Hello Friends, we know its the middle of December but we took plenty of notes during the regular season to continue posting, and to just have some good old fashioned fun with all of you. We are happy to continue sharing our adventures, our gear, our recipes all year round and we sincerely hope you help us spread the word and visit often. So, without further adieu we are going to review the Ozark Trail camping grill which, we are afraid, isn’t so fun. This grill started off good, it fit easily into any State campfire pit, we came across, the fold down legs are a decent height for cooking burgers, or chicken, and it was this neat little folded unit that seemed very sturdy for the price. That said it certainly has a few issues that reared their ugly heads immediately after first use.

The first issue we came across was taking it out of the fire. This brand does not have handles, or loops, to pull it out of the fire with when you are done using it. The legs are also connected at the bottom making a “U” shape so you have to not only find something to pull it out with, but you have to find something sturdy enough to also lift sticks, and coals, up all while not burning yourself on the scolding hot metal in the process.

The second issue we had was that the heat warped this grate so far out of shape, again after first use, that the legs would not easily fit back into place. In fact it took on a bit of a corkscrew shape lengthwise and the more we used it the more twisted it got. After the second use the grate was warped enough to where the legs did not want to fold or even move at all. Spencer had to try and straighten it in order to pack it back up, without pinching his fingers, but as you can see from the picture it’s still a good 3″ – 4″ out of place from corner to corner. Not to mention that by the time he was done he was covered in soot. We also notice that each time we use it, the grate becomes harder and harder to fit into the fire pits, and to get level.

Now granted this is only the second grate we have ever purchased but the first grate did not warp to the extreme that this one did and the first grate was far easier to take out of the fire. We feel that there wasn’t a whole lot of thought put into this item, about as much as if you had the tools to do it yourself and just wanted to throw something together in the back yard. It’s steel so its heavy, and bulky, to begin with but then what you are left with, after it hits the fire, makes this item very average and hard to store.

With that said it does do its job, which is to cook food, but leaves us with a face full of smoke, heat, and, if we aren’t careful, a burn or two. It’s also very dirty, you get soot all over everything, your hands, your cloths, and if your water source is limited it could be a bit frustrating. Unfortunately Kimberly and Spencer both give this item a thumbs down since its about as convenient as cooking on an open fire with a metal bowl.

Thank you for reading our review, what do you think of this grill? Have you ever used it? What kind of grill would you recommend in place of this? We would love to hear from you in the comments below.

-Kimberly and Spencer