Hi all,
Have been on the market for a new gas grill for the past few weeks and
it only gets more complicated. Have seen a couple that I like at BBQ
Galore (Capt'n Cook) that have cast iron burners, then a couple both
at Home Depot and Lowes with stainless steel burners, what is the
difference and which one is the better buy? Same thing for the
cooking grills, stainless steel, cast iron and porcelain covered cast
iron. Then I saw something new at Home Depot, their RED 3 or 4 Zone
Infrared grill. The flame never touches the cooking surface or food.

I did search Google, and now I am here for your expert advice. Many
thanks in advance.

Ray
===

Ray S. & Nayda Katzaman wrote:
> Hi all,
> Have been on the market for a new gas grill for the past few weeks and
> it only gets more complicated. Have seen a couple that I like at BBQ
> Galore (Capt'n Cook) that have cast iron burners, then a couple both
> at Home Depot and Lowes with stainless steel burners, what is the
> difference and which one is the better buy? Same thing for the
> cooking grills, stainless steel, cast iron and porcelain covered cast
> iron. Then I saw something new at Home Depot, their RED 3 or 4 Zone
> Infrared grill. The flame never touches the cooking surface or food.
>
> I did search Google, and now I am here for your expert advice. Many
> thanks in advance.
>
> Ray
> ===

In my order of preference..

Burners:
brass
stainless
cast iron

Grill:
cast iron
porcelain
stainless (3/8" or larger rods only)

When I bought mine last year I could find none that had both brass burners
and a cast iron grill so I got a Jenn-Air that had brass burners and
stainless for the grill. Figured it might be easier to change grills later
than it would be to change burners.

On May 7, 4:49 pm, "Ray S. & Nayda Katzaman" >
wrote:
> Have been on the market for a new gas grill for the past few weeks and
> it only gets more complicated. Have seen a couple that I like at BBQ
> Galore (Capt'n Cook) that have cast iron burners, then a couple both
> at Home Depot and Lowes with stainless steel burners, what is the
> difference and which one is the better buy? Same thing for the
> cooking grills, stainless steel, cast iron and porcelain covered cast
> iron. Then I saw something new at Home Depot, their RED 3 or 4 Zone
> Infrared grill. The flame never touches the cooking surface or food.

I own a BroilMaster that I've had for over 10 years now. As of last
fall, it is out of service awaiting a new burner for $85 that I can't
quite bring myself to buy yet. It's a very high quality grill to last
that long - I do nothing to care for it and it is uncovered year round
in Michigan. This is the second time it's needed a burner since I
purchased it. But here's my opinion about what I think I know about...

Grates: Mine had porcelain covered cast iron. My wife did me a favor
and cleaned it once with the scraper end of the cleaning brush and
that did it for the porcelain - for over a year of use after that, I
had to be very regimented about cleaning multiple times before cooking
to ensure the porcelain chips didn't get in the food. Whenever the
grates expanded from the heat or contracted, fresh porcelain would
chip off. Now it's all worn off as much as it's going to be, but I'll
never get that type of grate again. Stainless is nice and would do
that if I had the money, but plain old cast is probably what I'd
settle for since it works well and lasts a long time. A friend has
heavy stainless rods (about 3/8" diameter) for a grate on a trailer
wood/charcoal grill - very sweet. Stays clean and easy to care for.
But too rich for me.

Burners: Realize you'll be replacing it every so often, so be aware of
how much they cost for your model. I think mine is stainless, but
obviously stainless will rust out under those extreme conditions.
Depending on how thick the cast iron burner is, it could be extremely
durable. I have a cast burner on a propane burner that is old as dirt
and still going. On the other hand, it gets crudded up and ideally I
should disassemble it every year and blast the junk out. It isn't easy
to disassemble and clean since it's heated/cooled so many times and
exposed to humidity.

Infrared: No idea. Keep in mind that you aren't going to get much
flavor out of a gas grill - only the smoke from the juices as they hit
the burner unless you toss in a smoker box (which will only provide
marginal flavor - that's not what a gas grill is designed for). The
ability to provide tons of even heat is the key. It should be designed
in a way that doesn't encourage flare ups. If there's a place in the
bottom for grease to pool up, that isn't good.

There are others here who know a lot more about it than me, but mainly
I wanted to provide you the info about the porcelain grates...

--Jeff

Ray S. & Nayda Katzaman wrote:
> Hi all,
> Have been on the market for a new gas grill for the past few weeks and
> it only gets more complicated. Have seen a couple that I like at BBQ
> Galore (Capt'n Cook) that have cast iron burners, then a couple both
> at Home Depot and Lowes with stainless steel burners, what is the
> difference and which one is the better buy? Same thing for the
> cooking grills, stainless steel, cast iron and porcelain covered cast
> iron. Then I saw something new at Home Depot, their RED 3 or 4 Zone
> Infrared grill. The flame never touches the cooking surface or food.
>
> I did search Google, and now I am here for your expert advice. Many
> thanks in advance.
>
> Ray
> ===
>

Probably comes down to personal preference, use, frequency, location, etc.

I live in NY and my grill is outside, uncovered, and used all year.
(gasp, yes, even in winter)

Grill: Weber Genesis Silver B
SS burner
porcelain coated CI grates

9 years so far (heavy use) and the only thing I've done to it is to
replace the starter a month ago. I do need to get new grates shortly but
that's probably due to the fires that started before I had the WSM and
was trying to que in it...

Infared I can't comment on.

--
Steve

"Rick Brandt" > wrote in message
> Grill:
> cast iron
> porcelain
> stainless (3/8" or larger rods only)

I'd put porcelain coated cast iron in the lead, providing they are heavy
weight.

Agree on the burners

Both my SS burners and coated CI grates are perfect after eight years.

On Wed 07 May 2008 05:32:45p, Steve Calvin told us...

> Ray S. & Nayda Katzaman wrote:
>> Hi all,
>> Have been on the market for a new gas grill for the past few weeks and
>> it only gets more complicated. Have seen a couple that I like at BBQ
>> Galore (Capt'n Cook) that have cast iron burners, then a couple both
>> at Home Depot and Lowes with stainless steel burners, what is the
>> difference and which one is the better buy? Same thing for the
>> cooking grills, stainless steel, cast iron and porcelain covered cast
>> iron. Then I saw something new at Home Depot, their RED 3 or 4 Zone
>> Infrared grill. The flame never touches the cooking surface or food.
>>
>> I did search Google, and now I am here for your expert advice. Many
>> thanks in advance.
>>
>> Ray
>> ===
>>
>
> Probably comes down to personal preference, use, frequency, location,
etc.
>
> I live in NY and my grill is outside, uncovered, and used all year.
> (gasp, yes, even in winter)
>
> Grill: Weber Genesis Silver B
> SS burner
> porcelain coated CI grates
>
> 9 years so far (heavy use) and the only thing I've done to it is to
> replace the starter a month ago. I do need to get new grates shortly but
> that's probably due to the fires that started before I had the WSM and
> was trying to que in it...
>
> Infared I can't comment on.
>
> --
> Steve

We had a Weber that we used and liked very much for 7-8 years but chose to
leave behind on a cross-country move. After we settled into our new place
we felt we shouldn't spend quite that much money on a new grill, so bought
a Brinkman instead. It's a larger grill than the Weber, has 4 cast iron
burners and porcelain coated cast iron grates. It also has a smoker drawer
to hold wood chips. After 6 years, it's still performing as well as the
Weber did. Brinkman grills are not always easy to find, but we'd try to
buy another one if we had to.

--
Wayne Boatwright
-------------------------------------------
Wednesday, 05(V)/07(VII)/08(MMVIII)
-------------------------------------------
Countdown till Memorial Day
2wks 4dys 2hrs 5mins
-------------------------------------------
If money could talk, it would say goodbye.
-------------------------------------------

Before you decide on a gas grill, have a look at the Weber Q series. they
have a range of sizes from the baby Q that'll cook for up to 4 people
comfortably up to the Q300 for large gatherings or families.

