Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet News and Press

New York Times
May, 2007

The backyard barbecue gets pyrotechnical.

Grill Seekers

By PETER MEEHAN
Published: May 6, 2007

Outdoor cooking used to be so easy. You'd douse briquettes in petrochemicals, overcook meat in the kettle grill from the hardware store and drink too much canned beer. But no more: like sports and deodorant, grilling has gone extreme.

Interest in the nuances of grilling and barbecue has skyrocketed. Guys list the grills they own in barbecue chat rooms, while charcoal brands are rated at Nakedwhiz.com...

Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet, the leader in meticulously manufactured and conspicuously expensive grills, has discontinued production of its $1,600 entry-level model since orders for its custom outdoor kitchens (starting at $20,000) have shot up from 5 percent of its business three years ago to 40 percent today.

The $28,611 custom kitchen from Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet — complete with beverage center, ice maker and Bread Breaker Dual-Fueled Hybrid Grill.