Gas BBQ Grill question

[timbernet]

Right now I have a Weber 22.5" charcoal grill. I love it to death. I cook so much on there, steak, turkey, chicken, fish.... the whole year. Not just summer.

But it takes time for everything to heat up and if you are just cooking a few burgers it is a waste, etc... So I want to supplement it (not replace) with a gas grill.

But wow... there are grills ranging from $80 to $1000 that all run on propane. What does the NWFA group suggest as good brands/models?

I know Traeger isn't gas, but wood pellet - I would love one of those, but $800 for the model I want.. wow. That could buy me a few guns


So OTHER than Traeger - what type of non-charcoal grills does NWFA like?

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[Andy]

One thing I've learned is that if you want to save money in the long run, shop around and take a look at replacement burners, racks, etc. You might be able to buy a real nice stainless grill on Freddy's for $200, but when if comes time to replace the burners, you'll have to special order them and they usually aren't cheap. I just went through that (but I got the grill for free so it's not really a loss for me).

Chargrill parts are at every Lowe's, Home Depot and Fred Meyer, so that might be a brand to start with.

Keep it cheap unless you are trying to show off. In which case you'll probably need to sell me some of those guns.

 

[Cougfan2]

I have a Charm-Glow brand that i got at Lowe's a few Father's days ago that works real well. If you pay the extra to have Lowe's assemble it, make sure they do it right or if they will let you take a propane tank and just make sure everything works the way it is supposed to before you take it home.

The reason I say this is I had them assemble mine, and regret it. It's a five burner and the center burner didn't get installed right so it doesn't work the way it is supposed to. Not a big deal because I never use it, but once you take it home from the store it's your problem if something isn't right.

FWIW, I would never buy another Grill from a big box store. I'd pay extra and go to a specialty store like the one we have off of TV Hwy in Hillsboro.

 

[MarkSBG]

I don't have any brands that I could recommend, but I would recommend a something with a stainless cooking surface. Bring a magnet with you when shopping. If the magnet sticks, it most likely NOT stainless regardless of what the salesman tells you...

 

[BillM]

Weber.

Had a mid-level grill, had to replace SOMETHING about every year.
Burner, grates, lighter, something.

Bought a Weber Genesis Gold 4 years ago. We use it year round.
Absolutely bulletproof. I might have to buy a grate or burner for it
eventually--but I'll bet that's at least 10 years down the road.

 

[timbernet]

Weber.

Had a mid-level grill, had to replace SOMETHING about every year.
Burner, grates, lighter, something.

Bought a Weber Genesis Gold 4 years ago. We use it year round.
Absolutely bulletproof. I might have to buy a grate or burner for it
eventually--but I'll bet that's at least 10 years down the road.

The Weber charcoal grill I have is about 10 years old. Only thing I replace is the actual grate on the top, everything else is fine. Keep it covered during the rain and it keeps on cooking....

But man, $1000 for a grill (looking at the new Weber Genesis series) -- ouch... I mean, I understand the quality is great, but it is still sticker shock

 

[BillM]

But man, $1000 for a grill (looking at the new Weber Genesis series) -- ouch... I mean, I understand the quality is great, but it is still sticker shock

Buy once, Cry once. IIRC mine was $600 at home Depot 4 years ago.

Do a Google for "best gas grill under $xxx" Lots of them out there,
including some lower cost Webers. I compared online reviews for
quite a while before I got the Genesis---$600 was a big chunk to drop on
a grill, especially when there were others "almost as good" for half
the price. No regrets--if my grill disappeared I would go buy another
Genesis tomorrow.

 

[Contract_Pilot]

Want it to last a long time use the ceramic briquettes buy a lot of them. They make heat distribution a hella lot better only use a few you gonna burn up the burner.

 

[Oro]

I'm gonna take a different tack here - Try something different.

Personally, I hate how much flavor you loose without the smoke. Sure, it's more convenient to use gas, but it's just such a compromise that to me it's barely worth it vs. using a good griddle on the stove. So what I have learned is to start charcoal quickly.

1) Use a flue/chimney starter like this:

http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/chimney.html

2) use the amount appropriate - if cooking a small amount, use a small amount of charcoal - it will light even faster.

