Owning a BBQ is a non-negotiable for most Australians. You could even argue that it’s somewhat of a national symbol. But the thing is, most BBQs you will find are large, cumbersome, and can take up a bunch of room that could otherwise be put to good use.
Enter Space Grill – the BBQ of the future!
Born out of frustration, the Space Grill became a reality in 2015 thanks to its founder and inventor Ryan Martin who wanted to solve the problem of functionality when using a conventional BBQ.
“I’m always learning and wanting to improve, and my need to solve a problem of BBQ space and functionality started the journey of Space Grill,” says Martin.
“All the places I lived when I was younger had a small entertaining area that was taken up by our BBQ. For me, more people on a balcony and less BBQ space means a better time for all.”
Like many great innovations, Space Grill was created to solve a problem and for inventor Ryan Martin, it’s been an all-consuming personal journey to design and create a high-quality, space-saving BBQ that you would be proud to show off to your mates.
“When I was in the early stages of Space Grill development, I was entertaining friends on my balcony and they had no clue what the unit on my wall was. It was only when I folded it out that they realised it was a BBQ.”
A plumber by trade, Martin has a knack for being a handyman, but the creation of Space Grill was unlike any job he had previously undertaken.
Spending many hours on trial and error, it was an arduous task to come up with a functional design that he could then develop to become a premium space-saving BBQ.
At a glance, the Space Grill is minimal and sleek but comes packed full of features. Available in a 2 or 3-burner, the innovative burners ensure even heating across the entire cooking surface. The Space Grill also comes with an integrated lid that opens seamlessly whilst acting as the perfect splashback, and a laser-etched control panel to ensure instructions and important information stay readable over time.
Another design feature – and perhaps one of the most important – is one that would solve the perpetual issue of BBQ use: the cleanup. Arguably the worst part of owning and operating a BBQ, cleaning the unit can be a messy, unforgiving job that may prevent you from a backyard cook-up in the first place.
The Space Grill now solves this problem.
“I knew the design had to be perfect; that was a given because I wanted to create a BBQ that would fold down to the width of a thin suitcase to save space,” explains Martin.
“What was more challenging was to capture the cooking juices and fats, so you didn’t have to clean the unit every time.”
The design of Space Grill prohibits any spillage from occurring thanks to its auto-swing drip tray which moves intuitively with the BBQ so that as you fold it down, the drip tray catches any mess made. Ingenius!
The lack of visual appeal with conventional BBQs was also a catalyst for the way the Space Grill looks – long gone are the days of the bulky and unsightly BBQ. Sure, Martin admits that there are foldaway versions on the market, but what he found was that these designs were either flimsy, poorly designed or impractical.
This is Space Grill’s point of difference. It has the appeal for those who enjoy minimalist design features, whilst keeping the form and function for those backyard grill masters, thanks to its chef-grade stainless steel grill plates which will last a lifetime.
And the proof is in the pudding. Since its inception, Space Grill has gone on to win awards such as the Vesta award for the best outdoor gas BBQ in the USA, Australia’s good design award, the Indy best buy in the UK and the IDA international design award.
But accolades aside, for Martin, it’s all about the customer experience that remains at the core of his business.
“I’m always learning and wanting to improve my need to solve a problem of BBQ space and functionality, but it’s our customers that have driven the evolution of Space Grill,” says Martin.
“You know, innovation never stands still. I’m always thinking about ways to improve, but we will continue to listen and adapt to our customer’s feedback, and in doing so, I think we will continue being the market leader in this BBQ space.”
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The Space Grill comes in a 2-burner priced at $799 and a 3-burner priced at $999, both available now at the Space Grill website here.