Ziegler & Brown Portable Grill
VerifiedMPNs: ZG1GC, ZG1GNGK, ZG1GRK and ZGIGK62 reviews
We were given this BBQ with our caravan… I can now see why they were giving them away. We have been on the road for 10 months and believe I am adequately informed and educated enough after using this to leave a review. First problem - the slightest breeze it won’t get to temperature. If you open the lid the flame will go out. Makes it impossible… Read more
to grill on in the wind.
Second Problem - un even cooking, centre back over cooked, left and right edges still raw.
Third Problem - if you are travelling you cannot get parts for this BBQ. Webber is sold everywhere including Bunnings.
Fourth Problem - cleaning, it has this unscrew drip tray with rubber seal. It’s nearly impossible to get off, then if the seal comes off when cleaning it’s take a forever to get back on.
Things I like… we’re nearly at the end of the trip and I won’t have to use it anymore.
It does light well, and has a lid locking feature.
Purchased a 3 burner Ziggy from BBQ's galore. Pile of crap. only good for cooking snags and eggs. Boils steak. Will not get hot enough. Replaced the reg and hose.Cleaned all the burners and tips. Total waste of money. sending it to the dump shop to be someone else's disapppointment. Show details
Follow-up · Ended up removing all the burners . They have adjustable A/F ratio gauze on each one that you can't see unless they are removed. They were fine. What was wrong was the gas jet's were all restricted with swarf or sealant from assembly. Cleaned them with oxygen cleaning tips while the gas was coming through and it is a new machine. Will burn everything now if you need it to and has full temperature control at all levels. Hope this helps
Should have read the reviews here first. Terrible BBQ, wok and trivet no where near hot enough to cook with. Grill not hot enough for BBQing a steak. What a waste of money. Show details
Reviews with attachments
Electric tastes good but sucks for reliability – I am now on my fourth replacement of the Ziggy. The first one lasted a year and it was great. The second one has now been replaced twice and on start up number 4 is not heating up consistently. I love the ease of electric over making a fire or filling a gas bottle, but these bbq’s just do not last. Show details
Is it the gauge or rubbish ziggy? – Our Ziggy came with the caravan. We are so disappointed. It runs too hot all the time even when turned to low. Today is 18 degrees and no wind. It is up in the red continually. Can't decide if it is a faulty gauge. Certainly have to stand next to it all the time and turn it on and off all the time. Today we have potatoes in foil and are trying… Read more
to cook rolled chicken stuffed with mushrooms and spinach. While running in the red its not burning the chicken, so we don't know! We've been using it for a month now in really cold weather, can't imagine trying to use it in summer.
Hood paint bubbled on first use – The BBQ seems to work well. Set it up lit first go had hood closed to pre heat and opened at 180 deg. It cooked steaks (plates set low) was very happy. Went to cook again second day and as I went to open it I noticed bubbles about the size of a 50cent piece sized in the middle section of the hood… not happy at all. Show details
- +12
A lot of money for an Imperfect Chinese made BBQ which is Overrated & Expensive – BBQ, top Paint bubbling. Like its rusting, but its Aluminum? Z&B BBQ cover disintegrates and lets rainwater in. Just wont last. better to buy 3rd. party one and has 2 years Warranty for about a third of the price, as they wont replace it even under CGA. NZ. Show details
- +5
Fantastic Gift, Terrible BBQ! *Glad I didn’t pay for it* – Received for Xmas last year, awesome gift for the holiday season (literally just the holiday season), cooked up some great meals with a little bit of improvisation as heat distribution on the single grill isn’t the greatest. It is true, you can cook yummy meals on the ziggy but be prepared to throw it in the bin after the summer holidays. Bbq… Read more
plates is cracked in 7 places from heat stress, thermometer doesn’t work and is full of moisture, oil drip tray design is atrocious, leaks oil everywhere, rubber seal continually falls off and is of terrible quality, extremely difficult to clean. Very messy bbq to own and live with, cheap and poor quality, flawed design with leaks, lid hitting oil trap, thermometer, etc. I wanted to leave a 2 Star review because you can cook some great tasting food on this little BBQ but the quality is so bad and it is so disappointing for a BBQ of this price that it gets a solid 1 Star. Good for the bin after 3 months of use. Problem is now I’m addicted to BBQ’ing and have to fork out for a Webber this Summer!!
