BeefEater assembly
The half grill, half hotplate is not a style choice. It is how the heat gets out.
BeefEater approve a maximum of 50 percent plate across the cooking surface, and tell you not to replace the grill with another plate. People do it anyway, because they want more griddle. The open grill is the vent.
A well-built barbecue with two rules people break immediately
BeefEater make a genuinely good barbecue. Porcelain-enamelled cast iron cooktops, seam-welded burner boxes, quartz ignition, flame failure protection on the Signature range that shuts the gas off to a burner if the flame goes out, and warranties running to twenty five years. Owners praise the heat output and the evenness. Reviews are consistent that the build is solid and the assembly is fiddly.
What almost nobody knows is that two of the most common things owners do to a BeefEater are things BeefEater specifically tell you not to do, and both of them are about heat having nowhere to go.
The first is swapping the open grill for a second solid hotplate. The second is turning all the burners up.
The job
Reviewers consistently flag the assembly as the weak point of an otherwise strong product.
| Model | Time | People |
|---|---|---|
| Freestanding trolley modelReviewers report the assembly as genuinely challenging. | 2 to 3 hours | 2 |
| Built-in, into an existing cavityPlus venting. Plus a gas connection. | half a day | 2 |
| LPG connection3/8 SAE male flare. Spanner tight, not over-tight. Then soap-test it. | 30 minutes | 1 |
| Natural gas connectionHard-plumbed, with a shut-off valve within easy reach. | a gas fitter | licensed |
| Adding a side burnerTwo spanners on the gas connections. Then soap-test again. | 30 minutes | 1 |
BeefEater sell spare parts readily through their own shop and specialist retailers, which is more than several brands on this site manage.
The two rules, and the ones around them
Maximum 50 percent hotplate. Do not swap the grill for a second plate.
Straight from the manual, and it is the most useful thing on this page. BeefEater’s 2, 3 and 4 burner barbecues ship with half plate and half grill, and are approved for a MAXIMUM of 50 percent plate across the whole cooking area. Replacing the open grill with another solid plate will cause severe heat problems. The open grill section is not just for grilling. It is how heat escapes the cook box. Seal the whole surface over and the heat has nowhere to go but into the barbecue.
Do not run more than two burners on high at once
On a barbecue that may have five of them. BeefEater state it plainly: do not use more than two burners on high at any one time, because it can damage the barbecue and the roasting hood, which retains a very great deal of heat. It is a strange instruction until you understand the first one, and then it is the same instruction. This thing makes more heat than it can shed.
Open the hood before you light it
BeefEater are explicit and the reason is obvious once said: if you light it with the hood down, gas can build up inside the hood first. Open the hood, then light. And if a burner will not light, try two or three times and then STOP and call the retailer rather than persisting.
Acid attacks the enamel, and it does it immediately
The porcelain enamel cast iron is one of the toughest coatings available and it has one weakness. BeefEater warn that food acids, marinades, juices and sauces will slowly attack the surface if they are not removed immediately after cooking. Clean it after each cook, dry it straight away, and coat it with cooking oil between sessions. And never put the grills in a dishwasher.
Do not cover a salty or wet barbecue
A subtle one. BeefEater tell you to cover the barbecue when not in use, and then tell you that near salt air you should wash, rinse and DRY it before covering, because covering a salt-sprayed barbecue traps the salt against the steel. An owner of a built-in 3000E found rust developing on the stainless underneath despite it being covered the whole time. A cover on a wet barbecue is a worse outcome than no cover at all.
Built-in models need a vent, and it is a specified size
If it is going into an enclosure, BeefEater require ventilation of not less than 700mm by 25mm, to let air in for correct combustion and to exhaust the products of it. As with any built-in gas appliance, the cavity has to be built to the manual, and the manual has to be read before the cavity is built.
Before it goes in
If it is built-in, get the manual to whoever is building the cavity, and get the vent size right.
Sort the gas: LPG with a regulator, or natural gas hard-plumbed by a licensed fitter with an accessible shut-off valve.
And when you buy accessories, resist the second hotplate. It is the most tempting upgrade BeefEater sell you the parts to make, and their own manual tells you not to.
Where an installer helps
The assembly is the one thing reviewers consistently criticise on an otherwise very well-regarded barbecue. It is not dangerous, it is just tedious and fiddly, and it takes two people longer than you expect.
The gas connection is worth doing properly, and soap-testing properly, whichever fuel you are on.
And somebody who has done this before will tell you the two rules on this page before you break them, which is worth more than the assembly.
What an installer does
- Assembles the barbecue and trolley, which is the part reviewers find hardest.
- Connects LPG or coordinates a licensed fitter for natural gas, with an accessible shut-off valve.
- Leak-tests every joint with soapy water and checks for a clear blue flame with a tip of yellow.
- Confirms a built-in cavity has the correct vent area before the barbecue goes into it.
- Fits the side burner, if you have one, and tests it separately.
- Tells you about the 50 percent hotplate limit and the two-burner rule, before you find out the hard way.
Get it built by someone who has built one before.
Tell us your ZIP and what you bought. Installers near you will quote you directly, and you deal with them, not with us.
Questions people ask
Can I replace the grill with a second hotplate?
BeefEater say no, and it is the most important thing in their manual. Their 2, 3 and 4 burner barbecues are approved for a maximum of 50 percent plate across the cooking area, and replacing the open grill with another plate causes severe heat problems. The open grill is how heat leaves the cook box.
Why does the manual say not to use more than two burners on high?
Because the roasting hood retains an enormous amount of heat, and BeefEater warn that running more than two burners on high at once can damage the barbecue and the hood. It is the same problem as the hotplate rule: this barbecue can generate more heat than it can shed.
Do I need to open the hood before lighting it?
Yes. Gas can accumulate inside a closed hood before ignition. Open it, then light. If a burner refuses to light after two or three attempts, stop and contact your retailer rather than continuing to try.
How do I look after the enamel cooktop?
Clean it after every cook, because food acids in marinades, juices and sauces begin attacking the enamel if they are left on. Wash gently, dry immediately, and coat the surface with a light layer of cooking oil between sessions. Never put the grills through a dishwasher.
Should I keep it covered?
Yes, but only when it is clean and dry. BeefEater specifically warn that in salty or coastal air you must wash, rinse and dry the barbecue before covering it, because a cover over a salt-sprayed or damp barbecue holds the moisture against the steel and accelerates the rust it was meant to prevent.
Installers.org is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by BeefEater. BeefEater is a trademark of its owner, referred to here only to describe the assembly and installation services that independent installers on this directory provide. Gas work should be carried out by appropriately licensed trades in your jurisdiction.