Do you like Magma Grills?

Post 1 through 7 in this thread have been moved from a Magma Classified Ad for general discussion purposes.

TF Site Team

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It's not just the size and weight of the grill for the mounts...it's the size of the pile of (bxexexf) veggie kabobs you can stack on it......

psneeld said:

It's not just the size and weight of the grill for the mounts...it's the size of the pile of (bxexexf) veggie kabobs you can stack on it......

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Scott I expected that to end soooo much differently.

Our propane Magma is great! Hooks up solidly to 1" hand rails on sun deck; two bolted clamps that came with the BBQ. We use it often during our multi day long "weekends" out.

YUMMMMY

Magma Grills are the biggest scam on the boating community! Stainless steel yes, but for cooking they are the worst. I have two in my garage that I replaced with a coleman.

windmill29130 said:

Magma Grills are the biggest scam on the boating community! Stainless steel yes, but for cooking they are the worst. I have two in my garage that I replaced with a coleman.

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Each to their own!

windmill29130 said:

Magma Grills are the biggest scam on the boating community!

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I don't know what Magma models you have but mine is terrific! "Monterey" 12" X 24".

A10-1225LS

Just a reminder
This gentleman is trying to sell it not review it.

thanks for moving the post.

It was the right thing to do.

You guys who don't like Magma grills should know that the Newport, Catalina, and Monteray have all been redesigned. They claim much improved resistance to being blown out in high wind. There are several other improvements as well.

HopCar said:

You guys who don't like Magma grills should know that the Newport, Catalina, and Monteray have all been redesigned. They claim much improved resistance to being blown out in high wind. There are several other improvements as well.

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Well, good to know because they badly needed a redesign. I know I'll never buy one again though because the last one (Newport) was just awful - hassle to clean, hassle to light, hassle to even tell if it was lit on a bright day, and the rail mounts slipped constantly even after I inserted rubber hose pieces.

At this point in time, I hate that they're so damn common that someone can just paddle up alongside your boat and swipe the regulator with ease. DAMHIK.

FlyWright said:

At this point in time, I hate that they're so damn common that someone can just paddle up alongside your boat and swipe the regulator with ease. DAMHIK.

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Oliver? On the west coast?

I had one of the large rectangular Magna grills with infrared. I say had because I no longer have the grill.

Boats are expensive enough, and I really dislike re-buying things for my boat because a product is unacceptable.

That was the case with my Magna grill.

The issue is that the grill would blow out. It also never regulated the heat very well. Even with a new regulator it was either full blast or nothing. Put it on low and it would blow out.

Based on an earlier thread about the grill I contacted Magna and they sent me a new set of the infrared plates. Ones with bigger holes. That helped a little at first. Then I realized that if I was going to keep the grill working at all I had to keep those plates very clean. This meant scrubbing them off pretty much every time the grill was used.

Then I realized that the grill worked much better if you removed the drip tray and the stupid little trays.

It seems that the problem with the grill is that it does not get enough air.

Then a month or so ago I noticed grease running down the mount and that was it.

The magma went next to the dumpster and a couple hours later some more patient boater nabbed it.

I bought a sea b q large model and so far it's a great bbq. Low means low and the flame does not blow out. High means sear the meat.

It is a rare day that I write something negative about a product but this one has earned it.

We're going into the 11th month of living on our boat and use our Magma Catalina infrared grill several times a week. I had used a Charbroil infrared grill at my house prior to moving onto the boat so had realistic expectations of the grill's capabilities. The grill is mounted on the back of the boat and is subject to south winds off of the Gulf as well as west and east winds. The wind is often 15 to 20 mph when I'm using the grill.
--I like the fact that the infrared plates help to control flame ups, although the downside of having bigger holes in the plates is that flames can come through easier. To counteract that, I trim visible fat from the meat before I put it on the grill.
--The fact that these grills only have a single burner makes it more difficult to cook foods with indirect heat for a long period of time such as BBQ ribs or chicken. I work around that by using a roasting rack that lifts the food off of the burner. I cover it with nonstick aluminum foil when using BBQ sauce on low heat after I initially sear the meat directly on the grill. I also use the roasting rack for beef and pork roasts and small turkey breasts and whole chickens. For them I just make a foil tray to catch the fatty drippings if the grill flames too much.
--I also make cooking trays for pepper steak strips or Italian sausage with red, green, and yellow peppers and onions. They cook great on my grill.
--Steaks, burgers, and pork chops all turn out fine too.
We figured we'd be using the grill a lot, so we purchased a small refillable propane tank along with the proper line and fittings when we bought the grill. I can't be sure that this gives us more reliable results than the small disposable propane bottles since it's all we used, but it's a possibility.

No. I don't!


Jim
Sent from my iPad using Trawler Forum

Need to try the newer, redesigned models..... but the old ones were not worth the money in windy areas.

I saw a nice, tabletop, stainless grill at Lowe's for $75 a couple years back. The bottom had the exact angle as the average rod holder bait cutting board... which I happened to have an old base from one.

Drill 4 holes, 4 bolts and my now better than the older Magmas, and $300 cheaper imitation Magma sits proudly on the rail and neighbors are none the wiser except my meals cook
in half the time.....

I've had a Magna kettle shaped grill for years, never had it blow out and I would buy another if this thing ever dies (not likely).

I am selling because my wife complains it's too hot, I assume because it was designed for windy conditions and ours sits out of the wind. I can't imagine one not being hot enough...

