Big Bugg

OVERVIEW

The BeefEater Big Bugg is a portable & compact 2 burner BBQ that is designed for those who want a smaller portable BBQ that looks good, performs well and suits a more modest alfresco area or courtyard.

RRP $899

MODEL

BB722AA (AMBER)
BB722BA (BLACK)

  

ASSEMBLY

Minor (Approximately 30-45 minutes to assemble)

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IDEAL FOR

  • Small family (4) or couple
  • Courtyard, balcony, small terrace

PROS

  • Powerful & punchy in centre
  • Looks great & great quality
  • Smooth Control Valves

CONS

  • Limited cooking space
  • Some fluctuation with heat from middle to edges
  • Hood down cooking

QUALITY & BUILD

The first thing that struck me is the build quality on the BeefEater Bigg Bugg. It immediately looks and feels like a really well-built BBQ.

The BeefEater Big Bugg has a very sturdy trolley with legs that are injection moulded giving them excellent rigidity and strength to carry the BBQ. The trolley is relatively easy to move and has a 3mm wire chrome base (approx.) which looks good and can be used to store a variety of things. I use it to store the removable side shelves when I finish cooking and I cover my Bugg. The trolley also has a condiment tray built into it.

SHELVES & STORAGE

Two side shelves sit each side of the BBQ cleverly attaching to the Buggs rigid aluminium handles using a jigsaw-like interlocking system. The shelves are approximately 30cm in diameter and are big enough to hold a couple of plates + a condiment or two. Two hooks to hang BBQ tools are also included and can be moved to four positions on the side shelves depending on your preference.

ROASTING HOOD

The vitreous enamel roasting hood is finished in a high gloss black or amber colour (which is more yellow than orange on the colour spectrum). I’ve got the amber and I love the colour!!! It really pops in the yard and looks pretty smart.

Another great feature is the spring assisted roasting hood which makes the hood feel really smooth to open & close with little resistance. I love this feature… Again, really adds to the quality feel of the BBQ. The roasting hood also has a chrome handle which comes with a soft grip that can be removed if not desired. The handle doesn't get hot but I keep the soft grip on while using the BBQ as I like it. This handle can fall off when removing the BeefEater Bugg Cover (sold separately) which is a little annoying but no big deal.

CONNECTION & GAS

The gas bottle attaches neatly to the rear of the BBQ and hangs off a hook attached to the firebox, with the hose and regulator out of sight. The BeefEater Big Bugg can also be converted to natural gas - although I use propane/LPG.

The BeefEater Big Bugg locks perfectly onto the bugg trolley, seamlessly integrating the two components together. However, the bugg can also be used as a standalone portable BBQ, although it’s a little too big to be comfortably put in your car for the park or camping. I’ve never used it this way and in my opinion, it wouldn’t be overly practical.

COOKING & PERFORMANCE

When it comes to cooking & performance, the big bugg is excellent when comparing it to other BBQ’s in its class. It has a 33MJ/hr output which is split between two quality stainless steel D-shaped burners. The burners always light quickly with BeefEater’s ‘Quartz Start Ignition’ and the control valves are easy to operate.

COOKING & PERFORMANCE

The distribution of heat across the cooking surface is pretty good but heat around the edges is obviously not as hot as the centre where the burners are located. This is to be expected but does present some challenges when trying to cater for more than a few friends or the family. You’ll get a good number of steaks (3-6) on the grill and more sausages on the hot plates but this leaves little room for the other things you might like to BBQ together like corn, grilled capsicum or asparagus. I find the this a little limiting but understood this to be a limitation of this type of BBQ when I purchased it.

COOKING SURFACE

The cooking surface is made from a rust free porcelain coated cast iron and is split traditionally with a half/half, one-half hotplate & one-half grill. In my experience, there’s no such thing as a ‘rust free’ cooking surface and the Bugg is no exception. Some small rust shows between cooks but it's quickly cleaned and wipes away with a wipe of oil before the next cook (I cook 1-2 times per week).

The bugg heats up in around 5-10 minutes with the closed hood, getting you to a really hot ready-to-sizzle heat. Searing steaks and getting a nice sizzle - which BeefEater likes to be known for - is undoubtedly present but you may notice some very mild loss of heat once you start cooking with the hood up. However, I should note that this phenomenon is on par with others in its class like the Weber Q or the like - which for the best part - require cooking with the hood down to maintain good heat. Having said that the heat output is fantastic.

The distribution of heat across the cooking surface is pretty good but heat around the edges is obviously not as hot as the centre where the burners are located. This is to be expected but does present some challenges when trying to cater for more than a few friends or the family. You’ll get a good number of steaks (3-6) on the grill and more sausages on the hot plates but this leaves little room for the other things you might like to BBQ together like corn, grilled capsicum or asparagus. I find the this a little limiting but understood this to be a limitation of this type of BBQ when I purchased it.

All in all, I’ve been really happy with the BeefEater Big Bugg. It ticks a bunch of boxes for me. Namely, a portable BBQ I can move around a small deck that looks great was good quality, moderate in cost and performs as well as I could hope for a BBQ of its size.


MY COOKING TIP

Warm up for 5 minutes and have a quick clean after a cook.Enjoy!

MY RATING  8/10

BEEFEATER BIG BUGG BBQ

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