I find myself in the market for a new grill. We've had the same defunct nondescript gas grill slowly rotting on the back deck for the past 4 or 5 years now; a mid-sized Weber kettle having replaced it when we discovered that Matchlight in the Weber only took a few minutes longer to heat up than the gas grill - as well as being much easier to bring inside for the winter. Even the Weber has seen better days - it served as our camping grill for several years before assuming main house duty, and received its share of nicks and dings being hauled to and from campsites and such.
Mrs. G. would like to get me a new gas grill for Father's Day, and who am I to argue? I think we paid $200 for the cheap gas grill back when we moved into the house in 1999, and it lasted us a good 6 or 7 years before giving up the ghost. Oh, sure, the electric ignitor went after only a couple of years, and the burner tubes were rotted out after 5 years, but for a couple hundred bucks out the door - and left sitting on the back deck all winter - it held up pretty well. We're at the point now where the little charcoal grill just isn't cutting it, so we want to replace it with something larger.
We're thinking of spending a little extra and getting a Weber gas grill - we have several friends who own Webers and swear by them, praising the longevity as well as excellent customer service when needing parts. Stories abound of folks who have written Weber asking about the availability of replacement parts to find a free replacement shipped out to them with no questions asked - and they're (mostly) still made in the USA. The Spirit line - particularly the entry-level E210 - is what we're thinking about getting, as we don't need a particularly fancy grill, just one that will hold up well over time. Any thoughts/comments/suggestions on this line of grills - or other grills that might be worth looking into - would be appreciated.
And yes, alan, there is an app for grilling...
That is all.
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25 comments:
Jay... go with the weber. I have 2 one is about 6 years old that I brought to work and the new one is gracing the deck :)
They are the best, I do recommend getting the stainless flavorizer bars soon because the steel ones will rust after awhile, other than that a little cleaning once in awhile and your all set...
Jay,
I've had a Weber gas grill for about ten years and it still cooks like a monster. I've replaced my flavorizer bars once because they rusted out, and replaced the cast iron cooking grates with stainless steel ones. Oh, I've also replaced the wood handle on the lid. The piezo no longer sparks as it too has rusted but no matter, I light a match & use the 'touch' hole.
Go with the Weber -- they're a little more scratch up front but will last nearly forever.
- Brad
I love the Weber Kettle. I own 2 (one at my house and I keep one at my in-laws place...) and I convinced the chair of the physics department (where I am employed) to purchase 3 of them for department functions. I also have a Smokey Mountain and a Smokey Joe.
In short, I am Boy Weber.
I know several folks who have Weber gas grills and they love them as much as I love my kettles. If I ever decide to get a gas grill, it will be a Weber.
I, too, have to chime in on the Weber fan boi bandwagon. I have had the one (Silver C) that is gracing my back yard for 8 years now and only last year replaced the flavorizer bars.
My brother in law just got a nice big Weber (no idea what model) but it is awesome!
I still remember having to start our old grill by turning on the propane and then throwing a match inside.
In retrospect I probably should have bought those long stick matches. that might have saved me some singed hair and a burnt hat. On the other hand huge fireballs are fun!
Weber Kettle-the 1911 of the grilling world. JMB would approve.
I've been making due with cheap-o $20 charcoal grills from Wally-World for years. I just buy a new one every year when the old when is completely rusted out. Pathetic, I know.
From the little I've looked into it, I'd go with a Weber. I'm not a big fan of the gas grills, personally, but I don't need a very big grill anyway so I'm going with a Weber kettle when I buy a new one.
Weber Gas Grill. Count me among the fans. You cannot go wrong with them, parts are available if you need to repair one, and the differences in price point are feature-related, not quality compromises.
Newbius
I have to say I love my Weber kettle. I'm on my third. Lost one to my roommate when he moved to NOLA, lost the second when I moved to AZ and didn't have room in the truck (either bed or grill, wife said bed), and got the third when my wife got her first pay check with a tiny bonus. They are great, last a long time and are dead nuts reliable. If you want a gas grill I'd look at Weber too. They have more than you can shake a stick at apparently. If you plan on living at one place for 15+ years, have a natural gas line into your house, and don't plan on moving the grill, look at getting one that you connect to that so you don't have to keep on getting your propane tank refilled.
It seems like I may just commit a sin by saying this, but I'll only use charcoal grills. I prefer barrel grills with a smoke box, and I got a super nice one for a good price by shopping around.... In fact, I think I'll do a post about grills in the next few hours...
Weber does make some nice grills, I won't argue that. I do think they're a hair overpriced, but that's my opinion...
