Grilling season is finally in full swing, and I couldn’t be more excited! After years of not wanting to splurge on a grill and running through a few cheap charcoal grills (the red and black ones from Home Deopt that we all know), I finally purchased a high-quality grill. Quick note: no shame if you’re cooking on a cheap charcoal grill, I have made plenty of tasty food on them, so more power to you.
There’s a lot to think about when purchasing a grill, including how much space you have, items you plan on cooking, gas vs. charcoal, the list goes on. I live in an apartment and have very limited outdoor space so I didn't want something excessively large. I also have moved seven times in the ten years I have lived in Chicago and will likely move again in the next couple years, so I wanted to keep that in mind as well. I also love traveling and camping, so I was interested in a grill that could suit that part of my life. With all of these things in mind, my search led me right to the Nomad grill. The Nomad grill is an easily portable charcoal grill that also doubles as a smoker. After looking into it, it seemed like the perfect fit to suit all of my needs.
I have had my grill for a couple weeks now and have gotten to cook on it a few times, so I wanted to review my experience with it and give some grilling pointers. The grill is designed like a briefcase and is relatively light, which makes it extremely easy to set up in my shared backyard space whenever I want to use it. While you can use lump hardwood coal, they recommend using binchotan-style coal, which is a dense hardwood charcoal that burns super hot for a very long time. Nomad produces their own binchotan-style and regular lump charcoal, but I have yet to use them.
At The Chopping Block, we sell thaan charcoal, a Thai variant which is essentially the same as binchotan, which worked great. I have also used regular lump charcoal, and I like having both on hand for different purposes. The binchotan is great for long-duration cooks since it burns consistently for so long. It is generally more expensive, so the long-duration cooks are nice to make sure you get the most of it. The lump charcoal works great as well, but in my experience it doesn't stay hot for as long so I like to use it for quicker cooks.
The grill has four air vents, one on the top and bottom of either side. This feature is what makes it so great for smoking, by closing the lid and controlling the air vents to maintain a consistent temperature. This feature is also helpful with conserving your coal. If your coal still has a lot of life in it at the end of grilling, you can close the lid and close the vents. This puts the coals out quickly, and they can be reused later.
Overall, I really enjoy this grill. Living in the city and having limited outdoor space, this grill can be set up very easily and takes up little space. I really enjoy the way my food has been turning out! Whether I am cooking something a little more advanced or just grilling brats, it is so much fun to use and gets a beautiful and even char on everything.
If I had to pick one issue with the grill, it would be removing the ash. A lot of grills have a built-in system for filtering out ash. This grill requires scooping and the ridges at the bottom, while necessary, make scooping out ash a little finicky.
If you are looking for a charcoal grill that is convenient and easily portable, I recommend the Nomad grill and I'm excited to continue experimenting on it. Either way, do yourself a favor and get out and grill this summer. If you want to get some hands-on experience grilling with pros, join us for hands-on Grilling Boot Camp on Saturday, May 31 at 10am at Lincoln Square.
