As the outdoor cooking space becomes more crowded and technologically advanced, it’s good to know some manufacturers are still dedicated to creating a unique experience for barbecue and grilling enthusiasts—without all the fuss. Enter Keveri Grills and their H1 multi-purpose charcoal oven, a sleek and simple outdoor cooker capable of low and slow smoking, scorching hot searing and everything in between.
How did Keveri bring their unique vision to life? How do they remain competitive in the face of shifting consumer trends and supply chain disruptions? I had a chance to catch up with Antonio Montes, Founder and CEO of Keveri to learn more in this exclusive Q&A.
What was the initial inspiration for creating the Keveri? How did you take those first steps to get it into production?
Montes: I have been passionate about grilling and cooking with fire since I was 5. On weekdays, I would smoke various meat cuts on our patio in the city and on weekends, I would cook open fire “Patagonian style” with my family on our farm. When I started thinking about bringing to life a product that was versatile for the at-home chef who loves cooking outdoors, I wanted to create something very easy to use, that allows you to cook food anywhere. One day you may want to smoke a brisket or pork butt like they do in Central Texas and another day you may want to cook a Patagonian style lamb, Peruvian-inspired grilled fish, Neapolitan style pizzas or a beautiful paella from Spain. To achieve that, I needed to create a product that had multiple Grill Modes, different rack levels, and with a large temperature range.
What kind of technology was used during the R&D process? Did it take a long time to get that first prototype finished?
One of the biggest challenges was designing a product for home use that was inspired by many other appliances: wood-fired ovens, charcoal grills, pizza ovens, high-temperature charcoal ovens, and insulated smokers. We wanted to build the most efficient charcoal device where you can rely on a low amount of charcoal while being able to cook at high temperatures. We accomplished this goal by studying commercial foundry ovens with the help of engineers from the mining industry in Chile.
What was the initial reception of the Keveri once it was available to consumers? What do users enjoy the most about it?
We launched in 2018 in Chile and the reception was incredible! We were selling our Keveri H1’s by the dozen after each demo, which, considering that Chile is a small market, we knew we were onto something interesting. People say they enjoy many aspects about the Keveri H1, like capacity, safe to touch, fire-safe, the access to the coals, and being able to cook new recipes consistently, but the first will always be the mix between versatility and ease of use. We have Michelin chefs who love our product, but most of our customers are regular people who are learning and experimenting with their H1s along with us. I have found that the ability to create a new device without limitations that is easy to use with the help of guidance has been the key to our success thus far.
As a small to medium sized business, what are some of the challenges bringing your product to American retailers?
Time. I have learned in the US that you have to earn trust, which requires time, and time is money! You have to physically be there to show people you are honest, that you have to spend time with the retailers and their teams so they understand how the product works, and prove that your product is as good as everybody says. They also have to know that if there is a problem, you are available to solve it with them. I like to think that we are doing things the right way by not cutting corners, and it shows by us adding more retailers and distributors monthly.
How do you manage supply chain challenges (like what happened during COVID) and dealing with rising costs of materials?
We are a small company that can’t compromise on quality. Every production run is improved with suggestions from our clients, the material and specifications we use are carefully selected for every piece, and we try to reach the highest quality standard possible every time. Knowing those are our priorities, it was never an option to compromise quality over price to be able to combat those price increases. We raised the prices to the minimum possible to keep a healthy business margin, and we had to find new ways of doing business that allowed us to get the product to our clients more efficiently. Growing with distributors and centralizing shipping was key to achieving those goals.
Are you happy with the growth of the brand to date? What do you have planned for the future? More accessories or maybe even new products you are developing?
I am very happy with the results thus far and we have been enjoying and learning throughout the entire process. We are doing collaborations with great brands in the US, and we are growing our community every day. We are creating more content so people can learn more about our products and how to use them. Simultaneously, and my favorite thing of all is that we are developing new products that will help fire-cooking fanatics worldwide. Stay tuned to what we have coming next.
