View Full Version : Who knows something about grills?
So I'm on the search for a quality gas grill. I'm have a nice charcoal one but I seldom use it due to the added mess and the overall process of getting the thing hot enough. My wife and I just bought out first house and I want a nice gas grill to throw some nice steaks on or cook up some burgers and dogs.
I've been looking around and there is more junk out there than quality grills. My budget is under $600, preferably lower if I can get something great for that much. My friends dad has a weber that's been sitting out in the rain, snow, and ice in salty LongIsland air for 20 years and still looks great. But I hear thier quality has gone down.
I'm leaning towards this http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B016M5A2SQ/ref=cm_cr_arp_mb_bdcrb_top?ie=UTF8#featureBulletsAndDetailBullets_secondary_view_div_1464308555435
This one is about the size I'm looking for but at least twice what everything else is going for. I just want a rock solid grill that I won't have to rebuild every season.
Any advice on what to get?
You might look at Napoleon. I have one of their 308s that has held up well. They have a heavy stainless grid and stainless tube burners.
-john
Those look great but pricy as hell. Do any stores you know of carry them to see them in person?
A Weber Genisis on sale is about $600. A great grill that is well made and easy to clean with the stainless tray that pulls out. I have had one for 8 years and it still cooks great.
I got mine through a local appliance store.
-john
OP, the one I have was about $700 as I recall. It has sat outside for 8 years and fires right up and looks just about like it always did.
Very similar to your picture. SS rod grills and I think SS burners.
You have to get good burners and grates and the price range you are at is pretty much where that happens..... or buy new stuff every two years.
A Weber Genisis on sale is about $600. A great grill that is well made and easy to clean with the stainless tray that pulls out. I have had one for 8 years and it still cooks great.
That's what mine is... I couldn't remember the name... It has sat outside for going on 8-10 years. Still looks and works like new.
ETA: OP, the only difference from your pictures is that mine has SS rods for the grates. Yours shows the flat often porcelain coated type. My controls are on right deck but I doubt that makes a difference.
I don't ever see Webers on sale. They seem to be processed locked pretty much. Sounds like the Webers are the way to go though
Would you be opposed to a 50/50 split offset smoker and propane? I recently picked up an Oklahoma Joe offset with propane and I get the best of both worlds.
http://www.lowes.com/pd_606673-82210-15202029___?productId=50329705&pl=1&Ntt=oklahoma+joe
You might need to do a few tiny mods but that is about it and they are ready to go.
Webers are outstanding. I've owned the Weber Genesis for 16 years and it is still going strong.
I have a Weber Genesis Silver and love it, however I bought it several years ago and it doesn't have the cabinet enclosure around the tank. Looks to me you are paying a couple hundred for the fancy bottom metal. Maybe a box store like Lowe's, Menards or Home Depot has one without the bottom enclosure, unless of course you like the enclosure.
You need to look for a store coupon or CC deal. Like Target having a special or 20% if you get a credit card or something.
I got mine at an local old school hardware store but they were also converted to ACE and now someone else just bought them. So try hardware stores like ACE and look for coupons. If you get 10% that's a deal.
eightmillimeter
05-27-16, 22:30
I'll second the Weber Genesis. We got ours at Sears on sale. Only upgrade I've done is to replace the "tent" burner covers with stainless. All burners on high will take it over 600 easily in the summer. Running two burners on low will get you indirect at 250 which is good for long slow cooks like ribs, whole chickens, etc. I use mine about 2-3x per week in the summer for the last 4 years, all I do is clean it and brush the burner holes every so often.
Ive got a weber Q series I got for free from my dad. Its technically a portable grill and he had it in his RV until he sold it. I got rid of the little regulator which was for small bottles and use an external on tank regulator to use the 40lb cylinders. For me, its great, gets up to ~550f. I could cook maybe 4 or 5 good sized steaks on it. Its usually just me cooking for myself so the size is fine.
Would you be opposed to a 50/50 split offset smoker and propane? I recently picked up an Oklahoma Joe offset with propane and I get the best of both worlds.
http://www.lowes.com/pd_606673-82210-15202029___?productId=50329705&pl=1&Ntt=oklahoma+joe
You might need to do a few tiny mods but that is about it and they are ready to go.
How do you like that one? It's the grill I have been thinking about getting.
I grill a lot and have come to the conclusion that all grills cost the same thing. A $600-800 grill last 6-8 times longer than a $100 grill. I am on my second Webber. The big advantage with Weber is parts availability. You can keep one running as long as you want to. I would also recommend the Genesis line with stainless steel grates and bars. The cast iron grates cook the best but if you don't clean and oil them after each use you'll end up with a rusty mess. The porcelain grates aren't much better. I have never had to replace stainless grates. The flavorizer bars in the stainless grill are the only consumable parts. You get what you pay for with Weber. Like a gun safe.... Get one bigger than you think you need!!
Got a kitchenaid three burner at Home Depot for around 500 that's been great and kitchenaid generally a solid brand/
I go the opposite away... I buy a cheap 5 burner at Home Depot for $200 and replace it every couple of years or so when it starts getting ratty.
I got a Weber Genesis Gold many years ago and it's still going strong. Needs a new ignitor and could use a couple new flavorizer bars but functionally it's a champ. I got mine at the local Ace Hardware store and got it on sale because it was the previous years model. It would be worth asking if they have leftovers or buying at the end of the season if you can get a discount...
.46caliber
05-28-16, 08:35
This just popped up in my news feed. The site polled its readers on what grill they like best.
http://lifehacker.com/five-best-grills-513522969
alvincullumyork
05-28-16, 08:38
What about a Traeger? They are wood pellet so you still get the wood smoke taste but cleaning and start up are a breeze. I've been to more than a couple high end streak houses and I've never had better prime rib than what my dad pulls of the Traeger. He has three now. One for the cabin, a small one for the house and a bigger one for parties. They really are amazing. And they hold up well.
http://www.traegergrills.com
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Since we are talking about grills, I've been thinking about building an outdoor kitchen, more or less. I want a griddle surface, a smoker, and a grill. I've been thinking along these lines:
Blackstone 36 inch griddle: http://www.amazon.com/Blackstone-Outdoor-Propane-Griddle-Cooking/dp/B00DYN0438
and
Yoder Smoker YS640: http://www.yodersmokers.com/ys640-pellet-grill.html I'll get the direct grill grates with it.
My only smoking experience has been with an old Brinkmann charcoal smoker and a buddy's electric cabinet smoker, so I have no experience with a smoker like the Yoder.
The major question I have is about my cooking style - I have grilled with great success using the Weber timing charts and temperature probes, but my thumb is also pretty educated from 3 years of being a broiler cook at a steakhouse (first real high school job) so I prefer to open the lid and play with the food.
I'm probably not going to change, so I'm wondering if any of you have experience with a pellet smoker and grilling? Will my habit of opening the lid cool things down too much?
My current Weber Genesis still works, and good, but I want that Yoder, so if I get it the Weber goes to a son.
Thanks.
I gave up spending many hundreds of dollars on high-end gas grills. I just grab a new one every few years from LOWES and run it until it is falling part and then replace it. Easy to swap out the key components if I need to and the results are no worse than if I used a $900 Webber.
I had a gas grill for a couple of years, never used it....it can't beat lump charcoal on a kamado-style cooker. The gas grill was just a way to sit outside with the guests and drink beer while cooking. It didn't really taste any different than cooking on the oven or stove top. No denying the convenience though. Most of my protein cooking these days is cooked sous vide, then seared on the Big Green Egg.
Would you be opposed to a 50/50 split offset smoker and propane? I recently picked up an Oklahoma Joe offset with propane and I get the best of both worlds.
http://www.lowes.com/pd_606673-82210-15202029___?productId=50329705&pl=1&Ntt=oklahoma+joe
You might need to do a few tiny mods but that is about it and they are ready to go.
How do you like that? That is the one I'm contemplating getting.
I have a Traeger. I love it when it's working. We use ours twice a week, minimum, and I've replaced every electric part in it in less than a year. The warranty is excellent and the take care of me, but it's annoying when it's time to cook and it's broke. I also have a six year old Genesis that I use rarely now because I love the taste of smoked meat and the ease of using the Traeger. The Weber only gets used for steaks and kabobs.
Smokers are great. Only issue is time. We run both smokers and grill depending what's going on.
I really like charcoal. But again, time us the issue there.
Fancy gas grills are nice. But it's like fancy guns vs cheap guns. Both basically do the same thing. One may last longer....
I've gone to cheaper grills with more burners. This gets rid of the cold spots. Me and a half dozen other people have had great luck with the Home depot brinkman grills. Sturdy, lots of burners, and affordable.
Someday when I build and outdoor kitchen it will be to the nines. Until then I'll keep doing what I do.
Pro tip: use oil like olive, avocado (my preference), or coconut on you meats veggies and anything else you grill. I tend to under cook my meats like tri tip and pork loin just a hair, and then put them in a pyrex or some container and let them sit. 10- 15 minutes. I'll do this for chicken also. Makes them really juicy.
Oil works well on the traeger smokers too. Gives it that just just a little char texture and flavor.
Seems like the Genesis is what I'm looking for but to bad it out of my price range. My wife is already giving me heavy grief about a $600 grill when "Lowe's has one for 160"
I've looked at the Oklahoma Joe as well but I'm concerned with longevity of the parts like the burners ando grates.
FromMyColdDeadHand
05-28-16, 18:02
I had a gas grill for a couple of years, never used it....it can't beat lump charcoal on a kamado-style cooker. The gas grill was just a way to sit outside with the guests and drink beer while cooking. It didn't really taste any different than cooking on the oven or stove top. No denying the convenience though. Most of my protein cooking these days is cooked sous vide, then seared on the Big Green Egg.
