Tailgating TEC
Tailgating and football go hand-in-hand. Cooking in the parking lot of a football stadium has evolved from an impromptu cookout to a full-fledged part of many a football game. Over the years, companies have caught on to the phenomenon and have created products specifically for the activity.
We have two portable grills that were designed for the tailgating crowd, a Coleman and a Thermos. However, we think our most recent addition, the TEC Cherokee,would be the best of the lot. The TEC Cherokee is an infrared grill. Infrared grilling is superior to other methods because it cooks faster, at a much higher temperature, and does not dry out the food as much. The Cherokee is also more portable than both the Coleman and Thermos, since it will fit in the Boxster.
The only issue we have with our TEC Cherokee is that we got the unit used and it did not come with all of its original parts. The regulator that came with our grill only works with the larger 20 lb. gas cylinders. While a 20 lb. canister will fit in an SUV, it does present a challenge for a Porsche Boxster. What we needed was a 1lb-canister adapter/regulator, but one designed specifically for the TEC grill’s gas fittings.
After looking around a bit, the interns found a site called GrillTechs.com which had exactly the part that we needed. The GrillTechs.com folks have been selling and servicing TEC products for over 14 years.
In May we had posted an article on how we repaired the Cherokee’s gummed-up electronic igniter. After using it for a few times, we noticed that the knob would sometimes slip when turned. We could not see anything obviously wrong by looking at the knob (left/old, right/new). So while we were at it, we got the replacement and popped it in.
The GrillTechs.com folks have great prices, were easy to deal with, and shipped everything out quickly. They will definitely be our first stop should we ever need anything for our TEC Cherokee grill.
With the new regulator for the smaller canister size and a new starter knob, our TEC Cherokee grill is now tailgating-ready and can be pressed into service at a moment’s notice. We hope to have in-action pics soon!
Leave a comment