Vermont Castings Vanguard two-burner review

Vermont Castings may not be the first company that comes to mind when you’re thinking barbecues. High quality wood stoves, yes.

When it comes to BBQs, however, it’s names like Weber, Broil King, Char-Broil, Traeger, Big Green Egg and Kamado Joe – just to name a few – that dominate the BBQ market.

So, with that in mind, I did some home work and chose the long venerable brand Vermont Castings when it came time to replace our old propane gas barbecue.

After using the Vermont Castings Vanguard BBQ for two grilling seasons, I have to say that I could not be happier with my decision to buy our art-deco inspired little propane barbecue.

Vermont Castings, no doubt better known in North America for its impressive wood stoves in fire engine red and hunter green, have long been a well-respected American-based company known for the highest quality made-in-the-USA products. And they still are, but when it comes to BBQs it’s all about Canada. More on the company’s history later, for now let’s get back to these outstanding barbecues.

Be sure to check out my extensive article about cooking with cast iron including the specially designed Vermont Castings Dutch Oven.

This image, from the Vermont Castings website, shows the 4-burner Vermont Castings Vanguard model.

Like most of you out there, I’m no barbecuing expert – you won’t mistake me for a grillmaster, pitmaster or any other name these expert BBQers are calling themselves these days. But I’ve been known to fire up some impressive meals in the past two seasons with the Vermont Castings Vanguard BBQ.

For more suggestions and some of my favourite garden things, be sure to check out my Favourite Things post.

I like my planked salmon, grilled salmon, hamburgs, chicken even the odd hot dog, so getting all the bells and whistles was not really that important to me. Knowing that I could add what I needed later was enough for me. What I was looking for was a well-made, rugged, barbecue that can stay outside year round, stand up to Canadian winters and perform without a lot of drama.

Our 2-burner Vermont Castings BBQ with what I like to call its art-deco look in full view.

The only important feature I wanted was an electronic starter that this BBQ delivered. Now, I know most BBQs these days have easy-start devices, the difference with the Vermont Castings models is that it still works perfectly after almost two years. That can’t be said for many of its competitors.

Oh, and it has to look good in the woodland garden rather than scream out that I have a massive BBQ as the central focus of my backyard.

If we want to add colour into the entertaining space, we can do that through designers like Annie Selke who has a great selection of colourful outdoor accessories like rugs, cushions and drapes.

The Vermont Castings 2 burner Vanguard not only met my every need, it did it in style.

By style, I mean its good looks. You won’t mistake this all-black BBQ designed in almost an art-deco style for your run-of-the-mill big box BBQ with its cheap stainless steel top and flimsy cooking grills.

This thing is a serious BBQ weighing in at more than 143 pounds (65.00 kg for Cdns). A good portion of that weight is attributed to the impressive lid that lets you know this is not anywhere near your average barbecue. This fella can hold the heat and in a BBQ, that’s one of the most important features.

Even in the middle of a cold winter, the impressive heat-storing capacity of the cast iron lid ensures a proper cook. Less expensive BBQ don’t hold all that valuable heat in the cooking box making for uneven cooking temperatures.

What makes Vermont Casting BBQs high quality?

It’s clear from the first time you fire this baby up that it is built to hold the heat.

Unlike most BBQs on the market that fail to hold all that precious convection heat in the cooking box, the Vermont Castings design crew clearly drew on its years of expertise perfecting its hot stove to create a BBQ with some serious heat-retaining powers.

And this is the smallest BBQ in the Vanguard line.

The impressive three-burner model that most families would probably be the most interested in, weighs in at 180.8 lbs. (82.00kg), and the much larger four-burner heavyweight contestant comes in at a whopping 201.7 lbs or 91.50 kg.

If it’s BTUs you are interested in, consider these numbers: The Big 4-burner puts out up to 48,000 BTUs on its 742 sq. inches of total cooking surface with a side burner that spits out an additional 12,000 BTUs.

The slightly smaller 3-burner unit puts out 45,000 BTUs on its 683 sq. inches of total cooking surface, while our 2-burner unit produces 30,000 BTUs on its 494 sq. inches of total cooking surface.

