The Unimac Basic Gas Grill with Cast Iron Grates 48x42cm and 2 Burners 6kW is an excellent tool for every grilling enthusiast who seeks quality and performance at an affordable price. This grill stands out for its ergonomic design, durability, and ease of use.

First of all, the 48x42cm grilling surface is spacious enough to accommodate a large amount of food, making it ideal for family gatherings and parties with friends. The cast iron grates are of exceptional quality, ensuring even cooking and maintaining a stable temperature for perfect results. The cast iron construction also provides durability over time and ease of cleaning.

The 2 burners with 6kW provide powerful and consistent heat, allowing you to adjust the intensity according to your needs. You can grill with precision and cook various types of food simultaneously, without worrying about uneven heat distribution. This capability is ideal for preparing meats, fish, vegetables, and other delicious dishes.

One of the great advantages of this grill is the use of gas, which ensures immediate and uniform heating, eliminating concerns about lighting and maintaining the fire. Temperature control is easy and precise, giving the user full control of the grilling process. The ignition system is simple and safe, allowing for immediate start-up of the grill.

The design of the Unimac Basic is modern and functional. The sturdy construction ensures stability and durability, while the built-in wheels facilitate the movement of the grill to different spaces. Additionally, the integrated thermometer provides accurate temperature measurements, allowing you to have full control of the cooking process.

The Unimac Basic Gas Grill is also equipped with practical details such as folding side work surfaces, which provide additional space for food preparation and placement of grilling tools. This adds comfort and functionality to the grilling experience, making the whole process more enjoyable and organized.

Overall, the Unimac Basic Gas Grill with Cast Iron Grates 48x42cm and 2 Burners 6kW is an excellent choice for those who are looking for a reliable, efficient, and user-friendly grill. The quality of construction, powerful performance, and ease of use make it essential for every grilling enthusiast. If you want to enjoy exceptional grilled meals with comfort and style, this grill is the ideal solution for you.

The quality/price ratio is very good. I bought a model with 4 burners because
a/ I don't have a space issue
b/ I wanted to be able to cook faster for a large number of people (2 burners would be enough for 3-4 people)
and
c/ because most grills (at least the cheaper ones) do not cook as well in the front 1/4 of the cooking surface (towards the control knobs).

The assembly instructions are a joke (the same for all models in the Basic series), but with a little persistence, it can be done. It takes about 90 minutes for 2 people, or 120+ minutes for one person alone.
There are no missing screws or parts in the kit, on the contrary, there are 2-3 extras.

It is relatively easy to clean, about 30 minutes for one person alone, for a relatively good cleaning + seasoning the grates to be ready for the next cooking. The protective covers above each burner (reflectors or flavorizers, I think) are made of thin sheet metal, they will definitely deteriorate and rust quickly with all the grease/juices dripping on them and burning.
Even with thorough cleaning after each use, I don't think they will last long. I will look for a solution when the problem arises. The grease collection tray does its job perfectly, I lined it with aluminum foil to avoid cleaning it at the end of each "session".

Ignitions are inevitable from what I understand, and especially with fatty meats, sausages, bacon, etc., whether it's an expensive or cheap grill. I believe that the ignitions are not bad (they add flavor up to a point) and I recommend keeping the lid open and supervising.

One needs to play with the intensity of the burners on the 4 stovetops to find the ideal cooking for each case. It always depends on the type and cut of the meat, how fatty it is, how well-done or not one prefers it, and other parameters. I believe that the "average" griller like myself will find it after the 3rd or 4th time.

Any knowledge of charcoal grilling helps since there is already the necessary "sense" of how each piece behaves on the grill and with the intensity of the fire.

The balcony doesn't get dirty like with charcoal (not even when scraping the grates during cleaning), it smokes relatively less than charcoal, but the whole neighborhood can definitely smell what's being cooked.

