Hasty Bake Grill Review

Hasty Bake has been manufacturing the backyard grills of America since 1948. If you're in the market for a charcoal grill and haven't yet seriously considered a Hasty Bake, this article was written for you.

The lion's share of America seems to be looking for the path of least resistance while cooking outdoors. From pellet cookers and gas grills, whatever gets it done the fastest... not the best.

I think we can all admit that the big box stores have flimsy $300 grills that you can buy that will last you a few years. Hasty Bake is different in that they're making you a new grill that's meant to last a lifetime.

Here's a few of my favorite Hasty Bake charcoal grills and why I like each one:

The Roughneck Charcoal Barrel Smoker

If you've ever heard of an ugly drum smoker, this is it's handsome counterpart.

The Roughneck is a vertical charcoal smoker and grill, and it's the champ when it comes to hanging ribs. Included in the cooker when it's shipped is a rib hanger that can easily hang 10-12 racks of ribs over the charcoal firebox. If you added a second rib hanger, I bet you could get 20-22 racks of ribs in this small form factor grill. I've never cooked on a grill that had this much capacity in such a small footprint.

Save 10% on your purchase with the code "BBQLAB10" at checkout.

If you order the fully loaded version of the Roughneck, you get a wheel kit to move it around easily as well. It also comes with a Tel Tru thermometer and a second level of stainless steel grates in the fully loaded version, and for only about $250 more, it's well worth it in my opinion.

My first cook on the Roughneck was a Tomahawk steak, and I slow smoked it until I hit 115° F internal, then used the lower grates for grilling to sear both sides.

The cook I haven't tried yet is brisket, but I think the Roughneck is built for a nice long low and slow brisket cook. Those juices dripping right into the fire, vaporizing into smoke that comes back up to season the meat? That's the ticket. I did smoke beef cheeks in here and the smoke color

Another test I ran was a bit of light grilling with 20 bone in chicken thighs. I started them on the top grates and let them soak in the cherry wood smoke for 45 minutes. I dropped the racks down to the lower level and charred the chicken to finish it off, and it's easily some of the best bone in chicken thighs I've made this year.

I guess I should make sure pork gets a test as well, so I hung 9 racks of ribs from the included rib hanger over charcoal with hickory wood chunks.

If you like summer competition events or cooking in the backyard, the Roughneck barrel smoker is just the ticket.

You might think moving this around would be heavy, but with the wheels included in the Fully Loaded version, it's quite easy.

The Legacy (Model 131) Charcoal Grill

This is the most popular Hasty Bake model you can order. It's derived from the original design, and it hits a price point that's not too hard on the wallet while giving you incredible quality and longevity.

If you're grilling for your family or find neighborhood kids invading the backyard, The Legacy is designed to be just your style. With your purchase, you're getting everything you need to be able to both grill and smoke meats all Summer long. 

The Hastings (290C) Charcoal Grill

If feeding a crowd is what you like to do, the Hastings is large enough to smoke a whole hog or grill burgers for even the largest crowd. The Hastings has charcoal baskets that can raise and lower under the cooking grate, making it so you can focus on direct hot and fast cooking or indirect low and slow cooking on the same grill. The Hastings is even a champ at two zone cooking if you fill only one side of the charcoal box with hot coals and place your food on the other side. It's maximum cooking area with a multitude of cooking styles all in one cooker that's built to last a lifetime and be your last grill. You can get the Hastings in a stainless steel cart, or you can order the built in model to install in an outdoor kitchen with ease.

Save 10% on your order with the code "BBQLAB10" at checkout.

If you're like me and have purchased the flimsy big box store grills and have been disappointed, Hasty Bake is working to restore your faith in grill manufacturers. From their line of seasonings and sauces to each grill they manufacture, this Oklahoma based business is working to bring the grill business back to an American owned and operated company.