Lodge Logic Pre-Seasoned Sportsman's Charcoal Grill

Have owned this product five weeks and used it several times to cook hamburgers, London broil, steaks. It produces excellent results and is relatively easy to use. The cooking grate can only be set at two levels: standing on its posts or inverted, lying on the rim of the firebox. The level must be chosen before you start cooking, which presents a problem for some preparations. The damper seems to have little effect on cooking temperature. Emptying ash is a bit awkward, as you need to remove the doors and coal grate, then lift and tip the firebox, which is heavy. The lip catches some ash, so it is difficult to completely empty. Be sure to set the grill on a pan, as grease will leak through and collect around the legs.

Robust construction throughout, but really lacks some subtle niceties that are found in less expensive BBQs. There's only two grill height settings and you cant easily change heights when the grill is hot and cooking (the grill surface itself flips over to cause the height change). There is a door provided to stoke the coals that appears to be a needless feature. The hibachi's feet are not insulated and can get pretty hot, so beware of placement on high-value surfaces. The draft door is heavy and easily separates from the body. The heavy door already tagged me once on the foot as I was emptying the BBQ of ash. Really?, I'd give it a 2 out of 10 for usefullness as compared to better designed hibachis that I've used in the past. Conclusion: the making of a cheap, convenient, and efficient cast iron Hibachi BBQ may very well be a lost art.

(Husband writing review:) I bought the Lodge Sportsman Grill last year, and I get a lot of use out of it. It's perfect for a couple of steaks or burgers -- plenty of room for a meal for two. Also steams plenty of veggies in a foil pouch, or grills corn on the cob. I had an old hibachi years ago, but this has three times the grill size, and it's solidly built. Can even do indirect cooking with it. I added a stainless steel sauce pan for water that fits on one side with the coals on the other side, so it has that much versatility. Although it's heavy, that's good. I can still take it to the lake and set it on a concrete picnic table without taking up a lot of space in the vehicle. Baby it a bit to keep the rust down, and you can expect this grill to be a workhorse for you for years to come. And get the tough fabric cover Lodge sells - will help keep it clean when it's not in use. (PS: I don't work for Lodge, either.)

I bought this for my fiancee who happens to be very picky. He had asked for a Hibachi as we cannot afford a Kamado right now and I found this and it looked like it might be just the thing he was looking for. Needless to say he was quite impressed - said it was the nicest quality hibachi he has ever seen. It cooks very fast and the taste is so much better than our gas grill. Awesome little grill - very heavy and nice quality.

Durable hunk of cast-iron. After building a custom cart for the Lodge the propane grill now takes a back-seat. The grilling grate can be improved by adding a lip around the perimeter to prevent fall-offs. Also a two-position height adjustment would aid in temperature control.