BeefEater Bugg
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Slow learner, twice bitten – This was my second purchase of a Beef Eater Bug and my last, seams the quality has been getting worse. 1st bug arrived 6 years ago it was a father's Day gift to replace my 10 years old BBQ. This Bug was replaced when a second crack in the grill plate made it unusable, ceramic black handle went early and burners were playing up, I was told at the… Read more
store I had a good run which surprised me as well short of my expectation. Cleaned after each use which is easy and quick enough to do and kept under cover and under a vinyl cover. Purchased a second one about 18 months ago as already had the stand. Black ceramic handle went early with no surprise but the first crack in the grill plate was after only 6 months. Burners still work but internal coating is rusting, bubbling and flaking away. Cleaned after each use and kept under cover and under vinyl cover. This time I'm thinking fresh start, experiment with something new as the stand is now also stuffed, looking sad and difficult to move since the wheels fell off. Not at the axle but at the screw mounts which have perished, The quality is poor, the extra star is it cooks well, the other it looks good and compact for storing away in a tight spot.
Inferior manufacturing – Looks cute. However……the wheels fell off after one month. No proper axle to support the weight. It was designed with screws going into the plastic frame which have stripped. Hopeless manufacturing. Show details
After sales support is an overseas call centre who don’t know anything about. Avoid BEEFEATER ! – The worst customer service from a so called premium BBQ . Their spare parts contact are an overseas call centre that have absolutely no product knowledge, instead referring you to a local dealer who doesn’t know the products. All I was after were replacement burners and they can’t get that right or give me the correct info … I’d stick with Weber if I had the choice again , avoid beefeater at all cost is my advice . Show details
In-depth reviews
Good for Serious BBQers – Had read other reviews before getting a Bugg from eBay. The Unit is unused and left in the balcony for a few years so it's dusty and the trolly has some surface rust...not a big problem. First trial shown the heat is enormous and even, you wouldn't get such performance from a Webber as the Bugg has two separate burners, laid out evenly and… Read more
nicely. It took only minutes to get ready for action!
I am going to use it for cooking small meals such as daily cooking as you can use only one grill and one burner. Of course, you need to watch it, it can get overheating easily, it's not a kitchen oven which has temperature control.
The original knobs are wobble a bit as the spindle slot is half metal half plastic and the lever action doesn't help either as the knob is long and the slot is short. But the fix is easily found, You can buy the new knob with full metal insert from Electrolux at very reasonable price. I did it. It feels sturdier now.
The main problem is the grease tray. You need to remove the trolly locking pin to take the tray out. If you are not careful, when the hood is springing up, the whole top can tip over. It did this to me and caused some small damages.
If you don't have the trolly you won't have this problem.
My fix is to remove the two brackets forming the slide slot and afterwards the grease tray can slide in underneath the locking pin while the locking pin is still in locking position. I also put warning labels everywhere to avoid repeating the safety hazard. New brackets can also be made of using Bunnings' materials to enable the tray to slide in and stop in the right position. Alternatively, you can find or make up a tray thin enough to slide in underneath the locking pin. The other positive news is if you buy the Bigg Bugg, this problem has been fixed.
So Bugg or Webber Q, it depends what's your priority. My opinion: Bugg is the better performer but the make is a bit rough, the hood is made of enamelled steel so it's a few Kgs heavier and can get rusty if neglected. I've also found, like a lot of long established local brands, less reliable machines can be compensated by easily available and inexpensive replacement parts. So when the thing breaks down, as more often they do, you know the rescue is not too painful. The Webber is full Aluminium so lighter, better made, more fool proof. Although the cooking is a bit ordinary it's indeed hassle free.
Just bought it but already love it!! – Having read some reviews I was a bit hesitant to purchase this Bugg over the Weber however I took the punt and couldn't be happier - we love it!. Looks cute, takes a fraction of the space of larger BBQs, gets hot really quicky (I run it on low most of the time as it has so much grunt for a medium BBQ) so getting a sizzle on is easy, Having two… Read more
burners is a must (You have to buy a large Weber to get this) and it's portable with a small footprint so we'll be using on the boat (anything larger than a Q is not portable). It's a dream to keep clean (porcelain hood is great compared to Weber) with a quick wipe down after cooling so shouldn't have problems with dripping down the hood. The only slight con as some have suggested is the quality of the stand where some of the screws are just into plastic so could pull out with too much weight. But if you construct it carefully and look after it (probably wouldn't wheel it too far with a heavy gas bottle attached) you should be fine. So ... Heaps of grunt, Cute, Portable, Flexible (two burners) and really easy to keep clean .... Look after it and you'll have years of happy BBQing
The High Cost Of High Prices? – Falling apart straight away... well to be totally honest, 6 days. There is a black rubber gasket/seal that fits snugly around the edge of the hood this has fallen off and after 30+ minutes of trying to get it back on... I've given up. Unless I decide to cut the gasket off myself and do without it permanently, this Beefeater Bugg is now… Read more
unusable. Harvey Norman at Caringbah, NSW and/or Fair Trading NSW will be alerted about this tomorrow.
