Matador Artiste

Sensational – This is fantastic, easiest bbq to build, quality, love the plates and grill, heats very very quickly,large viewing window, lovely fitting doors and straight! Either steak, chicken or fish, sausages or a large roast, comes out beautiful every time. Just fantastic, love it Show details

Is a BBQ – Bought this BBQ a while ago, is good for cooking food. Is bad for washing babies in. Would not recommend for washing babies, would recommend for cooking food in it. Show details

Useless with no heat – Just spent 15 minutes stewing a steak over the grill going full on. That was after nearly 10 minutes heating it up. Won’t buy another matador. Big disappointment after using these hooded style bbq for nearly 25 years.. Show details

Bottom line you get what you pay couldn’t be happier – We have had cheap bbqs previously. This bbq is well worth money spent. Cooked chicken Kiev to perfection cooks steak and roasts great. we can’t fault this bbq. Easy to clean Grill plate is fantastic for cooking steak. If you are a person who loves their barbies I highly recommend purchasing this bbq before a cheaper brand.  Show details

50/50 with this one – The BBQ cooked meat very welk in my opinion. It just sometimes took its time to do so. But it really wasn’t a easy BBQ to keep clean. Sometimes it took me over an hour to do so. With rain and wind it didn’t cope to bad I mean I’ve had it for a few years and it’s spent it’s life outside and it doesn’t show to much wear so I’m pretty happy with that. All together it’s not the worst BBQ but for sure not the best  Show details

Over Priced and Superficial – Having compared may BBQ's I found myself at Bunnings. Not wanting a budget BBQ but not prepared to pay thousands, the Matadore Artise 900 appeared to be well built and in all fairness, it is s sturdy unit. However, that is where the positives end for this BBQ. The Grills and Hot Plate are a nightmare. The Hot Plate warps severely when hot and the… Read more

Grills are design to catch every piece of fat and undesirables.

Trying to clean this BBQ is the stuff of nightmares, it really is.

Then there are the controls. They constantly lock up and I am forced to push and pull on them until they finally release.

I was sold on the robust build of this BBQ and naively looked no further. Now I am $800 lighter with a BBQ no better than a $200 equivalent.

Nice BBQ – Great compact size bbq, excellent burners, heats up quickly, easy to clean, fat collecter under side a great idea but have to remove when finished as dog gets to it all the time, then on hot days fat will drip onto ground if not in place, would be better if locked in place somehow. Must be level but overall good BBQ.  Show details

Unacceptably poor quality with safety concerns – I bought my Matador 4 Burner Hooded Boss BBQ with Cabinet and Side Burner (product number B277-15D) from Bunnings just before Christmas 2017 and here is what I have found: The screw housings on the caster mounts were particularly badly formed and many of the screws were stripped of their coating / deformed when fitting the casters.… Read more

Throughout, screws did not line up and were damaged during assembly as the screws could not be freely screwed in – most had to be forced in.The pressed-in screw housings were not problematic. And like other reviewers stated with Artiste model, I anticipate rust problems in these areas. The chassis was distorted – this was immediately evident after fitting the casters and turning the chassis onto the correct side (right way up) for assembly. The chassis for this unit is too light in construction and prone to distorting as well as the casters being too flimsy for the weight. The barbeque was difficult to assemble and some of the profiles were badly jigged and spot-welded, so the panels had to be unscrewed AND BENT OUTWARDS to get the parts to fit. I also had to bend the back section (top right) out to achieve alignment. The double doors – worst fit I have ever seen. The poor design / characteristics cause the doors to fluctuate and depending on where the barbeque is placed, causes the doors to jamb upwards onto the underside of the sliding drawer. As a result, I have to place a 6mm packing under one of the wheels each time I move the barbeque to avoid the doors being jammed closed. For me, a safety hazard as the gas cylinder cannot be quickly accessed in an emergency. Right underneath the side burner control knob, there is a small printed label which says SIDE BURNER. But one has to step back 2 meters in order to see it. And in order to see it, one has know it is there. This, as well as the side-burner control knob being placed second from end, makes for this appliance to be very dangerous and one has to be mindful at all times NEVER to leave this barbeque unattended. In fact, for safety reasons it should be condemned.

The assembly instruction is by pictures only and does not indicate clearly the parts, and does not address or explain potential assembly issues. I contacted Garth Australia Pty Ltd who import the Matador barbeques from China for and on behalf of Bunnings and spoke to a representative who concurred the pictures depicting the sliding drawer assembly was misleading.

The screws on the lower door magnets that are mounted onto the chassis are too short – I had to buy longer screws at Bunnings for an acceptable fit. Plus the magnet housings are prone to “rocking” and breakage as the threaded inserts are sitting proud from the surface.

Overall, the assembly of this barbeque has been a bad experience and time consuming. I had to use grease on just about every screw throughout assembly and had to constantly re-align. My issues were presented in writing with substantiating photographs to Whitfords Bunnings (WA) but to date, I have not had a response. Overall, a bad product to be avoided at all costs and if one looks at the fine print on their 5 year warranty, it is not worth the paper it is written on.

