ModernGear Men: Help Dad be a God of Grilling

He can call it a BBQ, a barbie, a cookout or a grill, and use it as a verb or a noun. But no matter what his choice of nomenclature, if your Dad's idea of barbecuing is donning his "Kiss the Chef" apron, throwing a few hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill, standing over them with metal flipper in hand, and greeting visitors by yelling, "Grab yourself a brewski!", then you need to seriously consider helping him step up his game.

What's the problem with that picture? Well, your Dad is barely in it - relegated instead to the background or the sidelines where the cook never gets kissed but instead gets smoke in the face for his efforts. Invite him back to the party, or better yet, bring the party to the cook, with the Fuego 01.

Billed as the "architectural reinvention of outdoor grilling", the award-winning Fuego is what happens when brainy technology marries beautiful industrial design and they produce a prodigy child who can do advanced math and is the life of the party.
There's also the Fuego 02 - at 25" it is a ten-inches-smaller-version of the Fuego 01 but with the same smart features.
Former industrial designer for Apple Computer, Robert Brunner is the granddaddy of the Fuego grills and while its looks would suit the Mac crowd (myself included), it'll also appeal to the PC lover as well. No matter whether you've got a modern vibe going on or you're more of a traditionalist, the Fuego will do for outdoor cooking and entertaining what the kitchen cooking island has done indoors.

So let's talk hardware and software, shall we? First, the Fuego is on wheels, so it can be pulled out into the center of action while cooking, and conveniently rolled away when the show is over. The lid is fully retractable and disappears for the main event, unlike the monolithic lid of Dad's barbie.

It features brushed stainless steel with teak and slate countertops, and easy-to-clean cast iron grilling surfaces.
And while 18,500 btu/hr doesn't mean much to me personally, a modular accessory system that can hold trays, paper towel holders, ice buckets, spice jars, sauce bottles and more of the grilling accouterments, definitely does.

This grill appeals to my design side because the picture above looks like my dream house...and a modern home would just look...well, not necessarily wrong with a regular old BBQ, but um...more right with a Fuego. And even if it's difficult to imagine Dad in anything but your regular back yard with plastic lawnchairs and a blow-up swimming pool, the social rewards that come with this new way of grilling - for both cook and company - make it a gift you might want to consider giving (to Dad or yourself).

Fuego 01 $3500
Fuego 02 $2000
More information at fuegoliving.com.

Now, once you've got the cook into the middle of the party and dividing his attention between cooking and chatting, you should probably consider these nifty new little helpers, as well. Grill Charms™ were invented by Leslie Haywood when she was served a piece of extra hot Jamaican jerk chicken instead of the milder one she wanted. Right then and there she knew there was a need for a tool that would help to differentiate each person's choice of spices and seasonings, temperature and "doneness".

Stick a Grill Charm™ into your choice of meat prior to grilling and get what you wanted on your plate in the end.

Choose from the Steak Collection with letters indicating rare, medium-rare, medium-well, etc. at $19.95 for six...
...or $4 for an individual charm.
















Also available are charms in a Spicy collection, or Charmed Life collection, to help in alleviating the old "whose is whose" conundrum when cooking for more than one.












And now ModernGear TV readers, we've gotten dear old Dad out of bed with the Clocky, we've gotten him cleaned up and out the door properly equipped, we've helped him remember tasks and given him something to do at work, as well as gifts to help around the home and now with the summer cookout. Tomorrow we'll conclude our Father's Day gift giving ideas extravaganza with a huge blow-out...an idea that is pretty much the best way to end a day...every day. Stay tuned!