Must Try Harder to Get Along?

One can only imagine the sage words of advice from teachers and parents at Hurstbridge Primary school in Melbourne's outer north-east after security guards were hired to watch over a grade 1 barbecue and graduation ceremony.

Police were called to the school in Melbourne's north-east after parents allegedly threatened a teacher with physical and verbal assault.

The threats were made by supporters of the former principal, who was forced to stand down while the State Government investigated bullying accusations.

The investigation is still ongoing, and tensions have been mounting as several acting principals have passed through the school's halls and one person has been accused of stalking the former principal.

Hurstbridge’s acting principal said the actions of "a small number" of parents had caused the security guard’s presence at the bbq, and her main concern was for children's well-being.

"I want to stress that this is not about students' behaviour but about the actions of a small number of parents," she said.

Merry Christmas kids!

Sitting Pigeon at BBQ

A good chef knows how to improvise and this talented Russian BBQ-er had lady luck on his side when he was running out of tasty morsels to add to his barbeque.

Out of nowhere comes the makings of a tasty pigeon-kabob!

Personally, I like mine plucked, gutted and smothered in Anchor Bar Honey BBQ sauce but you can't look a gift horse in the mouth...

OMG, he wouldn't!!!!

Sausage Blokes Are Popping Up Everywhere this Christmas

Good news BBQ lovers!

Charcool's popular "Sausage Bloke" gadgets are popping up all over Australia this Christmas.

We've been having quite a run on these insanely popular BBQ novelties and have just received our Christmas stock.

Sometimes it gets a bit lonely when you shoulder the responsibility of catering for your mates while they're having a beer and singing Christmas carols.

But, nothing draws a crowd faster than a Charcool Sausage Bloke when you're cooking snags!

Selling for less than $20 and made from food grade stainless steel, your Sausage Bloke is a great Christmas gift, or is at least better company than most of the yobs you invited!

So, invite a Charcool Sausage Bloke to your next BBQ while you still can!

BBQ Boys Toy Well Done!

The clever people at Gazillion know it's never too early to get the kids involved in your passion for BBQ gadgets.

This niffty Bubble BBQ toy, available from KB Toys, looks like heaps of fun for the little tackers.

As well as 6 bubble molds in the shape of steaks and sausages, the kit comes with 2 tongs, a basting brush and a spatula (all bubble wands) so they can cook up their bubble trouble right alongside Dad.

The Gazillion Bubble BBQ is a bargain at $12.99 and won iParenting's Media Award for Best Product in 2008.

But watch out: 8 x AA batteries not included!!!

Nudist Sausage Sizzle Flops

With just 4 days to go to the US presidential election and midway through the worst financial crisis since the 1930's, spare a thought for the struggling Taranaki Naturalist's Club, south of Auckland, New Zealand.

Stuff.co.nz reports that the club's annual sausage sizzle and Membership drive BBQ was about as popular as a Lehman Brother's CDO.

Club president Arthur Eagle blamed the zero turnout on the rush of modern living and revealed that memberships at New Zealand's 21 Naturalist clubs were falling faster than the Kiwi dollar.

Taranaki's membership has dropped to just 60 hardy souls and the sausage "fizzle" was part of a nationwide drive for new members, specifically young families, that could allow the movement to survive.

The photo of Arthur and his "snags" made us think that perhaps the club should considering including a Charcool sausage bloke as part of it's new member welcome kit.

What do you think?

Every "Body" Loves Halloween

If the recent spate of BBQ body disposals (California, Thailand, Detroit, Texas) has got you thinking that October 31 could be the ideal time to dispose of your gran with "extreme prejudice" and make the ultimate Halloween decoration, here's a legal alternative from Make Magazine.

Post your own ghoulish BBQ Halloween ideas while there's still time.

A Little BBQ Hygiene

Personally I have never subscribed to the "Cleanliness-is-next-to-Godliness" mantra but the occasional bout of BBQ hygiene is good for your BBQ.

Cleaning your BBQ a couple of times a year will extend the life of parts such as gas burners and grill racks while minimising visits from the local health authorities!

You'll need a strong wire brush, aluminum foil, steel-wool, sponges, washing-up detergent, baking soda, cooking oil and a six-pack! I am not so keen on chemical cleaners (either for cleaning or drinking) as it's hard to get rid of the residual taste.

