Bull Outdoor Products 67531 Bison Charcoal Stainless Steel Grill Review
Bull Products are a relative newcomer to the world of grill manufacturers. They are trying to establish a relationship for combining quality, innovations in manufacturing, and value.
Their Bison Stainless Steel Charcoal Grill bears some of this philosophy. It is made from stainless steel throughout, which gives it an appealing gleam. The double walled hood is made from a single piece of 304 stainless steel. This is something relatively uncommon in stainless steel grills. The lack of welds or fasteners in the hood means it is less likely to suffer corrosion issues or seam failure in the long term.
Inside the grill, you will find 3 separate charcoal bins. The level of the bins can be adjusted by a front-mounted crank. There are also multiple dampers in the firebox to provide you with superior airflow and heat control. Underneath there is a large ash box that helps with cleanup.
Construction & Ease of Assembly
Bull Products is trying to make its mark as a quality grill manufacturer. For the most part, you see this throughout the grill itself. The 304 stainless steel, double walled lid fashioned from single piece construction and the 3 separate charcoal bins all speak to this effort.
On the other end of the spectrum, the ash box is a little on the heavy side. Once you pull it out to empty it, the ash box is also a little tricky to reinstall. It also doesn’t seem to fully cover the entire space beneath the grill grates.
The grill section itself is very well made. The base of the firebox barely leaks smoke at all when the dampers are closed. The double walled hood also helps with heat retention and consistency. The seal between the hood and the base tends to leak a lot.
One knock on the Bison is the cart. The welds and fasteners don’t seem to be as strong as the ones on the grill’s firebox.
Assembly does take a little time. The Bison is a big stainless steel grill, and it weighs a lot. Trying to put it together yourself will take a lot longer than if you had another person who can help hold components and tighten fasteners.
On your own, it will likely take you over two hours, and you are sure to need a bandage for a scraped knuckle or two. With a strong-backed friend to help, you should be able to get it fully assembled in a little over an hour.
Grilling Performance
The ability to alter the height of the charcoal tray with a crank allows you to do some creative things with the Bison. In the case of a Steak, you could crank the flames up to the highest setting to make a quick sear for a minute per side. Then drop the charcoal down to the lower third of the firebox. Turn the steak 90-degrees and grill for three more minutes a side. This will give you those beautiful cross hatch sear marks, with a beautiful pink interior.
The three separate charcoal trays and the large size of the firebox allow you to create two separate heat zones. You simply build a high heat fire in the right-side charcoal tray and a low heat fire in the left side tray. This will allow you to replicate the hybrid grilling that is so popular with large gas grills.
The Bison can be used as an improvised smoker. To do this you just lower the charcoal box all the way down. Then build a medium fire of charcoal briquettes on one side and place the meat at the other. Adding wood chunks or wood chips that have been soaked in water will punch up the smoke. The seal on the lid is a little leaky. If you really want to concentrate the smoke fold up some sheets of aluminum foil and press the lid down to help temporarily seal it better.
Grilling Areas
The Bull Products Bison provides 530 square inches of grilling space on the primary grill grates. The warming rack is a little on the small side. As long as you don’t fire up all three charcoal trays with a high heat fire, you could simply place things that get done early off to the side and cover it with some heavy duty aluminum foil.
Special Features
The adjustable charcoal rack and three trays allow you to alter the heat up and down, while also being able to create two different heat zones.
Ease to Clean
There are a few minor challenges when it comes to cleaning the Bison Charcoal Grill. The ash pan itself is a little hard to pull out and can be a little tricky to put back in. It’s also not the same size as the firebox, so there’s always a little bit of debris left inside the firebox that you have to scrape away by hand.
The grill grates can be a little on the sticky side. You can spare yourself a little bit of elbow grease by simply opening the dampers all the way and let the fire burn away any stuck-on material. Then you just need to give it a quick scrape down. This will also help to make sure the charcoal embers have fully burned to cold ash.
Warranty
The firebox and the stainless steel grill grates come with an impressive five-year warranty. This is a step above many of the competitors in the same price range. The cart and other components don’t have a warranty, which is a little bit concerning.
Conclusion
A grill with double walled, single piece hood made from 18-gauge stainless steel can be a thing of beauty. The Bull Products Bison can do some things you might not expect. You can create dual heat zones, and even adjust the height of the charcoal tray. Just keep an eye on the fasteners and welds of the cart base.
