Brinkmann - Electric Converter (812-3323-0) Review

I used the Brinkmann Electric Converter to convert a Weber One-Touch Silver 22 1/2" Charcoal grill into an awesome electric BBQ grill.I had a Masterbuilt Electric Veranda Model pedestal grill with a 1650 Watt variable output electric heating element, but with only 200 square inches of heating surface it was limited to cooking for about 2 to 3 people.I needed something bigger for when guests stop over for free food.The Weber is about 380 square inches, so I almost doubled my cooking surface!(Area = 3.14 X Radius X Radius).

Since the Weber One-Touch Silver 22 1/2" Charcoal grill is one of the most popular grills in the USA, I got one for $89 at a local hardware store.The Brinkmann Electric Converter through Amazon was less than $50 with shipping.I also picked up a cheap temperature gauge for about $10 at the hardware store that reads up to 750 degrees Farenheit.

The conversion was pretty straight-forward.I sat the Brinkmann element on the lower grill where the charcoal is normally located.Then I marked the area where the electric cord needs to come out of the grill.I used a cutting wheel attachment on an electric drill to buzz off some of the lower grill where the cord needs to come through.Then I used a 3/4" unibit to blast 3 holes through the bottom basin of the grill, and connected the holes together by using a 3/8" drill bit to buzz around the holes, kind of like an end-mill.(A 1" hole saw would have probably worked just as well, but I couldn't find one in my garage.)So once the hole was made, I simply sat the electric element in place, with the electrical cord coming out the back-bottom of the grill.I also hacked a couple inches off one of the charcoal scraper louvers so that it wouldn't bang on the electric cord.

I used a couple feet of aluminum foil to wrap around the rubberized insulation where the electric cord enters the bottom of the element, and held it together with some heat resistant tape. Then after setting the element in place I used some more heat resistant tape to seal the hole on the bottom basin of the grill, where the electric cord comes out.I used some cheap black spray paint from the dollar store to paint over the silver tape and some tool marks I had made.After drilling a small hole in the grill's lid for the temperature gage, I locked the gage in place with another small piece of heat resistant tape.Done.

The element cord will probably need an extension so that you can place the grill where you need it.I bought a 9' extension cord normally used for large appliances, such as a refrigerator.The AWG is 14, don't use 12 AWG as it will get warm to the touch when running this element, and the appliance extension cord does not get get warm at all.

The empty grill goes from 75 deg F to 350 deg F in 10 minutes flat.It doesn't seem to matter whether the lower charcoal scraper louvers are open or shut.I leave them open so that grease can drip down through the louvers into the pan that normally catches charcoal dust.After taking the lid off the grill to flip your steaks or whatever, the recovery time back up to 350 deg F is about 5 minutes.If the temperature gets too high for you, just open the vent on the lid and the temperature will drop about 5 degrees per minute.Close the vent when you get to where you want to be again.

This grill conversion tends to hold at about 350 deg F no matter how much or how little food is being cooked.It is so simple to operate that you can walk away from it for periods of ten to fifteen minutes without having to worry about it going past 400 degrees.It is perhaps the best BBQ grill I have ever seen, considering the ease of use and lack of filthiness associated with charcoal.Plus it doen't dry out meat the way a gas flame does, and the temperature is a very consistant 350 degrees (+- 25), perfect for cooking almost anything.

My Masterbuilt Electric Veranda was okay, but for a relatively small cooking surface I think the electric element was slightly oversized, and even though I got used to tweaking the temperature setting for the element, I still found the unit bursting into flames when least expected.This Brinkmann-Weber conversion is simple and reliable, allowing me to pinpoint cooking times within ten minutes.Try that with charcoal!All you need are a few tools, a couple of hours, a little ingenuity, and you will have the best grill on the block.

Hope this helps.

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Product Description:

1500-watt electric heating element converts Brinkmann, CookN Cajun and Mr. Meat Smoker charcoal smokers with an open bottom into an electric unit
UL listed electric element

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