As of this writing all my grill is done on charcoal grills. Most if it is on Weber Kettles (I have 9 of them right now), my SNS Kettle, or my PK Grill. I love the flavor charcoal brings and I love the process of cooking on charcoal. There are many different portable charcoal grills out there and I have a couple of them but what if you just want a charcoal grill you can grab and go? That is where the Hero Grill comes in. Keep reading this Hero Grill review and you will see what I mean.
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Hero Grill System
The Hero Grill is an all in one portable charcoal grill. Everything you need to light up and get cooking is in this nice, little 11 pound system. You get the flavor of charcoal without the mess of charcoal and the best part is you can pack it up and take it with you.
When you buy the Hero Grill you get the folding grill surface, a disposable charcoal pod (more on this in a bit), a cutting board, a built in thermometer, a spatula that fits nicely in the grates, and a nice case to carry it all.
The charcoal pods are what set this grill apart from most others.
These proprietary charcoal pods slide right under the grill, light up easily, and give an hour of cooking time. Once you are done cooking just put out the coals with a bottle of water and toss them in the trash (of course you make sure they are fully extinguished when you do this) or you can even compost them in your garden.
I have seen other companies come out with grills that use similar charcoal pods like Spark Grills and I can understand the appeal. They are cleaner than bags of charcoal, they are easier to dispose of, and they store easily.
Everything that comes with this grill fits right into a nice carrying case so you can just grab it and go. No need to pack a grill, a bag of charcoal, utensils, etc.
So of course you want to know how the Hero Grill performs. Well, we might as well cook up some burgers and test it out:
The Hero Grill can hold 3 1/3 lb burgers or probably 4 1/4 pound burgers. I lit the charcoal pod and it came up to cooking temperature in about 10-15 minutes. Everything lit up fairly easily with a lighter at the corners of the charcoal pod and the heat quickly spread to all the charcoal.
I was able to get everything up to about 400 degrees that was measured with the built in thermometer. The thermometer also pulls out so you can measure the temperature of the meat which is a nice feature. Again, everything you need is contained in this system.
As I put the burgers on the temperature dropped to about 300-350 degrees which is to be expected. That is plenty warm enough for some burgers, hot dogs, sausages, or chicken breasts.
One thing I really like about this grill is the insulated charcoal pod keeps the heat in the charcoal. Underneath the pod will stay under 100 degrees. That won’t melt a plastic picnic table or set a wood one on fire. It is cool enough that you can put your hand under it and it isn’t too warm. Again, this adds to the portability. I probably wouldn’t put it on the forest floor or on top of a bunch of dry leaves but you can be fairly confident it won’t burn any table or stand you put it on. Below is a pic of the temperature underneath the grill measured with an infrared thermometer. You can see it is only 95.1 degrees.
The Hero Grill definitely stays cool enough to use on the tailgate of your truck as well.
The burgers cooked up just fine and there was plenty of heat left for a second round of burgers. After an hour the thermometer was still reading 350 degrees and even at 90 minutes I could have easily cooked a few hot dogs on the grill.
Since you are cooking over hot coals the juices from the meat drip down and give you some of that great grilled flavor.
What the Hero Grill Does Well
After cooking on this grill and using it here are a few things the Hero Grill does very well:
- The Hero Grill system has everything you need to grill. Once you get the grill cleaned and packed back up everything you need is in one nice, compact case. Just grab it and go.
- The Hero Grill is much cleaner than a regular charcoal grill. No messy bags of charcoal and no ash to clean up after cooking. Just extinguish the coals and dispose of them. The coals stay mostly intact so you don’t have a ton of dust to deal with.
- I haven’t seen any other portable grill that is as easy as this one is to take on the road. Throw it in the trunk for a picnic, keep it in the RV, or take it tailgating.
Where the Hero Grill Falls Short
- The Hero Grill only gets up to about 400-500 degrees. That is plenty for some cooking like burgers and hot dogs but it really isn’t hot enough to properly sear a steak. You can definitely cook a steak on it but you won’t get that nice, dark maillard reaction on the outside.
- The charcoal pods cost $10 each and you can’t really reuse them. A bag of charcoal runs about $15 and you can get a half dozen cooks out of those.
- The Hero Grill has a fairly small cooking capacity. You can maybe fit 4 1/4 pound burgers on it so you can’t quickly feed a big family. The charcoal pods do keep enough heat for about an hour of cooking so you can probably cook 3-4 rounds of burgers but some people will have to wait. A pack of hot dogs will easily fit on here and you can probably cook 4 chicken breasts.
What Can I Cook on the Hero Grill?
The Hero Grill is good for direct heat cooking where you don’t need a raging fire. Burgers and hot dogs are of course the most common things you will cook on this grill. Chicken breasts would do great on this grill or even boneless, skinless thighs. Some salmon on cedar planks would also be a great option.
Some kabobs or skewers would also be a great option. Throw some chunks of meat and some veggies on some skewers and toss them on the grill.
Don’t expect to be able to cook a whole chicken or get a good sear on a ribeye steak though.
How Much Does The Hero Grill Cost?
You can get the Hero Grill for as little as $59.95 but I would definitely go with one of the other bundles that are available. The Starter Pack for $129.95 comes with the carrying case, the grill, the built in thermometer, a cutting board, a bamboo spatula designed to fit between the grates, and 5 charcoal pods. It isn’t necessarily a budget grill but you are paying for the convenience and portability of this grill.
Who is the Hero Grill For?
The Hero Grill definitely isn’t designed to replace your backyard grill. A good Weber Kettle or even (shudder) a gas grill will be a much better option for your normal outdoor cooking.
Where the Hero Grill wins is portability and ease of use. The Hero Grill is a perfect solution if you want to take the family for a picnic at the park and cook up some burgers and dogs. Since the grill is all in one nice case it takes no time to throw it in the trunk.
If you are an apartment dweller and can’t have a grill on your deck or patio the Hero Grill is a great option. Take it to a nearby park or to the beach or even set up a folding table in the parking lot and light it up. If your apartment or condo does allow a grill this one is small enough to fit on a table and easily stores in a closet so it won’t take up as much space as a full sized grill.
RVers love the Hero Grill as well. It is small enough to fit in even the smallest campers and RVs and easy to pull out once you get to the campsite.
Hero Grill Review Conclusion
All in all I like the Hero Grill for what it is. Again, it won’t be a replacement for my backyard grills but for a quick trip to the park for a picnic it is a great option. With the pods costing $10 a piece it isn’t the type of grill you will want to cook on every day. 3-4 times a summer is more what this grill is designed for.
I really like the quality of all the components of the grill. Everything seems well built and well thought out. The grill itself is sturdy and easy to clean (it is even dishwasher safe and the carrying case is well made.
The Hero Grill is available in many different bundles that include charcoal pods, lighters, seasonings, cedar planks, and more. The Hero Grill System Starter Pack which includes the grill system and 5 charcoal pods for $129.95 is where I would start.
Check out the Hero Grill System today and see if it is right for you.
And if you are a more visual learner here is a video review I put together: