before so anything would likely have been a massive improvement.

Thanks chaps. Love the idea of a Cobb but put off by using their fuel bricks for best effect but theyr'e obviously more versatile than the Webers & the idea of being able to smoke fish etc is appealing.

Cobb is very good but limited in space if cooking for a family.

Mainly just the two of us Drac but occasionaly we meet up with my riding pal with his Mrs, & I don't think he's ever BBQ'd in his life!
@djflexure, fancy sending me some photo's/price your'e after for your Cobb?

I need to get the right one this time, I've already had 2 BBQ's that weren't up to much. (If you buy cheap, you buy twice)

Cobb's are expensive but they are very good indeed. While the Cobbstones (circular fuel bricks)do work well you don't need to use them, we tend to use 6 or 7 charcoal briquettes instead and this gives us a good 1-2hrs of cooking time. the really big advantage of them is the fact its effectively a closed oven as apposed to a normal grill-type BBQ means that the food doesn't dry out (the meat stays juicy) as it cooks.

As for limited cooking space we have done a full roast chicken (with roast potatoes done in the moat) on ours that fed a big group at 24-12 a few years back...Oh and doing a couple of Lamb Shanks in ours once while camping was even better 🙂

We've had ours for about 12 years now and it gets used a lot so they do last well, money well spent IMO.

Recently got a chimney starter for our Weber which has been a revelation. Perfectly lit and ready to cook coals every time.

In the great STW tradition of recommending what you own I have the Charcoal Go Anywhere. I'm definitely of the 'throw some steak, burgers, sausages on' style. I think Webber calls this the 'Direct Heat' method.

I use it all the time. Usually for family day trips out to the beach or instead of a picnic.

What I like about it. It uses very little charcoal. Use the chimney to light it's ready to go in 20 mins. Once everything is cooked close the vents and it's cool enough to pick up in 10-15 mins.

Not much cleaning required. Leave it as it is then next time you want to use it empty the ash. Give the grill a brush with a wire brush when hot to clean. Reuse any briquettes left over.

Not familiar with the Cobb so most of the above may the same for the Cobb.

Like the OP I moved from disposables. No regrets.

but theyr’e obviously more versatile than the Webers & the idea of being able to smoke fish etc is appealing.

Definitely use a chimney starter though!!

I’ve got the Weber go anywhere.
It’s pretty good, but the inability to vary the height of the grill is a bit of a pain.

You don’t need to use cobblestones with the Cobb. Aussie Heatbeads are good, but a mini chimney starter from a cutlery drainer Like this Ikea one with a cheap, wood-handled barbecue spatula bolted on makes lighting them much easier. 8-10 beads cooks a meal. £6-8 a bag at The Range.

Another Cobb fanboi. Whole chicken with the moat filled with water and a hefty splash of lemon juice, then a handful of tea leaves on the coals - tea smoked chicken so good my 6 year old niece knocked back a second helping of ice cream for more of the chicken

Cobblestones - expensive, ready in no time, made of coconut husks IIRC so environmentally sound
Charcoal - 4-6 bits so costs next to nothing per meal, ready in 20 mins, not so sure of environmental cred.

Cobb is great.
We've had ours for about 15 years and have used it for cooking all sorts - stews, curries (with rice cooked in the moat), roasts, bread - as well as the usual barbecue items.
As mentioned above, Cobblestones are very convenient but relatively expensive. There is currently a world-wide shortage of them for some reason and Cobb UK are saying none available until September at the earliest.
Charcoal briquettes cook just as well but are harder to get going.

Charcoal – 4-6 bits so costs next to nothing per meal, ready in 20 mins, not so sure of environmental cred.

British charcoal fairly readily available nowadays. Not perfect, but I've never been particularly comfortable with half-burnt ex-rainforest being shipped half way across the world just so I can strategically burn some food.

with rice cooked in the moat

Go on, then - How do you do that? Not just loose in there, surely?

Q, What do you call someone who still can't make his mind up?
A, Essel.

THe CObbs do look neat..

in our riding group we've ALL (well, 4 of us at least) got the weber go-anywhere.. (DON'T get the smokey Joe!).
The rectangle shape means it fits nicely in the boot.. And as it's got a lid and good air control, you can smoke/grill/roast all sorts on it..

I moved out 6 months ago, and have left our big Weber there and just took the go-anywhere - it really is so useful. And actually, unless you're cooking for a large party, i can easily cook for 4-6 people on the go-anywhere with a kg of charcoal...

DrP

with rice cooked in the moat

Go on, then – How do you do that? Not just loose in there, surely?

Rice in the moat and cover it with water when you start cooking the curry. Sometimes have to add extra water so regular checks are needed.
Easy to scoop out with a dessert spoon once it is cooked.

Rice in the moat and cover it with water

Thanks very much - will have to give that a try. (I've cooked veggies in the moat before, but only in foil).

Right, end of thread (if you want)
I got a Cobb Pro at Go Outdoors with an extra 10% off.
Thanks for the inputs!

Good choice sir. The cobblestones pop on offer at Lakeland every now and then they burn for ages, light easy and produce a good even heat.

Cheers Drac, I'll keep an eye out!

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/recommended/leisure/best-portable-barbecues-grilling-go/

I'm on my second go anywhere. the first lasted about ten years until the bottom burnt through. replaced a few grills in that time. I used it as a fire pit as well from time to time after the food was cooked, chucking a few logs on afterwards. I bought a new one the same day I found out the bottom went on the old one. they are really versatile, very space efficient as the shape is good for packing in the camper, you can shut them down when finished and reuse the unburnt charcoal the next day and if you cut the grill in half you can store it in the bottom of the bbq and use the whole interior to store a small chimney starter and enough bbq charcoal for a few burns. google it. the new one is even better for packing as it doesn't have the handles on the ends. they really are great and very controllable for cooking on.