I bought a baby Q a year and a half ago just for me and the Mrs and it's one
of the best little grills around. Easy to use, easy to clean and very easy
on gas. Another good thang is that they are relatively portable and will fit
easily in your car. The Q220 & Q300 both have temp guages in the lid where
the smaller baby Q's don't.

well that's my 10 cents worth.....hope you find a good one!!

DJ

Wayne Boatwright wrote:
> On Wed 07 May 2008 05:32:45p, Steve Calvin told us...
>
>> Ray S. & Nayda Katzaman wrote:
>>> Hi all,
>>> Have been on the market for a new gas grill for the past few weeks and
>>> it only gets more complicated. Have seen a couple that I like at BBQ
>>> Galore (Capt'n Cook) that have cast iron burners, then a couple both
>>> at Home Depot and Lowes with stainless steel burners, what is the
>>> difference and which one is the better buy? Same thing for the
>>> cooking grills, stainless steel, cast iron and porcelain covered cast
>>> iron. Then I saw something new at Home Depot, their RED 3 or 4 Zone
>>> Infrared grill. The flame never touches the cooking surface or food.
>>>
>>> I did search Google, and now I am here for your expert advice. Many
>>> thanks in advance.
>>>
>>> Ray
>>> ===
>>>
>> Probably comes down to personal preference, use, frequency, location,
> etc.
>> I live in NY and my grill is outside, uncovered, and used all year.
>> (gasp, yes, even in winter)
>>
>> Grill: Weber Genesis Silver B
>> SS burner
>> porcelain coated CI grates
>>
>> 9 years so far (heavy use) and the only thing I've done to it is to
>> replace the starter a month ago. I do need to get new grates shortly but
>> that's probably due to the fires that started before I had the WSM and
>> was trying to que in it...
>>
>> Infared I can't comment on.
>>
>> --
>> Steve
>
> We had a Weber that we used and liked very much for 7-8 years but chose to
> leave behind on a cross-country move. After we settled into our new place
> we felt we shouldn't spend quite that much money on a new grill, so bought
> a Brinkman instead. It's a larger grill than the Weber, has 4 cast iron
> burners and porcelain coated cast iron grates. It also has a smoker drawer
> to hold wood chips. After 6 years, it's still performing as well as the
> Weber did. Brinkman grills are not always easy to find, but we'd try to
> buy another one if we had to.
>

We have a Brinkman, too. It's got 6 burners, a side burner and an ice
well. It's been in use for well over 3 years and the one time it gave us
a problem, we called the company and got excellent help.

It's large enough for me to use it as a smoker by putting the meat on
one side of the grill and lighting the other side.

It is rather large. It's name is "Grillzilla"

--
Janet Wilder
Bad spelling. Bad punctuation
Good Friends. Good Life

"Ray S. & Nayda Katzaman" > wrote in message
...
> Hi all,
> Have been on the market for a new gas grill for the past few weeks and
> it only gets more complicated. Have seen a couple that I like at BBQ
> Galore (Capt'n Cook) that have cast iron burners, then a couple both
> at Home Depot and Lowes with stainless steel burners, what is the
> difference and which one is the better buy? Same thing for the
> cooking grills, stainless steel, cast iron and porcelain covered cast
> iron. Then I saw something new at Home Depot, their RED 3 or 4 Zone
> Infrared grill. The flame never touches the cooking surface or food.
>
> I did search Google, and now I am here for your expert advice. Many
> thanks in advance.
>
> Ray
> ===
>
If I were looking to buy a gas grill right now I'd look very strongly for
one that has one infrared burner under the grates for searing even though
Consumer Reports in this month's issue didn't agree. They say the infrared
grill isn't any hotter than regular propane. They left out infrared burner
designations for individual grills. They more or less equate porcelain CI
with stainless. I wouldn't agree with that. Their top rated grill is the
Genesis E320, which is larger than the Silver B and costs $650 down the
street. The Weber Esprit 310 has the same surface area and the same BTU
output as the Silver B. I think for most of us that's enough. You can get
coated CI grates on it when you buy it.

Their best buy choices a Blue Ember at Home Depot, Char-Broil Red at
Lowe's and the Brinkmann 810 at Home Depot. Their test of the Broil King
Signet resulted in the grill melting and they said run from it at all costs.

