Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet News and Press

Hearth & Home
October, 2008

“True cooking enthusiasts appreciate the huge capacity and the versatility of these grills.”

Big, Bad Barbecues

By Lisa Readie Mayer

There’s a segment of the market that wants the biggest, the fastest, the best of everything. That’s true of cars and jewels; it’s also true of barbecues.

What makes a big, bad barbecue?

... Grills such as... Kalamazoo’s Large Hybrid Grill... can alternately burn gas, charcoal and wood, eliminating the needs to own multiple cookers. And many of today’s top-of-the-line grills now feature infrared burners for steakhouse-style flash-searing of meats

... Kalamazoo offers an off-set smoker attachment that converts its Hybrid Grill to an authentic smoker. The unit’s quarter-inch thick, laser-cut cooking grids can be customized in any combination of solid griddle surface or choice of cut-out patterns designed specifically for grilling meat, vegetables or fish. The grids can be personalized with a laser-cut monogram, company or team logo, or other design.

... “Our philosophy is not to compromise in any way on the performance, cooking versatility and features,” notes Russ Faulk, director of marketing for Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet. “We set a goal for how the grill should perform and the price is a function of how much it costs to produce a product that meets our performance goal.”

... For others, however, big, bad barbecues are all about the food. “True cooking enthusiasts appreciate the huge capacity and the versatility of these grills,” explains Faulk. “These customers love the power.”

... Despite a slumping economy in which nearly every grill manufacturer admits to experiencing a pinch, this category remains surprisingly insulated... Faulk of Kalamazoo agrees. “From our observation, the highest-end segment is suffering the least,” he says. “The mid-range, price-driven grills are feeling it the most. Our sales of big, bad grills are still up; we are still growing.”

Kalamazoo’s experience on these ultra-premium units echoes that of most other companies. And while they all indicate the top-priced models are not their best-sellers, the pricey products are definitely selling.