First up, use the wire brush to scrub the surfaces and remove any food, marinade, spices or corrosion that have built up on the grill or hotplate.

If this doesn't remove all the grime, you may need to wash the grill racks to remove the final vestiges of last year's festivities.

Just brush off as much debris as possible before soaking the grill in a tub of hot soapy water before cleaning briskly with a stainless steel scourer. This is method is easy with stainless steel racks like those on a Weber but is also fine for cast iron racks as long as you dry and oil them after the shampoo!

On lightly soiled BBQs you may be able to get away with a light scrub using baking soda and aluminum foil. Warm the BBQ to make make grease removal easier, then allow it to cool, sprinkle with baking soda and then scrub with the rolled up aluminium foil.

Once the grill racks and hot plate are clean, you need to coat them with a fine mist of cooking oil (olive oil is best) from a spray can. This coating on the barbecue grill will keep the racks lubricated and prevent rusting in between uses.

If you use volcanic rock to spread the heat on your BBQ, this is a good time to change them as they will have accumulated a build up of grease and fat that will cause smoking.

Now, if all this seems like too much work, here are some other suggestions:

Disposable grill liners: These newly patented disposable grill covers are made of heavy duty aluminium foil.

Grillo sheet: A Grillo sheet, is a perforated stainless steel sheet to put over your grill for cooking delicate foods like fish. It has the added advantage of keeping your grill clean.

Aluminium foil: Take a tip from Life Hacker and clean your grill with aluninium foil

Onion: Another tip, use onion on your grill.

Out-source: Call someone like these guys to come and do it for you

Go to Hell (Pizza)

Last week's story about the Heart Attach Grill has me more than usually interested in niche fast food concepts so I was delighted to come across the Kiwi pizza franchise Hell Pizza which has made the leap across the Tasman to Australia.

Featuring menu items named after the seven deadly sins; Mordor (pepperoni, bacon and chicken) and Brimstone (cajun chicken, salsa and sour cream) the chain has worked the satanic angle into all it's marketing even boasting 13 HELL (13 4355) for deliveries.

Hell Pizza is owned in Australia by Tartarus (place in the underworld even lower than Hades) and looks like it has chosen Queensland as the launch pad for it's Australian debut with 4 stores in operation around Brisbane.

Living up to it's edgy name, Hell Pizza are the bad boys of the pizza industry having been involved in controversial marketing campaigns in NZ such as

• a condom letterbox campaign for its "Lust" pizza;
• references to Hitler on a billboard;
• objectionable content in its Hell-o magazine and
• buying 24-year-old Walter Scott's soul for $NZ5001 after he advertised it on the auction website TradeMe.

Also drawing the ire back in NZ was an "insensitive" article in it's magazine about the death of Steve Irwin which should go down like a lead gargoyle in Queensland!

It seems you can't expect smooth sailing all the time, even in Hell.

In late 2006 Hell NZ was sold to Tasman Pacific Foods (TPF), the owners of the Burger King Franchise, for about $NZ15 million ($A12.56 million) and the original owners kept the international rights.

The sale also led to a major falling out with its advertising agency, Cinderella owned by Matt Blomfield, who said he had no confidence in the new conservative marketing and wanted to sell the 10 franchises he owns personally.

Falling back on the established tricks of his trade, Mr Blomfield recently placed one of his stores, valued at $830,000, on Trade Me, with a reserve of just $1.

Personally I can see Matt's point, with this leatest offering from new agency Colenso BBDO not having quite the edge of the earlier campaigns.

Still business is booming for the original founders of Hell, Callum Davies and Stuart McMullin, who are finalising master franchise agreements in Ireland, Canada and the UK to add to their evil empire.

More Food Health Hazards

While I can't find any confirmed deaths from eating at the Heart Attack Grill, the UK Times Online carries the story of a would-be chef who died from eating his own chilli sauce concoction.

Ironically reported in it's "Life and Style" section, the paper reports that Andrew Lee (33) died after eating a super-hot chilli sauce as part of an endurance competition with a friend.

The paper reports that Andrew was in perfect health and had just passed a medical examination at work.

An inquest was told he took a jar of his home cooked sauce around to his girlfriend's house and challenged her brother to see who could eat it.

“Andrew just ate the chillies with a plate of Dolmio sauce,” his sister said.

“He apparently got into bed at 2.30am and started scratching all over. His girlfriend scratched his back until he fell asleep. She woke up and he had gone. It is incredible."

