Questions about Grill

[rowech]

I think I'm going to take the plunge and buy a new grill. Got seven years out of a Char-Broil grill and according to some, I should be in the record book for it. Some details...

1. We grill 3-4 nights a week from probably April to October

2. There are just the two of us and we have gatherings of 10-12 people maybe 2 or 3 times a year and might have a group of 5-6 a couple times more than that.

3. We generally grill chicken, fish, burgers, pork, and dogs/brats. I like to also grill a variety of vegetables on trays and shrimp on trays as well.

My questions are as follows...

1. Given the info there, does it sound like a two burner grill would be enough for us or does it sound like I need a three burner grill to get the extra space.

2. Is a Weber really that much better than other grills? Usually if a product is better I expect to pay more but I just don't understand how a grill can really be that much better.

[Aylmar]

I bought a Weber Genesis a few weeks ago and love it. So far I've used it to smoke pulled pork, brisket, a maple plank salmon, and fired some steaks and hamburgers on it the other night.

I really wanted a three burner with the burners running front to back so I could do two zone indirect heat for smoking (as well as finish steaks after the initial sear). I went with a model (E-310) below the top of the line Genesis (no extra "sear" bar or flip-top side burner). It does everything I need and gets hot enough at the grates to really get a good sear on the meat.

I looked at a ton of grills before I bought this one and read a bunch of reviews. The one I bought oozes quality. It's a solid grill from top to bottom. My friend has commented a couple of times on how good it looks and how well made it appears to be when compared to some of the Brinkmanns we checked out at Home Depot.

[Dutch]

My charcoal grill/smoker has seen better days and I'm in the market too. I'm probably just gonna go gas this time since it's easier. My only requirement is lots of space for direct and indirect heat. That Weber Genesis E-310 looks pretty solid.

[rowech]

As much as I love the look of the Genesis, there's no way I can spend $700 on a grill. That just seems like an insane amount to me. I'm having a hard enough time swallowing the $500 Weber Spirit if I go that route.

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by Dutch

My charcoal grill/smoker has seen better days and I'm in the market too. I'm probably just gonna go gas this time since it's easier. My only requirement is lots of space for direct and indirect heat. That Weber Genesis E-310 looks pretty solid.

We got my parents one (I think it was the 310). It's awesome so far.

[azjoe_02]

FWIW, I got a Char-Broil 4 burner (w/side burner, that I'll likely never use) a couple of months ago. I have used it A TON in that time and I am very happy so far.

I did quite a bit looking around online and although I found some with way better reviews, I just couldn't plunk down 400+ on a grill. I ended up buying the one I got on sale for $199 at home depot.

[stevew]

I have a Kenmore infared burner grill that I think is a Char Broil Quantum badge. Cooks awesome, but it is a total bitch to clean.

-anyone done the propane to Natural gas conversion?

[tarcone]

Im thinking if you grill 3-4 times a week for 6 mionths, $700 seems cheap to me.

Dont think of the initial cost. Think of cost per use. It seems pretty cheap now.

[stevew]

Since we are talking about gas grills, it is a much better deal if you get your propane tank filled at some place vs doing the 7/11 swap out. You usually get 20 pounds by filling it, whereas they only throw 15 in one of the store jobs.

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by tarcone

Im thinking if you grill 3-4 times a week for 6 mionths, $700 seems cheap to me.

Dont think of the initial cost. Think of cost per use. It seems pretty cheap now.

This.

[johnnyshaka]

Originally Posted by rowech

As much as I love the look of the Genesis, there's no way I can spend $700 on a grill. That just seems like an insane amount to me. I'm having a hard enough time swallowing the $500 Weber Spirit if I go that route.

I just went through the grill replacement process and spent several months doing research and like you I just couldn't afford dropping that much cash for a Weber despite loving everything about them.

So, I made my list of things that I definitely needed and then listed some things that I'd like to have and hit the stores/web to see what else was out there.

For me, what it boiled down to was at least 2 stainless steel burners, cast iron cooking grates, a dome-shaped lid (oddly enough, a lot of grills these days seem to be flat so doing a beer can chicken isn't possible), solid and sturdy construction, and something that I could move easily enough so I could store it in the garage when not being used. Oh, and cost was very, very important.

The "would be nice to have" list included things like more than 2 burners, rotisserie, made in North America, more grilling real estate, and being a Weber.

Well, I settled for this on sale for $320 with taxes included:

Broil King - Great Barbecues Every Time

It hit all of my must haves even hit a few of the nice to haves as it is made in North America and has 3 burners. Reviews on various sites and messageboards were all very good and the warranty is top notch. For me, it isn't sexy nor does it have all the bells and whistles but it's exactly what I need and the price was manageable.

Just to compare, the Weber Genesis E-310 is $900 up here and that is before taxes. I just can't justify the $600 difference even though I know the Genesis is definitely a quality product...my current budget just won't allow it.

[stevew]

Also....Don't be a cheap fuck and skimp on the cover. Get a thicker one that you can close on the bottom to seal it up(if you have no garage).