In-depth reviews
Great for camping – This little Ziggy has some great features which makes it really good to take camping. Like being able to lock the plate down and the lid shut. This is really good if you tend to go on rough tracks off-road. The lid also can go right underneath which makes it a bit less bulky and easier to store if you have limited room. We thought about buying a… Read more
Webber Q for camping but in the end decided on the Ziggy, it just seems more versatile being able to cook with the lid up and down. We purchased a full cast iron solid plate for ours as well, Husband prefers it to using the grill, it's great for doing a full cooked brekky (bacon eggs etc).
At home we have a 2 burner Ziggy which we've had for quite a long time now. The baby Ziggy still comes in handy at home especially during Xmas if we have a bunch of extra guests to cook for. And sometimes if I'm wanting to bbq something for dinner when Husband isn't home I often find that I prefer the baby Ziggy, it just seems easier to use and quicker to clean. It does a pretty good roast pork too.
I find the little Ziggy easy to clean, perhaps with the exception of underneath the lid, that is a little more tricky since it slots under the bbq body as you open it. However I don't find that the inside of the lid gets particularly dirty anyway.
I think this is a great little BBQ for camping trips or even for people who have limited room at home or don't need to cook for too many people.
Heed this Warning – First up I want to clarify that I loved the design of this product, from how it folds in half for easy storage, how the grill locks in to assist in travel and how the grease cap is a part of the BBQ. However it also has some major flaws. First up the temperature gauge is so inaccurate you cant use it, you will need either an internal probe or… Read more
an additional gauge to give an accurate reading.
There are some serious manufacturing flaws with the grill plate its self. I purchased this BBQ in late November after being convinced it was better than a Webber by the BBQ Galore staff. I agree with them it is better in alot of ways. The issues started during my 4th cook on the BBQ, while pre-heating the BBQ there was a extremely loud bang upon inspection the Grill had cracked in three places and pulled itself apart.
Upon contact with the store they assured me it was a extremely rare occurrence and that they have only had 4 return in this condition stating it was a manufacturing flaw and that they would get a new grill sent to my house. This process took two weeks due to no stock being in Australia. Upon reviewing my new Grill and and putting it in the BBQ all seemed fine, that night I pre heated the BBQ at 75% heat setting to allow the plate to slowly move under the heat. The BBQ was heating for 7 minutes before the 2nd Grill once again cracked in multiple places with a loud bang.
Upon further discussion with the store it was revealed that there is a serious manufacturing issues currently that has only started to occur since they revised the design and they are having a obscene number of grills return cracking and breaking on their first uses and replacement grills doing the same. Luckily for me the local store where more then happy to replace the Ziegler & Brown with a Webber Baby Q 1200 and swapped all the accessories i also purchased.
So save yourself the hassle and just buy the Webber Baby Q instead.
This portable BBQ is TOPS! – After the "death" of our Coleman Eventemp 3 Burner bbq, we needed a replacement. Limited study indicated a Weber Baby Q which we purchased. Very good bbq! Did everything perfectly as Weber is renowned for. So why sell it on Gumtree for a Baby Ziggy? One word. Versatility. When we travel, we like, for instance, to have a cuppa after a roadside… Read more
cookup. The Baby Q only has both grill or one side grill, other side hotplate combinations. And the hotplate is only one sided. So a second appliance for boiling water is needed. The Baby Zig has full grill, full reversible hotplate that's porcelain coated cast iron (Flat one side, ribbed the other) or an aluminium half reversible hotplate to sit on the full grill. The bbq comes as standard with a thermometer. Then there's the trivet accessory, my favourite! It's not enough that it takes pots, pans and kettles, oh no!. You can configure the trivet to have two side by side or one in the centre. Both the centre cross pieces of the trivets can be removed as well. When a single one is used in the centre without the cross piece, you can then use a wok. Or you can put a single trivet on one side and have the half hotplate on the other. So you can cook something on the reversible hotplate whilst boiling water in a kettle or doing your veggies in a pot...maybe making the gravy! With a roasting tray, roasts are also done. I also like the fact that you have a choice...lid up OR down cooking. So you can cook lid down in the Weber manner and have the same great tasting food done in a fraction of the time that Weber is so justly famous for. Or lid up for doing certain things, such as pancakes or if you just like seeing the food cook. The roll back hood means more space saving, and the grease catcher which screws up or down underneath for travelling, means no aluminium grease trays to buy! The hood locks into position so you can use the handle as a carrying handle. The grill or hotplate lock on so they won't fall out. Another feature I liked over the Weber is the carry bag for the little Zig. It has pockets for the accessories you buy. And a shoulder strap. It's made so the bbq handle will poke through if you wish to carry it thus. Converting between LPG or natural gas is via readily available conversion kits that the staff at Barbeques Galore will do. Similar to the Weber is that you can easily remove the single stainless steel burner. The only issue I have is with the portable stand accessory. For what it actually is, I think it's way expensive and a pain to assemble, hence why I didn't buy it. Nice that it has an optional upgrade kit that gives it a condiment/tool shelf and a bottom shelf for the gas cylinder or accessories, etc. But I'll make my own stand, using the existing Coleman folding stand I already have. In summary, a GREAT little bbq for travelling. Its versatility make it second to none in my humble opinion. To be perfectly honest, I'd have kept my Weber baby Q if it had the same versatility as the little Zig. But I'm more than happy with what I now have. I absolutely recommend getting one!