Also incredible is that a postmortem showed Andrew had no heart problems but doesn't seem to have been able to confirm whether he had an allergic reaction to the chillis.

A number of posts on the Times site and at hot sauce sites believe that Andrew's scratching was anaphylaxis due to one or more of the ingredients in the sauce.

Many chilli lovers are concerned that Government may re-act to the death by banning or restricting super hot chili sauces such as Dave's Unltimate Insanity sauce which we carry on our Charcool site or Blairs Mega Death Sauce used on the Hottest Burgers in the World.

Eva Solo Stainless Steel Art BBQ

Thanks to Cribcandy for this perfect blend of form and function.

The eva solo barrel grill snared the Baden-Württemberg, International Design Award in 2005 for Best New Product.

Designed by Claus Jensen and Henrik Holbaek, the simple and clean design of the eva solo barrel grill makes it a household feature as well as a BBQ.

Unlike most barbecues, the Eva is made totally from stainless steel...no enamel, chrome or nickel-plated parts! A portable coal bucket makes it easy to empty ashes, and the flat lid turns the grill into an extra surface on the patio when the grill is not in use.

But wait, there's more!!

Eva have designed a few accessories including: perfectly balanced tongs (1); stainless steel cooking dome (2) and if you need an extra surface, you can create a table (3) with legs that turn the lid into a tabletop and a durable fabric cover (4).

The Eva is available from Unicahome but you better save your pennies. The basic BBQ starts at $US680 and if you buy all the options it will end up setting you back $US1844. Still it's probably a tax deduction if you work for the Museum of Modern Art!!

Heart Attack Grill - Not for the PC

In these days of "weasel words"; "techno-babble" and "conservatorships", political incorrectness is both refreshing and popular as the online phenomenon of the "Heart Attack Grill" has amply (if you'll pardon the pun) shown.

The Heart Attach Grill whose Quadruple Bypass Burger boasts burgers with enough fat to power a small submarine also features lard laden "Flatliner Fries"; high caffeine cola and non filter cigarettes.

The HAG has a particularly endearing HR policy: using a bevvy of attractive "wait-persons", dressed as nurses, to add some spice to the fat.

Their page bears the disclaimer that: The Government Requires Us To Inform You That Our "Nurses" Do Not Actually Have Any Accredited Medical Training.

Is it true? Sure enough, the Arizona Board of Nursing are all over the HAG like a cheap suit, but not for their menu, for their portrayal of nurses!

So three cheers for HAG, if you'd like to join a team with a "passion worth dying for check out their franchise opportunities.

Just an Idea We were Kicking Around

BBQ Bling is fast arriving at the conclusion that the boys at Beefeater, Australia's largest manufacturers of barbecues and BBQ accessories just don't like the look of stainless steel.

Following on from our post on Beefeater's gold plated BBQ, the product development team have now moved to decorating BBQs in the colours of your favourite footy club or in Aussie Green and Gold according to SmartHouse.

In what is described as a world first (but we doubt it), "BeefEater, has launched the Signature ‘Supporter Series' for sport die-hards who want a barbecue that will showcase their club or team loyalty – and their grilling skills.

"Backyard rivalries with mates and neighbours are expected to heat up now that Swans supporters can grill in red and white, Roosters loyalists can add a splash of blue and red to their backyard and Wallaby supporters can now fire up the green and gold" says the SmartHouse release

There was no sign of the Supporter Series when we checked the Beefeater web site but it is so badly designed you're lucky to find their logo. Beefeater may hate stainless steel but they lurve Java!

Barbeque Galore Finds a Buyer

MarketWatch reports that troubled US barbeque retailer, Barbeques Galore, Inc. has sold most of it's assets to Grand Hall Enterprises , the largest BBQ grill manufacturer in Taiwan.

The purchase price of about $15.0 million in cash and included at least 31 stores in Texas, California and Arizona and the right to designate additional stores within the next three months.

"Grand Hall has more than 30 years of experience in manufacturing barbeque grills, and we are delighted at the opportunity to acquire the only retail chain of barbeque grills in the United States," said William Home, chairman & CEO of Grand Hall.

If, like us at BBQ Bling, you've never heard of Grand Hall, here's what the company says about itself:

Grand Hall, established in 1976, is principally engaged in manufacturing gas grills, as well as related appliances and components. The Company's major products include barbeque gas grills, gas valves, indoor/outdoor heaters and gas water heaters.

The Company distributes its products in Asia, the United States, Australia, Europe and Africa. Grand Hall's securities are publicly traded on Taiwan's Over-the-Counter market.

Have a look at Grand Hall's Australian web site.

Records Fly in Buffalo Wing Orgy

More than 78,000 "wing-nuts" at the recent 7 th NATIONAL BUFFALO WING FESTIVAL gorged themselves on an impressive, 27 tons of chicken wings in just 2 days.

The record consumption of around 27 wings per head occurred at the Labor Day weekend event, held in the home of the Buffalo Wing: Buffalo, NY.

The eat-a-thon saw an 8% increase on last year’s hungry mob who only managed to chomp through a modest 25 tons.

Among this year’s highlights was the return of competitive eater Sonya Thomas of Alexandria, Virginia, who captured 1 st Place in the U.S. Chicken Wing Eating Championships.

Sonya consumed 165 wings in 12 minutes (4.23 pounds) but missed her world record of 173 wings established at last year’s festival.

Happily, Sonya left around 2,105,835 wings for the rest of the crowd.

In an ironic twist with a national marketing opportunity, KFC's first entry in the National Buffalo Wing Festival resulted in first place honours in the Traditional Barbecue Sauce category. The Colonel's Honey BBQ sauce topped all other Traditional Barbecue sauce entries. Ouch!!

Meanwhile, 22 year old Jennifer Starkey of Niagara Falls, NY, whose wings look pretty good to me too, was crowned Miss Buffalo Wing 2008.

Next year's event will be held on September 5 - 6, 2009, so there's plenty of time to get into training and bring Sonya down a peg or two.

Charcool stocks 3 flavours of the original Anchor Bar Buffalo Wing sauces that started it all back in 1964 so hungry Australians can get a taste of real Buffalo Wings at home.

Smoking BBQ Can Kill

It seems so obvious but we'll post it on BBQ Bling anyway. You never know how many potential entrants in the Darwin Awards are reading.

The Otago Times in New Zealand, reports the sad case of 2 South African born men who died and 1 who is seriously injured after taking their charcoal BBQ into their cabin while on a week end fishing trip.

Police said initial indications were that the two men died from carbon monoxide poisoning as a result of using the charcoal-burning portable barbecue in the cabin.

Ben Walker, who runs the motor camp, said it was "stupidity" to take the barbecue into their cabin to keep warm.

"If only I had seen them take the barbecue inside, things could have been different. I feel like crying, I just can't believe it," he told The Dominion Post.

Now, read this: the deaths are a tragic reminder of the risks of using any type of fuel burner in a confined space. Carbon monoxide displaces oxygen in the bloodstream and deprives the heart, brain and other vital organs of oxygen.

The trio were on a weekend fishing trip while their wives were at a baby shower for the seriously ill man's wife in Hamilton.

Sauce Pistols

Get not one but 2 great American icons: the pistol and ketchup!

From Inventor Spot comes a BBQ accessory to make your day.

"Aye, my fellow barbecue comrades, for therein lies the rub (barbecue and otherwise.) The Condiment Gun from Firebox is all three!

It’s cost at 15 £ (30 US bucks) is less than most guns, about the same as most toys and probably a bit more expensive than most sauce dispensers. This is easily dealt with. Simply decide which function the Condiment Gun from Firebox will serve for you and your family and then judge accordingly whether or not it falls within your particular budget."

Bam, Bam on the Tam Tam

Shakespeare once said, "If music be the food of love; play on..." and you can with this niffty MP3 ready portable BBQ from Belgian BBQ manuafcturer, Barbecook.

The Tam Tam portable gas barbecue comes with integrated speakers and MP3 connection in the unit’s base and boasts stereo-quality sound. The music centre and can be powered by AC connection or batteries.

The Tam Tam features a temperature dial and retro-style dome cover and will be available in red and black. When it hits the market next year it is expected to have a recommended retail price of around $AUD150.

The Tam Tam is aimed at the youth market and is "something a lot of people can use when they go to the beach or have a barbecue at home,” according to Babecook.

Now if there was just someway to get it on Google Streetview!

Charcool Notebook Portable BBQ Winner Announced

An amazing 270 people entered the first Charcool Australia Fathers Day Contest to win a Notebook Portable BBQ.

