Wood-fire cooking: Equipment and tools: Difference between revisions
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Revision as of 14:56, 22 September 2025
Humans have cooked with wood fire since the dawn of human history. This ancient technique unlocks amazing flavors in food and connects us to nature, culture, and history. We take the time to understand fire and learn to work with this natural force. My journey with wood-fire cooking enabled me to eat tastier and healthier food, and learn more about myself and life. Best of all, it is not difficult to start and get delightful results - with the right approach.
We developed a new way of cooking with wood fire using a BBQ with a lid. The advantages are:
- This BBQ is sold in a standard kit and is easy to assemble.
- It fits in most gardens and open patios, even small ones.
- It is ideal for our style of wood-fire cooking which uses heavily the BBQ lid and indirect heat.
In this chapter, we describe all the equipment and tools needed to cook Fivemile Hill wood-fire cuisine. We also explain how to maintain and clean them.
BBQ requirements
Our Fivemile Hill style of wood-fire cooking requires a BBQ with the following features:
The adjustable lid lets us control air flow which controls heat. Often, we put the lid over the BBQ while food is cooking (like an oven). Sometimes, we grill without the lid.
The thermometer lets us monitor the temperature in the BBQ when it is covered by the lid, while food is cooking. Controlling cooking temperature is essential to create delicious food (not over/under cooked).
We use wood and charcoal. Therefore the heat generated will be much higher than the heat of BBQ using only charcoal. This is because wood generates more heat than charcoal, especially when starting the fire. We use wood to impart unique and delicious flavors to our food.
The purpose of a bottom air damper is to let fresh air come from the bottom to keep the fire going. This is necessary when cooking with the lid covering the BBQ.
Recommended Weber BBQ model
We have been practicing and experimenting with wood-fire cooking since 2018. In the process, we have tried (and ruined) a number of different BBQs. There is only one commercially available BBQ that meets all the above criteria for our Fivemile Hill style of wood-fire cooking.
The Weber Performer Premium Charcoal 22-inch grill (Amazon link here)
Parts of this Weber BBQ (see photo above)
- Thermometer measuring the air temperature in BBQ area covered by the lid.
- Rotating air damper on the lid.
- Removable lid.
- Rotating lever to open/close the bottom air damper and to sweep ashes into the ash container.
- Removable ash container.
At the time of writing, this BBQ costs about $550. This model stands out because:
- It has survived 5+ years of almost daily wood-fire cooking.
- It is easy to buy and replace its parts.
- The lid can be placed in any position and can be completely removed.
- The lid has a well-placed built-in mechanical thermometer of good quality.
BBQ models to avoid
Avoid the following Weber BBQ models
Avoid Weber models with a built-in propane charcoal lighter called "Weber Performer Deluxe Charcoal Grill with Touch-N-Go Gas Ignition System" (example). The built-in charcoal lighter does NOT survive the heat of wood fire for long (we have tried).
Avoid Weber models without a closed ash container at the bottom (example). An open ash container is too small for wood-fire cooking because wood creates more ash than charcoal. This is a recipe for spilling hot wood embers and starting a fire outside the BBQ!
Avoid Weber models without a table (example). The table is indispensable for keeping ingredients, containers, and grilling utensils at hand.
Avoid luxury Weber charcoal grills (example). Their lid is hinged and cannot be fully removed or placed partially over the grill, which is indispensable for our style of wood-fire cooking.
Other types of BBQs that will not work
Other brands (not Weber) of BBQs sold at Costco, Home Depot, Lowes, Walmart, Target, or similar stores. Real wood fire will literally melt the metal of these grills (we have tried)!
Ceramic egg grills (example). Their lid is hinged and cannot be fully removed or placed partially over the grill, which is indispensable for our style of wood-fire cooking. Furthermore, ceramic grills can crack with a hot wood fire and their warranty usually excludes wood-fire damage.
Any BBQ model using pellets (example), fireboxes, smokers, etc. These do not work with our style of wood-fire cooking.
Remember that the BBQ is a tool, not a status symbol. It is meant to get dirty and beaten up. The goal is to create amazing food with delightful flavors, not to have an impressive-looking grill. Spend that extra money on great ingredients, travels, or a fine German automobile.
Must-have BBQ accessories
Our Fivemile Hill style of wood-fire cooking requires the following accessories. They are used in virtually all recipes.
These are special heat-resistant bricks used in fireplaces or pizza ovens. We only use the type that is non-toxic and food-safe. We use them to keep the wood and charcoal on one side of the grill.
These tools are made from high-quality stainless steel and are long enough to let us handle food on the BBQ without burning ourselves.
We need 2 sets:
- 1 set for cooking/handling food (that must be cleaned after each use)
- 1 set for handling grill grates, wood, charcoals (no cleaning needed, they will get very dirty)
Use only bristle-free models. Avoid wire brushes with bristles because bristles can detach and get into food.
We need a thermometer that can tolerate high heat. Avoid anything wireless, the probes will burn! We have used the thermometer above extensively and its probe has survived for years, longer than any other thermometer we tried.
Avoid matches and regular (short) lighters which are less safe to handle. Long-necked lighters are sold at Costco and Amazon.
An indispensable backup to safely light a fire in some conditions (e.g. damp wood). Wagner is the market leader with the best quality product. Do not bother with any other brands or models.
Highly recommended BBQ accessories
With the high heat of wood fire, the standard steel grill grate that comes with the recommended Weber BBQ, as well as the fire grate below, will eventually come apart. Fortunately, it is easy to find and purchase grill grates of the same size made of high-grade stainless steel. These grill grates are significantly more durable and heat-resistant. In our experience, they are impossible to destroy with wood fire and are also much easier to clean because they don't rust.
This grill grate made of 304-grade stainless steel replaces the standard Weber grill grate (size: 22 inches).
This fire grate made of 304-grade stainless steel replaces the standard Weber fire grate (size: 17 inches).
Grades of stainless steel
Stainless steel (also known as Inox) refers to steel types that are corrosion-resistant. They are alloys of iron with added chromium and other elements to give them superior rust resistance, heat resistance, etc. They are more expensive than plain steel, sometimes substantially so. There are hundreds of different grades of stainless steel for different applications (see this link if interested).
The most common grade of stainless steel is called 304. This alloy can tolerate heat up to 1,600°F, has high strength, is relatively economical, and can still be welded and cut by standard machinery. It is a great choice for grates (and other tools) used for wood-fire cooking. Other common stainless steel grades are 316 (high resistance to salt corrosion, used in coastal environments) and 302 (used extensively in commercial food equipment).
Buy only BBQ stainless-steel grates for which the specific grade of stainless steel (304) is specified. If something is simply labeled "stainless steel", it could be almost anything and is therefore meaningless. A manufacturer who uses quality stainless-steel to make quality products will not hide the grade of stainless steel, they will show it to differentiate their products.
Recommended Weber BBQ: Overview and maintenance
1: Thermometer measuring the air temperature in BBQ area covered by the lid.
2: Rotating air damper on the lid.
3: Removable lid.
4: Rotating lever to open/close the bottom air damper and to sweep ashes into the ash container.
5: Removable ash container.
Maintenance: Replacing the air dampers
In our experience, the disk of the air damper on the lid and the vanes of the bottom air damper will need to be replaced after a while. We cook over wood fire multiple times a week and each set usually lasts 1 year. Fortunately, it is easy to find and buy these parts, and replacing them only takes a few minutes.
