How to Use an All-in-One Grill? | Fire, Food, and the Full Setup

The All-In-One Cast Iron Grill from Barebones looks like a piece of camping gear, but its range is wider than any single backyard appliance. With the same cast iron base and a bed of hot charcoal, you can stir-fry vegetables, smoke a whole trout, braise artichokes in wine, fry eggs on a baking steel, or keep a pot of chili warm at the table. The trick is knowing which fuel setup, oil, and coal position each method needs. This guide covers every official technique, the tools you need, and the mistakes that turn a perfect meal into a scorched one.

What Comes With the All-In-One Grill System?

The Barebones AIO Grill is built around three main parts: a deep cast iron wok base with a domed lid, a steel tripod stand, and a charcoal tray that hangs beneath the base. A separate baking steel accessory turns the tripod into a flat griddle for pancakes, bacon, or eggs. The system runs on charcoal — lump charcoal is preferred for its higher heat and less ash — or an open fire. There’s no gas hookup or electric coil; everything is driven by live coals and manual heat control.

Setting Up the Grill for Any Cooking Method

The same assembly sequence works for every technique in this guide. Get the tripod stable on level ground, hang the charcoal tray, and build a tall mound of hot coals using a chimney starter. Let the coals glow fully before you place the cast iron base on the tripod. Once the base is in position, add your oil and let the metal heat until it shimmers — that’s the signal it’s ready to cook.

How Do You Control the Heat for Braising or Simmering?

The charcoal tray has two adjustments: you can lower it to a lower position on the tripod legs to drop the temperature, or open the wind blocks around the tray to let more air in and raise the heat. For a hard sear, keep the tray high and the blocks closed. For a gentle simmer, drop the tray low and open the blocks. That’s the only temperature control — the system has no dial or thermostat, so keep an eye on the coals and add fresh charcoal if the fire dies down during a long cook.

Stir-Fry Method

Stir-frying on the AIO Grill is the fastest way to get a meal on the table, and it demonstrates why cast iron and live fire work so well together. Preheat the base with the coals high, then add enough low-smoke oil — sesame or walnut oil are the official recommendations — to coat the interior. When the oil shimmers, add your vegetables and meat in batches. Keep everything moving with a wooden spatula. Overcrowding the base drops the temperature and steams the food instead of searing it, so work in small loads. A whole fish filet fits comfortably in the base, but large batches of baby artichokes or bell peppers cook better in two rounds.

Smoking Method

Smoking on the AIO turns the covered base into a small, hot smoker. Soak cedar wood chips for at least 30 minutes before lighting the coals. Place the cast iron base on the tripod, add about one cup of water to the bottom, then scatter the soaked chips. Put the seasoned fish or meat on the grill grate that fits inside the base, cover with the dome lid, and tend the coals every 20 minutes to maintain a steady temperature. The lid traps the smoke and steam, so the food picks up a clean cedar flavor without drying out. Whole trout and salmon filets are the go-to choices for this method.

Braising Method

For braised dishes like artichokes or short ribs, the AIO works like a Dutch oven over a campfire. Add your aromatics — garlic, lemon juice, white wine or broth — and enough water to submerge the main ingredient. Once the liquid comes to a boil, lower the coal tray to its lowest position and open the wind blocks. Let the pot simmer for about 20 minutes for artichokes, or longer for tougher cuts of meat. The wide cast iron base distributes heat evenly, so you get the rich, tender results of a slow braise without the dedicated enameled pot.

Frying and Griddling With the Baking Steel

Take the cast iron base off the tripod and set the baking steel plate directly on the stand. The steel heats fast and gives you a flat, nonstick surface for bacon, sausage, eggs, or pancake batter. Crack the egg straight onto the steel and let it cook until the edges are crisp. This method is faster than setting up a separate skillet, and it uses the same fire that’s already burning. Just be ready to wipe the steel clean between batches with a heat-safe scraper and a bit of fresh oil.

If you’re deciding which all-in-one grill setup fits your cooking style, our roundup of the best all-in-one grills compares the Barebones with other versatile outdoor cookers. That page covers gas combo grills, pellet smokers, and portable systems so you can match the gear to the methods you use most.

Foil Packet Cooking

This method is the simplest. Fill the cast iron base with glowing coals, then place foil-wrapped packets of seasoned vegetables, fish, or chicken directly on the hot coals. Cover with the dome lid and cook for 20 to 40 minutes, flipping the packets with tongs halfway through. The indirect heat inside the dome roasts the contents evenly without charring the foil. Check the internal temperature of any meat with a probe before serving — the packet method makes it easy to overcook small portions if you walk away.

Safety and Serving

The cast iron base stays dangerously hot for a long time after the coals are gone. When you’re done cooking, lift the base off the tripod with heat-safe gloves or tongs and set it on a ceramic or metal trivet in the center of the table. The retained heat keeps food warm through the entire meal — that’s the “table warmer” mode the system is known for. Let the ashes in the tray cool completely before you dispose of them. Never dump hot ashes into a trash can or compost bin. Keep the grill on a flat, nonflammable surface at least ten feet from any structure, and watch for flying embers on windy days.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

The most frequent error is using the wrong oil. Stick with sesame or walnut oil for the stir-fry method. The second big mistake is uneven charcoal distribution — a flat, thin layer of coals won’t hold enough heat for searing. Build a tall mound, not a flat bed. For braising, the failure is forgetting to lower the coal tray. If you braise with the tray in the high position, the liquid boils furiously and burns the food before it tenderizes. Finally, stir-frying requires constant motion. If you let the pan sit, the vegetables stick and scorch. Keep the spatula moving.

Final Method Reference