Leave it to the Canadians to come up with a tool that allows you to cook up some back bacon and maple syrup pancakes in the middle of nowhere. The WG Grill from newcomer Wolf and Grizzly collapses down smaller than a water bottle and sets up within seconds, enabling gourmet cooking off the grid.
Wolf and Grizzly was founded by former BlackBerry product manager George Rizkalla. Fed up with designing keyboards on the notoriously market share losing device, he left to start his own design company to focus on products he was a little more passionate about — gear that is strong enough for the outdoors yet sophisticated enough for the city. The WG Grill is the first product for the new firm.
The compact, collapsible grill is made from stainless steel so is not only strong enough for any backcountry adventure but also looks hip enough for that urban rooftop party. And the stainless steel design makes for a great even cooking surface, much you like you find in your pans at home.
The grill weighs around 1 kilo or just over 2 pounds and collapses down to the size of a water bottle. The grill consists of two parts — the base that you spread open and a cooking surface that you unroll and secure in place via corner cables. There’s a swiveling stability rod under the grill surface that locks it in position for added weight support, and to ensure that your food is always secure, even with minor bumps as you add more fuel to your fire. When you’re done, everything collapses back into its own carrying case.
The height of the base is adjustable so you can set it up to the desired level above the flame or coals — you can configure it in 8-inch (good for open fire), 6-inch (good for coals), and stay flat mode. The WG Grill will support weight of up to 35 pounds — that’s a lot of burgers.
When you get home, both the grill surface and frame can be cleaned by soaking them in hot water and then wiping them with a wet cloth. The grill tops can also be thrown in the dishwasher if it’s super gunky. Wolf and Grizzly threw in a drying cloth so that you can wipe down the grill at your campsite, before wrapping it around the frame and stowing it away in its case.
For around $67, you can pre-order your own WG Grill from the Wolf and Grizzly Kickstarter campaign. Expected delivery is in September so you know it’s more than just a prototype.