We decided to go with the smallest BBQ in the Vanguard line because there are only two of us most of the time and there was no need for us to go any larger. But for a growing family, the three and four burner models would certainly be a better choice.

Are Vermont Castings BBQs made to last?

Vermont Castings say this about their 2-burner Vanguard line but it holds up for the larger models as well: “designed and crafted to deliver an exceptional experience that’s rooted in three core tenants:

1) BUILT TO LAST – Robust components and quality craftsmanship that stands up to extreme conditions for years to come,

2) PERFORMANCE PERFECTED – Exceptional heat control 365 days a year,

3) MAINTENANCE MADE EASY – Helping you more easily care for your barbecue for long-lasting performance. The Vermont Castings Vanguard™ 2-Burner BBQ is backed by a comprehensive 15-year limited warranty.”

Do Vermont Castings BBQs have a warranty?

Heck, most barbecues these days barely last 5 years let alone sport a 15-year limited warranty. You know, they know they are building a high quality product when they offer a 15-year warranty.

Cast iron Griddle accessory is a must

Our two-burner came with two heavy duty cast iron grills. I replaced one of them with the Vermont Castings sweet little two-sided cast iron griddle that fits perfectly where the original cast iron grill fit.

It’s a flat griddle on one side and ribbed on the other making it an incredibly versatile accessory no family should be without. This simple accessory turned our 2-burner BBQ into a breakfast maker (eggs and bacon outside on the grill is like being on a vacation every day.)

The griddle takes all the pain of frying bacon and any other messy, grease-spitting food out of the kitchen and into the backyard where, let’s face it, it really belongs. How about the perfect smash burgers, or one of our favourites, breaded schnitzel done to perfection with a little cooking oil on the griddle.

Cleanup is also simple with the cast iron griddle accessory.

In fact, I think I can say that I use the griddle almost as much as I use the regular grill side of the barbecue. French Toast, breaded chicken cutlets, garlic toast, fried onions and mushrooms of course and a whole host of other food have been transformed into goodness on that griddle.

Other accessories purchased include the Vermont Castings meat thermometer and a custom cover for the Vanguard two-burner for the winter. I must admit that the custom cover is another well-made product meant to not only last for many, many years, but to actually fit the barbecue so that it does not end up in a neighbour’s yard at the sign of the first high-wind event.

Accessories available for Vanguard series

For more serious “pitmasters” Vermont castings offers many more accessories for its barbecue lines, including a propane tank cover (otherwise the tank can be seen clearly as it sits on the outside of the unit), a Rotisserie (for the ultimate barbecued whole chicken experience), a Grill brush and a Natural Gas Conversion Kit.

Another feature of our grill is a large storage cupboard under the burners. In most barbecues, this area is used to store the propane tank, but on the Vanguard series, the propane tank is hooked on to the side of the unit leaving lots of storage in the cupboard for storage.

If the propane tank bothers you, the cover is available or you could convert it to natural gas. Personally, I like the extra storage space.

A low-smoke fire pit and Cooking Grill is great choice

If cooking with propane is really not your thing, Vermont Castings has a few new offerings that may interest you. The first is a Kamado-style BBQ (see below) and the second is a low-smoke firepit complete with a cooking grill and griddle built right into it.

The fire pit cooking griller is the ultimate backyard fire pit.

This would provide the ideal backyard cookout for family and friends.

The low smoke fire pit is built with the same high-quality build and flat black surface that allows it to blend in with either the rustic surrounding of the woodland or a contemporary backyard that benefits from the fire pit’s simplicity.

Just a few of the details on the Cooking Grill, low smoke Fire Pit:

Vermont Castings Cooking Grill and Low Smoke Fire Pit is a 2-in-1 open flame grill and outdoor fireplace

Deep Fire and Traditional Fire settings allow you to customize your flame and cooking experience
Smoke reduction air flow venting system in Deep Fire mode helps remove excess smoke from reaching your clothes, eyes and neighbour’s yard
Fueled by charcoal, wood pellets or fire wood
Included poker can be used in the fire, to lift both griddle and grate attachments while hot, and adjust ember screen
Use the cast steel cooking grate and griddle to cook in both deep fire and traditional fire mode
Use the deep fire mode to burn wood pellets for a vibrant flame with minimal ash
Heavy duty high temperature steel construction
Includes cover
Dimensions: 23 5/8” D x 23 1/2” H
Weight: 25.5 kg

For more on the fire pit, check out their website on the Vermont Castings Fire Pit and Cooking Grill.

