Need a new bbq grill

T

twopu

New member
It's time to retire the little college Charbroil grill. I'm looking to spend up to $550 on a decent grill (Weber, Vermont, etc). I use it 3-4 times a week so the internal parts need to be decent. Any suggestions???
 
I'm still in the beginning stage's of my research, but at a quick glance Weber has a ton of lines and models which can make it confusing. I'll probably have to spend an hour figuring out the difference. My father in-law has a Weber and he loves it. I was leaning towards them and I know they work great I just wonder how much more I have to pay for the name. Consumer Report just came out with reviews and named grills I've never heard of before (Vermont) so I figured I'd research a bit before going with a Weber. Thanks Silver
 
at 1 time webber genesis 1 used to be the top of the line. we are now gonna get a FIESTA. made in USA. looks and feels well built. low priced but it comes without a tank. peggy and i like to use our grill at least twice a week year round. and i think the fiesta will do because its all stainless steel.and ss is very easy to clean and maintain. i also read that vermont is also a great grill in cook's illustrated magazine. the other accessory you should look for is a side burner. wonderful for frying fish or chicken in a PANKO bread crumb. try to do them inside the house without smelling it up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! good luck.
 
I keep thinking that I would never use a side burner, but I've never had one to even consider it. Is it worth it?

I'm learning that the differance between the Weber Gold and Silver is the lid. Is the stainless steel lid more for appearance or are there other benefits?
 
twopu said:
I keep thinking that I would never use a side burner, but I've never had one to even consider it. Is it worth it?

I'm learning that the differance between the Weber Gold and Silver is the lid. Is the stainless steel lid more for appearance or are there other benefits?
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I sprung for the heavy SS lid...I think it's worth it especially if you do a lot of cooking during the cold months. It is very heavy and holds the heat.



We have the sideburner, it's great if you want to cook up something stinky that the spouse might not appreciate wafting thru the house. :p I use it for blackening steaks, seafood, bacon etc and the rain takes care of the clean up. :xyxthumbs
 
Untill I got a camping stove a side burner was a must for me for some of the same reasons that Tom mentioned. I would also get a slighty bigger grill then you think you need. I find that with a bigger grill I will prepare most of the meal on it. I also look at BTU's. More is better.
 
We checked out some grills last night. I kept walking towards the stainless steel models, but my wife was concerned that they would be harder to maintain (fingerprints, scratches, etc) then the black ones. Any truth to that? Also, is there any other benefit to stainless steel other than looks?
 
twopu said:
We checked out some grills last night. I kept walking towards the stainless steel models, but my wife was concerned that they would be harder to maintain (fingerprints, scratches, etc) then the black ones. Any truth to that? Also, is there any other benefit to stainless steel other than looks?
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I bought a Weber Genesis Gold with side burner last year after having my Genesis Silver with Red top since 1994. I still use the Red top but mostly in the winter months. the Gold has Stainless Steel top, grates and burners. It is very easy to maintain and keep clean. It gets hotter than my Red top and the food definitely cooks faster in the Gold grill. so far real happy with this Stainless Weber grill. I am looking forward to many years of great BBQ like the Red top has given me.



Later, 04MysticCobra.
 
When shopping for a weber go for the models with the Stainless Steel grates, they do last longer than the porcelain coated steel grates. I upgraded to the SS ones for my very old Weber genesis and it is still going strong.
 
I got a Brinkmann 4 burner with side cooker from Walmart for less than $300. Lifetime warranty on frame. Thing probably weighs 200lbs. Easy to clean and has a small built in smoker box. No lava crap just the metal covers for the grills which keep down flare ups. I've been extremely happy with it compared to the Webers that I have cooked on several times. I would say that quality / performance is equal for ½ the price.
 
I took mom's credit card to the store today to get her a new grill while she's out of town. Got a Brinkmann ProSeries 4240 for $150 at Meijer. It's a pretty basic model with just two burners and side shelves, no side burners. Seems much nicer than comparably priced CharBroil though. Cast iron burners vs cheap stainless steel on the CharBroil. Nice heat diffuser thing over the burners, thermometer built in to the lid -- both lacking on the CharBroil model. Feels really solid. I was afraid I would have to put the grill body together and it would come out loose and sloppy, but it all came in one piece. Just had to put the frame together and bolt the grill body to it. Nice.



Her past two grills have been under $100, so this should be a nice step up. She only grills stuff when I'm there, and I'm the one that does the grilling, so I reckon I'll get more enjoyment out of it than her. Oh well.



The lid and sides are black with lots of orange peel. Anyone wanna wetsand them for me? Just for giggles I put a coat of S100 on :p
 
I've owned the Weber Silver (it was destroyed in a move) and now own a Vermont. IMO, the Vermont is a much nicer grill, especially for the money. Mine is stainless, heavy but most importantly it grills every bit as good as the Weber and was less expensive from Home Depot.
 
go with the stainless steel cover. easy to clean and more important: when painted cover peels, it can fall on your food. paint dont taste good on steak.
 
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