Also as someone else commented in their review, there are two tiny little black rubber pads on the lower front positioned here so the hood closes nicely, mine also fell off. I put them back into position but they have fallen off again without my knowing. These are are now lost somewhere off the edge of my veranda . This is clearly a reoccurring documented fault that has not been rectified by Electrolux/Beefeater to this date.
I have recently had the displeasure of dealing with the glacially slow, rude customer service division at Electrolux (I could write a book on that one!) so I'll skip the middleman this time and serve Harvey Norman with a letter of demand, if necessary.
Based upon the avelance of complaints about the cheaply made lower chrome grill rusting away so quickly, I may spray mine with a black rust resistant enamel spray paint, before l've got something else to complain about.
Positive reviews
Fast cooking – Read other reviews and agree with fast cooking times - way faster than my other bbq a Weber . My Bugg is 14 months old and no signs of rust it’s always covered when not in use and I’m 250 metres from the sea. I’ve sprayed the metal gas bottle tray with WD40 so it looks as new. Any gripes?? The strange location of the two wheels which are mounted inboard of the rear legs - if you tilt the unit to move it, the lid flies open. Show details
BeefEater really stepped in and helped out – After buying the bigg bugg barbecue from Appliances online the installation crew left the back piece off and took away the screws and Allen key... Many calls to Appliances online were useless until Winning appliances the parent company stepped in and got in touch with Beef Eater barbecue Customer Service and arranged for the parts to be sent out… Read more
to me.... I had also got in touch with the Beef Eater Customer Service people and found them very helpful and after two weeks of calls I did receive the parts and an extra little present from Beef Eater... Which I thought was a nice touch as the initial problem was not their fault... I am looking forward to using this barbecue it seems sturdy and a nice design I just thought that Customer Service people from BeefEater deserved a good review
Good Service – I would like to extoll the virtues of Beafeater Service. Our Beafeater Bugg is around 3 years old, and although covered when not in use, had massive rust in the chrome shelf at the base, and some corrosion on the shelf and rail that holds the system in place. I rang Beefeater expecting the normal 'non-service', was greeted with a couple of… Read more
questions to ascertain that it wasn't in a very salty environment, and, immediately told the spare parts were being despatched. When I asked whether the problem would occur again, advised that it was unlikely as it had been a known manufacturing problem. This is service? Also, we are very happy with performance... don't use it a lot, but for barbecuing and roasting it's great. Thank you Beefeater.
Negative reviews
Poor Quality – Bought my bugg approximately 18 months ago. Disappointed with heat. So far wheels have fallen off trolly due to wrong bolts used. Front handle broken off after it became brittle from heat exposure. Naturally I’m disappointed and followed up with Harvey Norman and in turn Beefeater. They didn’t want a bar of it and put it down to wear & tear.… Read more
Opinions would vary on that. What their lack of response says to me is that they only expect their BBQ’s to hold up for roughly 18 months and after that you shouldn’t be surprised if it starts to fall apart.
Hi Tim, Vivian from Electrolux here. We would… Read more
Great cooking abilities….disappointing manufacturing – Beading on lid fell off on second use. Had to replace burner ring within first year and just about to change the second one. The grill and plate are I’ll-fitting and can and have collapsed into the burners during a bbq. A shame as the bbq cooks brilliantly. Show details
Hi Brett, We would like the opportunity to discuss the… Read more
Looks good but cheap quality – Cooks well and has a thermometer but after a couple of years of very light use, the top has warped out of shape and the rubber seal has fallen off meaning the top bangs when closing. I would have expected better quality materials than this. One of the plastic gas control knobs has always been loose meaning the gas is hard to turn off and on. … Read more
As others have said, it needs to be thoroughly cleaned after every use since food falls down under the burners and grease goes everywhere. But this might be standard for this type of BBQ.
Recent reviews
The lining of the cavity is melting, seriously that is coming up into my food that I’m cooking! It looks like plastic ffs! Show details
Hi Cranky, Narelle from Electrolux here. If the issue… Read more
Find out how BeefEater Bugg compares to other Gas BBQs
Know better, choose better.
