By Pauline Alba.
As I share my next product review, I must give a disclaimer about myself. I am the kind of person that would eat food cold if it meant a lot of work to warm it up or I would plan my meals around not having to cook anything. Having a simple way to expand your meal options when camping and traveling is a great thing, especially if another person is with you. That is why I decided to try out the Ötzi Ember Dual Person Grill.
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Ötzi
When deciding what to name their company, they wanted a name that would represent the creativity and innovation this company has come to be known by. Ötzi was a prehistoric mountaineer that is known to have been found with innovative outdoor tools. When you learn more about their innovative design for the grill you won’t be surprised that they would name it in honor of a person who also developed tools to adapt to the outdoors. The company focuses on a couple of areas such as options to outfit a travel van or overland vehicle, but we will focus on the grill options for this review.
Flat Pack Grills
When I received the grill, I was amazed at what was in this small heavy bag that would allow me to cook a meal for two people. The carrying bag is about 13X 13 and weighs 8 lbs. The contents of this little bag will easily convert into a grill to make a meal for two. Just add wood or charcoal and you are on your way.
Inside the bag, you will find your grill frame, grill plate, a hot pad, skewers, and a little plate to keep your coffee warm. The grills come in a couple of different options. You can purchase a grill for a single person, 2 people, and the largest option 4-6 people. The 4-6 person grill will weigh about 17 lbs and be a little larger at 16X15. This product is made in the US.
Why do you need a flat-pack grill?
Your reason may be different than mine, but as a teacher, I am blessed with extra time off. I am always looking for additional adventures during the breaks. One downside is that my husband’s breaks do not always coincide with mine, which means I may end up solo or with a friend I have encouraged to take along.
Once you start packing, a small SUV is not as big as you may think it is. Now imagine that you are able to lay your grill at the bottom and it takes up about half an inch. This thing can get tucked into any spot in your car. In addition, it is easy to store in the car for quick picnics, car trips, and trips to the beach, or the state park.
While the weight can add up quickly on a pack if you consider taking it backpacking, it would fit easily without having to carry anything additional. Even if you don’t plan on cooking, you now have a leave-no-trace fire pit.
What do you need to know?
I would suggest a trial run when you are NOT hungry! This does not mean that it is difficult to use, but since I do not cook on open fires as often, I had little trial and error sessions. I will be honest, my first trial was alone, hungry, and my patience basket was about empty. The website has great information on how to prepare your grill, and directions on seasoning it and putting it together.
The second thing you need to know is what source of heat you will be using. Cooking with wood can be more time-consuming making sure to maintain the fire level, but it is a great option if you don’t have charcoal with you. Using charcoal will make maintaining the heat easier, but also means that you will have to add that to your packing list.
My suggestion is that once you receive your grill, follow the directions for seasoning, if needed, and do some trial runs to see what you prefer.
My Review
You already know that I am not skilled at cooking outdoors and that I put a little practice into using the grill. My first try was with using small pieces of wood. I struggled to keep the fire going and get enough coals to cook my meal on. I will say this is about 95% user error and lack of patience. On my second try, I was not hungry, and I took my time to allow the coals to build a little bit more.
My favorite way is using charcoal. Once you are able to get them going and spread out, you don’t have to remain as vigilant as you would with wood. I found putting the grill together very easy. The grill was also very sturdy, but due to the design, the coals would compile a little farther back. This just means you have to watch for it being warmer on the back of the grill plate and may want to rotate food to even it out.
Overall I am very pleased with this innovative design for a grill that really can go anywhere.
Here is a video showing the setup and use of the Ötzi Ember Dual Person Grill:
How to Order?
Everything you need to know you can find on this website: https://www.otzigear.com/. For a 2-person Ember grill you can decide between Carbon Steel for $84.00 or stainless steel for $180.00. The carbon steel will need to be seasoned to protect it from exposure to the outdoors and corrosion. If you are looking at the 4-6 person the Flame is $349.00.
Your thoughts on the Ötzi Ember Dual Person Grill?
What is your impression of the Ötzi Ember Dual Person Grill? Would you like to have this on your adventures to travel light and enjoy cooking? Perhaps you have had your own experiences you would like to share in the comments below.
We would love to hear from you and head over to our dedicated page for more reviews from Pauline Alba and other outdoor product and experiences reviewers.
Pauline Alba loves to find adventures! Pauline has split her career between teaching and working for a non-profit in the fitness area. For fun she volunteers for a local animal rescue, teaching water exercise and water safety courses, plans trips to fun places, and plays with her two large dogs.
Her adventures tend to include camping, hiking, meeting people she doesn’t know, kayaking, or just lying under the trees! She is always looking for a way to encourage others to explore more outdoors.
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Pauline Albahttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/pauline-alba/
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Pauline Albahttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/pauline-alba/
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Pauline Albahttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/pauline-alba/
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Pauline Albahttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/pauline-alba/
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Pauline Albahttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/pauline-alba/
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Pauline Albahttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/pauline-alba/
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Pauline Albahttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/pauline-alba/
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Pauline Albahttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/pauline-alba/
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Pauline Albahttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/pauline-alba/
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Pauline Albahttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/pauline-alba/
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Pauline Albahttps://www.campingforwomen.com/author/pauline-alba/
My sister loves camping, and I know she loves to grill. I need to get this Otzi Dual Person camping grill for her as a gift. She camps every weekend in the summer and she would love the compact size!