I can't say for sure about gas consumption yet, but I estimate that with 4 burners, including preheating and cleaning, it would be around 1-1.2 Euro per hour.
However, it saves electricity since in many cases the grill replaces cooking that would have been done on the electric stove anyway, as it is fast and easy with the gas grill. With good weather and company, I think everyone prefers the grill.

The gas bottle does not fit underneath the shelf because it can't support the weight. I preferred the classic 10kg one (I bought 2 so I don't have to worry about running out), and to transport it, I put it on a plant stand with wheels (around 10 Euro), it can be easily pulled and cleaned from behind.

In addition, the additional cast iron plates from Unimac were out of stock, they will come at some point, so I bought two from another brand, they are much better for delicate items that can stick/dissolve or get lost in the grates, such as vegetables, burgers, fish. With the plates, if someone opens the lid 2-3 times and wipes the liquids from the plates with kitchen paper, then they save themselves from a lot of cleaning since the rest of the grill remains almost clean. However, the cooking surface on the plates is smaller, so if someone has a lot of burgers to cook, they should oil them well and also the grates, and they will become even tastier than on the plates.

The Unimac quality hood is heavy-duty and fits the gas bottles on the sides just fine.

Tongs, brushes, scrapers, old rags, gloves, all are needed, but in my opinion, they are not worth their high price. However, someone should calculate the cost for those as well.

Grill 249€, Gas bottle regulator 11€, Cover 34€, 2 bottles X 40€ initial purchase 80€, two plates total 55€, accessories ~45€ TOTAL 440€, don't think that it starts at 250€.

Also, someone should calculate the extra money they will spend on the (additional) food they might buy... it is common to buy something extra once we have the grill.

Happy grilling to everyone

First time using a gas grill, so I have no point of comparison. In 2 months I have used it more than 10 times, since it lights up very quickly and you can grill without much fuss and very quickly. The meat cooks just fine and is very tasty. The reflectors are relatively flat, resulting in the dripping fat not escaping quickly and causing flare-ups with very fatty meats. In these cases, a little attention is needed, but the job gets done just fine.

At the edges, the heat is not as strong, but I have encountered the same with charcoal grills. Assembly took me about 1 hour, but I generally have experience with this, someone else might have more difficulty. I didn't install one side shelf to save space. I haven't done a general cleaning yet, I just clean the grill and change the aluminum foil I put in the drip tray after each use. This way it stays in very good condition.

Overall, I am very satisfied, especially considering the price. I don't know if a more expensive one would have fewer flare-ups or if the heat would be more even everywhere. I haven't changed the gas bottle yet (10kg), although I think it's almost empty now. I consider it a successful purchase in any case.

Edit: 5 years later, it's still holding up well. However, I had to replace the reflectors because the first ones had rusted a lot and started to fall apart. With €26 I got the same ones and everything is fine. For the price I bought it (€160), it has more than paid for itself, we've really enjoyed grilling...

The grill was purchased in April 2020 and has been used about 10 times. Assembly was easy if you have some experience, but if it's your first time, it will take you a little longer. The sturdiness is very good, better than you would expect for the price category. They could have saved on materials everywhere, but they didn't skimp on the basics. For example, the grates are made of heavy cast iron, the liquid collection tray is of good quality (others I've seen are cheap and flimsy), and even the collection container where most people put something cheap or plastic is made of satisfactory metal. No liquids or anything spill below, the design is impeccable. The switches have a good feel and the burners light up instantly. Speaking always for under 200 euros, I consider it an excellent choice. I left the grilling part for last, not because it's secondary, but because I'm not very experienced. It seems to me that it grills well and with enough power, but I can only compare it to 2-3 others, I don't have much more experience. Oh, and a friendly advice, stay away from grills with stones, I made that mistake, even if they are a little cheaper, prefer cast iron with reflectors, even if it's a cheaper option, you'll thank me later!

Greetings to all grillers everywhere.

First of all, I should mention that the 4-star rating is for the value for money purchase. I would have rated it lower because it has its issues, but they are negligible compared to the huge price difference from branded grills.

