No two outdoor activities are better combined than grilling and boating – it’s a fantasy to the senses. Imagine feeling the warmth of the sun, hearing the gentle sound of the water crashing against the sides of the boat, and smelling a great piece of steak getting cooked. That’s the dream. However, it’s not as simple as bringing your home grill aboard a boat. There are grills specifically designed to be used on boats, and when it comes to the best boat grills, nothing can beat Magma boat grills.
About The Magma Brand
Companies are best when they are created by people who love what they’re doing and brothers Jim and Jerry Mashburn loved grilling and boating. The two Californian sailors found that using simple porcelain metal grills on boats simply did not do the trick. Understanding that the harsh conditions of the sea required creating a grill with a build quality that could handle it, the brothers used marine grade stainless steel and the Magma boat grills were born.
While the brand is most popularly known for their grills, they have also expanded Magma products to include other cookware, tables, and kayak racks. They are seen as a company that provides solutions for adventurers and sailors alike.
Top Magma Boat Grills
It should come as no surprise that Magma offers several top-of-the-line, heavy duty equipment specifically designed for boats since the founders were avid boaters themselves. While they offer a wide array of products ranging from cookware, kayak racks, tables, and accessories specifically designed for adventure and sailing, they also offer a great selection of grills designed for people who love grilling and sailing at the same time. Here are some of the top Magma products.
Magma Marine Kettle Grills
When it comes to grilling, nothing is more American than the kettle grill. Fortunately, Magma has developed several kettle grills specifically to be used for boats. On their website, the brand offers six different variants of their kettle grill, each with a different fuel source (either gas or charcoal) and cooking grate size (13 or 15 inches). A couple of them also come as combination stoves and gas grills.
The Magma marine kettle grills are specifically designed to be on boats. They are fitted with a balanced hinged lid that serves a couple of purposes. Firstly, the design of the lids make it so that they don’t slam shut. Secondly, they also serve as windshields that will help keep the food cooking when the conditions get a little gusty. The wind won’t be too much of a problem as these grills also come with reliable electric ignition systems.
These kettle grills come with a radiant burner plate and a dome heat distribution system that the company claims to cook food evenly and perfectly. The design avoids any specific hotspots which will eventually prolong its lifespan as well. This design comes straight from the company’s patented kettle design.
The Magma marine kettle grills are created with boating in mind as they are built with 18-8 marine grade stainless steel which means they will withstand the harsh conditions of a salty atmosphere and avoid corrosion. Along the body of the kettle grill design, numerous mounting options are available so that you have options depending on where you decide to mount the grill.
Magma Marine Connoisseur Series
The Magma marine connoisseur series includes both the Trailmate Gas Grill and the Chefsmate Gas Grill, with the primary difference between the two being the size of the grilling area – the Trailmate Gas Grill has a 9×12 inch cooking area while the Chefsmate Gas Grill has a 9×18 inch cooking area.
Both Trailmate and Chefsmate run on gas and the grills come with a turbo burner design which premixes air and fuel for a consistently hot blue flame.
Unlike the kettle grills, the marine connoisseur series come as rectangular grills with a smooth edged design, a full length stainless steel handle, an inner lined safety shell, a lockable balanced lid, and a locking front access grease tray.
The inner lined safety shell makes sure to reduce flare-ups and heat discoloration when grilling. It also helps funnel grease into the front access grease tray.
The Magma Marine connoisseur series also come with a wide array of mounting options, but they are also equipped with fold-away legs that give grills of this series a go-anywhere capability. This means that this grill can be used both onboard and offshore.
The marine connoisseur series also come in 18-8 marine grade stainless steel to be able to withstand the harsh conditions of a salty atmosphere and avoid corrosion.
Magma Adventurer Marine Series
The Magma Adventurer marine series is another rectangular grill series that boasts a lockable lid, sectional grill grates, locking slide grease tray, quick-release radiant plate, and a turbo burner design.
The Adventurer marine series comes with three options: the Rio Gas Grill, the Cabo Gas Grill, and the Cabo Charcoal. The Rio grills come with a 9×12 inch cooking area while the Cabo grills come with a 9×18 inch cooking area.