But when I was looking for a new grill shortly after buying the house last year, we ended up with a CharGriller Duo 5050. Gas on one side, charcoal on the other, side burner (makes lighting charcoal with a chimney a snap), and there's an optional side firebox for smoking. Cast-iron grates with enamel coating.
It's large, but I LOVE the thing. I can wet-smoke four racks of ribs or 2-3 chickens as-is, and if I bought the side fire box it could probably take ten or twelve racks of ribs or 5-8 chickens. And that's just the charcoal side. :-D
$300 at Lowes and sometimes less at Tractor Supply.
I recently bought a Spirit E-310, because my many-years-old Genesis Silver B finally gave up the ghost.
It's a great grill. Heats quickly and evenly. The enclosed cylinder storage is FTW, and the stainless work tray is much, much better than the old acrylic one on my Genesis Silver B.
If you can afford it, Jay, go with the three-burner E-310 rather than the two-burner E-210 -- having a middle burner that you can turn off gives you a much wider array of options for indirect-heat cooking.
Go with the Spirit E210, its a great, sturdy grill. I've had mine for about a year and it does everything I need it to do - even manged to get two racks of ribs and 6 ears of corn on it at the same time. I got mine at H Depot as it came with the cast iron grills and the stainless flavor bars.
Trying to talk the wife into getting me a Traeger pellet grill for father's day. Mmmmmm, smoked meat for the lazy man!
I have a Big Green Egg, which was recommended to me last year by a BBQ chef who is working the competitive circuit down south. I love the thing, but I'm a purist, too. 100% charcoal.
Here at the anti-hippie commune, we have three grills- two gas Webers and a charcoal Weber. The charcoal grill comes out quite often... the gas one, not so much. As convenient as it is, it lacks character in cooking... you REALLY missed the charcoal flavor.
What? Not get a New Braunfels type? Must be a yankee thing.
Highly recommend the New Braunfels type
Kind of off topic with the Webber fanbois- but how about making your own?
I've had a grill I made from a mid-size propane tank sitting on the back porch in all weather. It eats anything you put in Mesquite chunks, Oak, pecan... and charcoal, too.
I know the sheet metal ones don't last with the heat real hardwood throws off.
Bah. Charcoal is the only True Source. :)
Jay, I've got a Weber Genesis Silver B on my deck that's been out there for about 10 years or so... I've replaced the porcelain grills with stainless steel and the flavorizer bars once but that is the sum total of maintenance it's needed. The handle has been replaced by one with a flashlight in it for night-time grilling (lights up the grids when the lid is open). It's currently hooked into the 500 gallon propane tank that supplies the house.
One other thing - 6 years ago when the cheap vinyl cover I had gave up the ghost, the only replacement I could find was the Weber one - for SIXTY FREAKING DOLLARS!! For a VINYL grill cover! Hey, I needed something so I sucked it up and bought it. EXCELLENT MOVE. That thing looks like it's still new. No tears, no wear - and the grill looks great under it. I owe Weber a big-time apology for doubting the quality (and wondering why it was so freaking expensive). Given it's durability, it was worth every cent.
I have Char-Broil 4-burner that we got for a nice deal at home despot two years ago. It has a lot of area, very even heat, the materials keep clean, and clean up well, also I'm amazed how efficiently it uses the gas, and how quickly it comes to temperature. Also it has a thermometer on the lid which is a must-have.
my 2c
If you feel like takin a trip to Paris, KY I can hook you up with some killer prices on Vermont Casting Grills.......
doubt you'd wanna spend the gas money though.... I work for the parent company
I'll never turn someone away from a Weber - those things kick monumental amounts of ass - but as an alternative I might suggest the Quantum Infrared series from Char-Broil. It gets damn-hot damn-quick, which is perfect for those among us who eat their steaks Pittsburgh Rare. They aren't terribly expensive, either. I picked up a 2-burner (only me, The Wifey, and The Little Girl) version for a touch over $250. All-stainless (Inox?:), and very good stuff.
My $0.02.
tweaker
Love my Holland Grill. Never had a fire. Indirect heat. Can deep fry and bake also. If money was no object I would have a Vidalia grill. I also do alot of cooking on my texas style side smoker.
Roger
I just bought this item at my local walleyworld:
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Uniflame-5-Burner-62-000-BTU-Gas-Grill/13056703?povid=cat4089-env202329-module285012-rLink1
I then brought it home and tested it with a 8 pound pork loin from Costco that was marinated overnight and some boneless chicken breasts. The grill worked perfectly and the pork was amazing. The chicken was for the kids. Excellent bang for my buck. However, I am trapped in California, so I don't know how it will hold up to multiple MA winters.
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