Argentine-built, with the grates that kill flare-ups.
The Puma is a hand-made Argentine Santa Maria grill with stainless V-grates that channel fat into a tray, so you cook flare-free, on a 4-to-23-inch crank over a real firebox, around $2,999. Skip it if you want a built-in-everything outdoor kitchen or a one-year warranty feels short for the price.
The verdict
The Puma is what you buy when you want a Santa Maria grill with real Argentine pedigree and the one feature most open grills skip: stainless V-grates. The V channels rendered fat off the cooking surface into a grease tray instead of onto the coals, and the AmazingRibs tester put it plainly: zero flare-ups. Add a 4-to-23-inch crank for true sear-to-roast height control, a real firebox, and a firebrick-lined cookbox, and it earned a Gold Medal plus Best New Wood-Burning Grill of 2021 at around $2,999.
Two honest caveats. First, the build is mixed metal: the upper assembly is stainless (frame, V-grates, grease tray), but the firebox is powder-coated steel that can rust if it stays wet, so keep it covered. Second, the warranty is one year, which is short next to the multi-year coverage on a Backyard Discovery or the lifetime feel of a Lone Star. You are paying for authentic Argentine fabrication and the V-grate system, not for the longest warranty in the category.
The build
Stainless V-grates that channel fat away from the fire
The headline feature. The cooking grates are stainless steel in a traditional Argentine V profile, so as fat renders it runs down the channel into a grease tray instead of dripping onto the coals. That is the difference between flare-free searing and chasing flames with a spray bottle, and it is exactly what the flat-grate grills in this lineup do not have. The crank wheel, frame, and grease tray are stainless too, the parts that take the most abuse.
A real firebox and a firebrick-lined cookbox
A dedicated firebox burns wood logs or lump charcoal down to embers, with a front access door so you can feed and rake coals without lifting the grates. The cookbox and brasero are lined with ceramic refractory firebrick that stores and radiates heat for even browning. The honest note: the firebox shell is powder-coated steel, not stainless, so it is the part to keep dry and covered.
475 square inches, a crank, and it arrives loaded
A 475 square inch main surface (30 by 16 inches) on a 4-to-23-inch height crank for sear-low or roast-high, on a rolling cart. It ships with an enameled cast-iron griddle (136 sq in of flat-top), a fire poker, an ash shovel, and tool hooks. The trade for all of it is a one-year warranty, the shortest in this comparison, so weigh that against the Argentine build and the V-grate system you are paying for.
How it cooks
I have not cooked on this exact grill, so I will be straight about what I am judging: the build, the spec sheet, AmazingRibs' hands-on Gold Medal review, and owner reports, read against a lifetime of knowing what a Santa Maria has to do. On those terms the Puma does the two things that matter most. The V-grates genuinely solve flare-ups, which is the single most common complaint about open-fire searing, and the 4-to-23-inch crank gives you the real height control a Santa Maria is supposed to have, hard sear down low, gentle roast up high, by turning a wheel.
The honest friction points from people who have run it. Like any firebrick grill it wants a real burn-in before you cook, because brick takes time to charge. The tester noted an initial grate-leveling issue that Nuke addressed with a QC fix, and the long poker and shovel do not actually fit the included hooks, a small annoyance. And the powder-coated firebox needs care in damp climates. None of that undercuts the core: this is an authentic Argentine Santa Maria that cooks clean. When I cook on one, this section gets first-hand notes.
Buy it if…
- You want stainless V-grates and flare-free searing
- You want a Santa Maria actually made in Argentina, not styled like it
- True crank height control matters more to you than warranty length
Skip it if…
- You want the longest warranty for the money
- You are spec'ing a built-in outdoor kitchen, not a rolling cart
- You will not cover the powder-coated firebox in a damp climate
How it stacks up
Affiliate links. They never change how we rank these.
See all seven side by side in our guide to the best Santa Maria grills of 2026.
| Grill | Price range | Material | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lone Star GrillzTexas-built benchmarkRead review → | $3,500–$5,500 | 304 | Heaviest build, lifetime feel | Check price |
| Tagwood BBQ06SSFull 304 all-rounderRead review → | $3,000–$4,200 | 304 | Full 304 for hard salt air | Check price |
| Backyard DiscoveryBest-value first fireRead review → | $1,499 | 304 grate | Lowest entry price, longer warranty | Check price on Amazon |
What I'm judging, and what I'm not
I have not cooked on this exact grill, and I say so plainly. I am judging it on the build, the stainless V-grate system, the firebox-and-firebrick construction, AmazingRibs' hands-on Gold Medal verdict, owner consensus, and a lifetime of knowing what a Santa Maria has to do. My own first grill was a showroom "stainless" that rusted through in three coastal seasons because the steel was wrong where it mattered. The Puma is honest about its mixed metal, stainless uppers, powder-coated firebox, and it earns its place on the V-grates and the Argentine build. When I cook on one, I will update this page with first-hand notes.
Ready to sear without the flare-ups?
Check current Amazon pricing and availability. If you want the longest warranty or a full built-in, the alternatives above are where I'd look.
Check price on Amazon