Entries came from all over Australia and selecting the final winner was extremely difficult.

The entrants were to tell us what they would cook their Dad for Fathers Day on their Notebook BBQ.

Honourable mentions included:

This may sound extreme
But my Dad is quite mean
Mean with his time and money
What about a rat coated in honey?

and

Satayed steak, a snag or two
Charcooled chicken on BBQ!
Family and friends in celebration
Saluting Dad's across the nation

But there could only be one winner.

So on Sunday, David Leslie of Hamilton NSW, with his 9 siblings, their children and spouses, will huddle around their Dad's new portable BBQ to celebrate Fathers Day.

Congratulations, David.

BBQ With Curves

Who wouldn't want one of these? We at BBQ Bling will be the first ones with our hands up when Alistair Messon's curvy BBQ reaches production.

The BBQ is crafted out of glazed ceramic so you can leave it exposed to the elements without any damage to the appearance.

A highlight of unusual style is the modular table top/preparation bench that can be removed by unclipping it from the cooker.

According to The Design Blog, Messon intended to "come up with a cooking appliance that’s fun, practical and plays its role with grace!"

"Amazing Grace", Ali we reckon.

UK BBQ Assoc Enjoys A Heat Stroke

BBQ Bling can hardly believe it's eyes. Not content with winning a record number of medals at the Beijing Olympics and hosting the 2012 Summer Games, the UK National BBQ Assoc is now claiming "leading nation" status in Barbecue.

Citing no clear methodology, the UK BBQ Assoc press release for the Second Annual "Have a Better Barbie Day" claimed the UK is now "officially the biggest BBQ nation in Europe"!

As the rare, but sweet smell of success, mingled with burnt sausages and imported New Zealand lamb, the Association extolled that the UK had beaten the "Germans into second place again in the European Barbi stakes, with 95 million BBQ occasions last year versus Germany’s measly 80 million".

Germany??? "BBQ occassions"???

Finally the heat and the fumes of a particularly strong red wine and garlic marinade, caused the Association to have another outrageous stroke claiming: "Even the Aussies can’t catch us, both in the Olympics and on the Barbi, as they could only manage a ‘daggy’ 28 million Barbi’s."

Back of the envelope research by BBQ Bling reveals that the UK is claiming 1.5 "BBQ occasions" (whatever that is!) per head for the Brits compared to a wishful 1.4 for the Aussies.

Even an Aussie vegan would fire up the BBQ more often than that, thinks BBQ Bling.

Continuing with the theme, BBQ Bling can reveal that only 7% of China's 1.3 billion population, would only need to fire up the Weber once a year to eclipse the UK's delusional 95 million cook outs.

Still, at least they have a National BBQ Association in the UK which is more than you can say for the Land Down Under!

US Homes Crisis Burns Barbeques Galore

BBQ Bling notes with some regret that the US Housing crisis has claimed another victim, Aussie icon Barbeques Galore's US affiliate filed for bankruptcy protection on August 15, citing a decline in home sales, as a ``trigger'' for its grill sales.

The petition for Chapter 11 protection, filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in California listed assets and debts of $10 million to $50 million each. Barbeques Galore estimated it has from 1,000 to 5,000 creditors and said that it plans to sell the company or form ``a consensual liquidating plan'' with its bank lenders.

The company, based in Carlsbad, California, is the world's largest specialty retailer of barbecues and accessories, and operates 65 stores, with 400 employees, in the U.S. mostly throughout California, Texas, Arizona and Nevada.

Affiliate Barbeques Galore Ltd., based in Auburn, Australia, and not included in the filing, was acquired by Australian buyout firm Ironbridge Capital in August 2005.

The first US Barbeques Galore store opened in 1980. From 1997 to 2005, the company traded on the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq before its acquisition by Ironbridge Capital.

Ironbridge bought the company just before housing sales started to decline, the company said, citing annual revenue of $102.3 million for its fiscal year ended Jan.31, down 18 percent from $124.2 million two years ago.

It projects another 18 percent decline for fiscal 2009.

Source: Bloomberg

Ariete SteakHouse Grill

At BBQ Bling we think this vertical steak grill looks more like a toaster than a griller.

According to the Ariete product page this new electric grill takes true grilling to the table: "With SteakHouse Grill, food products cook without coming into contact with their fats as is true with traditional grilling".

Hogwash! From my recollection, the fats and juices are where "the flavour lives" so something that avoids contact with them is not likely to result in a edible meal.

