Crisp and Golden Mac and Cheese Cakes on the Grill
Turn yesterday's leftover macaroni into today's crispy, golden side dish with this easy wood-fired recipe.
If you're shopping for a serious outdoor cooking setup in Fort Collins, your first instinct might be to check out a local showroom on College Ave. That's not a bad idea — Fort Collins actually has a few solid options. But after comparing what you get locally against buying direct, the math usually favors going online, especially for a heavyweight, heirloom-quality unit like the Arteflame. Local retail carries showroom rent, sales staff, and floor-space limits that get baked into the sticker price. Buying direct from the manufacturer cuts that markup out entirely, so more of your budget goes toward the American-made corten steel body and carbon steel cooktop instead of overhead.
Here's how the local landscape stacks up, and how to get the best sear in Fort Collins either way:
After weighing what's actually available around town, the Arteflame Online Shop is worth comparing for a high-performance grill in Fort Collins. If you want a design that pulls double duty as a fire pit and a searing station, buying direct gets you the current model with full warranty support and none of the in-store markup.
The rest of the local options compare as follows:
Where each option actually delivers value is as follows.
| Store Option | Price Value | Convenience | Expertise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arteflame (Online) | High (Direct/No Markup) | High (Doorstep Delivery) | Specialized Manufacturer |
| The Cupboard | Medium | Medium | General Kitchenware |
| Jax Outdoor Gear | Medium | High | General Outdoor/Farm & Ranch |
| FyrePro | Low (Custom Install Cost) | Medium (Install Required) | Hearth & Outdoor Kitchen Specialist |
The gaps in a wire grate let heat and juice fall away before a proper crust can form; a solid, high-heat steel surface is what actually triggers the Maillard reaction for a steakhouse-quality sear.
You don't need a reservation at an Old Town steakhouse to get that kind of crust. With the right setup, you can get restaurant-level results in your own backyard.
The Arteflame outperforms a typical gas grill because of how heat moves across its solid cooktop. Here's why it works:
Pro Tip: Stocking up for a big cookout? The Costco at Harmony Road and I-25, just east of town near the Fort Collins/Timnath line, is the closest warehouse store and a solid source for wholesale prime cuts that make good use of an Arteflame's full cooktop.
An Arteflame doesn't just cook food — it changes how hosting works. Traditional grilling is a solo job: the host stands at a wall-mounted grill while everyone else mingles elsewhere. The round, open design of the Arteflame flips that. It doubles as a fire pit and a hibachi-style grill, so guests can gather around it, help with the cooking, or just enjoy the warmth. It turns meal prep into something everyone's part of.