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It’s not always obvious that you’ll get what you paid for while shopping for a tailgating grill. Sometimes what you see may not be well worth your time and money. But if you get it right the first time, you’re destined to have those many fond memories that tailgating brings.That’s probably why you’re going through Fire Sense Notebook Charcoal Grill reviews to separate the wheat from the chaff about the unit.
Well, here at Simply Tailgating, we’re all about helping you make the right purchase. So, we scoured the web to find all you need to know about this grill, and we have the whole truth and nothing but the truth in this Fire Sense Notebook Charcoal Grill review. Some of it may shock you, so you may want to read this review carefully.
About Fire Sense Grills:
Fire Sense was established in 1998 by their parent company Well Traveled Living. They mainly manufacture gas and electric patio heaters, fire pits, patio, electric fireplaces and grills, including the Fire Sense Notebook Charcoal Grill. It’s not clear where their headquarters are though, but they are available online at shop.firesense.com.
Fire Sense Notebook Charcoal Grill Features:
If you’re looking for a fold-and-go portable tailgating grill, then take a gander at these Fire Sense Notebook Charcoal Grill features:
Folds flat – With a patented scissor-like design, the Notebook Charcoal grill folds flat forming its own carrying case. A pretty nifty design in my opinion, measuring 13 inches while standing and just one inch when folded flat.
Painted Steel Construction – The grill is made of painted steel, meaning it’s both lightweight, sturdy and decently portable. It comes in one color – black. The cooking grate is stainless steel. .
228 square inches cooking area – Don’t be thrown off by the unit’s dimensions. With that much space you can cook 7-8 burgers or 5 pounds of fish at once, enough to feed all the occupants in a normal SUV.
Other Notable Features:
- Charcoal-based grill
- High heat-resistant paint
- Designed in the USA
Fire Sense Notebook Grill Cleaning & Maintenance:
It goes without saying if you don’t take care of your grill it won’t live out its lifetime. With the Notebook Grill, all you need is warm water, dishwashing soap and a scouring pad to clean it. Allow it to cool down first, then scrub off food residue with a grill brush. Be sure not to mess up the paint job while working the grill brush. With soap and water, give it a good old scouring, then rinse and let it air dry.
Before storing it away, make sure it’s completely dry. Use a paper towel to wipe down water residue in those hard to reach places around the corners and edges.
Fire Sense Notebook Charcoal Grill Portability:
The grill’s name gives its portability features away. As mentioned earlier, the Notebook Charcoal Grill is your ideal fold-and-go grill, standing only 1 inch tall lying belly-flat on the ground. It measures 11.82″ W x 17.53″ L, hardly noticeable when inside your trunk. Did I mention it only weighs 8 pounds?
Fire Sense Notebook Charcoal Grill Warranty:
Fire Sense offers 1 year warranty from date of purchase against manufacturer defects. The warranty doesn’t cover damage caused by improper use, repair by an unauthorized person or wear and tear. You can call them up on 1-866-985-7877 or email to cservice@welltraveled.net for warranty-related issues.
Fire Sense Notebook Charcoal Grill Accessories:
The Fire Sense Notebook will serve its master quite efficiently, but it can only do so much on its own. That said, here are a couple of accessories we found for sale on Amazon:
- Chimney starter
- Grilling toolset (includes spatulas, knives and more)
- Extreme Heat resistant BBQ Gloves
Fire Sense Notebook Charcoal Grill Replacement Parts:
A good grill should give you options in case one or more of its main parts require replacement. With the Fire Sense Notebook, you can only replace the cooking grate.
Fire Sense Notebook Charcoal Grill Cost:
One of the best things with online shopping is that you will be in a position to get a top quality item at a friendly price. For example, on Amazon.com, you can get the Fire Sense Notebook Charcoal Grill for around $30. To enjoy the best prices and discounts on grills, such as the Free 1-2 Day shipping if you are a Prime Member, always check out Amazon.com.
What Do We Like?
The Fire Sense Notebook Charcoal Grill is portable, ultra slim and foldable making it ideal for camping and tailgating. Here are some of the things we did like about it:
Ultra-Slim, Foldable, and Portable – Its foldable and portable nature makes it great for any and all outdoor grilling requirements. Measuring 11.82 x 17.53 x 14.18 inches, it does not take up much of the space while its ultra slim design ensures that it can comfortably fit into your bag.
Easy to set up – Setting up this grill is very easy since all one has to do is just unfold it and it is ready to use. This does not take much time at all and no assistance is needed, which leaves you with more time to enjoy with your tailgating companions.
Durable -This grill is made from steel which makes it very strong and durable as it is capable of withstanding any type of pressure that is exerted onto it. The grill is not easily damaged even when it accidentally topples over.
Fire Sense Notebook Charcoal Grill Complaints:
Despite being portable, durable and easy to set up, the Fire Sense Notebook Charcoal Grill still has some negatives that are important for anyone shopping for this grill to know about:
The paint is not durable – When you go past 500 degrees, the paint turns to carbon giving out a nasty smell. So if you’re slow-cooking your meat, the succulence may be accompanied by some foul-tasting flavor from the burnt paint.
You can only use the smoker or grill at a time – With this grill, you can never use the smoker and grill concurrently. For instance, when you convert it to a smoker, you will not be in a position to switch back to the grill. However, when using it as a smoker, there are times when you will find fire box leaking. Although you can get around this issue by using some HVAC tape.
Other Tailgating Grills to Consider:
In case you’re still not sold on this grill, you can consider the following Notebook Charcoal Grill alternatives we have reviewed before:
- Weber Q 2200 – A charcoal alternative
- Cuisinart CGG-180T – Functional, portable and versatile grill
- Char-Broil Grill2Go X200 – Tabletop gas grill with more BTUs
Should You Buy The Fire Sense Notebook Charcoal Grill?
The Notebook Charcoal Grill is a grill built for convenience. With a grill that weighs 8 pounds and folds into a flat 1 inch thick case, you don’t come closer to portability than that. It more than makes up for what it lacks in quality of painting and cooking options with its price and innovative design. So, ensure that you always clean it after every use to prevent the soot from piling up. To summarize, you can easily get your meat to sear well, and achieve that magical crust with the Fire Sense Notebook. Remember, you can get it on Amazon.com and get it fast with the Free 2-3 Day Shipping if you’re a Prime member.
What’s Hot:
- Easy to Install and Use
- Foldable
- Lightweight
- Highly portable
What’s Not:
- Its paint is not that durable
- You can only use it as a smoker or grill but not both
Would you prefer investing your hard earned money on the Fire Sense Notebook Charcoal Grill, or do you feel we missed something? Feel free to share with us your opinion or clarification about this or any other grill you have previously used in the comments section below. In case you have some questions you can find answers in the Products Amazon page.
Chris
We really don’t tailgate that much. However, we have been looking for a smaller travel grill that is easy to fold up on the run. And it sounds like this Fire Sense Notebook Charcoal grill is exactly what we are looking for. I also like that it is light enough for me to carry.
Thanks, Wendy. I am glad you found this review helpful in your search for the perfect portable grill. Happy grilling!!