Like many, I'd buy another Weber if I were looking. My Silver B is still
cruising along.

Kent

"Steve Calvin" > wrote in message
...
> Ray S. & Nayda Katzaman wrote:
>> Hi all,
>> Have been on the market for a new gas grill for the past few weeks and
>> it only gets more complicated. Have seen a couple that I like at BBQ
>> Galore (Capt'n Cook) that have cast iron burners, then a couple both
>> at Home Depot and Lowes with stainless steel burners, what is the
>> difference and which one is the better buy? Same thing for the
>> cooking grills, stainless steel, cast iron and porcelain covered cast
>> iron. Then I saw something new at Home Depot, their RED 3 or 4 Zone
>> Infrared grill. The flame never touches the cooking surface or food.
>>
>> I did search Google, and now I am here for your expert advice. Many
>> thanks in advance.
>>
>> Ray
>> ===
>>
>
> Probably comes down to personal preference, use, frequency, location, etc.
>
> I live in NY and my grill is outside, uncovered, and used all year. (gasp,
> yes, even in winter)
>
> Grill: Weber Genesis Silver B
> SS burner
> porcelain coated CI grates
>
> 9 years so far (heavy use) and the only thing I've done to it is to
> replace the starter a month ago. I do need to get new grates shortly but
> that's probably due to the fires that started before I had the WSM and was
> trying to que in it...
>
> Infared I can't comment on.
>
> --
> Steve

I agree. We've had a Weber Genesis Silver B for 15 years. All grills have
wear and tear items that have to be periodically replaced. Weber has
excellent customer service. A grill from China puchased from CostCo or
anywhere else may not be around when you need a part. The porcelain coated
cast iron grates are an abslolute must. Now I can almost sear a steak. It's
better than charcoal for fish. Stainless steel grates don't conduct heat,
and are much inferior to cast iron. Ironically, they are in the higher buck
grills.

I also think BBQ and More would be a good place to look. It's an Australian
Company and their grills are made there. I think they're going to be around
for a long time.

Kent

"Kent" > wrote in message
> If I were looking to buy a gas grill right now I'd look very strongly for
> one that has one infrared burner under the grates for searing even though
> Consumer Reports in this month's issue didn't agree. They say the infrared
> grill isn't any hotter than regular propane. They left out infrared
> burner designations for individual grills.

They are right, but they are wrong. Infrared may not be any hotter, but
there is more to cooking than just temperature. The way the heat is
transferred also makes a difference in how it performs certain functions.

I don't trust CR for things of that importance.

"Ray S. & Nayda Katzaman" > wrote in message
...
> Hi all,
> Have been on the market for a new gas grill for the past few weeks and
> it only gets more complicated. Have seen a couple that I like at BBQ
> Galore (Capt'n Cook) that have cast iron burners, then a couple both
> at Home Depot and Lowes with stainless steel burners, what is the
> difference and which one is the better buy? Same thing for the
> cooking grills, stainless steel, cast iron and porcelain covered cast
> iron. Then I saw something new at Home Depot, their RED 3 or 4 Zone
> Infrared grill. The flame never touches the cooking surface or food.
>
> I did search Google, and now I am here for your expert advice. Many
> thanks in advance.
>
> Ray
> ===

Well can't claim to be an expert that's for sure, but I recently purchase
a new rig from Lowe's. It is a Char-Griller Duo that is both a gas grill
with side burner and a charcoal grill with a side fire box for smoking all
in one...

http://www.chargriller.com/pdf/duo_manual.pdf

their website:

http://www.chargriller.com/grills.html

I only have a dozen or so cooks on it so far, but it is fast becoming
my all time favorite rig. I frequently grill steaks on the gas side and the
cast iron grill sears them to perfection. It is a big rig but the price was
right for me. I have owned or own quite a few different grills like Weber,
Charbroil, Brinkman, etc... over the years. Except for longevity, which I
can not yet attest to, the Char-Griller Duo has out performed my
expectations.

Joseph

--

http://www.geocities.com/jrpitzner/BBQ

Brinkman Charcoal Smoker
Char-Griller Duo w/Side Fire Box

>

So I'm the only guy with issues with the coated cast iron grates?
Maybe I got a bad batch or something. Do you have to baby them when
you clean them up? It was happily using a wire grill brush until my
wife scraped them good with the grill scraper and they started flaking
off.