The purchase was made at the end of September 2019. I managed to combine discounts and bought it for 119 euros, while I also had free shipping. This model with 2 burners had just been released as a replacement for the 661304. The only difference I noticed is in the tray that drains the fats and the collection dish for them.

The necessary gas regulator (code 661062) is not included in the package and costs 7 euros. (edit: it malfunctioned and I replaced it with an Italian one after 12 months). Additionally, I bought a cover from the same company with the appropriate size for 18 euros (code 661391) and a cast iron double-sided plate (striped and flat) for 17 euros (code 661390).

The assembly is quite time-consuming. The instructions included are not among the best I have seen, and things get worse due to several irrelevant holes scattered across the parts, making it hard to understand exactly where to screw. A Phillips screwdriver was needed for assembly, I used some washers that were not included in the box, one large screw was missing, and I summoned a lot of patience—if you are alone, it will easily take you three hours!

Despite the many angles and curves, at no point was there a risk of cutting fingers; everything was ground and rounded.

Sturdy construction made of steel. The side shelves are metal, do not fold, and can hold a considerable amount of weight. There is a secondary rack for warming meats. Practical hooks for grilling tools and a front shelf for spices. The handle is made of metal and rubber to prevent burns. The wheels are plastic with stainless steel color stickers. It also has a thermometer.

Its construction is (like almost everything today) Chinese, while there are readily available spare parts at good prices from the local distributor. The burner, for example, costs 19 euros.

If you buy a similar grill from a store, seriously consider having it delivered pre-assembled. It usually costs around 10 euros, but you will save yourself the hassle and any mistakes, minor damages from excessive tightening, etc.

The Unimac 661311 with two burners with the lid down and at full power reaches 270~280 degrees Celsius in 7-8 minutes. With the cast iron plate, it takes 12-13 minutes to reach that temperature. The grates need 4-5 minutes to cool down (with the lid open), while the plate retains heat for almost 35 minutes! *The above with an ambient temperature of 15 degrees.
Update: The performance of the grill is also affected by the gas regulator. After 12 months, the one I had purchased significantly reduced the performance, and I thought the grill was to blame. When I replaced it, the temperatures were even higher!

This particular grill is suitable for grilling flat pieces of meat and fish. If you want to grill a whole chicken, pizzas, or bread, it would be good to look for grills with more than 2 burners because the grilling should not be "direct," meaning the food should not be directly above the heat sources, but between them.

Lighting the fire is very easy with Unimac grills. You press the switch inward to release propane and turn it to the left, at which point you hear the sound from the mechanism that creates the spark and the combustion begins.

1. To cook the food, we open the flame to full intensity and close the lid for up to 10 minutes to heat the grates.

2. Depending on the type of meat and fat content, you lower the flame intensity, oil the grates, and preferably cook with the lid closed.

3. Check for flare-ups when cooking fatty meats. Frequent opening and closing affect the temperature.

4. Get to know your grill! To perfect the cooking, you will experiment a bit with the temperatures and where the fire is strongest so you can move the meats around. On Unimac (and other cheap brands), the intensity is not absolutely the same across the entire surface of the grates. I noticed that at the back it is stronger. This happens because the lid has a 3-centimeter gap at the back when closed, causing some of the heat to escape and creating higher temperatures as it moves to the back. This is generally a manufacturing flaw because we lose heat and the temperature is not distributed properly.

Be careful with the heated parts. The lid naturally gets very hot, and we do not touch it - I would prefer it to have an extra metal sheet to protect it and act as a reflector. We open and close it from the handle, which remains cool. The shelves heat up to the point where they have holes, so it’s best not to place plastic bags on them. If you have a platter or casserole, keep it warm on those points.

Strong winds affect the burners. They do not extinguish the fire, but they do not allow the flames to come out evenly from the burners.

In the first test, I chose drumsticks from medium-sized chickens, which have a bit of fat, not something very fatty or very dry. On the left side, I placed the plate with the ridged side, and on the right, I left one grate. In 10 minutes, we reached 270 degrees. We test the temperature of the plate by dropping a little water on it, and if it sizzles and evaporates, we are ready.