The Cabo Charcoal, which runs on charcoal instead of gas, has a lockable lid, dual draft door assembly, convenient lower charcoal grill, and sealed grill body.
Lockable lids are great for boat grilling since they don’t slam shut and they secure all the inner components during transport.
Sectional grill grates are especially advantageous to have since they are easy to clean since they fit nicely in both sinks and dishwashers. The locking grease tray is also flexible in a sense that it can be mounted on either side of the rectangular grill. The quick-release radiant plates are also easy to remove for cleanup.
The Rio Gas Grill and the Cabo Gas Grill comes with a turbo burner design that premixes air and fuel for a consistently hot blue flame.
While the Adventurer marine series grills come with a wide selection of mounting options so that they can be mounted on different surfaces, they also come with fold away legs for perfect grilling everywhere.
Magma Marine Classic Gourmet Series II
The Magma marine classic gourmet series II come with three options: the A10-918-2 that comes with a 9-18 inch cooking area, the A10-1218-2 that comes with a 12×18 inch cooking area and a 5.5×18 inch secondary cooking area, and the A10-1225-2 that comes with a 12×24 inch cooking area and a 5.5×18 inch secondary cooking area.
This series comes with a wide array of features that make them perfect for boat grilling. The A10-918-2 comes with a stainless steel hermetically sealed thermometer, redesigned combustion system, dependable electronic ignition, dual element infrared radiant plate, inner lined safety shell, smooth edged design, full length stainless steel handle, and a lockable balanced lid.
On the other hand, both A10-1218-2 and A10-1225-2 have the same features but they also come with a warming rack/secondary grilling area.
A secondary grill located above the primary grill is the perfect place for slow grilling or warming food of any size. So while the meat is grilling on the primary cooking area, you can cook corn or mushrooms above at the same time.
Improving their combustion system from the gourmet series I, the redesigned combustion system makes sure that these grills will not blow out.
The stainless steel radiant plate helps this series of grills maximize fuel efficiency while maintaining evenly distributed heat across the cooking area.
Just like the other grills, the Magma marine classic gourmet series II comes with a wide selection of mounting options, but they also have fold-away legs for portability. Most of their stainless steel grills also come with a swiveling control valve that allows quick and safe canister exchanges.
Choosing Your Boat Grill
Before you get yourself a stainless steel grill for a great cooking experience, there are some things you have to consider to get the best boat grill for you and your boat.
Mounting Options
One of the first things to consider when getting a boat grill is to decide where you will place the grill. As a sailor, you should understand that space economy in boats is crucial since they don’t have that much space. Will you dedicate a place to mount a boat grill? If you will mount the grill, where will you mount it to? Will you get a grill that can be simply placed on top of a table? These are just a few questions you have to ask yourself.
Size
Boat grills come in all shapes and sizes, and this is important because you can’t get a grill that will end up being too big for the boat. A factor to consider when choosing the size of grill to get is to think how much food you’ll be realistically cooking.
Fuel
Boat grills can either use charcoal or gas. You should decide which type you’d rather have. You should also consider the fuel efficiency of the grill because you will be bringing a limited amount of fuel onboard for the grill. It would be too inconvenient to have to keep going back to shore just to restock on grill fuel. It would also be too cumbersome to bring too much fuel onboard.
Build Quality
There’s a reason why boat grills have to be made with marine grade stainless steel. The salt content in the air near the sea is so high and it promotes corrosion and rust. Aside from the material of the grill, they also have to be built pretty strong and heavy duty since grilling on a boat is not the same as grilling in your backyard. A big difference is that your backyard doesn’t move. Constant motion from the waves will exert forces on the stainless steel grill that might eventually wear them down.
Wind Conditions and Resistance
Grilling in the sea will prove difficult in tough and unexpected wind conditions. This is why boat grills require some sort of wind resistance in their design. Make sure to get a boat grill with windshielding in mind to make the grilling experience better.
Conclusion
The Magma brand has become more than just about selling grills as they are essentially selling a lifestyle – the life of having the luxury of grilling delicious food while on a boat. They offer a great selection of heavy duty stainless steel grills for everyone to choose from and their boat grill range are specifically designed with boating in mind. To get the perfect boat grill for you, there are some things to consider. Hopefully, you are equipped with the necessary information to help you make a decision.