Also a comment was about SS not conducting heat properly - I don't
think SS is much different from CI in heat conduction, and I'd have to
assume CI conducts heat the same as coated CI (or worse - the coating
is an insulator). Could it be that the true issue has more to do with
thermal mass than heat conduction? A cast grate of any sort would have
a lot more mass than any other type, and when the food hit it, all
that heat would be waiting in reserve to do a nice sear.

--Jeff

JeffH wrote:
> So I'm the only guy with issues with the coated cast iron grates?
> Maybe I got a bad batch or something. Do you have to baby them when
> you clean them up? It was happily using a wire grill brush until my
> wife scraped them good with the grill scraper and they started flaking
> off.

Dunno, I've had mine for 8 years - used year 'round in NY state. No
problems with them other than they are kinda "disintegrating" I think
just from overuse.

I never clean 'em when done with a cook. The next time I go to use it I
just turn all three burners on high for about 10 minutes or so and then
wire brush 'em.

If I'm doing something delicate like fish I'll hit 'em with a spray of
non-stick cooking oil but that's about it.

--
Steve

"> JeffH wrote:
> > So I'm the only guy with issues with the coated cast iron grates?
> > Maybe I got a bad batch or something. Do you have to baby them when
> > you clean them up? It was happily using a wire grill brush until my
> > wife scraped them good with the grill scraper and they started flaking
> > off.

I bought coated CI grates for my Weber awhile back and was disappointed in
their performance. I couldn't tell any significant difference over the SS
grates that came with the grill. I did notice that after several use's tiny
spots of rust were appearing through the porcelain. I suspect at manufacture
that the grates were not free of oil/residue before the porcelain was
applied. I took them back for a refund and have used the original SS grates
ever since.

Steve Calvin wrote:

>
> I never clean 'em when done with a cook. The next time I go to use it I
> just turn all three burners on high for about 10 minutes or so and then
> wire brush 'em.
>
> If I'm doing something delicate like fish I'll hit 'em with a spray of
> non-stick cooking oil but that's about it.

Steve, this is exactly my own technique. I have the heavy SS rods,
though, and they seem to work as well as previous coated CI ones. I
just did chicken kabobs two nights back and we all remarked on the sear
marks. When things get really crudded up- such as when using a
molasses/honey based sauce on ribs done KC style, I lay a sheet of
aluminum foil over the grates with the burners on. Trust me, it get
hot, hot, hot. When the smoke dies down, I remove the foil and use it
wadded up to brush the white ash off the SS rods, then spray with oil.

--
Nonny

Nonnymus
Never believe a person who is
Drunk, Horny or Running for Office.

The above thread begs the question of how many BTUs you should target
for a gas grill. I used to hear that the more, the better. However
I've recently heard some say that is a poor way to go about it. To me
it seems you can always turn a grill down, so as long as the heat is
even go for high BTUs. There seems to be a limitation though on the
grills I see on the market though - possibly this is as much BTUs as
you can expect from a single propane bottle and regulator. Any
thoughts on the BTUs?

--Jeff

Nonnymus wrote:
> Steve Calvin wrote:
>
>>
>> I never clean 'em when done with a cook. The next time I go to use it
>> I just turn all three burners on high for about 10 minutes or so and
>> then wire brush 'em.
>>
>> If I'm doing something delicate like fish I'll hit 'em with a spray of
>> non-stick cooking oil but that's about it.
>
> Steve, this is exactly my own technique. I have the heavy SS rods,
> though, and they seem to work as well as previous coated CI ones. I
> just did chicken kabobs two nights back and we all remarked on the sear
> marks. When things get really crudded up- such as when using a
> molasses/honey based sauce on ribs done KC style, I lay a sheet of
> aluminum foil over the grates with the burners on. Trust me, it get
> hot, hot, hot. When the smoke dies down, I remove the foil and use it
> wadded up to brush the white ash off the SS rods, then spray with oil.
>

Maybe I'll give the SS a try seeing as how I need to replace my coated
CI's. Doesn't the stainless "crud" up and look "funky" though even
after being brushed?

--
Steve

Steve Calvin wrote:

> Maybe I'll give the SS a try seeing as how I need to replace my coated
> CI's. Doesn't the stainless "crud" up and look "funky" though even
> after being brushed?
>
> --
> Steve

Steve, when I cook things on the grates, there's a certain and expected
amount of residue. As discussed, I generally give the grates 10 minutes
or so to heat up, hit them with the wire brush (spray if needed) and
toss on the vittles. The only "crud" I have difficulty with is when I
carmelize on the KC Masterpiece, Bullseye or other similar sauce. I
don't do that often, since I prefer Memphis style in the Bradley,
instead. However, when we get company from KC or central MO, they don't
consider anything but a KC style of ribs to be real barbecue. Rather
than try to educate them, I just comply. . . and also enjoy them as
well. <Grin>

Another reason for the preheat is that I like to get my ceramic flame
tamers up to heat before adding meat. I like the flavor the vaporized
drippings add, so this gets a leg up on that as well.

When I preheat with aluminum foil on the grates for a severe cleaning, I
always brush or spray to prevent sticking, Oddly, my home made IR grill
actually gets too hot to let things stick. I've never, ever, had to do
more than blow the ash off the inverted V grates, there.

--
Nonny

Nonnymus
Never believe a person who is
Drunk, Horny or Running for Office.

On Thu 08 May 2008 08:53:18a, Janet Wilder told us...

> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>> On Wed 07 May 2008 05:32:45p, Steve Calvin told us...
>>
>>> Ray S. & Nayda Katzaman wrote:
>>>> Hi all,
>>>> Have been on the market for a new gas grill for the past few weeks
>>>> and it only gets more complicated. Have seen a couple that I like at
>>>> BBQ Galore (Capt'n Cook) that have cast iron burners, then a couple
>>>> both at Home Depot and Lowes with stainless steel burners, what is
>>>> the difference and which one is the better buy? Same thing for the
>>>> cooking grills, stainless steel, cast iron and porcelain covered cast
>>>> iron. Then I saw something new at Home Depot, their RED 3 or 4 Zone
>>>> Infrared grill. The flame never touches the cooking surface or food.
>>>>
>>>> I did search Google, and now I am here for your expert advice. Many
>>>> thanks in advance.
>>>>
>>>> Ray
>>>> ===
>>>>
>>> Probably comes down to personal preference, use, frequency, location,
>>> etc. I live in NY and my grill is outside, uncovered, and used all
>>> year. (gasp, yes, even in winter)
>>>
>>> Grill: Weber Genesis Silver B
>>> SS burner
>>> porcelain coated CI grates
>>>
>>> 9 years so far (heavy use) and the only thing I've done to it is to
>>> replace the starter a month ago. I do need to get new grates shortly
>>> but that's probably due to the fires that started before I had the WSM
>>> and was trying to que in it...
>>>
>>> Infared I can't comment on.
>>>
>>> --
>>> Steve
>>
>> We had a Weber that we used and liked very much for 7-8 years but chose
>> to leave behind on a cross-country move. After we settled into our new
>> place we felt we shouldn't spend quite that much money on a new grill,
>> so bought a Brinkman instead. It's a larger grill than the Weber, has
>> 4 cast iron burners and porcelain coated cast iron grates. It also has
>> a smoker drawer to hold wood chips. After 6 years, it's still
>> performing as well as the Weber did. Brinkman grills are not always
>> easy to find, but we'd try to buy another one if we had to.
>>
>
> We have a Brinkman, too. It's got 6 burners, a side burner and an ice
> well. It's been in use for well over 3 years and the one time it gave us
> a problem, we called the company and got excellent help.
>
> It's large enough for me to use it as a smoker by putting the meat on
> one side of the grill and lighting the other side.
>
> It is rather large. It's name is "Grillzilla"
>

Even the 4 burner model we have is large enough for smoking by the same
method, especially since we don't cook for that many people. Ours also has
the side burner, but not the ice well. All of which reminds me, it's
really time again to do some ribs!

--
Wayne Boatwright
-------------------------------------------
Friday, 05(V)/09(IX)/08(MMVIII)
-------------------------------------------
Countdown till Memorial Day
2wks 2dys 2hrs 10mins
-------------------------------------------
I like to leave messages *before* the beep.
-------------------------------------------

On Thu 08 May 2008 07:00:04p, Edwin Pawlowski told us...

>
> "Kent" > wrote in message
>> If I were looking to buy a gas grill right now I'd look very strongly
>> for one that has one infrared burner under the grates for searing even
>> though Consumer Reports in this month's issue didn't agree. They say
>> the infrared grill isn't any hotter than regular propane. They left
>> out infrared burner designations for individual grills.
>
> They are right, but they are wrong. Infrared may not be any hotter, but
> there is more to cooking than just temperature. The way the heat is
> transferred also makes a difference in how it performs certain
> functions.
>
> I don't trust CR for things of that importance.

I don't treat CR's reports as gospel, but it's often a good jumping off
point fof further research.


--
Wayne Boatwright
-------------------------------------------
Friday, 05(V)/09(IX)/08(MMVIII)
-------------------------------------------
Countdown till Memorial Day
2wks 2dys 2hrs 10mins
-------------------------------------------
I like to leave messages *before* the beep.
-------------------------------------------

"Kent" > wrote in
news
> Like many, I'd buy another Weber if I were looking. My Silver B is still
> cruising along.

Same here.
I have a weber as well and love it. the one time i had a problem with it,
the company was very helpful. in this day of disposable everything, it's
nice to see a company stand behind their products.

--
Tommy Lee

"Joseph" > wrote in
:

> "Ray S. & Nayda Katzaman" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Hi all,
>> Have been on the market for a new gas grill for the past few weeks
>> and it only gets more complicated. Have seen a couple that I like at
>> BBQ Galore (Capt'n Cook) that have cast iron burners, then a couple
>> both at Home Depot and Lowes with stainless steel burners, what is
>> the difference and which one is the better buy? Same thing for the
>> cooking grills, stainless steel, cast iron and porcelain covered cast
>> iron. Then I saw something new at Home Depot, their RED 3 or 4 Zone
>> Infrared grill. The flame never touches the cooking surface or food.
>>
>> I did search Google, and now I am here for your expert advice. Many
>> thanks in advance.
>>
>> Ray
>> ===
>
> Well can't claim to be an expert that's for sure, but I recently
> purchase
> a new rig from Lowe's. It is a Char-Griller Duo that is both a gas
> grill with side burner and a charcoal grill with a side fire box for
> smoking all in one...
>
> http://www.chargriller.com/pdf/duo_manual.pdf
>
> their website:
>
> http://www.chargriller.com/grills.html
>
> I only have a dozen or so cooks on it so far, but it is fast
> becoming
> my all time favorite rig. I frequently grill steaks on the gas side
> and the cast iron grill sears them to perfection. It is a big rig but
> the price was right for me. I have owned or own quite a few different
> grills like Weber, Charbroil, Brinkman, etc... over the years. Except
> for longevity, which I can not yet attest to, the Char-Griller Duo has
> out performed my expectations.
>
> Joseph
>

Joseph,
I looked at one of the duo's at lowes a couple of weeks ago and
really liked the look of it, except one thing. The handles. They looked
not very robust at the attachment point. how are yours holding up? Do
you think they will last or will that be another mod?

--
Tommy Lee

motley me wrote:
> "Kent" > wrote in
> news >
>> Like many, I'd buy another Weber if I were looking. My Silver B is
>> still cruising along.
>
> Same here.
> I have a weber as well and love it. the one time i had a problem with
> it, the company was very helpful. in this day of disposable
> everything, it's nice to see a company stand behind their products.

I've had my Weber Genesis for over 14 years, and it is still going strong.
I've replaced the grills and flavorizer bars once (they'll need replacing
again next year I expect), and the piezo ignition button twice. Each time,
Weber was right on the ball with my parts order.