[weegeebored]

Originally Posted by rowech

1. Given the info there, does it sound like a two burner grill would be enough for us or does it sound like I need a three burner grill to get the extra space.

2. Is a Weber really that much better than other grills? Usually if a product is better I expect to pay more but I just don't understand how a grill can really be that much better.

Get the three burner especially if you do indirect grilling. It's just easier to grill certain things correctly with the extra real estate.

And fwiw, there is no better grill than a Weber. I've got a Genesis Silver (the equivalent of a two-burner Spirit). It's seven years old and I haven't replaced anything on it. I grill virtually year-round as long as there is no snow on the ground so it gets a lot of use. I'm thinking about getting a new one so that I can have a third burner but I'll keep my Genesis until the grates fall off, so to speak.

I should add that I...um...over pre-heated my Weber one time. It caught on fire because I left the burners on high for too long while I was making my steak sauce. Anyway, I didn't have to replace a thing on it. I cleaned it up and used it with zero problems. That, gentlemen, is quality. And also me being stupid but that's another story.

[dzilla77]

I highly recommend Weber. I bought my gas grill 11 years ago and have used it year round in Michigan on an uncovered patio. I am also not real dillegent about keeping it covered (especially in the winter) and the only things I have had to replace are the flavorizer bars, the grill grates and the igniter. Everything else practically looks brand new.

At $700 you can expect it to last at least 10 years, which probably brings your cost per use down to $1 or less.

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by dzilla77

I highly recommend Weber. I bought my gas grill 11 years ago and have used it year round in Michigan on an uncovered patio. I am also not real dillegent about keeping it covered (especially in the winter) and the only things I have had to replace are the flavorizer bars, the grill grates and the igniter. Everything else practically looks brand new.

At $700 you can expect it to last at least 10 years, which probably brings your cost per use down to $1 or less.

$70/yr...if you use it 200 times per year (4x per week)...brings your cost/use (not including gas) in at 35 cents.

Of course, that's provided that the buyer has the free cash right now to shell on it.

I spent a long time looking at grills for my parents this past holiday season, and while i settled on a weber genesis i think the broilmaster (is that what it was?) is pretty good too, and is a lot cheaper. Was lucky I had 2 siblings to each go in on the grill with me and reduce the cost to each of us.

[MizzouRah]

I will echo that there is nothing like a Weber grill. We have had our charcol grill for going on 9 years now.. and it is time for a new one.

I'm going to go with a nice gas grill this time I think, just for the simple fact, I could use it in the winter.

[DaddyTorgo]

I think the Broil King is a good less-expensive option though. You might not get quite the same longevity out of it, but your out-of-pocket outlay today is going to be less.

[DanGarion]

Save your money, get yourself a 22.5 inch Weber Kettle and charcoal and call it a day.

[claphamsa]

i spent the 200$ for a char griller duo and i love it. I can cook either gas or charcoal whenever i want. also have the smoker attachment woo smoked turkey.

[terpkristin]

My 2 cents but I went to both Consumer Reports and Cooks Illustrated to look for grill recommendations when I bought mine (about 2 years ago now). The 4-burner Brinkmann (plus 1 side burner) that I bought at the time came highly recommended, and so far, I have to agree. I've had one issue where I needed to fix something but the Brinkmann website made it easy to find the correct part and cheap to order it (and it was simple to fix). I grill at least twice a week, sometimes just for me (plus leftovers) and for sometimes parties of up to 15 or so.

And it was $200.

/tk

[rowech]

I've decided on the Weber Spirit. The Genesis, as awesome as it is, is just too steep given that we don't have a ton of big parties, etc. The few times we do, I think I can get by with the Spirit. There is one final question...

Why would a stainless steel grill and grates be better as far as the grilling goes? All things equal, is worth an extra $50 to get the grates and grill to be stainless?

[weegeebored]

Maybe the grill is going along with the trend that stainless for the home is the "in" thing? I would save the $50 and buy a couple of beautiful prime rib-eyes instead.

One thing that I like to do with my grates is always oil them before grilling. Some grillers say not to do that; oil the food instead. But I have found that it helps keep the grates clean before cooking and also "seasons" them like you would a cast iron pot.

BTW, did you get the two or three burner?

[Desnudo]

Originally Posted by rowech

I've decided on the Weber Spirit. The Genesis, as awesome as it is, is just too steep given that we don't have a ton of big parties, etc. The few times we do, I think I can get by with the Spirit. There is one final question...

Why would a stainless steel grill and grates be better as far as the grilling goes? All things equal, is worth an extra $50 to get the grates and grill to be stainless?

I have the Spirit and it works fine. The only problem is space issues sometimes, but you can work around that.

[johnnyshaka]

Originally Posted by weegeebored

One thing that I like to do with my grates is always oil them before grilling. Some grillers say not to do that; oil the food instead. But I have found that it helps keep the grates clean before cooking and also "seasons" them like you would a cast iron pot.

I oil my grates after cleaning them...so, essentially before and after cooking. A little overkill, sure, but for the time it takes versus not having food stick is worth it, IMO.