When looking for a small and portable grill, there will be no shortage of options on the market.
Whether you are looking for propane or gas grills, you will find some excellent choices at some very reasonable price points.
The problem is not so much finding a grill, but knowing which ones are actually worth your money.
Even though small portable grills are low-cost, nobody wants to feel like they’ve wasted money on a product that isn’t suited to their needs.
The Marsh Allen 30052AMZ Kay Home Product’s Cast Iron Grill is one of the best Hibachi grills to buy today, and you can find out all about this model with our comprehensive review.
Marsh Allen Hibachi Grills – Key Product Features
This is a small charcoal grill that is basic in design and features.
However, that doesn’t mean that it can’t get the job done. Here are the most important features for this best Hibachi grill to buy.
- Height adjustable cooking grids.
- Cast iron construction.
- Wooden carry handles.
- Adjustable vents to control charcoal burn.
- 157 square inch cooking surface.
- Wooden grips for grid plates.
- Simple tabletop design for outdoor use.
Who Has This Grill Been Designed For?
Choosing the right grill requires that you understand who the grill has been designed for.
Different types of grills are offered for very different market segments, and buying a grill that doesn’t meet your needs will mean that you won’t be overly satisfied with the product.
Looking at the Marsh Allen Hibachi grill, it is clear that this has been made for anyone who needs a small grill for cooking at home.
It is designed for those special meals that couldn’t be achieved with standard cooking appliances.
The grill is good for cooking for two to four people at a time, although more food can be cooked over a longer grilling session.
This could be a primary grill for home cooking but it all depends on what you want to get out of it.
Grilled fish, skewered BBQ meats, steak, burgers, and vegetables are all examples of what could easily be cooked on this grill.
Of course, you might already know from the name that this is a grill designed for specialty cooking.
A hibachi in traditional terms means a small heating stove that uses charcoal as a fuel source.
This is a grill you can use for dinner parties where you are serving Japanese food or anything that needs grilling directly on the tabletop.
Are the Marsh Allen Hibachi Grills Portable?
The grill is small and definitely portable, although there are some things that you should consider if you want to buy this grill to take camping, tailgating, or even fishing.
The most important thing to note is that this is a charcoal grill.
It wouldn’t be ideal for use on a boat, due to the risk of coals spreading and leading to a fire.
For that purpose, a propane portable grill would be much more suitable.
Another thing to note is that this grill doesn’t come with a lid, which makes it more suitable for portable home use, rather than as a camping grill.
While you can still use it at picnics or on campsites, it’s going to be less convenient than a grill with a cover.
Although the grill is made from cast iron, it is relatively lightweight and easy to move around.
If you’re setting this up on a deck or patio for al fresco cooking and dining, you won’t have any trouble moving it around.
Just remember to let the coals cool completely before moving and storing the grill after cooking.
So, to answer the question of whether the grill is portable, it actually depends on your definition.
If you mean portable in the sense of a camping grill that comes fully enclosed with a cover, then there are clearly better options available.
However, for home cooking or for one-off picnics, etc. where you need a grill, this model would be ideal.
The lightweight nature is one of the reasons why this is the best hibachi grill to buy today.
How Good is the Construction Quality?
With a large grill, construction quality will be a major concern.
When you are spending hundreds or even thousands on a grill, you will need something that is made to last, and that can be stored outdoors when using the appropriate cover.
When you are looking for the best hibachi grill to buy, you also need to think about quality.
Even though the price is relatively low, you should still expect the grill to last for a long time, even for years when properly cared for.
The good news is that the Marsh Allen Cast Iron Hibachi Charcoal Grill is definitely made from quality materials, and it is well designed and assembled.
The cooking surfaces are made from cast iron, which is an excellent material for retaining and transferring heat.
Stainless steel is often preferred in a large standalone grill, but with something small like the Marsh Allen it is easy to see why cast iron has been chosen.
It allows for authentic Japanese and Asian cooking, which is exactly what you would want a hibachi grill for.
You can season the cast iron cooking surfaces with oil to help them develop a non-stick coating, and you shouldn’t have any problems with rust when you keep this grill cleaned and stored in a dry area.
Nothing on the grill feels flimsy, which is surprising given the price point.
Overall, we have found that this grill exceeds expectations.
Sure, it’s not a luxury item like a large natural gas or propane grill, however, it is of high quality and will give you confidence that it will last well into the future.
At such an affordable price, you won’t find much better for open grilling.
What is the Cooking Experience Like?