I did not reduce the intensity from the side of the plate. From the side of the grate, I reduced it by about 25%. The plate takes longer to cook compared to the grate. There are flare-ups from the side of the grate that extinguish if you move the meat. As a beginner, I opened and closed the lid to check and turned them 7-8 times. No piece stuck.
The pieces from the side of the grate were ready in 30 minutes. At 35 minutes, I took out the pieces from the side of the plate.

Trying from the grate, it was one of the best chickens I have ever eaten :)

3 sea breams with a total weight of 1150g were almost perfectly cooked at 220 degrees in 24 minutes (12 on each side). Before cooking, they were oiled, salted, and peppered, and inside each one, I placed two slices of lemon and 2 sprigs of thyme. When they came out, I drizzled them with oil-mustard. WORTH EVERY PENNY!

When I "pushed" it a bit more, fats started dripping outside the tray.

So far, the cooking conclusions: Chicken thighs are A PAIN. Of course, they are a pain on charcoal when you cook them. If you have a large group, they will expose you in terms of time. There are generally many flare-ups; maybe I am doing something wrong... Almost 30% of the surface DOES NOT COOK PROPERLY. Especially with the lid open, it barely heats the meat.

For fish, the grill is just right! With country-style sausages, there are indeed flare-ups, but it doesn't burn or dry out the meat.

I was concerned whether the meat would smell fishy after grilling the sea bream, but after burning the grates and cleaning the tray, I detected no fish odor.

I tried thinly sliced pancetta and pork neck chops, and they grilled perfectly. What surprised me is that there were no flare-ups compared to other meats!

In spring-summer, the grill reaches temperature faster (and cooks faster).

The cast iron plate helps a lot; you avoid flare-ups and perhaps cook faster because with opening and closing and moving, you lose heat. However, it also requires attention. For example, if the meat releases fat, you need to wipe it so that the grilled food doesn't essentially fry. Different types of meat on the plate mix flavors since the fats on it blend. Also, if you have many meats, it requires good scrubbing-cleaning in between, so that the next grilled items don't stick or burn. - This can be a hassle during high-temperature grilling.

In this specific grill, when I grill with the cast iron plate set vertically on the other grates, the dripping fats lick the walls and fall outside the draining tray.

A good solution to limit flare-ups is to place the cast iron plate at the back and grill the meats there until a point where the excess fats leave. Then I place them at the bottom and between the burners (not directly on top).

Overall, in terms of total time and effort for up to 4 kilos of meat, I will work with this one using propane. Above that weight, which for me means many and different types of meat, I will use charcoal.

Since I got the propane grill, I haven't grilled with charcoal again. 3-4 kilos of meat for 4-5 people can be ready in an hour :)

The time you save from lighting the charcoal, you lose in cleaning the propane grill.

The 10-kilo bottle that I started using was about 80% full. It gave me around 14~15 hours of operation (grilling + cleaning). Of those, at least 12 were at full operation.

The main disadvantage of this model is the very wide diffusers because the fats falling on them create flare-ups.

If I had the chance to choose a new grill in this price range again, I would choose the Unimac with 3 burners (+30 euros) and grill indirectly on 2 burners (keeping the middle one closed) and at full flame intensity, thus avoiding flare-ups.

UPDATE AUGUST 2024: Guys, the grill after 5 years still holds up and works perfectly! I use it about once a week for either fish or meat. The burners perform like on the first day, and it's significant that I changed the diffusers, which are now protected from fats and juices. I haven't had a hole open anywhere in the body, and the colors are still excellent. The cover has also done a good job and still holds up, even though it's constantly in the sun. The price of the grill during the... tough years of the Coronavirus had skyrocketed (I saw prices around 200 minimum), but it has now dropped to good levels of 140 euros).

I have created and continuously update an article with many photos for this specific grill:
https://krasodad.blogspot.com/2019/10/unimac-basic.html