JEDDAH, 16 December — A new kind of grill that emits almost no smoke has been invented and it can be used even indoors.
Developed by a Filipino innovator, the device called Dr. Grilla Coal Grill is also reputed to offer much more than what you’d expect from the standard, sweat-drenching grills, so much so that when you see it being demonstrated, you won’t be able to help getting one for yourself.
Even if you place a frozen fish taken directly from a freezer on top of the grill, it won’t cause smoke. The same is true if the meat being grilled has high fat content.
Manuel R. Dono, the maker of the award-winning innovation, told this writer in a note recently from Manila that his wonder grill products are now being marketed in major supermarkets.
Dono explained that standard grills cause too much smoke because of the dripping of oil or water into burning charcoal.
“The implication of this kind of grilling, apart from making it unsuitable indoors, is that you end up with unevenly cooked food,” Dono explained earlier in an interview with Arab News last May. “When oil drips into burning charcoal, you have fire and you get burned meat.”
Dono said this particular problem challenged him to develop Dr. Grilla especially because his other alternative to grilling —frying — was apparently causing him health problems.
“By grilling food, harmful fats are reduced to a safe level,” he said. “This encouraged me to find a way to develop what you may call a user-friendly grill.”
Control of oil and water
How does Dr. Grilla then keep oil and water from dripping into burning charcoal, thus causing no smoke?
Dono explained that his innovation contains concave grids that catch dripping oil or water and channeling these to a container.
What’s more, unlike the standard grills, Dr. Grilla grids are made of stainless steel. Being non-corrosive, they last long and are easier to clean.
“Besides, heat is regulated by the grids to produce a well-cooked food. Again, in standard grills, the food either gets burned or is not cooked thoroughly,” Dono said.
Ordinary charcoal can be used, but Dr. Grilla comes with coal bricks that are cleaner, more efficient, and easier to kindle.
A pack of Grilla coal bricks will last for one-and-a-half hours. Dono said the duration is long because the container is enclosed and the flame regulated. There’s no need for fanning and blowing. Moreover, its sootless and causes less smoke.
Dono claims that the high heat produced by coal bricks combined with the unique Dr. Grilla design help cook food in “record time, thus avoiding loss of juices and vital nutrients.”
Triple models
Dono, who has had other innovations registered under his name in the Philippine Patents Office, said he started working on the wonder grill in 1990. His work was later judged as one of the winners in the annual inventor’s fair of the Department of Science and Technology.
Several months ago, Dono’s Grillex Company, Inc., started marketing the product in Metro Manila and other key cities in the Philippines.
Dono said his company is now into fully mechanized production, with the grills all machine-pressed.
One good thing about Dr. Grilla is that they come in three models, one for household use, one for the garden or patio, and another for field trips or camping.
The household model, measuring 17 x 19 inches wide and 6 inches thick, has a suggested retail price of 2,500 pesos (roughly $48).
The patio model, measuring 24 by 36 inches wide, costs about 9,500 pesos ($182), is suitable for use by restaurants and for big parties.
Measuring 12 x 12 inches wide and 6 inches thick, the portable grill costing about 1,500 pesos (roughly $29 or 109 Saudi riyals) can be folded just like laptop computers, making it easy to bring around.
Dono hopes to tie up with partners abroad to export the product, which he said should be enticing especially to health buffs.
