Customer Reviews

"Practical Sailor Magazine"  May 2008

Galleymate 1100

Distributed in the U.S. by Fourwinds (www.fourwinds-ii.com) and Marine Fisheries Supply (www.fisheriessupply.com), the Galleymate 1100 quickly caught testers’ attention. Two standout features were the grill’s glass window and its twin burners, which were not found in any of the grills in our previous test. The glass window on the grill lid allows you to cook under severe weather conditions and still keep an eye on your chops. Cooking with the lid closed also keeps grease splatters from the front of the grill off the deck.

The Galleymate’s twin burners do offer better heat control than a single burner would; when the grill gets too hot, one side can be completely turned off. The Galleymate manual suggests setting the burners on low, under normal operating conditions. A note on the grill side advises keeping the grill temperature settings on low when the lid is closed. "Medium" and "high" setting choices may be needed only under windy or wet conditions.

The Galleymate’s 5.5-inch-high side wind guards taper down to 3 inches at the front of the grill. They are substantially taller than the wind guards on any of the 

grills from the first round of testing and support the claim that one could cook on the Galleymate in just about any weather conditions. The Galleymate comes with an upper warming rack. A rottisserie-style spit is an option. Legs for stand-alone cooking ashore are also available. (We don’t recommend using these aboard.)

The grill has a piezo lighting system.(now replaced by a flame-thrower) Although testers found that it does light quickly and easily, one drawback they noted was that it was hard to tell whether the grill was lit. (Now has a peep hole to check) While they found no hot spots on the grill, they did find that when both burners were on the same setting, the left side had a tendency to get hotter than the right side and to cook faster. Along with the pizza dough and the hamburgers, testers tossed some vegetables, fish, and shrimp on this barbie. Everything had a tendency to cook very quickly. We suggest keeping the temperature on low.

The Galleymate grill body is made of 316 stainless steel, and the burners are also heavy-gauge stainless. The grill cooking surface is a rust-resistant, high-chromium stainless steel. There is a non-spill fat catchment system under the grills to collect drippings and prevent any spills onto the deck. Its 230-square-inch (including top rack) cooking area is larger than all grills in the previous test. The manufacturer offers a 5-year limited warranty.

…The Galleymate is easy to assemble and easy to clean. It also comes with an impressive selection of mounting options, including rail mounts and flush deck mounts. The rail mounts use a mounting bracket with spring-loaded locking pins. These pins and brackets are easy to engage and remove for storage. Anyone who has tackled a kettle barbecue hanging over the aft rail with an adjustable wrench will appreciate this.

Bottom Line: The Galleymate is a top-of-the-line grill that performed well in all tests. The two burners and the glass window are unique to all stoves we tested, as is its 20,000 BTUs. Keep an eye on your food and, barring a tropical storm, keep the temperature settings on low. This is a heavy-duty, well-made, well-designed grill that is easy to assembly and comes with an impressive range of mounting choices. A 5-year limited warranty is a bonus…..

Conclusion

In terms of construction and performance, the Aussie grills are outstanding. The Galleymate, with its larger grilling surface, 5-year-warranty and dual burners is a cut above the Sovereign…..

Each offers plusses that you won’t find in the Magma Catalina. If you want superior windproofness and dual burners, the Galleymate is king of the hill. ….

© Copyright 2008 Practical Sailor. All rights Reserved.

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