Positive reviews
We use the Ziegler and Brown portable grill Outdoors as part of our caravan setup . I originally reviewed the grill back in 2023 rating it fairly poorly due to issues we experienced lighting the burners and keeping them lit . I am now re-rating the produce higher after discovering the issue was related to the quick build up of oil/ fat on the… Read more
burners after a single use . The grill burners need to be cleaned after every use . Keep them clean and it will work like a dream .
Happy little camper – Recently brought the Ziggy classic from bbqs galore in Sydney and it’s been a blast,,,, cooking anything from roast chicken to even pizza and pork with amazing crackling to die for,,, also used as a bbq and cooks like a treat,,,, certainly rate this so far at 100% and recommend people try this out,,,,
Find out how Ziegler & Brown Portable Grill compares to other Gas BBQs
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CLEANING – Just cleaned our portable ziggy for the first time after our Xmas cook up and the O ring has come off when unscrewing . Not sure where it actually came from whether it was on the bbq or the drip tray has this happened to any one else and how do I put it back on ....
Negative reviews
Poor BBQ – Had a Ziggy 2 burner BBQ for years and was great. But to save space and weight for camping, bought the single burner. Agree with all the negative reviews below. Runs too hot (according to the gauge) with lid closed, even on low. Needle even went past the red zone. Cant keep hood partially open to control heat level. With flame out (by just a… Read more
breeze), Lifted lid and reignited, blew up in my face. The gas had accumulated in the bottom of the unit due to the drip tray sealed to the bottom of the unit not allowing the excess gas to escape. Happened twice. Dangerous. Will remove the drip collector and put my own drip tray underneath. Gas hose too short. Need gas bottle right next to the BBQ. Thankfully I did not throw the dual burner one out. Single burner going in the bin. Not happy.
Update for Ziggy Single Burner BBQ. Read the instructions. The grease tray needs to be in the… Read more
To Hot to Cook – I bought this Ziggy Classic to replace my 7 year old Weber Baby Q and what a major mistake that was. Trying to cook a roast pork on Christmas day, and had it on low, put my 1kg roast on a tray and into the Ziggy at 180 deg C and watched it soar to 240, turned it off, stood and waited till back to 180, turned it on again, straight back to 240 plus,… Read more
same again, turn it off, stand and wait, etc. Gave up after 30 mins of this and then put it into my oven. Complete waste f money as it is way too hot for lid closed cooking. Why claim that it has great temperature control when it doesn't. Wish I had read more reviews about its shortcomings before purchase. Will go back to Weber.
Disappointing, too hot for enclosed cooking – Really disappointed in this BBQ. Looks nice, and it seemed to be made for grilling and enclosed cooking. Used it for the first time today to do a rolled lamb roast for Xmas. It just cooks waaaay too hot. Turned down to the lowest setting, it was at 240c. Cooked the lamb in a pan and it was sizzling and browning and if continued, would have dried… Read more
the lamb out. So fished it out and wrapped it tightly in foil. That worked. But it burnt the garlic bread, never had that happen before on a variety of BBQs. This unit just isn't suitable for enclosed cooking, unless you're doing pizzas. And how do you clean the inside of the hood?