Cooks fine, but parts have already rusted – The Matador Boss BBQ operates fine, but the bolts provided to put it together have already rusted. Am unsure why they could not provide bolts that do not rust! Despite being under a cover most of the time, the lid has already faded. Also, the grease does not drain well. As the BBQ is enamel coated, any scratch on the body while putting it together can lead to it rusting.  Show details

Family BBQ at its best – I have never had much luck with BBQs, or maybe its my cooking technique, likely to be a combination of both. Other models I have purchased have looked good in the showroom but were flimsy once assembled with a tendency to flare up, or worse. The Matador Artiste stood out in showroom. Sure it was a little bit more expensive than the others but… Read more

just feeling the weight of the lid gave me an immediate sense of quality. Nicely finished in clean stainless steel and grey enamel matt paint. Its looks the business and is very easy to clean.

Assembly took about 90 mins, nicely constructed and no engineering degree required.

Steak and Kebabs were the first on to try. Heated quickly, cooked like a dream. Many more cook ups, no complaints.

Masterchef I am not. Very happy with my new BBQ, yes, I certainly am.

Bad Design is Knobs – We lit our new BBQ tonight the knob for the wok burner which is on the right is on the second right and badly labeled underneath where you can't see it! We turned the first four in from the left and the wok with closed lid came on and burnt the lid. Very dangerous design lucky my husband didn't walk away from it burnt lid!  Show details

Not as good as we excepted – We are not satisfied at all with the BBQ. When the meat is cooking, the fat was draining onto the floor as there was no drain hole for the fats to flow out to the tray. We contacted the manufacturer who didn't give a damn. They would not recognise there was a problem. My husband drilled a hole for drainage & now the fats drain away to the… Read more

tray as was supposed to happen.

Also the knob for the cooktop has melted on one side, not happy at all.

I would NOT recommend Matador BBQ's, simply because they don't give a dam about after sales service.

We paid $2,000 for it.

Good Budget BQQ – Good Budget BBQ which is useful for most normal families. The quality of the build is average, but easy to use with burners lighting quick quickly. Due to the average build, need to be mindful when manoeuvring as can bend. Also wish was easier to clean but cannot expect much as this price range.  Show details

Good – I like this bbq but it just doesn't get to the heat I need it at it's well built and a good Grill but I need it to get really hot it just doesn't do it for me so next Time I buy a grill I'll be sure to make my own  Show details

Ideal for the family! – Large, efficient, easy to use, easy to clean, looks sleek, reliable, had for years and still working fantastically, hardwearing BBQ, it is very safe for children, is still compact enough for easy storage yet has a fantastic wok which heats up very quickly for all the cooking jobs you do not want to do in your kitchen! We use it for so much more then just BBQ meals! This BBQ can cook all! It saved us through our kitchen renovation!  Show details

Matador rubbish – This is rubbish BBQ, and a poor reflection of Bunnings quality standards. While the BBQ is not under cover, it does have a cover that I keep over it when not in use. The drip tray is plain steel and holds water so in 2 years has rusted completely. The starter now only works on one jet, so I need to manually light them. And the rear jet (for top… Read more

heat browning) never lights, and has rusted out. It is impossible to bbq meat as the jets are too gentle and do not produce enough heat. it is now used for slow roasts and I use it with a BBQ top Pizza Oven. I would never recommend Matador BBQ to anyone, however I do think that all hooded BBQs are similar in having lower than "old school" jets

Matador is a Big mistake – I purchased 4 burner Matador from bunnings around 3 years ago. We dont use it often at all. The barbecue absolutely rusted especially burners and fat drip tray.the side burner doesn't work at all. In addition, could not find replacement parts. Great disappointment. Don't buy Matador barbecue !!!! If representative of the Matador would read it would be great to receive replacement parts as an apology for misleading me about the quality.  Show details

Rubbish – I have had the BBQ less than 3 years, and it has completely rusted out. It is stored outside, as any good BBQ should be, and covered, but the burner deflectors and drip tray have completely rusted away. I contacted support to determine replacement options, and they said I need to get a metal fabricator to press a tray, and that is almost as… Read more

expensive as the BBQ cost. So, first problem selling a BBQ that rusts out in less than 3 years, and the second not having spare parts at a reasonable cost. Will never buy Matador again, and nor should you.

Very Happy - Solid performer – I have had this BBQ for a few years now. It is solidly built and pretty easy to put together. ( 2 hours). I love the enamel finish which is easy to keep clean. Applying some WD40 on the stainless steel before covering up over winter has kept it in perfect condition. The Cooking plates and grill are just thick enough to give fairly even cooking… Read more

and the glass lid is very solid, keeps the heat in and handy for viewing cooking food ( an overhead led light helps too). I find the glass only needs cleaning after every half dozen uses ( providing I don't run the burners too hot causing huge flare ups). Only criticism would be the burner protectors under the grill accumulate fat too easily causing flare ups and i've modified the fat tray using foil trays to handle more dripping before needing to be cleaned.

