What would YOU do with this thing?

[bob]

Our 1950s house came with this funky Majestic indoor grill, built in next to the fireplace.

From what little I've been able to find, it's a gas grill, though the house was never equipped with gas. I suspect someone used it with charcoal, because there's still a lot of gunk inside. I have no intention of grilling steaks in the livingroom, though the idea makes me chuckle.

I don't want to remove it, because it looks kind of cool. So, I'd like to convert it into something, but can't decide what. The crank mechanism raises and lowers the internal rack, and that strikes me as something that could have some potental.

Anyone have any novel ideas for a second incarnation of this funny feature?

Thanks,

Bob

[Oren]

I can imagine someone using charcoal inside. Stupid. It would make a nice place for indoor plants; sitting on the grill. Second choice is a conversation piece.

-- Oren

"The voices in my head may not be real, but they have some good ideas!"

[Oren]

Seems smoke is on the bricks... maybe a vent happens to be above. I don't pick charcoal for an indoor option.

-- Oren

"If things get any worse, I'll have to ask you to stop helping me."

[mm]

Of course it is vented. It's right next to the fireplace.

People have cooked in fireplaces for a long time. That's where all of the cooking went on for 100's of years.

I don't know for sure if charcoal makes enough heat to cause a good draft but I think it would. The dirty back wall indicates that the smoke was going back (and up.) You can tell by holding a lit match above the charcoal fire and the flame will indicate the air current. Or a lit stick of incense and watch the smoke current.

You coudl connect some gas too if you wanted to.

If you don't use it, give it to someone who will. Or sell it for 5 or 10 dollars. People appreciate things more when they pay for them.

[longshot]

i agree.

[bob]

Yup, it's vented. There's a chimney that goes up about 5 feet, and fan that vents the exhaust over into the main fireplace chimney.

[Kyle]

Considering it's right next to the fireplace I'd recommend against using it as a bar/liquor cabinet (booze don't likey da heat!) or as a pantry or bookcase, either, unless you stick a thick piece of foam insulation on that brick between that space and the fireplace. Also, it looks like it doesn't get much in the way of direct or indirect sunlight, so unless you want to stick a grow light in there (and make the neighbors think you're growing something illegal, knowhatimean?) I'd say it's not good for plants.

Although you could take out the grill, put a base kitchen cabinet in there for storage and make the top half a terrarium or aquarium. That could be nice.

I say plug up the flue, go to the local flea markets and yard sales and see if you can pick up a dime store Indian plastic Elvis or some other humanoid statue for that space - I think it would make a far better conversation piece than a decrepit semi-unused grill.

But that's just my opinion...

[mm]

To add, I'll bet there is a fairly easy way to connect the gas.

And second, since it's there, I'd try cooking on it once or twice before I got rid of it. You don't want to be sitting around some time saying, I wish we'd tried that grill. Then we'd have some idea of whether we'd like to get this one. Maybe we would have like the other one as it is.

I've found that the things I find fall into two categories, and I often don't know until I use them which category they will be in: Things I don't like and give or throw away; and things I do like and keep and usually buy another one when I use it up or it breaks.