Arteflame 855226007117 One Series 20″ Grill Review
Once upon a time, the art of cooking food over an open fire was considered state of the art. Today there are still many people who want to enjoy the experience of cooking over a fire pit, yet also appreciate simply backyard grilling.
One interesting, perhaps alarmingly simple way to address this is with the Arteflame One Series 20” Grill. It is made in the United States from Steel that is sourced from the United States. The central fire pit is designed to burn charcoal as well as all natural wood.
The lip is six inches wide to serve as an effective narrow griddle space. There is also an optional grill grate insert for the central hole, which allows you to use it as a direct fire grill.
If you want to use it as a fire pit on your brick patio, you simply remove the grill grate and load it with wood. If at any point you want a snack, you can lay hot dogs onto the lip, or roast marshmallows over the open flame in the center.
Construction & Ease of Assembly
The Arteflame One Series 20” Grill is made from US sourced steel in the United States. It is designed to be able to live outdoors all throughout the year. Arteflame claims that the weather effect helps the grill develop a visually attractive patina.
Though this is somewhat debatable. In all honesty, I would buy the accessory cover they offer for it to limit its exposure to the elements. When rainwater meets even traces of wood ash it can create a pretty corrosive substance which is sure to corrode, or potentially rust the interior of the fire pit. This will inevitably shorten its lifespan.
The Arteflame One Series 20” Grill only weighs in at 65 pounds, which is far lighter than the larger versions in their line. While it’s not the sort of thing you are going to tuck under your arm to bring with you for a beach cookout, it’s still manageable enough to move it when necessary.
There is little in the way of assembly. However, it would’ve been nice if they would have included the central grill grate in the initial purchase, instead of making it an optional accessory. In my opinion, you really should spring the extra money for it, just to be able to sear things off with grill marks when you want to.
Grilling Performance
Without the central grill grate, the Arteflame One Series 20” Grill is essentially a charcoal or wood-fired griddle. The smoke component nearby does indeed come through with most foods. It’s just not as much as you would expect from a direct fire grill session. The lip is only six inches wide, which can make for some awkward sessions where you are trying to say grill a porterhouse Steak.
Again, the optional grill grate is worth the money!
When it’s installed in the center the grill grate allows you to make some amazing fajitas. You can saute the onions and peppers on the griddle space of the lip. Then lay down some chicken tenderloins or an inside skirt steak of beef directly over the fire. You can even warm the tortillas on griddle lip.
You also shouldn’t think of it only for grilling. The Arteflame One Series 20” Grill can be a great companion to keep up at the family cabin. You can even fry eggs, bacon, and small pancakes right on the griddle surface of the lip.
When it comes to your fuel choices. If you want to use the Arteflame One Series 20” Grill as sort of an improvised backyard fire pit, you can go with wood. I would caution you to choose hardwoods over soft. You should especially avoid pine if you want to cook food over the direct heat in the next session. Softwoods tend to leave behind resin which isn’t good for you or the flavor of the food.
If you want to use it as a charcoal grill, it might just take more briquettes than you would like. Lump charcoal isn’t a very good choice as it tends to compact quickly leaving you with a fire that is hot, yet vertically very low. A fire that is 100% natural wood can be a little smoky to straight grill with. Though you could layer some hardwood at the bottom of the grill and build a charcoal fire on top of it.
Grilling Areas
Not counting the optional central grill grate the Arteflame One Series 20” Grill has 314 square inches of cooking space. This number increased by another 317 with the optional grill grate installed.
Special Features
The optional central grill grate is worth the money. Not only does it add to your available cooking space, but it also gives you the ability to do some grilling over direct fire.
Ease to Clean
There can be a few minor challenges to contend with when it comes to cleaning the Arteflame One Series 20” Grill.
The griddle space on the rim needs a proper seasoning layer to maintain any semblance of being non-stick. This requires you to rub it down lightly with a neutral, shelf-stable oil after every use. Buying the optional cover or moving it to a location that is out of the rain will certainly help.
The ash inside the firepit is another peccadillo that needs to be taken care of. If you are going to leave it out in the rain uncovered, then it’s wise to meticulously scrape out all the ash and unburned coals. Afterward, you might want to even wipe it down to make sure you have most of the ash out.
Warranty
The Arteflame One Series 20” Grill comes with a 5-year limited warranty, which assumes non-abusive use.
Conclusion
The Arteflame One Series 20” Grill brings the nostalgia of cooking over an open firepit to the world of backyard grilling. Just take the time to clean it right and preserve it. I would also strongly recommend you splurge the extra money to get the central grill grate and optional cover.
Conclusion
The Arteflame One Series 20” Grill brings the nostalgia of cooking over an open firepit to the world of backyard grilling. Just take the time to clean it right and preserve it. I would also strongly recommend you splurge the extra money to get the central grill grate and optional cover.
