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Blackstone shocked the outdoor cooking world earlier this year when they released the Bronco Open Flame Grill. It was a big departure from the gas griddles that have become synonymous with the company. They sent me one to try out and was impressed with the value and how fun it is to cook on.
The Bronco is obviously different from other Blackstone grills, but also from what’s on the market. I’ve always associated Santa Maria style grills with being expensive and very niche here in the US. Blackstone changed that by releasing the grill at only $494 (check price), making it much more accessible to weekend grillers.
Leading with the price, the Bronco changed my perception of Santa Maria grills. I always thought of them for a very specific style of cooking because of the hefty price tag they usually carry.
The Bronco though is just a good all around grill. You can cook on it like a regular kettle grill while still having the option to do more when you want or as your skills progress. Plus, it looks really cool and makes you seem like you’re a master at harnessing fire, when you’re just cooking some burgers over charcoal.
Features and Specs
- 22″ by 17″ cooking surface
- Locking crank wheel to adjust the temperature of the cooking surface
- Includes a cover and a rake
- Stainless steel lining for durability and heat retention
- Front that opens for fire management and locks closed
Assembly
The assembly of the Bronco is pretty straightforward but it’s also time consuming. One of the big features of this grill is the reasonable price, and likely to keep cost down the grill isn’t designed in a way to make assembly quick.
The bolts aren’t already started and in place, the holds aren’t slotted for alignment, it’s overall a very manual process. It’s not hard or complicated, but like Ikea, you’re saving money by having to do a little extra work.
Cooking
It’s a fun experience cooking on the Bronco and it’s versatile. There’s a brasero which is the section that holds your firewood. You can go old school and burn all your own coals from wood or you can use charcoal and cook like a regular grill.
You can also go with a hybrid approach, like I did most of the time, and put a log on the brasero then dump charcoal on top of it. This kept the fire going and always gave me a steady supply of hot coals to work with.
I’ve cooked on lots of different grills and fire pits, but to set the stage, this is the first Santa Maria grill I’ve cooked on. I thought there would be a steep learning curve but it was easier than I thought to start to get the hang of it.
I could always cook on this grill like any backyard grill and be perfectly happy with it. I like though that it gives me the opportunity to play with fire management if I want.
Heat Retention
What I was most surprised with while cooking on the Bronco is how good the heat retention is. I thought that with the price point it would be bad, like a cheap offset smoker. I was already thinking of buying fire bricks before it even arrived.
They would help you conserve charcoal but they’re definitely not necessary. Despite all the space in the bottom of grill, a standard charcoal chimney amount of charcoal is plenty to reach high temperatures.
Value
A Santa Maria grill has much more complexity to it that a standard kettle grill, which is why they’re usually pricey. I’m impressed with how capable this grill is for under $500.
With that, the fit and finish is a little clunky, but I think it’s totally reasonable to make the grill accessible. What Blackstone did right is they splurged on materials where they needed to.
It’s nice that there’s stainless steel in the fire box and other areas. I’m a big fan of stainless steel cooking grates like they used. The whole crank and cross-bar assembly looks really nice and the front section of the grill that opens has a quality feel to it.
I also am a huge fan of the casters that they used on the grill. They are some of the smoothest of any grill and the wheels feel like rubber.
It’s also really nice that they included a cover and a rake, so you’re ready to cook right out of the box. All-in-all you can’t ask for more for the price.
Hard to Find
A downside with the grill for anyone that wants one is it’s seemingly hard to find. It was originally launched at Walmart and I can only find them for in-store pickup.
They won’t ship it to you or ship it to store. That means you have to find a store with stock. There is also a “Notify Me” link on Blackstone’s website for when/if they start carrying it for direct sales.
It makes me wonder if the grill has been more popular than they thought. I can say from my article when the grill was released, I’ve gotten quite a few emails asking if I knew where to find it.
Conclusion
Blackstone surprised with the Bronco Open Flame Grill and hit it out of the park. They made a Santa Maria style grill more accessible by offering tremendous value at a great price. It’s fun to cook on whether you’re cooking tri-tip or just some quick burgers and hot dogs.