Update on this purchase: getting a refund was quite a rigmarole. BBQs Galore said they'd have to… Read more
Recent reviews
Shot product over rated! – Absolutely over marketed, This BBQ is no good, constantly changes heat, either burns or is too cold, flame goes out at the suggestion of a breeze. Yes people rave about it, though it is no where near the Weber! Waste of money and I am throwing mine to the crap house and it 9 weeks old. We are travelling Australia and brought it as it was highly… Read more
rated - not sure who highly rates this though it’s just crap. Caravan parks have never asked me what bbq I have so buy a weber as this is a waste of your cash!!
Scotty from Vic
Biggest waste of money ever spent – We installed a ziggy nomad BBQ (one burner) in our caravan pull out drawer and are having difficulties cooking with it as it seems to run so hot, no matter what we have tried (trivet, nearly closing the vent at the bottom to restrict airflow, setting temp dial to only just on, rolls of aluminium foil under lid to prise it open a tad....). We would… Read more
dearly love to be able to make a loaf of bread, casseroles, roast dinners in it, as we installed it to be our oven, as we do not have an oven in our caravan, but the bottom just burns even with the temperature set to the lowest setting. We are so disappointed and have wasted so much food, time and energy trying all the 'hacks' to just try and bake in the Ziggy Nomad, which advertises that we should be able to. But in reality is too hot to cook in and cremates anything we cook.
Looks good but won’t stay lit – Our Ziggy single burner won’t stay lit . So frustrating. We tried backing off the heat and thought yes we had finally got the problem sorted . Alas we failed . The flame doesn’t stay lit . What’s going on ? We purchased the Ziggy for our caravan fits in the tunnel boot and we had seen and heard other travellers raving about the Ziggy . We purchased one month ago and haven’t yet used it to cook our bbq . What’s going on ? Show details
Should have bought a Weber Q – As the title says. I thought I'll give the Ziggy a go, to take with me overseas, and leave my old Weber baby Q with family in Australia. This bbq is difficult to control the temperature on. Low is way too hot, and anything higher is obviously too hot as well. As far as cleaning goes, it couldn't be any more difficult. I previously owned a Weber… Read more
baby Q, and could cook anything on it to perfection, which I have struggled to do on this Ziggy. As for cleaning, it was also quick and easy to clean, and keep clean. My next trip back to Oz, I'll certainly be buying another Weber Q to bring back with me. I hope this honest review helps anyone considering buying one with their decision.
compact for patio balcony, can be portable if well cleaned – For 2 - 4 people cooking. Compared to the bigger sizes this takes longer to heat up, pre heating makes all the difference. It bbq's meat well, however with trivet i don't believe it gets hot enough for wok cooking for heat escapes sides. steaks cooked with lid closed, excellent. Burgers outstanding. I use a pizza stone for pizza. I cook a lot… Read more
outside, to keep cooking smells out of house. Going strong no probs. But now many similar good items on market. * update 3 Jan 2024 still going well, keep an eye on drip tray and remember to empty it.
Find out how Ziegler & Brown Portable Grill compares to other Gas BBQs
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Overrated, underheated – Have had this BBQ as part of our caravan outdoor set-up over the year - our only oven. Regularly turns itself off, particularly when the lid is down and fails to get above 160 degrees. Have managed to cook a handful of decent meals but overall certainly not worth the money Show details
Awesome bbq – Purchased the portable version with folding stand as it is used for camping. Best portable bbq I have owned and the way it can be secured on the stand is great when you gave little kids around. Highly recommend this brand Show details
Very disappointed – We bought this particular BBQ because it was only one of a few that would fit in our caravan boot. After reading reviews comparing it to the Weber BabyQ I was hopeful. It has so many design flaws for an expensive barbecue I was shocked. You can’t clean the inside of the dome because it folds in on itself, resulting in oil dripping down the inside… Read more
of the dome and all over whatever the bbq is sitting on. The oil tray is appalling, need to unscrew it to empty and can’t use a foil tray to save washing (which is essential when camping). The rubber ring on the tray also fell off first go and won’t go back on. Roasting is difficult because of the vent in the dome letting too much heat out, burning the bottom of the roast while the top is under done. Over all, very disappointed.