If you like your steak tough and dry, save the $220 and eat at my mother-in-law's house!!

Mentioned on Gizmodo .

Killjoy BBQ Site Brands Condom and Knickers Auction a Scam!

The ebay auction of a cheating husband’s empty condom packet and large knickers which has swept the internet in the last week is probably a fake. That’s the bold claim from Aussie BBQ site Charcool.com.au.

“As Australia's most overlooked BBQ site we don't do a lot of myth busting but COME ON!” whinges the site.

"If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. (Like the story of the jilted woman who filled her ex-lover’s convertible with cement).

"This eBay auction is just an amalgam of a couple of earlier "cheating spouse" auctions held on the popular site over the past few years" Charcool claims.

In 2005, a DJ’s spurned wife in the UK auctioned her husband's Lotus Espirit for 0.50p in what would have been a great value promotional stunt for his radio station.

A year later, a British mother of two, who claimed she was dumped by her cheating husband, put his entire wardrobe up for sale on eBay.

Then in March 2008, the former lover of Wikipedia’s founder, Jimmy Wales, put his jumper and shirt up for sale on eBay after claiming he dumped her on his web encyclopaedia.

Not to be outdone, in March this year, a Welsh man put 200 pictures of his cheating wife up for sale quickly followed by a spurned Brit who tried to sell his philandering wife!

This is just "shameless self-promotion" says Charcool whose own eBay auctions have have failed to attract anything like the internet attention of the “Spurned-Wife-and-Tart’s-Knickers” story.

"Is it any wonder I can't sell legitimate products when all the attention is on this rubbish” asks the jealous eBayer.

"Just look at the bidding history since this thing hit the net big time! It started at $US0.69 on August 8 and has now been bid up to more than $US1,000,000!” observes a clearly jealous Charcool.

"Get a grip people! If you're looking for a bargain, check out our genuine Fathers Day gifts and portable BBQ contest at Charcool Australia.

"Fathers Day is just 2 weeks away and I'm trying to clear 500 BBQ Branding Irons and 120 BBQ Tool sets that would make great presents - but all the attention is on a this bogus auction."

Thermapen. Not Just for Red Meat.

Thermapen are acknowledged leaders in hot food probes thanks to their fast and accurate readings but at BBQ Bling we just love all the colours!

While very compact, the fold-able Super-Fast Thermapen can measure internal food or liquid temperatures in only 3 or 4 seconds which is quite an improvement on other thermometers that may take up to 20 seconds or more.

The ultra thin needle tip on the Super-Fast model only requires about a 2 mm immersion so you can take the temperature of the thinnest meats and vegies and only leave a tiny, self-closing hole instead of a gaping “juice-drain” left by digital BBQ forks.

The Thermapen even has an auto-off feature to save your battery if you leave the probe open over 6 minutes.

But best of all the Thermapen is available in 9 great colours so you can choose your favourite (mine's orange) or if you are more sensible, use a different colour for different foods to avoid cross contamination as the maker intended.

Thermapen have a great current special of 6 pens for the price of 5 plus a free wallet for $445. Thats $75 each!

Thermapen is avilable in centigrade or fahrenheit models but they aren't switchable.

Too Much Gaming is Bad for You!

Chill Factor 4/5

BBQ Grill "case-mod" proves link with stupidity!

From Technabob comes irrefutable proof that too much gaming is bad for you.

BBQ Bling's ongoing search for "the good, the bad and the utterly useless", hit pay-dirt in the useless category this week with the sorry tale of one poor Gamer who decided using an old BBQ as a computer case was a cool idea.

"The grill conceals a complete gaming rig, capable of pushing plenty of pixels for playing the latest and greatest computer games. Just pop open the lid, and hidden beneath the lid is a nice big widescreen LCD monitor and a powerful PC. Those glowing orange fans really make it look like the coals are nice and hot."

For some reason this story has been the toast of Blogland which confirms what BBQ Bling has noticed, there's just not much happening in the world of BBQ Gadgets at the moment.

Anyway thanks to Technabob and QuakeCon for adding a new word "case-mod" to our vocab.

If you want to see other examples of what all that hammering in the kid's room is about, follow the QuakeCon link. Or not!

This BBQ Marinator Doesn't Suck. It Vacuums

Vacu Vin Instant BBQ Marinator

Thill Factor 3/5

The efficient VacVin wine storage method has been transformed into this Instant Marinator for meat and vegies.

