Hooray Grill Company?

[charcoalwilly]

Hey everyone!

Has anyone heard of The Hooray Grill company? I've been on the hunt for a flat top for years. I ended up buying a Yoder 48" flat top, but was disappointed with the design and quality and just gave it away last year before moving.

Incredible looking grill! Congrats you're going to have a great time.

On the Yoder, what specifically didn't you like about the design and quality?

 

[lstoker]

Adding this to my shortlist for my next Santa Maria

 

[Happy Hapgood]

Can relate to the heat gig. Up to about 100*F but it's a wet heat. Only 112*F with heat index.


Man those welds are worthy of a Tank! Love the gears and bearings too. Looks super well built. Congratulations!

 

[Greygoose]

Just an FYI

 

[OneHump]

Sorry about the lack of updates. Believe it or not, I still haven't cooked. Pathetic, I know...

Between work and the heat, I just haven't had time.

So now that I have a Santa Maria grill, I've been paying a lot of attention to what's out there and kind of think that the Hooray might be at the top of the food chain. I think the Kalamazoo is at the very top, for obvious reasons, but it's place really is in a very high-end outdoor kitchen with aesthetics as a priority. I'm not sure I want to have that much stainless around a grill, only because I would scratch it.

I came across Lone Star Grills version and it's really, really nice. I think their offset is amazing as well. I really like how they, and some others, drop down a side for access to the coal bed. That said, the Hooray has a double-walled design that wouldn't allow for that. Here is where it gets interesting...

The Hooray's lift system is neutral gravity, where most of the others use a latch and gear system. It's very easy to quickly raise the grate to mess with the coal, and you get the added benefit of not ashing your food, which honestly isn't usually an issue anyway.

I'll probably cook on it on 7/4 when I get back from a short vacation and will post some pictures then. I look at it a lot, and the quality is remarkable. I'm sure nothing is going to change by adding some coal and wood.

 

[OneHump]

Incredible looking grill! Congrats you're going to have a great time.

On the Yoder, what specifically didn't you like about the design and quality?

I didn't like the use of expanded metal on the grill surface. It tended to warp, sending my asparagus off to the floor. It was pretty annoying. I think it's cheap and unnecessary to use expanded metal on a $5,000 grill. The higher-end options tend to use stainless rod. I think LoneStar defaults to carbon steel, which is a huge mistake (rust), but has a stainless rod option.

There was a LOT of rust as well but, truthfully, I just left it outside. I don't think a LoneStar would have that issue, at least according with BabyBack Maniac's testimony, which leads me to another issue, Yoder paint...

Yoder paint is notorious for being ****ty, and that was true on my flat top. Yoder always defends it, and the die hards do too, but it's ****ty, and there's no getting around that.

I also didn't like the coal bed lift mechanism. It was clumsy and not super useful.

All of that said, I just ordered a YS640 Comp WITH the drip guard. I expect paint issues, but believe this grill will work best for me as a smoker.

I've had a lot of cookers, from stick burners to pellet grills. I'm coming from a Smokeshack FEC120, which was amazing, but super overkill. While moving last year, I've dumped my BGEs, WSMs and Smokefire, which was far better than most give it credit for.

My goal here is to have a solid, high heat grill and a solid smoker that I don't have to babysit. I also have a Forno Piombo Palazzo Tuscan oven, which is one of the most amazing things I could ever own. Imagine cooking something at 1,200F... It's bonkers.

 

[Greygoose]

Yup,,,,MCS got the better of me,,,,,
Had to do it,,,
One of the best thought out and designed Santa Maria grills
Build quality is outstanding
This beauty was delivered yesterday and it going on a maiden voyage cook of chicken legs and grilled egg plant and something else,,,not sure yet,,,,,
More to follow,,,

 

[Tango Joe]

This is my first time seeing or reading about the Hooray Grill company and this looks like an amazing way to cook.
Looking forward to seeing some cooks on this unit.

 

[Greygoose]

Just a quick and simple chicken and grilled eggplant,,,,
Boy this is fun,,,

 

[Big George's BBQ]

Thats a really nice set up Looking forward to future cooks and pics

 

[Nuco59]

Nice looking rig- every time I hear the name, I think of Red Stripe beer

tag line "Hooray Beer!"

 

[Greygoose]

Cedar planked salmon with grilled pineapple,mini peppers and almost grilled zucchini,,,,,then the rain came,,,

 

[OneHump]

So I finally got around to cooking on my Hooray Santa Maria. I'm not sure that cooking on it says anything about the grill that looking at it doesn't already. It's incredibly well-made. I think the fold-out shelves could be just a little easier to lock out level, and I had a small problem with one of the casters but it's nearly perfect.

What's unique about this grill is the lift mechanism. Not only are the gears and chain made out of stainless and brass, but it's always gravity-neutral; even with an 80lb pig on the rotisserie. I'm not sure I've found one that does that. From what I can see, not even Kalamazoo's $37,000 Gaucho does it. Mill Scale's doesn't either. Matt Pittman's (Meat Church) needs a pin, and most use a latch.

I asked Nathan at Hooray about this and he said it was difficult and expensive to develop, but convenient, safe and very much worth it. I'm a fan.

My first cook was pretty basic. Just some boneless/skinless thighs with S&P and finished with some Bachan's. I'm new to Santa Maria grilling and found that I really like how the protein caramelizes up high, away from intense heat. With traditional grilling, you would go just off the heat, or indirect. That's more of a roasting scenario. With this, I can slowly and evenly caramelize and then drop down after I glaze to kiss the sugar with some fire. I have a lot to learn, but it worked out well.

Thanks for looking!

 

[Greygoose]

Lookin’ good !!!!
Luvin’ my Hooray also,,,,
Fun to cook on,,,

 

[OneHump]

Lookin’ good !!!!
Luvin’ my Hooray also,,,,
Fun to cook on,,,

Thanks! I love it too. Looking forward to actually doing some cooking now that I'm home. I saw those planks and I was wondering what that was about until I saw the cover. Brilliant. No idea why I didn't think of that. So much to learn about open grilling...

I have a Yoder YS1500 coming any day now and a Mill Scale 94 right behind it. It's going to be a great grilling season once it cools down here.

 

[Greygoose]

Ur neighbors are gonna be in Heaven,,,,
Or jumpin ur fence to get in ,,,,LOL !!!!

 

[OneHump]

Ur neighbors are gonna be in Heaven,,,,
Or jumpin ur fence to get in ,,,,LOL !!!!

Check that dog in the background of a couple of my pics. She'll scare them away with her breath. I pay her in brisket scraps.

 

[lunchman]

Nice looking grill, guys. Enjoy using them.

 

[Stingerhook]

Can I say gorgeous as a description for a grill?

 

[Greygoose]

Woodfired picanha and mini peppers on the Hooray and some fresh caught striped bass franchaise,,,,,
A lil soif and toif !!!