Average BQ – Good to do roasts, but to cook steak unless ,you can't get enough heat on the grill plate by the time the steak has cooler on the outside its over done. Show details
Poor Design and Quality – First one had manufacturing fault - BBQ Galore insisted on warranty claim even though still in box.. the Gease trap is poor design - seal continually falls off and when you open up the grease trap - the dome lid hits the grease trap, each time you open the dome. Temperature guage has never worked. Grill plate is one whole piece. We bought the flat… Read more
half plate however, you can only sit it on top off the full grill plate and it doens't get hot enough - so that was a waste of money. You can't clean inside the dome - as it wraps around the base/burner and you can't get to it. We bought the legs. Lucky we had tools at home because they didn't quite fit and we had to bend the metal to make them fit. I wouldn't recommend this product.
Awsome BBQ! Sturdy and great quality! – Love our new BBQ, after looking into Webers and not being happy with the build quality or the material used (seemed very flimsy) we decided to go with a Zeigler & Brown. It has great flame settings and you can cook a roast in it easily, also has a temp gage. comes standard with the grill plates but in our package deal we got a bag, smoking chips… Read more
and a flat plate - which is great for things like saucy kebabs etc.
Things i loved...
*Does not use alot of gas! *Looks great *Cooks great *The whole product is made well and is very sturdy! *Portable
What a way to cook,versatility at it’s best – Although only purchased a week ago I have done roast lamb(medium)with roasted vegetables,2”thick porterhouse medium rare and Balmain bugs with marinated green prawns all of which have been great.I’m amazed at how quick the food cooks and cleaning is a breeze. Thanks to BBQ’S Galore at Aspley for your service and advice. Show details
Loving my Ziggy single burner – Bought this bbq from our local Barbeques Galore, for home use mainly. (Great service given by Sam) Have cooked cakes, roast and many different meats including salmon. I have not had one failure yet. This bbq heats up quickly if you are wanting to roast and clean up is a breeze. I have not cooked meat inside on the stove top since purchasing my ziggy. Love it Show details
Below Average – Purchased from BBQ Galore; unpacked and noticed manufacturing defect on Base. Didn't have much time due leaving on extended trip in Caravan. Returned it - got another (difficult process). Opened in shop- top was faulty. They got us a third and hit the road. Tried a roast chicken first up - temp gauge didn't work. so cooked on smell and skewers.… Read more
Got sent a replacement gauge- will try today. This was only unit to fit in van boot so not too many options. The ring clips that hold cooker unit to base also failed 1st go - that is 4 of them. I think even the manufacturers would be ashamed. Cooking requires heat- not too difficult. I'd look for better options than this.
Best BBQ Ever – Have owned other BBQS but none of them can compete with the Ziggy. Easy to clean and cooks perfectly every time. There is even a Facebook page to share recipes and hints. Show details
I purchased one after discovering how good my friends one was – My girlfriends parents have a ziggy portable and I wouldn't purchase anything else in that segment. I was so impressed how well it cooked both roasting and grilling. I purchased one and it did have an issue with it however it was fixed under warranty no questions asked which was a real credit to them. I highly recommend ziggy barbeques… Read more
particularly for use in a vehicle as the plate is one piece and doesn't fall out like the two piece ones competitors offer..
Gone back to Weber. The Zig just can't compete – With the Ziggy: The temperature knob on its own can't regulate to a perfect 180 - you need to fiddle with drip tray setting to get it right. Cold spot near the front of the grill. Cleaning under the hood is impossible. I decided to take out the screws holding the lid on. Snapped the first stud as it was too tight. Asked BBQ's Galore for advice,… Read more
offered to send a tech out for a fee. Ended up removing and replacing the stud myself and put the thing on Gumtree. Condition almost like new and not a scratch, accessories include new cart, carry bag, full hotplate never used and pizza stone. No one wants it at $320. Half of what I paid for it. Might have to give it away, but maybe I'd prefer to trash it rather than give someone else the problem.
Can't clean it properly – the cleaning is the problem How do you clean the underside of the lid it is impossibleif you have the lid open you can only clean about 20% of it and of course if it is closed you can't clean it at all it is easy to clean under the burners etc but not under the lid Show details
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Amazing ...Just got a call to say they have reconsidered and replaced the damaged goods, but,… Read more