This looks like a great option for cooking for hikers. Like Beth there mentions, this would be great for preparing fish and vegetables. We usually go old school just hanging the fish on a wooden blank and cooking it on an open fire. Thanks for introducing this to me, I’m considering getting it as a Christmas gift for my husband.
I’ve never seen a grill like this before, and can see how it would be so handy! I love that it’s so portable and light, and fits easily over an open fire. I adore the taste of fire-grilled foods! Usually I cook on a Weber grill on my deck, but when I’m camping, this is a much better alternative. Pretty cool that it comes in various sizes, complete with skewers! I will definitely buy the Ötzi flat pack grill for my summer adventures. So happy you shared it here!
That sounds like a wonderful gadget to have especially if you often go camping or just want a wonderful grill that doesn’t take much space and is easy to assemble during bbq nights.
Ötzi Ember Dual Person Grill is a perfect Christmas or birthday gift for camping and outdoor lovers. It is great to pack that kind of flat grill for a road trip and enjoy great meals. Most of all I love its size and flat. It’s so impressive that the size of the carrying bag is only about 13X 13, and it weighs 8 lbs. It’s also great to know that it features a grill frame, plate, hot pad, skewers, and what’s essential for me, a plate to keep coffee warm. I appreciate your tip about using charcoal.
The Ötzi Dual Person grill looks like a great addition to a car camping trip. I was curious about the name as soon as I read the title of your post. I have seen the Ötzi mummy in Bozen/ Italy and also hiked on the glacier to the place where it was found (for an magazine article). So with this background I would totally enjoy grilling some vegetables on the Ötzi grill.
Love this! We bought a bigger grill for backyard use but that might be difficult to always take with us during camping or use at some other common bbq areas.. which is why this sounds perfect for such occasions
Great dual-person grill for camping! I did not know that using charcoal will make maintaining the heat easier than wood. The small size of the grill makes it totally portable and ideal for packing when you go camping or on a picnic. Other options such as you can buy it as a single-person, dual-person or 4-5 person grill increases the choices as needed. Looks like a good product to consider buying. 🙂
I am so like you – reluctant to cook, and somehow detest cooking while outdoors. The Otzi grill sounds great, both for camping or for a barbecue at backyard. Your suggestion of using it first as a trial is good. Fancy going for camping and then not being able to use it! Also, the origin of the name of the company Otzi is lovely.
I like how compact it is and like you said, it’s easy to tuck it in the car. It looks like you can choose how high you put the plate from the fire. So, it’s a good feature. However, I wonder how easy it is to clean up because I don’t like cleaning up during camping.
I must admit I can eat most foods cold too. Much to the disgust of my husband! But if I had a light and slim Ötzi Ember Dual Person grill I might be tempted to eat more things hot when camping. Good tip to not try this the first time when you are hungry! I am sure the hardest part for me will be getting the fire underneath burning well.
there is something absolutely special about a grill when camping. I don’t really get grill parties and especially grills on the balcony but when camping it is a delicacy. this one looks like a handly little helper to me
I want this grill so badly!!! I love camping so this grill is perfect! I will get it for sure.
Haha. I’m like you. I wouldn’t mind cold meals or ready food instead to trying to cook in wilderness or unfamiliar kitchen! I like the origin of the name Otzi. It is 13X 13 and weighs 8 lbs?? Whoa! That’s tiny! I’m impressed! I agree, trying something for the first time when you’re tired and hungry is definitely a bad idea! Good to know that charcoal helps in better cooking than wood.
This is great! We do a lot of camping in the summer, and I really need to grab one of these grills. Thanks for sharing this!
That dual person grill is perfect for camping or even cottage vacations! I like how compact it is!
This would come in very handy for camping. We use a propane stove right now, but hubby doesn’t like the flavor propane gives the food. He prefers wood or charcoal.
This is so neat! I hadn’t heard of this before, and it is such a great idea! I was never a fan of campsite grills, and it would be cool to bring this along.
This grill is nice and would be good to use in the holiday. I like the idea of using it when not hungry. Thank you for sharing!
This sounds like a great product. We don’t do a lot of camping around here but I could use it even at home.
This would be a great idea for a compact BBQing space for the yard or travelling. I’ve been struggling to find something that isn’t too bulky to cook on in the summer.
Hhhhmmm…I like it! It looks really portable to me and can do justice to my meats, in the shortest notice possible!
This is an awesome little grill, I could use this for when we go camping!
We love a bit of outdoor cooking. This looks a great portable option for outdoor adventures.
I would love to have this grill. It’s very impressive! I love its innovative design.
I have never tried cooking on a grill before either. I am sure my first few attempts would be fails too.
That is a fantastic grill for camping or fishing. I think my husband would love it.