EasyChef ECC30FLH Charcoal & Wood Heavy Duty Built-in Grill Review
When most people think of a drop-in or built-in grill, their mind goes straight to a gas grill. Indeed, this is the dominating presence in the built-in grill niche. Especially for outdoor kitchens with surrounding counters.
However, gas grills aren’t the only players in this arena. In fact, the original built-in grills in the 1950s and 1960s were predominantly charcoal. They faded away due to heat control issues from primitive engineering.
Today, charcoal and wood-fire grills are quietly starting to reclaim some of their presence in the built-in grill market. One of the new up-and-comers in this niche is the EasyChef ECC30FLH 30-Inch Charcoal & Wood, Built-in Grill.
It’s made in the USA from heavy-duty steel with high-temperature tolerance paint. It’s designed to replace other grills in the Legacy and Fire Magic Charcoal Grills lines with dimensions of 31-inches wide by 19-inches deep and 12-inches high, above the counter surface.
As a charcoal or wood-fired grill it’s designed to be built into a masonry counter or other setting. The heat this grill box produces on the surface is too high to be placed near combustible materials like wood or plastic.
The grill’s firebox is front-loaded. You simply open a small door in the face to add charcoal or wood. A crank then allows you to raise and lower the charcoal tray. Airflow and heat control are adjusted via a pair of side-mounted dampers. When the fire burns out, you can lower the charcoal box all the way down and scoop out the ash through the lower door.
Construction & Ease of Assembly
The EasyChef ECC30FLH 30-Inch Charcoal & Wood Built-in Grill is made from thick, heavy-duty steel. However, it’s not stainless steel. If water gets inside the grill body, it could lead to rust and corrosion issues. If you live somewhere that gets a lot of rain. This grill should be covered when not in use or installed under some type of roof structure.
The front-loading door and adjustable charcoal tray provide easy access to load wood and charcoal. It comes with the lid and firebox separated, which allows you to use it as a fire pit or outdoor fire feature.
One obvious complaint with this grill is the lack of a thermometer in the lid. While the manufacturer doesn’t specifically recommend it, you could theoretically drill a hold in the steels and install an aftermarket thermometer. Just make sure to get a tight seal and maybe give it a bead of heat rated silicone for waterproofing.
There’s very little in the way of assembly. You simply need to unbox it and attach the lid to the grill body. It does weigh in at a hefty, yet awkward 75 pounds. So, when it comes time to install it you should try to recruit another pair of hands. Also, be careful not to pinch your fingers when you slide it into the counter.
Grilling Performance
The EasyChef ECC30FLH 30-Inch Charcoal & Wood Built-in Grill can do pretty much everything you want a charcoal grill to do. Airflow and heat control largely rely on side-mounted dampers. Though you could theoretically prop the front-loading door open when starting it to make sure the charcoal gets the air it needs to roar to life.
The more you use the EasyChef ECC30FLH, the more you will likely find yourself adjusting the height of the charcoal tray. If you wanted to put the perfect sear on a Steak, you could bring the tray all the way up to let the charcoal nearly kiss the meat for a minute of super-high heat. Then you crank the charcoal tray down and turn the steak 90-degrees to produce attractive cross-hatch lines. Flip and crank the charcoal back up and repeat the process. This will give you a steak with a flavorful, and visually attractive outer crust, without overcooking the interior beyond medium-rare.
With a little ingenuity, you can also multitask the EasyChef ECC30FLH as a barbecue smoker. This calls for setting up a fire on one side of the firebox and lowering the charcoal tray to its lowest position. Add smoking woods as needed and keep the lid closed. You can then use the front door to reload wood chips without letting heat out by opening the lid.
It’s also worth noting that EasyChef offers a rotisserie kit that is designed to fit the ECC30FLH. However, it’s a secondary accessory and isn’t included in the original purchase.
Grilling Areas
The stainless steel grill grates measure in at an impressive 875 square inches. This gives you the ability to grill for a lot of people, and even enough space to smoke two pork shoulders or a whole turkey.
Special Features
The adjustable charcoal tray is a nice feature that helps with heat control.
Ease to Clean
The EasyChef ECC30FLH is a little bit tricky to clean sometimes. You only have access to the interior via the front access door. If some unburned coals fall off the sides of the tray, it can be hard to lower it back down again. To really get all the ash out of every corner, and the far rear of the firebox, you might want to invest in fireplace tools.
The stainless steel grill grates are also a little bit on the sticky side. So, you will need to grease them or be prepared to put some elbow grease into the scraping process.
Warranty
The EasyChef ECC30FLH comes with a limited lifetime warranty.
Conclusion
If you are a charcoal enthusiast, but you don’t want to be cornered into buying a gas grill for your outdoor kitchen, then the EasyChef ECC30FLH deserves to be on your radar. It doesn’t have a lot of bells and whistles, but it still has all the basic features you want in a long-lasting charcoal grill. Just make sure you have a grill brush or scoop that can remove ash from the rear of the firebox.
