Gas, charcoal or smoker? Built-in, freestanding or portable? These days, shopping for a braai is not as simple as it used to be. To make the decision easier, we’ve paired up different lifestyle needs and personality types with a Megamaster braai to suit — so you can find your best braai match.

1. THE HOMEBODY

What Your Lifestyle Looks Like
If you were on a dating app (not Tinder, of course), your profile would list hobbies like reading biographies, whipping up interesting dishes, watching Scorsese movies and reruns of The Office (the British version). It’s not that you’re antisocial - you love inviting close friends and family around for a fish braai and a bottle of wine - but you draw energy from the more peaceful endeavours in life. In fact, you almost didn’t mind Lockdown because it meant you never had to leave your comfort zone. Also, you loved watching the Megamaster Cooking with Friends YouTube series.

Which Type of Braai Suits You
Since you like to take things slow and place value on your home environment, your ideal type of braai is built-in. It’s neat and blends in seamlessly with your decor. It also requires the skill and patience of someone who enjoys building a traditional charcoal fire. Megamaster’s built-in braais have enough space and features for even the most experimental cook. Cleaning is simple with an easy-to-remove ash pan and our top of the range models come with their own ember maker. What’s more, our built-in braais can also be installed indoors, so even bad weather can’t ruin your picture-perfect dinner. 

Your Megamaster Braai Match: 1000 Sizzler Built-In Braai
Our Sizzler range is equipped with three grid slides, heavy duty ashpan, potjie hook, light fitting and ember maker. For tips on how to install your Megamaster built-in braai, read our Buyer’s Guide.

 

2. THE CAMPER

What Your Lifestyle Looks Like
You keep getting a notification on your iPhone saying the memory is full. But you don’t want to delete any of the photos and videos of you and your family adventuring around South Africa. It’s what you live for. You’ve probably already been to Mafefe 4x4 Camp in Limpopo, long before we mentioned it in our blog, “8 Top Outdoor Braai Spots Around South Africa”. You probably dream of moving there permanently one day.

Which Type of Braai Suits You
Every road tripper like you needs a portable gas braai. On your own, you might have relied on wood and matches, but with a family in tow you need to be a little more prepared. Anyway, just because you’re a diehard camper doesn’t mean you don’t like a bit of luxury.

Your Megamaster Braai Match: Megamaster Active Portable Gas Braai
The foldable legs make this small gas braai super easy to transport. It offers one stainless steel burner with 11 000 total BTUs. It’s also equipped with a durable porcelain enamel cooking grid, offering 1 817cm² of cooking space.

3. THE CRAFTSMAN

What Your Lifestyle Looks Like

Your friends call you a connoisseur. When you take an interest in something - whether it’s braaing or biking - you really dig deep. You learn the A to Z and ensure you have the most sophisticated kit. You’re not in a rush. The end goal is to master your craft(s). Anything less won’t do.

Which Type of Braai Suits You

You’ve got what it takes to invest in a grill and smoker. If you’ve read our article, “Smoke Like a Pitmaster”, you’re already aware that it takes a fair amount of trial and error to master the art of smoking. It’s all about cooking slowly at low temperatures. There are specific types of wood you should (and shouldn’t) use, depending on the flavour you’re trying to achieve. Sometimes it’s recommended you soak the wood for 12 hours before use. You need to learn how to manage the airflow and retain heat for an even cook. But you’re not in the least daunted, are you?

Your Megamaster Braai Match: Coalsmith Series Alpha Grill & Smoker
This beauty offers the ideal combination of direct heat grilling and smoking with a durable offset-smoker and chimney. The added smoking capability aids in temperature control by reducing air draft for the perfect charcoal braai. Quality materials and construction ensure you will have a reliable grill and smoker that’s built to last.

 

4. THE ENTERTAINER

What Your Lifestyle Looks Like
If you could braai every day, you would. You love a festive feeling. Barry wants to bring a couple of friends along to Sunday’s braai? Your motto is “the more, the merrier”. Kids and dogs are welcome too. Steak is your A-game but you’re not averse to catering for the vegetarians. The playlist is Eighties hits but if Barry wants to sneak in a bit of country music, why not? There’s no judgement here (except about how good your braai looks).

Which Type of Braai Suits You
How to please every guest every time - and sometimes at short notice (Barry has a habit of popping round unexpectedly)? A patio gas braai is your secret weapon. One push of a button and you’re fired up instantly. The temperature stays even and is easy to control should you need to switch between meat, chicken, fish and veggies.

Your Megamaster Braai Match: Granite Edition 4 Burner Patio Gas Braai
The rugged granite edition is one of the boldest Megamaster gas braais. With ample cooking space, you can easily prepare feasts with room to spare. The four stainless steel burners allow you to precisely control up to 60,000 BTUs of heat. Above the burners sits the unique cast iron diamond cooking grids that retain heat and give you those professional-looking diagonal sear marks. Barry will be impressed.

 

5. THE CITY SLICKER

What Your Lifestyle Looks Like’re part of the 5am club. Or the Crossfit club. Or the Iron Man club. Or all of the above. You work hard, play hard, exercise hard. There’s structure in your day, your wardrobe and your diet (no skin on that chicken, ever). And when it’s time to wind down? Your favourite place to kick back is on your Weylandts leather couch in your eighth-floor apartment, watching the sun set beyond the city’s rooftops.

Which Type of Braai Suits You
No mess, no fuss. That’s how you prefer your braai. Also, you don’t have much room left in your kitchen what with the blender, juicer and espresso machine all vying for counterspace. We recommend a table top gas braai for the most compact and convenient experience. Plus, if you have a balcony, it can easily be moved out there when friends pop around (and when they do, they might enjoy our healthy Sriracha Salmon recipe).

Your Megamaster Braai Match: Origin Series 2 Burner Table Top Gas Braai
Easy to clean and compact to store, this table top Megamaster gas braai is perfect for someone who’s always on the go. It boasts 1 289cm² of total cooking space and has two stainless steel burners, supplying 16 000 BTUs of flame-roasting energy. Foldable legs and a lockable lid make it easy to take along on holiday too. 

 

6. THE SURFER

What Your Lifestyle Looks Like
A while back, you started reading Tim Ferriss’s book, “The 4-Hour Workweek”. You got about halfway through, convinced this was the key to helping you work less and surf more. But then Bodhi asked you to work on his yacht in the Maldives for three months and you got a bit sidetracked. And anyway, you made enough money on the yacht to pay your rent for the next six months.

Which Type of Braai Suits You

As long as there’s good food, good conversation and a good fire going, you’re happy. It’s all about togetherness. Your best braai match has to be a boma. No frills and always an excuse to gather around the fire under the stars — even if there’s no braaing involved.

Your Megamaster Braai Match: Savannah Foldaway Boma

A new addition to the Megamaster Boma range, this foldable braai is designed to bring warmth and good conversation anywhere and everywhere. It can be disassembled into five pieces that comfortably fit into a carry bag and is equipped with a removable ash pan to easily dispose of ash and keep the party going. Compact and light, this boma buddy is dying to tag along on your next J-Bay surf trip.

Want more options? Shop our full range of Megamaster braais here.