Looking for a good model bbq grill.

[Podunkadunk]

Thanks for all your help guys. I went to Lowe's and bought the Jenn-Air all stainless model. Although a magnet partially sticks to the outside (probably the lowest grade stainless steel they could use), the burners and rack are good, thick stainless and a magnet won't stick at all. I think it will last me quite a while. For the price, I'm hoping

'preciate all the advice.

Podunk

 

[N80]

If you have a few bucks left over, just for kicks, get yourself one of those little Weber kettle grills. Set you back about $80. But, you also need to get one of those cannisters for lighting the charcoal.

You put one sheet of newspaper in it, put the charcoal in and light the paper. Twenty minutes later you have perfect coals.

I have a cheapo gas grill at home. It has lasted 11 years but won't make 12. I've got one of the little Webers at my cabin. Sure, the gas grille is a little faster, but the food cooked on charcoal is sooooo much better and its just too easy and too cheap for me ever to go back to gas. My next grill for home will be one of the larger Weber kettle grills.

I never thought it would happen, but I'm a charcoal purist now!

 

[Highbeam]

We actually use the small Weber Kettle table top model to cook for our family of four regularly. It actually has a lot of cooking area for grilling. It was more like 30$ and has performed very well. No indication of corrosion even though it sits outside on the picnic table year 'round.

We also have a gas grill for those quick meals. The grille's body is cast aluminum and all the other parts are replaceable so who cares if they corrode. I have replaced the grates twice and about 4 burner assemblies over the last 10 years. I guess that's the "rebuild" procedure.

 

[grnspot110]

I got tired of replacing parts on the standard gas grills every year. So I broke down & bought a stainless steel 'Pheonix' lifetime warranty on the burner & cooking grid. Not cheap, but worth it to me! ~~ grnsot110

 

[schmism]

hears the thing, my dad cooked on charcole his whole life (still does). IMHO a buger/hotdog/brautwurst and steak gets little flavor from charcoal fire. They should be cooked in such a short period of time it doesnt have time to take on the flavor (now pulled pork memphis style, is a WHOLE diffrent ball game)

but for 90% of the grilling i do, i do on gas.

About 10 years ago i picked up a gas grill that a neighbor had thrown out. Glass front window, "grill rocks" in the bottom, and i replace a burner in it about every 2 years with another generic one from a box store. never replaced the grilling surface, i suppose when you keep it clean i use it regularly, it doesnt rust away.

TO be honest, i cant find myself spending $$$$ on a gas grill when my free one has severed me so well.

Dont get me wrong, i use my grill often, fireing it up usually a couple of times a week 52 weeks a year. Ive cooked a LOT of food on my free grill. I konw its hot spots, its cool spots, the settings for doing veggies or fish or for searing a nice 2" thick medium rare tenderlone in 4 mins.

but alis, i find myself finnally wanting to upgrade. Something i can do some rotisery chicken in, something a little larger...

but again, i cant find anything that seems to be the right grill for a decent price.

A $400 grill seems to have the same parts and makeup as my free-off-the-curb-10-year-old one has. and somehow its not convinceing me to get a new one.

perhaps i just need to look for a new off-the-curb one to replace this one.

 

[N80]

My 11+ year old grill sounds like it would be perfect for you. I don't use it, my wife does. And I don't know how she does it. The flames are uneven, it has hot spots, cold spots, the adjustments don't work very well. However, it was a $150 grill and has lasted over 11 years and it has been outdoors its whole like and without a cover for the last 6. I replaced the fake charcoals with those ceramic tile things about 5 years ago, other than that, no repairs. So I too can't see dropping mega bucks on a grill unless you're doing the type of things that require precision, or large volumes.

I disagree about the charcoal vs gas. I think I can tell the difference even on a hotdog. Definitely on a steak, shrimp or fish. But that comes down to a matter of individual taste.

I now see that they have these infra-red grilles. Why bother?

 

[hazmat]

I had a cheapy sears grill until the dog chewed thru the propane hose. Couldn't get a replacement hose - it required the whole regulator assembly from sears & cost what the grill did. So I bought a weber gas grill (3 burner model). It has performed admirably for 5 years now. I did just notice that the paint was peeling on the inside.

Anyway there is no comparison in performance between the 2. The Sears unit had hot spots, cold spots etc, required constant attention. The weber is even steven.

I am thinking about a charcoal unit - especially a smoker type to get some more flavor...

 

[Highbeam]

Ah yes, N80, I too dumped those nasty lava rocks for a set of ceramic tiles made for this. This almost entirely eliminated the flare ups. I call it a great upgrade for little money.

Paint peeling off of the inside is bad news. Momma won't like finding BBQ black on her meal. Are you sure it is paint? Maybe fat/dirt accumulation flaking off? I believe it might be paint since some brands are known to paint the inside of an aluminum grill body. I have long since wire brushed my lid off when I first started seeing the flakes. It's not like the lack of paint will hurt the aluminum.....