- +6
Poorly manufactured & poor materials – As an honest review firstly I must declare that we do keep our bbq outside, under the vinyl cover that was purchased with the BBQ. After very limited use (probably cooked on it 6 or 8 times at most) our Beefeater Bugg is falling apart. The build quality is absolutely terrible. The powder coat finish around the hotplate edge has bubbled &… Read more
peeled, the chrome handle has bubbled & peeled, the temperature gauge screen is non visible, the locking handle prong has rusted, the thermometer heat gauge doesn't work accurately and the lid has buckled in the heat and doesn’t seal correctly.
The steel plates do cook ok, but again have surface rusts between use and we have to thoroughly clean with mild dishwashing soap hot water prior to use.
If Beefeater were serious about their their product they would replace this and fix the manufacturing & material quality issues.
Overall I give this BBQ a minus 5 stars.
Great addition to my solid fuel BBQ's – Have had a couple of Weber Q's and this is definitely an upgrade. I normally only cook in a Kamado, Weber kettle or a pellet smoker and only bought the bugg for the total fire ban days. It does what it is designed to do and with the 2 separate burners I find it a lot quicker to heat up than the Weber Q Perfect for when I reverse sear a steak. Downside is the dome thermometer is not accurate. Show details
Cooks ok, but clean-up is so fussy compared to a basic flat plate BBQ – I didnt seek out this product, I got it as a promo deal on an expensive louvered pergola. Tried it 3 times and its just not my thing. Its so fussy to clean- the lid gets greasy, food bits drop down into the well under the burners, ditto more grease and baked on residue down there. Have to remove pins to extract the fat catching pan. Otherwise,… Read more
easy to assemble the trolley (cant understand any of the gripes elsewhere about that), a year outside under a cover and it still looks brand new (In Adelaide so not too cold or wet), overall quality seems ok.
Cooks beautifully – Have cooked steak, ribs and a roast chicken, all of which cooked very well, the chicken in particular was very good. However, it is less than four months old ,and my husband was moving it with the handle on the front of the bbq, and it broke off! Not happy with that! Now trying to get a replacement part. Show details
Works perfect for small party – Maybe it is not as fantastic as the Weber and I haven't tried the Weber myself. For a price relatively cheaper than Weber Q2000, I found this is perfect for our need. I got this on sale as the 2015 model, but the inside already is an improved version with better burner leg design for easier cleaning. Since I didn't cook big roasted beef or pork, I… Read more
didn't have that dripping issue on the lid. The two burner is a must to me, as I can use 1 burner at a time for small family meal or turn both for a party, and the high-quality heavy heating grill and plate out of the box I think much suite our needs than Weber, I can cook onion, octopus, fish on the plate and other things the grill.
I know Weber has their reputable. And I was a little bit hesitant to buy at first, but if you want some options that similar to what I have above, then seriously consider this.
Expensive, but super sturdy – There are many other grills in the market that you can get for a cheaper price, but this grill has an exceptional quality to it. The rubber lining to contain the heat is really thick and does a great job. The iron plates are very sturdy, but can be difficult to clean. It is easily portable and can be taken on camping trips and fits easily in the trunk of cars. Show details
Way too expensive – The colour is attracting and the outcome of food are all okay (ive tried to cook sausages, fish and beef), it’s easy to clean, however, this is much more heavier than I expected, the price is not quite reasonable as i think there’s a lot more better choices with the same price and beware of overcooking as the thing works not very well Show details
Handy little BBQ – We needed a bbq in an hurry and this one was a great price. It’s portable and looks good in our entertaining area. It’s mostly used for grilling, but has also worked well as an outdoor oven. Really good value for money. Cooks a surprising amount for such a compact unit. Show details
Good BBQ but with one downside – This barbecue functions very well. The grill cooks meat and fish well, and in not too much time. However there is one surprise when you buy the product. You would assume that because of its small size it would be quite portable, however it was a lot heavier than my family and I expected. Overall, it is a good BBQ, however it is not as portable as one would assume. Show details
Find out how BeefEater Bugg compares to other Gas BBQs
Know better, choose better.
Regret buying – Bought the Beefeater Bug from Harvey Norman less than a year ago. Have had covered in a full length bug cover located in a semi protected area. Anything chromed has badly rusted. Anything rubber has fallen off including the main cover seal and wont go back on. One gas - on / off dial not working properly. Have emailed Beefeater with photos on a… Read more
number of occasions. (Electrolux ). They just don't reply. So, in short - very bad quality unit and warranty also seems like junk too. I got burnt buying this. Wont trust buying things from Harvey Norman again. Thought that they sold quality items and had higher standards.
