Yaroslav Efremov, a 27-year-old amateur blacksmith from Kremenets, in Ukraine, spent over a month creating this awesome 200-pound barbecue in the shape of an old frigate. Or is that a galleon? It’s an old ship, that’s for sure.

Efremov works as a car mechanic, but he has always had a thing for welding and blacksmith work. He was able to pick up some tricks of the trade from some welder friends, and at one point started experimenting with artistic metal forging. He had always dreamed of forging a unique barbecue for himself, and even though he had no sketches or plans prepared, last month he started working on the amazing work of art you can admire below.

Read More »

California-based retailer Pirch is setting a new standard in shopping for home appliances by allowing customers to test products first hand in its stores – right from turning on a kitchen stove to standing under a fully functional showerhead. What’s more, shoppers are greeted with fresh coffee and complimentary snacks as they look around.

The idea is to get customers to spend a long time in their stores, and it seems to be working. According to Pirch CEO Jeffery Sears, shoppers are now spending an average of two hours and 11 minutes at each of their locations. And of course, they’re buying stuff too. Some of Pirch’s eight stores across the US are reporting sales over $3,000 per square foot, a number surpassed only by Tiffany’s and Apple shops.

“We know that when people walk through the space they’re just stunned and they start to dream,” said Sears, who co-founded Pirch with James Stuart in 2009. “Water runs, the chefs are cooking and people are learning. Pretty soon you just simply say, ‘My house sucks.’”

Read More »

Locomotive-shaped grills are not exactly unheard of, but a team of Russian metal workers have taken it upon themselves to set a new standard by building a unique and awesome-looking Steampunk locomotive barbecue grill.

This practical work of art was created by a group of metal workers from the village of Deulina, near the city of Ryazan, in Russia, who specialize in interior, exterior and landscape design. The one-of-a-kind Steampunk grill was apparently forged from scrap automobile, motorcycle and train parts, and is currently installed on a private property where very few have the privilege to see it in person. Luckily for the rest of us, the builders took a set of photos for a Moscow exhibition-competition, since their locomotive was too heavy to transport. The grill was apparently built in 2009, but the pics only recently surfaced on a series of Western sites and forums. The little information available on the Steampunk locomotive grill is in Russian, and although Google Translate does a decent job of revealing the essential, there are few paragraphs that don’t make much sense. Here is what I was able to make out: the locomotive has three work bays – two 60-cm-long grilling pits in the main body and a trailer that acts as a stove. The first compartment is designed for barbecuing kebabs and can accommodate up to twenty skewers, while the second one is equipped with a rotating spit for roasting chicken and large pieces of meat. Some of the locomotive parts are actually functional, like the large brass wheel in the cabin that rotates the spit.

Read More »

Having your engine die-out on you can be a real tragedy, but knowing you can turn it into a kick-ass grill can make things a lot better.

Trent Whatley had the idea of an engine grill cooking-up in his head for about two years, but due to lack of time and parts he kept putting it on the back burner. One day he did an internet search on the subject and found cars turned into grills and grills powered by car-engines, but nothing like what he was about to build.

With the help of his neighbor, Terry Bacon, they started turning a small block Chevy V8 engine into a mean grilling machine. Pimped-out with a nice flaming paint-job and killer valve covers, Trent Whatley’s V8 Engine Grill managed to capture the attention of everyone at a local car-show.

And here I was thinking the washing-machine grill or the Death-Star Grill were as cool as grills get. This thing is way out of their league.

via Jalopnik

That’s right Star Wars fans, the deadliest weapon in the universe has been reduced to cooking burgers in somebody’s backyard.

Bryan A. Tate though it would be interesting to use two common Weber grills to create the ultimate Star Wars cooking device, the Death Star  Grill. It is painted in completely safe barbecue paint on the inside and engine enamel on the outside, so it should hold up to temperatures up to 500 degrees. It even has some cool Star Destroyer handles and the best thing is, you can have it. That’s right, Bryan is auctioning his Death Star Grill on eBay and the opening bid is $50.

via bryanatate

While some love to tune their cars and turn them into eye-candy, others are more passionate about their grills. Like this man here, he spent around $15,000 to make a smoking grill. Complete with high quality speakers, amplifiers and even a touchscreen display, this grill is one of a kind in the whole world. It makes a mean steak too.