Piece of crap – The cooking grills/plates are 450mm deep and only 250mm of that has flames under it. Hood glass shattered cooking at 180deg 2 weeks past the warranty and you can't just buy the glass. You have to get a whole new lid. Most regrettable purchase I've ever made. Keep looking for something better.  Show details

Fantastic – I've had my Matodor for 10 years. Tolally love it. It's been totally punished every summer. It so good I want to giving it a make over . Where do you buy burner covers for them. Do they have a website that I can buy bits and pieces I need  Show details

Poor quality bbq – Bbqs are meant for one thing and that's cook meat. Well matador stuffed that up. My bbq boss only heats half the plate. Rubbish design with jets. Rear thermal never starts igniter works. Very poor design. Useless thing don't even wana use it and it cost me a good dollar not worth it.  Show details

I would not recommend Matador BBQs or any BBQ from Bunnings – Igniters failed after a few months even though unit is under cover. It is very susceptible to rust, even the Stainless is rusting. The solid plate and the grill plate only heat in the middle, the front and back run cool. The plate which holds the heat beads has collapsed and I been to so many Bunnings a Stores to find another one only to be told… Read more

this plate is now discontinued and cannot be procured. So what are we supposed to do with half a BBQ where only the solid plate works. The markings on the dials are so faded and almost eligible. The burners are so corroded and make a whistling noise like a whistle kettle.

Matador a poor choice – I purchased a Matador BBQ with Wok burner Dec 2014. Over that time, I've had a series of problems. First of all, the knobs / dials deteriorated to a point where they only intermittently gripped the metal spindle. This became dangerous, as it was difficult to know whether you had in fact turned the gas burner off after cooking. Gas would often… Read more

build up, resulting in a min-explosion next time you operated it. Matador kindly sent me replacement knobs. Furthermore, most of the gas burners have rotted in segments, creating an uneven heat distribution. When operating, it cooks reasonably well, in segments! Additionally, the wok burner does not operate anymore. The rotisserie work very well however.

So, what you think?

Not good – I bought a matador about 2 years ago no most of the parts inside are rusty but the cabinet is still good. I can not get spare for them , I tried bunnings no luck ...what a waste of money. I would not recommend the Matador after my experience. Matador should improve on their product and after sale service

Watch which dial you turn – The dial for the separate side burner is second from the right and not far right (side burner is far right). As a result the hood to the side burner began to burn and melt. It is a poor design on this BBQ. The knobs should be better labelled and positioned to prevent damage, injury or burns.

Very ordinary for the price! – Pros: Easy to put together Good size, can cook a lot at once Hood is useful to in order to cook more quickly/evenly Cons: Heavy Temp gauge on hood has never worked Ignition on side burner has never worked Heat distributes unevenly over grill Flames quite dangerously if oil or grease gets on the ceramics Knobs feel cheap and turning… Read more

them off is tricky

We bought this with some leftover wedding money. And while it does the job, we were expecting better overall build quality for the price.

Absolutely Terrible – I purchased my Matador BBQ from Bunnings in Malaga about 4 years ago. I liked the look of the granite side tops and the stainless steel finish. At the time I was under the impression that I was buying a good quality BBQ that would last me for many years. The Matador BBQ looked long lasting but is not. I now wish I had done a little research before… Read more

buying this product.

The first thing I did not like about this product is the design of its hood. If this BBQ is positioned in front of a wall there must be at least 175mm of clearance between the wall and the BBQ to prevent the hood from hitting the wall when it is opened. This gap of 175mm is large enough for a small child to wander behind the BBQ and get stuck. It is also a waste of space on my entertaining area.

Other things I don't like is the quality of the flimsy stainless steel on the exterior of this BBQ. As the day heats up the stainless steel end panel would expand making a loud banging noise. As the day cools down the panel contracts making another banging loud noise.

The poor quality interior steel of this BBQ has started to rust away even though I live many kilometres from the beach and have always kept it undercover. The burner protectors have also started to rusted away. Even the stainless steel doors and panels are showing rust spots. I didn't even know stainless could rust until now.

The rotisseries rear burner ignition pulse starter failed within the first six months. Bunnings does not stock spare parts for the Medator, replacement parts must be ordered through Bunnings special orders department. I couldn't be bothered waiting for a replacement part, so I sourced a similar part elsewhere.

I am unhappy with the design of the burner control knobs. Centre position is high. Twist right down is low and left down whilst pressing inwards is off. When turning off from the low flame it's only natural to presume that the flame has been turned off when you turn left as far as it goes, but in fact you have really set it to the highest flame. It's only when you push the burner control knobs inwards whilst twisting left at the same time that you can turn the burner control knob to the off position. This has caught me out many times when I thought have I have turned them off but all I done was turn them to the high flame position.

This BBQ also has a lot of open unnecessary voids underneath that become a breading haven for spiders. The Madator does come with wheels bit I don't see the point, you need to be a body builder to move it.

I also dislike the temperature gauge that is on the hood. The large numbers on the outside of the gauge are printed in Fahrenheit and the smaller hard to read printing on the inside is Celsius.

All in all, Matador has made a great looking BBQ , but because of its poor design it is terrible to use. I'm looking forward to the day that I get to take it down to the tip.