The grill is marketed as the best hibachi grill to buy, but that doesn’t mean that you can only cook Asian-inspired food on it.
While it is perfect for things like Japanese-style grilling, you can essentially cook anything that you would with an open-top grill.
This means steaks, burgers, sausages, bone-in chicken cuts, chicken breast, fish, and you could even grill flatbread on this grill.
There is no hood included so that is something that you’ll need to be aware of.
American-style grilling is often performed with a hood, particularly when you want to use pellets or wood chips to add some smoky flavor.
This grill won’t be suitable for closed hood styles of cooking, and that means that it won’t be able to bake or grill/steam.
It’s not unreasonable given the size and the price point of the grill, but it is something that every buyer will need to be aware of.
If you need a small grill that also incorporates a deep hood, then you will need to look at other options.
For everything else, this Marsh Allen model works great and it’s especially useful thanks to the adjustable cooking grids.
There are two individual grids that can be adjusted, allowing you to control just how close your food is to the coals, and therefore to the heat.
Each side can be set at a different level, so this makes it flexible for different ingredients, or you could even use one side as a warmer while you are cooking.
There’s also a system for adjusting air vents that will help to control your charcoal burn.
It’s a simple implementation but a highly effective solution, and small features like this can make all of the difference with a tabletop grill.
The small size makes this grill easy to light, and it’s also easy to maintain and store.
Maintenance for a Cast Iron Grill
At this point, you may have already decided that this is the best hibachi grill to buy, but you may have some concerns about the maintenance requirements.
Cast iron is not as common as it was 50 years ago, and this may even be the first time that you will use a cast iron product.
One thing to keep in mind is that this grill likely won’t be stored outdoors, so it will be less likely to rust than a larger cast iron or steel grill.
However, you will still need to take care to season the cooking grids after cleaning, which will help to ensure that your investment lasts as long as possible.
Cast iron can last a lifetime and beyond, as long as it is given the proper care.
This means cleaning after use, and seasoning with oil to ensure that the porous iron is protected from oxidation.
Seasoning is simple, and you can perform this on your new grill with some simple steps.
- Use high-quality vegetable oil or olive oil for seasoning.
- Apply a liberal amount of oil to a paper towel, and coat all areas of your cooking grids.
- Allow the oil to dry, and check how much has been absorbed into the porous metal. If the grids still look too ‘dry’, then repeat the process with more oil.
When grids are properly seasoned, they will have a light coating of oil that can be seen and felt.
This prevents food from sticking and protects the metal.
You only need to season after cleaning your grids, or whenever they appear to have dried out through exposure to heat.
Natural oils from food can help to keep grids seasoned, so only clean your grids when they are particularly messy.
Pros and Cons of the Marsh Allen Hibachi Grills
The pros of the Marsh Allen grill help to make it the best hibachi grill to buy today.
- Quality and basic design with quality materials that are made to last.
- An effective grid-level system allows more control over your cooking.
- Small additions like wooden handles and charcoal vents help make the product more versatile.
- Lightweight and portable for use at home.
- Cast iron design could mean this grill lasts for a lifetime when properly cared for.
There are some downsides to this grill, but they mostly relate to particular usage scenarios
- Although portable, the lack of a cover means this isn’t the best grill for camping or tailgating.
- Not a suitable grill for boating.
- A relatively small cooking surface can limit what you cook (and how much you cook).
- Cast iron requires care to stay in top condition.
Overall, the positives outweigh any negatives for this product.
As long as it’s a small hibachi-style grill that you’re looking for, then you will find a lot to love about this one from Marsh Allen.
Customer Feedback
When looking for the best hibachi grill to buy, it’s important to look at customer feedback.
In the case of this grill from Marsh Allen, we see an average of 4 / 5 Stars from almost 500 customer reviews.
Owners have been positive about the construction, noting that the cast iron is of excellent quality when considering the price of the grill.
Some owners have also noted that although grilling for more people can take slightly longer, it is still possible with a bit of patience.
Many owners like the simplicity and nostalgia of working with a hibachi-style grill, particularly for cooking small meals, or for cooking for one or two people.
Final Thoughts and Recommendation
This is a simple grill made for people who need a small secondary grill at home or even a tabletop-style grill that can be used for fun and interactive dinner parties.
The low price means that there’s very little risk in trying this product, and the quality goes far beyond what you would expect at this price point.
It’s the best hibachi grill to buy today because it does all of the essentials right, and even though it lacks in some areas, it doesn’t take away from the fact that this is a great value product.