A little history of Vermont Castings

Let’s go back in time and look at the roots of Vermont Castings.

“In 1975 Duncan Syme had an idea that could help his neighbours keep their homes warm in the face of rising energy costs,” their website explains.

“Murray Howell, a friend and consummate businessman, knew the opportunity was ripe for a venture. So, in a drafty woodshed in rural Vermont they built the first Vermont Castings wood-burning stove, the aptly named and soon-to-be iconic Defiant.

“Vermont Castings quickly became a household name. The homegrown innovation, American-made appeal, and the promise of quality and craftsmanship above all else quickly established Vermont Castings and the wood stove brand. … Syme and Howell not only created a brand, they built a following… they built a family.”

Vermont Castings was purchased several years ago by HNI Corp an Iowa-based manufacturer of wood-burning stoves, fireplaces and office furniture. The purchase included the manufacturing rights to the Signature Series line of grills – a high-end, U.S.-made line of stainless-steel grills.

Okay, you say, what does all this have to do with BBQs? Well the same care and craftsmanship that made the hot stoves so beloved are now available in the form of BBQs.

Today, Canadian Tire owns the Vermont Castings’ line of BBQs that are now only available through Canadian Tire stores and only available in Canada.

Only available in Canada you say?

For American readers who may be interested in purchasing one of these high-end barbecues, you will have to purchase it in Canada because Canadian Tire does not ship the BBQs to the United States.

The link here will take you to the complete line of Vermont Castings barbecues, including the Vanguard model and their pellet-style BBQs. It also features a grilling guide, grilling best practises and information on direct vs indirect grilling, a complete line of accessories, tool sets including pizza accessories.

I like how Vermont Castings tied in their BBQ brand with their wood stove brand with the line: “A Brand Born of Fire.” There is no question that the two work together nicely.

On the website, Vermont Castings say their mission begins with “being yourself and unapologetically following your path.

“For us,” they write, “that path began with fire, and was lit with purpose. We believe fire ignites something inside of us that makes us human. There is greater joy in the stories shared around fire. More comfort in the warmth provided by fire. And better flavours in the food over fire.”

Here in Canada the Vermont Castings line of BBQs, grills and accessories are available exclusively through Canadian Tire stores. Go here for a link to their entire line of Vermont Casting fireplaces, fireplace pits and accessories.

For more of my articles on backyard barbecues and BBQing, check out the following link: What’s better the Kamado or the Kettle

Vermont Castings offers Kamado-style grill

Oh and speaking of fire, for those who can’t part with their Kamado grills, take a few minutes to check out Vermont Castings new Charcoal Kamado-style grill.

A relatively new addition to the Vermont Castings lineup is the impressive Kamado-style grill.

Vermont Castings boasts that its Kamado style BBQ has “580 square inches of total cooking space on premium cast iron cooking grates.” It adds that “this BBQ boasts a cooking surface 27% larger than a standard circular Kamado BBQ, The Kamado-style cook box helps promote even flow of heat while the triple-walled steel body insulates from the outside allowing you to achieve and hold your desired temperature in any conditions. The calibrated air vents at the top and bottom allow better precision in achieving desired cooking conditions.

It also points out that the Kamado includes the following:

• Calibrated top and bottom airflow dampers provide precise temperature control ranging between 200°F up to 700°F

• Triple-walled steel construction provides insulation for heat retention

• Cast iron heat deflectors provide control over heat distribution for two-zone direct or indirect cooking

• Thick-gauge cast iron cooking grates retain and transfer heat to your food

Sounds like it’s definitely worth checking out.

Fired up about Vermont Castings propane Vanguard BBQs: Review