Best known in the UK for its heating and cooling/ventilation appliances, Dimplex is now hoping to branch out onto our ‘balconies, patios and modern outdoor spaces’, with an advanced new range of BBQs.
In truth, its Crossray electric BBQs have been winning plaudits in Australia for several years (Dimplex bought the brand in 2021). That’s no small feat, given how obsessed our friends down under are with outdoor cooking down. Having seen the BBQs in action at their recent London launch, I think Dimplex are onto something with these.
The mainstay of the range is the Crossray Electric BBQ. This (currently) £399.99 model offers fast, gas-comparable cooking performance with a generous cooking area of 2772cm2. Buried under its tray are a pair of 1100w infrared elements, angled (hence ‘Crossray’) towards the cooking area on the plates and rack. Infrared heaters heat objects rather than air, so they focus all their energy on what’s being cooked, rather than just inefficiently heating the air. Needless to say, using an Electric BBQ means you’ll also get a much more consistent, less messy cooking experience than you’d get with a charcoal-powered type.
Capable of exceeding 400 degrees centigrade – the sort of temperatures you’d get from a conventional gas grill – the Crossray Electric offers the prospect of even cooking without flare-ups, plus a design that features an integrated digital temperature control and programmable display. A meat probe is supplied as standard, and there’s an optional rotisserie accessory, claimed to be unique for electric BBQs.
Hard on the electric BBQ’s heels will be a £799 gas-powered version, set to arrive later this Autumn. This features four high-intensity infrared burners, double the cooking area, a rotisserie kit as standard, as well as a set of free tools. To house both the electric and gas BBQs, Dimplex is also set to expand their accessory line-up with a range of matching, modular, outdoor kitchen units, with prices starting at around £1499.
Whether the Crossray BBQs can fully match up to gas and charcoal BBQs remains to be seen – I’ll be testing one in the near future. But for now, you can check out more details at the link below:
