wolfe with an e's blog
Feuerhand Tamber Grill
For those who want to do a little grilling.
In these days when men flaunt their grill size as bigger than their widescreens, the Feuerhand Tamber tabletop charcoal grill seems comically small. But those big grills are designed for cooking for an army. Most people are not going to use a bag of charcoal just to cook a steak for themself.
So who would this silly little thing appeal to? A lot of people actually. Those who:
- cook for one or two
- love charcoal-cooked flavor but don’t need to cook in quantity
- find it hard to stand for long periods at a full-size grill
- live in an urban building and want to cook on their fire escape
- want to cook at the table so they don’t miss the conversation
- are conscious of the environment and excessive burning
Think of the Tamber as a high-tech hibachi you can set on a table. You can fit a half-pound burger or three sliders on it, but it’s more suited for elongated items: shish kabobs, sausages, chicken strips, hot dogs, etc. My faves to grill are Halloumi cheese, shishkabobs with onions and peppers, asparagus, pineapple, pears and fire-roasted nuts. Charcoal cooking really brings out the flavor in these.
Any charcoal works, but I’d recommend Feuerhand’s Charcoal made specifically for the Tamber. The small hunks of hardwood have an easy-light coating that’s natural and tasteless. It takes about 15 minutes for the flame to die out and the coals to glow for grilling. The sample charcoal bag that comes with the Tamber is 140g (almost a third-of-a-pound) and the perfect amount. The 1kg bag will last for seven grillings. If you fill the coal holder until level, the charcoal lasts for an hour and half. I find this is enough time to cook a meal for two: protein, veggies and dessert. The Tamber is designed to distribute heat well, but like any grill, it’ll be hottest directly above the coals.
Tips.
- Cooking at the table can get smoky. I have a Keter Outdoor Kitchen Cart and set the grill’s wood mount on the stainless steel top away from the dinner table.
- Use thinner cuts of meat, veggies, etc. since the coals are close to the food. These will cook faster without excessive charring.
- Marinate for flavor, tenderness and moistness. The moment you cut many foods, the moisture starts dripping out. Marinades will help keep your food moist until it hits the grill. Beyond meats, Marinade your vegetables and fruit appropriately. Brush leftover marinade on your food while grilling to add more flavor.
- Use cooking spray on the grate. But be careful when the grate is hot, since you can get a little flare up from the coals.
- Apply sweet sauces afterwards or use for dipping. A common sin is basting on sweet barbecue sauce as you cook. Sugar burns quickly and makes a mess.
- If just making s’mores, you can leave the grate off. You can’t easily remove it when it’s already hot.
- Dump the ash in your garden. About two and a half hours from lighting, the ash will be cool.
- Wash the Tamber after use in the kitchen sink. You can spray all parts of the grill with Dawn Power Wash and let sit for a few minutes. I use an Oxo Grill Brush with soft bristles. It cleans well and doesn’t scratch the paint.
- It stores easily since it’s quite small. You can stick it at the back of a cabinet. If storing outside, it should be covered. My Keter has a storage cabinet below. This gives adequate protection to leave the Tamber outside all year long.
My take.
Big charcoal grills are a pain to clean, so people often just put charcoal on top of the old ash and seldom give the grate a good scraping. This can lead to inefficient heat and strange flavors from rancid fats. Since you can clean the Tamber in the kitchen sink, you’re more likely to keep it clean it like you do your other kitchen gear.
I bought the Feuerhand Tamber specifically for grilling Halloumi cheese. You can cook Halloumi in a skillet or under the broiler, but it’s like a burger: Once you’ve had it grilled with charcoal there’s no going back. I still have enough heat left after grilling cheese to grill some veggies and fruits.
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