Tested: Grillcube

There are perfectly good reasons why most people use gas for barbequing when caravanning or camping – the cooking heat is almost instant, it’s relatively clean and convenient, and even the smallest 4.5kg bottle will easily outlast the longest family holiday.

However, the downside of all this convenience is you miss out on the smoky, succulent flavours provided by a slow-cooked, charcoal or wood fire.

A popular 'slow burn' alternative is to use heat beads and fire lighters, although a downside is the hidden chemicals and undesirable fumes.

But now there’s another, cleaner and greener alternative in the Grillcube, a clever and relatively affordable product just launched in Australia.

Essentially, the Grillcube is an all-natural, all-in-one accelerant and fuel package, packaged up as a convenient, charcoal-carrying cardboard box.

About the size of a soccer ball, the Grillcube comprises recycled cardboard packaging, filled with hardwood charcoal pieces that Grillcube claims are “sustainably sourced in Estonia”.

To get it going, you simply light the cardboard wick and throw it into the barbeque, wait a few minutes then throw the meat on the grille over the glowing coals.

The specially designed, patent pending cardboard box features an air flue that ensures the charcoal lights before the box burns down, and that no artificial accelerants are needed.

So does it work? To find out, we used one to cook a meal for two people on a small, bowl shaped BBQ.

Five minutes after lighting the box, the coals were alight and hot, and ready to spread around the bowl. While Grillcube says the coals should be the perfect temperature for cooking after 10 minutes, we found them too hot and waited 30 minutes after lighting before putting the meat on the grill.

That could be the reason why the coals didn’t retain their heat for too much longer after being allowed to cool before cooking, as Grillcube says each box contains enough charcoal for heating of around 45 minutes.

However, unlike the heat beds you get from the supermarket, the Grillcube's pure hardwood charcoal lumps gave off very little smoke or fumes, and that all-important smoky wood flavour was easily detected in the cooked meat.

The BBQ was also much easier to clean up than with heat beads.

While one Grillcube would be enough to cook for four people, larger Weber-style cookers would require at least two Grillcubes. They can also be used over a pit fire, although they need to sit on a few sticks of wood in order to 'breathe'.

The main downside of the Grillcube is price. Bought online at the Grillcube Australia website, each Grillcube costs $10, although this drops to $7.50 if bought in packs of 12.

That’s pricey when compared to conventional heat beads and lighters, which would have cost around $2.50 for a similar BBQ.

The price difference isn’t as great compared to bags of hardwood charcoal, currently available from one online retailer for $50 for a 9kg bag.

But sometimes it's worth paying for cleanliness and convenience, and the Grillcube would be perfect for throwing in the back of the car for a quick, week-end getaway.

Or for storing in a spare spot in the caravan for when the opportunity arises for some delicious, open-air cooking...

* Thanks to my father-in-law, Greg David, for assistance in compiling this review.