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Grills are one of those products where you don’t see that much innovation, because what really needs to be improved? You need a cooking grate, and a way to sufficiently heat it, which isn’t very complex. But, what if someone decided to change the way the grill is transported? It turns out there there is room for innovation in that area, and that’s exactly what Hitchfire has done.
The HitchFire Grill is unique because it attaches to any standard two-inch hitch on any vehicle. That’s right. The grill travels on the outside of your car, and after using it for a month I can see why they thought this was a good idea. Actually, there are several things I really liked about this design, and here they are.
The inside of your car doesn’t smell like a greasy burger. This is big bonus for me. I’ve owned collapsible grills in the past, and while they work well, they turn the car into a greasy spoon on the way home. The HitchFire Grill lives outside, where grills should be.
I’m ready to start grilling the second I get out of the car. This thing is fantastic for road trips. When people get hungry I can pull over, turn it on, and we’re grilling almost immediately. It’s always ready for action. On longer road trips it would be a great way to save money (and eat tastier, healthier food).
The pivoting swingarm is super long (if you want it to be). When it’s fully extended there’s more than enough room to fully open the back door on your SUV. I used the hitch extender because I have a spare tire on the back on my RAV4 and there was still enough room to fully open the door. I could also easily rotate the grill in any direction, making it easy to set up the most picturesque grilling experience (yes this matters). The swingarm locks in several different positions as well, so you don’t have to worry about it moving around.
Plenty of fuel to get through a full day of grilling. I liked the fact that there are two 16 oz propane canisters, whereas most portable grills operate on one. The last thing I want to worry about is running out of fuel with a few ribeyes on the grill and hungry friends looking over my shoulder.
The build quality is impressive. The entire unit weighs 70 lbs, and most of that is in the swingarm, which is where it should be. I was tearing around on backroads to see how it held up, and there were no issues whatsoever. The HitchFire Grill got pretty muddy at one point, and the inside was completely clean when we pulled over for lunch. I also want to add that the way the prep tables fold inside the grill is pretty clever. Good job guys.
There’s only one thing that requires consideration. The HitchFire Grill is best suited for weekend adventurers, and many of those folks have boats, bike racks, or ATV trailers. If that’s you, you’re going to need a hitch expander. If you’re thinking that this is the perfect grill for you, I think it would be smart to measure the space you have, and contact the company to make sure that it will work with your setup. It should, but you should check first.
I had a great time cruising around with the HitchFire Grill, and if you get out and about as much as I do, you’ll love it as well. Grilling up lunch or dinner was insanely easy, and that was probably my favorite thing about it. It was basically the same thing as walking into your backyard to turn on the grill. It’s a great design, and I think they nailed it.