Got a good guide on the Sous vide? Seems interesting.
I've got a TEC IR grill shipping to me. Really interested to see how well it works. Expensive, but my current gas Weber is over years old.
Sous vide is fantastic for protein, especially a good steak. Impossible to cook less than perfectly. The Big Green Egg is now primarily used for cooking the veggies. Cook the steak in sous vide, start the grill, cook the vegetables, when they come off, turn the BGE up to about 700 and toss on the steaks for about 45 seconds 'per side.
For max flexibility, I use the Sansaire unit and cook in whatever pot is handy. I've even cooked a beef tenderloin in a Coleman cooler. I have a buddy who has an Anova with Bluetooth and he really likes it. I have another buddy with an all-in-one bath unit and he occasionally finds it's size to be limiting.
Sous vide is fantastic for protein, especially a good steak. Impossible to cook less than perfectly. The Big Green Egg is now primarily used for cooking the veggies. Cook the steak in sous vide, start the grill, cook the vegetables, when they come off, turn the BGE up to about 700 and toss on the steaks for about 45 seconds 'per side.
For max flexibility, I use the Sansaire unit and cook in whatever pot is handy. I've even cooked a beef tenderloin in a Coleman cooler. I have a buddy who has an Anova with Bluetooth and he really likes it. I have another buddy with an all-in-one bath unit and he occasionally finds it's size to be limiting.
You've piqued my intrigue
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It's been mentioned already but getting a smoker capable of searing/grilling will open up SO many doors for you when it comes to cooking meat. Mine made our six burner obsolete and I even paid to have a gas stub out when we built his house just for that grill so I would never have to worry about propane tanks and running out mid-grill. After seeing what a good smoker can do for grilling and the added bonus of being able to smoke I saw zero reason to keep the grill anymore and I loved that thing. That being said, before you spend any money on a Traeger I HIGHLY recommend doing some research into both GMG (Green Mountain Grills) as well as RecTec as both get better reviews on the smoking forums that I've seen. My wife got me a GMG Daniel Boone WiFi for my birthday and the thing is amazing and meets all of my needs including grilling. You can just grill up a steak or for real fun do a reverse seer by smoking it a low temp for an hour or so and then cranking it up to 550deg for the last few minutes to get that seer on the outside and you'll have one of the best steaks you've ever eaten w/o loads of seasoning or sauces.
If you're opposed to that idea I've got a six-burner w/side burner in full stainless w/under cabinet and side work counter that's been converted to NG (with LP jets and fittings included) that I'll make you a real good deal on in the Colorado area. ;)
I've been looking up some of this stuff you've guys have mentioned and I didn't even know this stuff existed. Man I don't even know where to begin. Are there good forums for this stuff?
If you mainly sear steaks and or like your chicken burned on the outside and raw on the inside a pellet grill isn't for you. I grill at least twice as often with a Traeger than I did when I had a charcoal or gas grill. I occasionally smoke salmon but mainly just grill chicken, pork and vegetables at moderate temp.
Consistent temp, walk away without worries.
Drip tray, never flares up.
Makes better tasting food, at regular grilling temps you still get smoke flavor in your food.
I only cook steak sous vide then sear in cast iron.
You don't need any expensive equipment to sous vide. An old crock pot (needs manual temp dial not digital) a cheap temp controller, and ziplock bags are all you need. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01DZ5NVBQ?psc=1
FromMyColdDeadHand
06-04-16, 19:34
I just got the TEC Patio FR infrared grill and it is awesome. I don't know if it gets to the 900F+ they claim, but it made the best steaks that I've ever had and grilled up some burgers with out flaring up.
I actually cooked some baked potatoes on one side, some cut up onions, peppers and zucchini with seasoning and oil wrapped into Al foil while on the other side I cooked up some filets. Medium on the veggie side and high sear on the steaks. UHmmm, damn. Nice and juicy steaks. I like mine on the light side of medium while my wife and kids like theirs well done. Even theirs were still juicy. Plus Mrs. Hand was happy that the whole meal was cooked outside. My wife is going to have to recalibrate her sense of well done correlating with dry.
Grilled some fatty burgers for lunch today and they smoked liked crazy due to fat burning off- but not a single flair-up. I told my wife to get leaner meat next time- you don't need extra fat to keep it juicy.
Really looking forward to some ribeyes. I've never really liked them due to the fatty stuff being grissly- and I've never gotten marinating and tenderizing to totally fix it.
If you like steak done medium or less, I really think these IR grills- and especially these 100% IR grills- there is no air movements from the burner to the food.
https://youtu.be/6kVVCkRvaP8
I inherited a small TEC grill from a client that was moving. It was very good for steaks but the glass filters were fragile and I gave up after replacing the 3rd on at $100 a pop. Maybe they make them different now but I cannot recommend TEC as an only grill.
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