The Instant Marinater features a specially-designed dish and vacuum pump that allows you to marinate and tenderize all types of meat and vegetables in only 5 minutes.

Simply add your marinade to the food and then pump the air out.

I've used the wine version for years and this is a great product extension.

Wish I'd thought of it!

And it's available in Australia for $49.95 with a free recipe book.

Available from Everten Online .

Helios Solar Grill. Let There Be Light

Helios Solar Grill

Chill factor: 3/5

Or else use the retractable power-grid plug in the base!

The Helios, featured on Tuvie, is a solar power grill even if it looks like a public phone for ET.

It stores upright to keep a small footprint and easily cantilevers open and locks in place, when you are ready to cook.

In order to maximize safety, Helios designed it so that the reflective solar dish is pointed away from you while cooking.

Helios utilizes a reflective parabolic dish to focus sunlight onto a solar receptor, transforming it into usable energy.

While only a concept at this stage, the Helios (in Greek mythology: the sun) may turn out to be the future of BBQ if you can overcome the ugliness, diminutive size of the cooking surface and the time it will take to cook a meal!

Gold BBQ Seeks Sartorial Rat

Well, here at bbq bling we wish we had the budget to commission a gold BBQ so everyone would know how classy we are. You can't just leave it to them to figure it out on their own!

One of Australia's best known BBQ manufacturers Beefeater has done just that.

According to the company: "BeefEater commissioned the glittering grill (valued at over $50,000) in time for the Sydney Home Show as a wacky and fun way to celebrate recently being named the World’s Finest Barbecue."

The web site gushes on: "The unique barbecue featured a six-burner barbecue and wok burner, roasting hood and warming rack, high output burners, quartz start ignition, vaporizer grid and reflector system, all individually plated in 24-carat gold."

Since making its debut in Sydney, the golden grill has fired up barbecue fanatics across the globe, from Germany, the UK, Dubai and most recently at the HPBA Assoc trade show in Atlanta, US.

Regrettably gold is not a great material for BBQ construction and the company advises not to turn it on as it would simply turn black and give off toxic fumes.

So if you happen across a "rat with a gold tooth" let him know Gizmag found just the BBQ he was looking for!

Quick! Duck outside for a quick smoke pellet!

SmokePistol Pellet Smoker

Thrill Factor: 1/5

Smoking always seems such a daunting task but we have entered the era of "instant smoke " thanks to the clever people at SmokePistol .

The SmokePistol is a small electric appliance that you attach to your smoker or grill by drilling a 1/2 inch hole.

You then insert a little cartridge (aka "bullet") which will give you between 3 to 4 hours of continuous smoke. The bullets are available in 9 wood types - Hickory, Mesquite, Apple, Alder, Pecan, Cherry, Sugar Maple, Oak and Black Walnut.

Good consistent smoke for up to 4 hours with no wood chips, no ash, no mess!

Just light, load and leave.

George Foreman MP3 Grill

Chill Factor 4/5

As if the LCD-TV fridge wasn’t freaky enough, now you can listen to "Bonanza" or "Rawhide" while cooking the snags on this truly amazing George Foreman "MP3-Ready-Grill"!

Thanks to mp3monster.com and those crazy innovators at George Foreman for a real BBQ Chill:

"Squint hard!—this grill really has a teeny weeny iPod dock at its base. And a 10-watt speaker!

"MP3 Player Not Included," it says, but if the people on Foreman's product-development team were smart, they'd bundle in a tiny digital-music player that has the sounds of sizzling meat and/or George's motivational speeches preloaded. Just to keep the branding going, you know?”

At Charcool we thought it was just ringing in George’s ears!!

Post and tell us your favourite BBQ song! We're listening to Johnny Waklin's Black Superman on ours!!!

Brando USB Food

Thrill Factor 4/5

It's pretty obvious that the guys from Ubergizmo spend too much time in front of the computer to have picked up these great memory devices from Hong Kong company Brando.

These 4Gb thumb drives come in Chicken Wing; Drumstick, Pork Rib (pictured), Pizza Slice; Hamburger and 2 types of biscuits.

At US$28 for a novel 4Gb drive they actually don't look like too bad value but don't put them in the Weber!!!

I think I might buy some for my next Charcool competition. Tell me what you think.