Do the math on the cost of a reliable new gas grill and gas to keep it going, vs a chimney starter and charcoal. I like to cook so I will take some extra effort for results, but this is a good compromise and big money saver.

This might not be for you, but it is worth contemplating a little bit.

 

[Grizzly_A]

Bought a Weber Genesis. Love it. Recommended it to others and they bought the same or better. Bought it at Home Depot on sale and assembled it myself. Spent way less than $1000. There is an abundance of aftermarket accessories, parts are easy to come by, etc.

There are some things that I'd want to change if I were upgrading but they are little.


Stainless grates are nice, the heat passes right through it. I prefer the porcelain coated iron, takes a bit longer to warm up but cooks like cast iron without all the work of seasoning.

Depending on what you're wanting to cook primarily will help you determine the type of grates, the orientation of the burners, and the accessories. If it has it, get a smoker box with dedicated burner.

As for the smoky flavor, I read that the items have to be on the grill for over 15 minutes to retain any amount of smoke favor, which is one of the reasons why in many marinades they include smoke flavoring...

I use the pellets for smoke flavor, but I think it's more for my sensory than actually getting into the steaks/burgers/shrimp/chicken that's on the grill. I probably just started the whole flavor war between gas/charcoal.

Sorry.

 

[Sun195]

I'll also put in a plug for the Weber Genesis. I bought mine (Silver) about four years ago; use it all of the time; never any problems. Just replaced the grill portion and flavor bars this year. It has a little paint flecking on some spots, but still fires right-up and does the job.

I'll admit that gas grill cooking may not produce the nice smoke of a briquet BBQ, but there's something nice about coming home, turning the thing on, and throwing a few steaks on the grill w/o the hassle of getting the briquets going.

They tend to be around $400-$600 depending on the season and model.

I had a basic CharBroil before & it just didn't hold-up. Burner rusted-out and I could never get the replacement burner to work right (it was either full-on or off)

 

[OFADAN]

If you're that hard core into BBQ then bite the bullet and buy the Traeger and wait until next year to get that 30-30!

Seriously, I'm like you and cook about 3 nites a week year-around and after I got my Traeger I'll never go back. If it breaks I'll sell something to replace it. I went the Weber route, and the gas route for years but now that I'm using a Traeger I'll never switch back. Just smoked some Salmon the other night with Alder wood - yowzer is it good. Buffalo steaks tonight!

I've not replaced anything on it in four years...I've got a "work around" for using the grate so even the grate stays clean and new.

 

[jimwsea]

<broken link removed>

I use a "pyrobachi" by Pyromid (Redmond Oregon) for small bbqs. It has a 12" by 12" grill surface, and folds down to 12 x 12 x 2 and slips in a carry bag. Only 12-15 briquettes needed. I've taken it to the beach and made hamburgers for four people. I got it over 10 years ago and it is still working. I've even put it in the dishwasher.

I looked it up and it looks a bit fancier now with the portable stand. Of course, the price has gone up since then.

The combination of the chimney to start the charcoal and the Pyrobachi have mad lots of (relatively) quick meals for two or three people.

UPDATE
<broken link removed>
Looks like the company is in financial trouble and these may be hard to find. I'd still recommend it even if the company folds as there is really nothing to break on it.

 

[gunnails]

We barbecue 3 nights a week year round, I have 4 barbecues, If I have time I like the old fashion Webber kettle style.

I vote for gas as my go to BBQ. If you want something that will last make sure your burners are cast or forged, not the cheap sheet metal burners.
We use natural gas, does not burn quite as hot as propane, but we never run out

As far as smoke flavor goes, we get that when the food we are cooking drips onto the burner cover things..

 

[WhyteCheddar]

Charm Glo I think is the brand.
Picked it up at Home Depot couple of years ago. Serves faithfully as the main cooking instrument when the weather allows. Just be sure to stow it inside somewhere when it gets nasty out and it will last and work well for a long time.

 

[Joe Link]

As soon as I can find a good deal on a used Traeger I'm joining that club

 

[timbernet]

1) Use a flue/chimney starter like this:

http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/chimney.html

Fred Meyers had 25% off BBQ accessories, I picked one of those up and will try it out.

If you're that hard core into BBQ then bite the bullet and buy the Traeger and wait until next year to get that 30-30!

I think that I am going to go the Traeger route... sometime this year....