We had a really deluxe Magma two burner job that came with the Hatteras (you can see it hanging on the starboard side of the FB in my avatar). We used it all the time, year around, being full time live aboards and cruisers, for about five years. Cooked a lot of great meals on that thing. It finally needed a rebuild and the parts are readily available from Magma. At the same time, we had begun to transition back to a land based home. So, on the recommendation of a cruiser friend on a Defever 44, we bought a Weber Q, one with a temp gauge from Lowes, thinking once I'd fixed the Magma, we'd use that at the house. He had his bolted to a piece of starboard thence mounted to a railing. We just put it on the table or the dash of the flying bridge. Fast forward two years; I have still not around to rebuilding the Magma.....

caltexflanc said:

We had a really deluxe Magma two burner job that came with the Hatteras (you can see it hanging on the starboard side of the FB in my avatar). We used it all the time, year around, being full time live aboards and cruisers, for about five years. Cooked a lot of great meals on that thing. It finally needed a rebuild and the parts are readily available from Magma. At the same time, we had begun to transition back to a land based home. So, on the recommendation of a cruiser friend on a Defever 44, we bought a Weber Q, one with a temp gauge from Lowes, thinking once I'd fixed the Magma, we'd use that at the house. He had his bolted to a piece of starboard thence mounted to a railing. We just put it on the table or the dash of the flying bridge. Fast forward two years; I have still not around to rebuilding the Magma.....

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I used a little Weber like that on my last trawler and loved it. That is a great little grill.

psneeld said:

Need to try the newer, redesigned models..... but the old ones were not worth the money in windy areas.

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The new ones are probably much better. The problem is my last one was less than 4 years old.

I was not willing to risk yet another $300 in the off chance they had actually fixed the problem.

I have the Magma Newport and hate it! Difficult to control constant temperature...it drips grease, and often blows out. I paid a fortune for the many (exclusive to Magma) parts needed to connect to a separate propane tank. My first choice is the Weber Q grill; too large for the boat :-( but used daily when rving

ksanders said:

The new ones are probably much better. The problem is my last one was less than 4 years old.

I was not willing to risk yet another $300 in the off chance they had actually fixed the problem.

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Dang...I was planning on blackening sockeye on it next summer.....

I use a Magma Newport Infrared that is 2 or 3 years old. I use the pedestal mount on my swim platform. I have never experienced blow outs or other problems. It is difficult to tell if it is lit by looking at it. You can easily feel the heat coming off of it after hitting the igniter button.

HopCar said:

You guys who don't like Magma grills should know that the Newport, Catalina, and Monteray have all been redesigned. They claim much improved resistance to being blown out in high wind. There are several other improvements as well.

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Hopcar, do you have any idea where one may purchase one of these wonderfully improved grills?

Weber Q 1000 and 1200 Gas Grill | Amazing Ribs

Above is a dissertation on what I have found to be the best, by far, onboard grill ever. I have had a number of on board grills over the years for both my party barge, then a Mainship, now our Present Trawler. Use the search option on here for Pix.
For a table and male rod type stalk to mount your Weber Q 1000 or 1200 contact Marine Liquidators, Fort Pierce and ask for their $60 something fish cleaning table. It is adjustable for leveling. Use 2 (stainless) u bolts to go over the Grills legs to mount it to the fish cleaning table. Stuff the stalk into a rod holder, level it then cook. Cooks good, resistant to wind, is not dangerous hot outside like a Magma, nor absurdly priced.

I had several, they both sucked. Regulators failed often, finish turned black and would not clean up even with their $18 a bottle special cleaner. Never again

Here ya go.....

.


Here is my outdoor cooking arrangement. The burner throws out a lot of heat for WOC, stockpot or big fry pan.

HopCar said:

You guys who don't like Magma grills should know that the Newport, Catalina, and Monterey have all been redesigned. They claim much improved resistance to being blown out in high wind. There are several other improvements as well.

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As I posted earlier, I have a new Monterey model. I have gone over the design features with a fine tooth comb (as have my fellow ship mates) and we are amazed at the attention to detail of the grille. (ie The folding legs, the balance of the grille hood, the see through window, the electronic igniter, the angle of the housing to the drip pan, the ease of hooking up the regulator & propane bottle, the various methods of mounting and the associated hardware, etc. It's been many years since I last had a Magma (it was round and I hated it!) but this new infra red Monterey is, IMO, absolutely fantastic!

Admiral and I jaunted into a relatively NEW West Marine location (In Marin City mall... next to Sausalito CA) yesterday. We purchased extendable boat hook (20% off retail sale price); for her assistance when we dock at our covered slip in SF Delta. This WM Store has been greatly improved from its previous nearby location and immediate personal assistance was appreciated.

So... by going to the BBQ isle... I got to chatting with marine-knowledge filled "Kevin" of WM about Magma BBQ grills and the horror stories in this thread. I learned the reason I enjoy ours so much is that its being seven years old means it was manufactured before Magma changed design. He readily agreed that the new ones blow out in even just breezes. Additionally, he has too often heard of many troubles with the radiant heat feature and that that feature seems to may be reason for flame blowing out too readily. Radiant heat "shields" can be simply removed and the Magma grills should work amply well - just like my seven year old one.

I place corrugated, top-ridge perforated, throw away "grill pads" over the grill racks on ours (often found in grocery stores - they're a bit thicker than hd aluminum foil). These catch 95% of the drippings. To further reduce drippings as well as BBQ cook-time we often pre heat our meats of any type in microwave. Speeds cooking up, greatly reduces grease on grill and keeps same BBQ taste via applications of brushed-on sauces while grilling.

I thank all who offered alternative grill brands. May try one when our Magma gives up the ghost. To date it's still cooking well!