The Space Grill SGBBQ640TC is a unique product to us here in the United States but that is not the case in other parts of the world. Wall, rail mount and fold down grills are a staple in many parts of Europe, the Middle East and Australia just to name a few.
The Space Grill is a perfect example of a high quality fold down grill. It was recently made available in the US for those with limited outdoor space. The Space Grill is considered an open style grill and is intended to be used for high heat direct grilling. There is no lid to close over the cooking area as you find on many grills. Open style grills are best suited for small, quick-cooking foods such as chops, steaks, fish fillets, kebabs, these amazing veggies (seriously, check this out) and the like.
It is a full sized 3 burner gas grill with individual rotary ignition for each of its 304 stainless steel 12,500 BTU burners. The burners are also equipped with a thermocouple safety device that will stop the gas supply to them if the flame is accidentally extinguished. Temperature control is achieved via three individual gas knobs.
The body of the Space Grill is constructed of 443 grade stainless steel. The “flame tamers” and cooking grates are constructed of 201 grade stainless steel.
The Space Grill is not a portable grill like most small grills when it’s hard mounted to a wall, handrail or other vertical load bearing structure. The design allows it to be quickly pulled from its vertical storage position to a horizontal cooking one. The Space Grill can be set up or packed away in seconds, maximizing any outdoor living space. For portable use, there is an optional stand.
The Space Grill is quick and easy to keep clean and maintain. It employs an internal drip system which allows any excess fat and grease to be captured in a detachable front drip tray. The interior of the unit is shallow making it easier to wipe out. The drip system in our testing performed well and as advertised.
There is a stainless steel storage cover which is placed over the cooking surface when the grill is folded down. This cover is inserted behind the grill while cooking to act as a backsplash. A soft weatherproof storage cover is also included.
The Space Grill comes with a limited 5 year warranty with 5 years on the stainless steel enclosure, backsplash cover and the burner tubes, and 2 years on the cooking grate and remaining parts.
The hardware required to mount the Space Grill on the wall is not included. It’s easy to understand why with so many varying options of mounting surfaces out there.
The accessories available for the Space Grill consist of a removable side table and a Space Grill stand.
The removable table clips onto either side of the Space Grill to give you an additional 180 square inches of work surface.
The Space Grill stand allows you keep your Space Grill portable if you choose. Our testing was conducted using the Space Grill stand.
Item Specs
- 475 sq. inches of grilling surface
- 3 individual ignition burners with 12,500 BTU’s each
- fold-down large drip tray captures all run off in the easy to clean detachable tray
- wall mounted design folds away when not in use to maximize outdoor living spaces
- sets up and folds away in less than 10 seconds
- laser etch control panel
- includes propane regulator connection and NG orifices and conversion instructions
- fully assembled
- weatherproof protective cover included
- total weight 77 lbs.
- load requirement 100 lbs. (your mounting surface will need to be able to support 100 lbs.)
*Specs taken from the Space Grill website.
What We Loved
We love the speed of setting up and folding down the Space Grill once installed. The added safety feature of the thermocouple on each burner is also a big plus in our minds. Beyond mounting there is no assembly of the grill required.
A conversion kit for natural gas is included here in the United States. The laser etched control panel is a very nice feature as well. It should hold up and be legible for years. The grill is superbly constructed and of high quality and its 475 square inches of cooking surface was surprising in such a small package.
What Could Be Improved
It is a bit difficult you see it that the burners are ignited when lighting the grill. You need to hold the igniter in for just a few seconds when lighting so that the thermocouple can do its job. We were able to compensate for this a bit by slightly adjusting the position of the flame tamers in the grill body. We would love to see a small viewing portal cut into the flame tamers to make this task easier.
Who it’s For
This grill is for anyone with limited space such as a small courtyard or balcony. Apartment or condo dwellers who are not allowed to use a charcoal grill would certainly benefit from this grill. It’s also a great fit for anyone with an existing outdoor kitchen that would like to add some addition grilling surface that is easily folded out of the way when not needed.
Final Thoughts
It’s important to keep this grill in context. It is an open grill intended for those with limited space. Our test cooks showed that heat tends to be higher along the back side of the grill. We also tested the heat transfer to the Space Grill stand and are happy to say we did not find an issue with the stand or even the mounting bracket getting hot.
Temperature testing was done using a Thermoworks IR-GUN-S. If you are considering a unique, well-built grill and have a limited size area we suggest you give the Space Grill a look.