Too expensive for what you get – Its average BBQ but too expensive I've seen some cheaper BBQ with same quality but I just fell for looks I guess still a reliable BBQ. BeefEater is little bit expensive in comparison to others. I'm just sharing my opinion here for people who are thinking of buying new BBQ Show details
Does a great job, very flexible – We have a small Weber BBQ, but decided on a BeefEater bug with trolley and full length cover to use in our holiday apartment. I didn't expect it to be as good as the Weber, but in fact I think it's a great deal better. Two gas jet units rather than one, two gas level controls, built in thermometer in the lid (extra for for Weber), and it comes… Read more
with a stand. Admittedly plastic, but it works well, and makes wheeling it out of the way simple...although the gas bottle tucks in behind it rather than sitting in the unit. The cover is also excellent. It sits out on our deck and the heavy cover protects it from the weather. Assembly was a bit complicated (reading the manual helps!). Cooking is easy and the results are excellent. I'd buy it again.
Love mine – I've had mine for 8 months now and love it. As others have noted, assembly is a PITA and the drip tray could be engineered better but otherwise no complaints. I bought a spare grill plate for more versatility. Easy to clean, surprisingly frugal on the gas, good for hitting temps quickly. Not tall enough for eg beer can chicken but that low hood… Read more
helps with keeping the temps up. No issues with rust or bits failing. Bought on sale at Harvey. Recommended.
Not Up To Rivals – Got this as an alternative to the Weber that I really wanted. They were on special. I realised when I was assembling it that the quality wasn't the same. It looks good when set up and it does cook well but it doesn't really feel like its going to last all that long. The metals feel more "alloy" and are lighter weight. Also the accessories such as… Read more
wheels and the tray are a bit cheap. Its OK but if you want a Weber, get a Weber. This isn't as good.
Super easy and cute – We had a larger 6 burner BBQ that was rarely used as it was a pain to set up and then clean. The Bugg has been great as it is small enough to have on the deck, close to the kitchen and fridge making so much easier to use. The Bugg itself is a delight to use, heats up quickly, cooks to perfection and easy to keep clean. I should have bought it a whole lot earlier. Show details
Lasted 2 years 2 months – The Beefeater Bugg cooked food well I always preheated it. When it was about 6 months old the grill plate broke which they replaced with no issues. Just after the warranty ended there is a problem with the burners and I can't be bothered, going to the Weber. I has cost me about $200/year a bit rich for me. It's worth noting the purchase date and the review date vs. the number of stars Show details
Beefeater bug has a few bugs – Good BBQ as long as you don't move it too much , Wheels seem a bit flimsy when you try to move it especially when you have the gas bottle on the holder , Screws stripped out of the plastic legs on the lower rack not long after using it for awhile , Cooks well with lid down ,not super huge plate but big enough for small family cooking a small… Read more
meal ,
Rubber Seal eventually kept peeling off around hood is hard to put back due to the grease and oil from cooking
Rough edge was exposed after seal feel off
Temperature gauge is a good help for oven type cooking
Dangerous Design – I find the unit cooks well, Does a great Roast but after 12 months looks like a 5 year old unit. Rubber edging on lid fell off after half a dozen uses & lid enamel after several uses loses colour and has black streaks & Spots. However main issue is design with location of Knobs requiring your arm to reach over or around hot lid to the back of… Read more
unit. When concentrating on keeping hands clear of hot surface with domed shape lid I have on multiple times made contact with forearm and suffered burns. Note The higher the BBQ table surface is or the shorter the unit is the more likely this will occur when reaching over or around. Control Knobs should be located on front or side of unit as is Bigg Bugg design.
Very good BBQ – Only bought this 3 weeks ago and have used it nearly every day since. It is a great Size, unlike those huge stainless steel monsters that fill your patio. Awesome temperature control and ease of use make this very desirable. It does lack storage but makes up for it with manuverability. Show details
BBQ not so good! :( – This BBQ burned a spot on the top, gets too hot & seems to over cooks food easily, The burner has developed a hole in it now & will require a repair after only 2 yrs of use. we regret getting this one over the Weber. Had a Weber before they are great! :( Show details
Best BBQ ever used – We store it outside and use a cover with it. Don't have problems with the corrosion some have mentioned. Consistently cooks excellently well and of course I take the credit for all of this :) Absolutely love it and keep it absolutely sparkling clean out of respect for such an awesome piece of kit! Show details
Great BBQ, Crap stand – I think the person who engineered the stand was in no way connected to how anybody in the real world actually uses a portable BBQ. Wheels stick and is a complete pain to move around. However from a small BBQ perspective I would rate this a great purchase, gets hot enough when the lid is closed and the knobs to start and choose a temperature can get in the wrong position and takes some working out to fix Otherwise steaks are great! Show details
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Good morning Mark Julie from Electrolux here. We are… Read more (+1 reply)