THE BURCH BARREL’S REDESIGNED GRILLING SYSTEM IS THE BEST I’VE EVER SEEN - YANKO DESIGN
YANKO DESIGN PRODUCT REVIEW
BY SARANG SHETH 12/01/2019
One could argue that there isn’t much you can do to reinvent the grill. Put heat below, food on top, and voila… you’ve got yourself a barbecue. In that regard, the BURCH BARREL is quite similar to the Dyson Bladeless fan. It took a product-category that nobody thought could be reinvented and really showed how a new format could really push the boundaries of design, efficiency, and human perception. The BURCH BARREL isn’t like any conventional barbecue pit out there, and that’s a conscious choice on the part of the designer, who believed that it was possible to create a better product that works as a grill, smoker, and as well as a firepit. The BURCH BARREL gives you unprecedented control over your barbecue process. You can operate the barbecue lid without having to touch it, or rest the grill on any uneven surface without worrying about it falling over, you can even lift the grill plate off the coal-pan to add more fuel. Moreover, when you’re not grilling food, the BURCH BARREL doubles up as a portable fireplace for those perfect sunset social gatherings.
The barrel’s design is immediately striking, with a large tripod system that has the barrel suspended from the very center. This unique format keeps the barrel balanced and vertical at all times, allowing you to mount it on rocky terrain or even on slanted surfaces without any fear of the barrel tipping over. Inspired by a camera’s tripod, the BURCH BARREL comes with telescopic legs that let you orient the unit to be stable, no matter how unstable your ground is, giving it a competitive advantage over regular barbecue grills that traditionally require a flat surface like a pavement to begin with.
Right on one of its telescopic adjustable legs lies a movable grip that slides up and down to lift and lower the grill’s lid. Rather than holding onto a potentially hot handle, this sliding sleeve lets you easily check on your food while keeping you away from the fire and hot metal. Additionally, the lid itself comes with an interlocking system that lets you lift the food-grate up along with the lid, giving you complete access to the coal-pan, allowing you to add more fuel over time without taking your food off the grill. Keep your food cooking while you crank up the heat!
Along with being able to easily operate the lid and lift the food-grate, the BURCH BARREL features a mechanism to adjust the height of the coal bed too, bringing it either closer to your food for a great sear, or moving it to as much as 12 inches away to decrease the thermal energy, but to amp up the smokiness. The coal bed works with both wood as well as charcoal, burning them cleanly while giving you the ability to choose between char-grilling your food or roasting marshmallows over an open bonfire. For more calibrated control, the Burch Barrel packs a redesigned venting system that routes the air in a pathway right from the upper rim of the barrel. Air from the top travels to the base, stoking the flame, while keeping the grill relatively clear of debris or oils and soot that may clog or corrode it.
Ultimately, what the Burch does for the barbecue grill goes beyond just making it functionally advanced. With the Burch Barrel, the barbecue doesn’t remain a one-person apparatus but rather, the nucleus of social bonding. People can gather around the Burch Barrel, collectively participating in the grilling experience, rather than sitting at the picnic table while one person toils over food prep with their back faced to the rest of the group. Designed for an overall better cooking experience, whether it’s grilling game meat with your friends outdoors, making smores with your family on a weekend trip, or just having a party in the backyard, the Burch Barrel is the new best way to grill, cook, and bond outdoors!
