About the Cobb Premier range
The Cobb BBQ system is an innovative portable outdoor cooking system that is much more than just a portable grill. Through it’s wide range of accessories the Cobb gives you the ability to cook almost any dish you can imagine right there at your campsite or outside your RV.
We recently tested the Cobb Gas BBQ which is a newer model in the range of Cobb Premier grills that runs on propane gas instead of charcoal. Cobb is a trusted brand for portable charcoal grills, and now is spreading its wings taking all the design innovation from its hugely successful tried and tested range and adapting it to run on gas.
In this article we will review our first impressions of the Cobb Gas grill and compare it to our many experiences cooking on the charcoal edition and help you decide if the Cobb Gas grill is worth buying.
Cooking on gas
Many barbecue purists would argue against using gas. Many people steer clear of using propane gas grills as they love the authentic smokey flavour that only comes from charcoal.
There are many reasons why some people opt for using a propane gas grill over traditional charcoal. Ease of use, cleanliness and overall convenience being some of them. Another reason is when you are camping in areas where forest fires are a commonplace hazard. Countries such as Spain regulate very heavily lighting of fires and use of charcoal burning barbecues on campsites. During the summer months it can be increasingly more cumbersome to deal with the bureaucracy surrounding cooking at campsites with charcoal. So an easy alternative in this case is to switch to propane gas powered grills.
We’ve been cooking on the Cobb Premier grill for many years when camping. We love the versatility and range of dishes that it can make, so when looking at gas alternatives for camping we thought we would see if the Cobb BBQ gas grill still gave us the same performance and versatility as it’s charcoal cousin.
Out of the box
At first glance the Cobb Gas BBQ looks very similar to it’s charcoal predecessors. The familiar meshed base and stainless steel dome lid have all the characteristics of classic Cobb. If it wasn’t for the plastic gas regulator box that juts out from the side you would be forgiven for thinking this was just another regular model.
The control box that is attached to the side of the main base unit has a piezo style ignition button with a regulator knob to control the flow of gas. You can fine tune the flow of gas to suit your needs, and there are markers printed around the knob to show maximum and minimum settings.
On the side of the box is a standard attachment for screwing in regular butane gas canisters. Butane canisters are attached at a slight angle and remain suspended in the air. There is a canister support brace available but this isn’t really necessary with the weight of a standard 500g canister. The angled design makes attaching the canister easier and improves the performance of the flow of gas.
A look inside the Cobb Gas BBQ
Things get more interesting when we take the lid off the Cobb and see what’s inside. The basics are there, we have an inner bowl suspended inside the main base unit with rubber tacks. This provides the Cobb Gas grill with the same design features that keep the outer of the base cool to the touch when cooking. The new inner bowl still serves as a drip catcher well but the inside of the bowl is hollowed out. The hole in the inner bowl sits neatly over the gas cooking outlet which rises through it.
The gas fittings on the Cobb are all permanently attached to the outer base unit, meaning the inner bowl can still be removed and washed separately. Apart from the base unit, all other parts of the Cobb can be safely washed in a dishwasher.
Cobb have done an excellent job in creating a gas powered version of their flagship grill without sacrificing the unique design principles that make the Cobb so versatile and innovative.
Accessories
The Cobb Gas edition is built to the same dimensions as the classic charcoal range. This was a very important design choice as it means the huge range of accessories available for the Cobb range are interchangeable between the charcoal and gas versions of the grill. Accessories such as the frying pan, griddle, wok and roasting rack will fit on the gas edition in the exact same way as the traditional Cobb. This is great news if you already own the charcoal version of the Cobb as you will not need to spend extra on your favorite accessories.
Non stick dry pan 
Stainless steel roast rack
This is another example of Cobb keeping their flagship brand and only tweaking the design where needed to accommodate the gas heat source. The formula that has made Cobb so popular over the years is unchanged moving into this new territory of gas powered grills.
Cooking on the Cobb Gas BBQ
Our experience cooking on the gas edition has been surprisingly positive. The main challenge is getting used to temperature control, especially when roasting. Those familiar with the charcoal Cobb BBQ know that temperature control is obtained by adding or subtracting the amount of briquettes used in a cook. The gas edition gives a lot more finite control over temperature control, but it takes a little while to get used to which settings provide the optimum temperature for your cook. We found on the highest setting the Cobb Gas BBQ produces a lot of heat, easily enough for flash grilling steaks. Most dishes that we tried required the gas regulated between medium and low.
One huge benefit of the Cobb Gas grill compared to its charcoal counterpart is ramp up time. While cooking on charcoal has a certain romantic and authentic feel to it, waiting fifteen minutes for charcoals to get to cooking temperature can be irritating. When small children are hungry on a campsite it’s no fun to sit and hear them complaining while you wait for that familiar grey colour to take hold on your coals. The Cobb Gas grill is ready to cook on within a minute or less from lighting.
The convenience of being able to light the Cobb at a moments notice and shut down the heat just as quickly makes it super convenient. It’s ideal for a family camping situation where you may need to prepare several dishes quickly.
Check out this video on YouTube to see the Cobb Gas BBQ in action cooking a beef curry on a campsite!
Economical
One factor that concerns a lot of people is the economical impact of owning a gas powered grill. A standard 500g propane canister can cost around 6 euros and a bag of decent briquettes slightly cheaper. Our fears have been set aside, so far we have found the Cobb Gas edition to be extremely economical.
Having the ability to turn on and off the heat rather than lighting coals and leaving them to burn down long after cooking makes gas much more economical on fuel consumption. We found that for most dishes the optimal setting for achieving a good cooking temperature was between low and medium, meaning gas consumption is negligible compared with the cost of charcoal briquettes.
We don’t have science or figures to give accurate comparisons but our first 500g canister lasted for four camping trips over 6 nights camping. Overall we were very impressed by the gas consumption of this grill.
Clean
One notable benefit we have noticed cooking on gas is that the whole process is cleaner. No matter how hard you try with charcoal it seems to find its way everywhere from the back of your car, to your hands and clothes. Not to mention the state of the Cobb after a few nights of camping.
While fat will still build up in the drip well of the inner bowl, it’s not tainted by charcoal and smoke. The inside of the dome lid is much easier to clean without a layer of thick black soot and storing the Cobb BBQ after cooking doesn’t require disposing of dirty coal ashes. This is something to consider if you are using a Cobb for things like picnics or RV camping where disposing of hot coals and ashes is a problem.
Most components of the Cobb Gas BBQ can simply be washed in the dishwasher. Unlike the charcoal version which loses its shiny colour in a matter of days, the gas edition still comes out shiny and almost new. Overall we really don’t miss the dirt and soot that comes with charcoal cooking.
Conclusion
If you’ve been reluctant to try a gas powered grill but looking for something that ticks all the boxes in terms of functionality and performance and still delivers great flavour, then you should seriously check out this grill. If you do a lot of small family camping and love to cook exciting dishes but don’t want the hassle of charcoal, then this Cobb is also for you. The convenience and versatility of the Cobb Gas BBQ without the complication and mess of charcoal are a breath of fresh air.
The Cobb Gas BBQ should be a welcome addition to your camping or glamping gear. The Cobb Gas edition is available throughout Europe. If you are in the UK you can buy direct from Cobb UK. Alternatively it is also available in Germany and Spain.
If you want to check out the original charcoal version of the Cobb Premier, this is the best deal we’ve found on Amazon.
Have you bought a Cobb Gas BBQ? We’d love to know your experiences, please comment below and tell us what you think.