--
Dave www.davebbq.com

What is best in life? "To crush your enemies, see them driven before
you, and to hear the lamentation of the women." -- Conan

"Dave Bugg" > wrote in
news:T5nVj.125$6D1.0@trndny02:

> I've had my Weber Genesis for over 14 years, and it is still going
> strong. I've replaced the grills and flavorizer bars once (they'll
> need replacing again next year I expect), and the piezo ignition
> button twice. Each time, Weber was right on the ball with my parts
> order.
>
>

I replaced mine this year (grills and bars and ignition). I did however
make one mod to it. i used some heavy angle iron for the flavorizer bars. i
hope they will last longer than the first set.

--
Tommy Lee

"motley me" > wrote in message
. ..
> "Joseph" > wrote in
> :
>
>> "Ray S. & Nayda Katzaman" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> Hi all,
>>> Have been on the market for a new gas grill for the past few weeks
>>> and it only gets more complicated. Have seen a couple that I like at
>>> BBQ Galore (Capt'n Cook) that have cast iron burners, then a couple
>>> both at Home Depot and Lowes with stainless steel burners, what is
>>> the difference and which one is the better buy? Same thing for the
>>> cooking grills, stainless steel, cast iron and porcelain covered cast
>>> iron. Then I saw something new at Home Depot, their RED 3 or 4 Zone
>>> Infrared grill. The flame never touches the cooking surface or food.
>>>
>>> I did search Google, and now I am here for your expert advice. Many
>>> thanks in advance.
>>>
>>> Ray
>>> ===
>>
>> Well can't claim to be an expert that's for sure, but I recently
>> purchase
>> a new rig from Lowe's. It is a Char-Griller Duo that is both a gas
>> grill with side burner and a charcoal grill with a side fire box for
>> smoking all in one...
>>
>> http://www.chargriller.com/pdf/duo_manual.pdf
>>
>> their website:
>>
>> http://www.chargriller.com/grills.html
>>
>> I only have a dozen or so cooks on it so far, but it is fast
>> becoming
>> my all time favorite rig. I frequently grill steaks on the gas side
>> and the cast iron grill sears them to perfection. It is a big rig but
>> the price was right for me. I have owned or own quite a few different
>> grills like Weber, Charbroil, Brinkman, etc... over the years. Except
>> for longevity, which I can not yet attest to, the Char-Griller Duo has
>> out performed my expectations.
>>
>> Joseph
>>
>
> Joseph,
> I looked at one of the duo's at lowes a couple of weeks ago and
> really liked the look of it, except one thing. The handles. They looked
> not very robust at the attachment point. how are yours holding up? Do
> you think they will last or will that be another mod?
>
> --
> Tommy Lee

I remember thinking the same when I bought it. I even tightened down
the one at the store to see how stiff it was. So far so go, they seem to be
holding up ok. Actually I think the wheels were the mod I would have to
make when I bought it.

Joseph

--

http://www.geocities.com/jrpitzner/BBQ

Brinkman Gourmet Charcoal Smoker
Char-Griller Duo w/Side Fire Box

"Joseph" > wrote in
est:

> Actually I think the wheels were the mod I would have to
> make when I bought it.
>
> Joseph
>

I don't think i paid much attention to the wheels. Are they cheap blow
molded plastic?

--
Tommy Lee

"motley me" > wrote in message
. ..
> "Joseph" > wrote in
> est:
>
>> Actually I think the wheels were the mod I would have to
>> make when I bought it.
>>
>> Joseph
>>
>
> I don't think i paid much attention to the wheels. Are they cheap blow
> molded plastic?
>
> --
> Tommy Lee


Yep

Many thanks to all that posted a response. I will take all advice and
later make a decision.

Again, thanks.

Ray
===

"JeffH" > wrote in message
...
> On May 7, 4:49 pm, "Ray S. & Nayda Katzaman" >
> wrote:
>> Have been on the market for a new gas grill for the past few weeks and
>> it only gets more complicated. Have seen a couple that I like at BBQ
>> Galore (Capt'n Cook) that have cast iron burners, then a couple both
>> at Home Depot and Lowes with stainless steel burners, what is the
>> difference and which one is the better buy? Same thing for the
>> cooking grills, stainless steel, cast iron and porcelain covered cast
>> iron. Then I saw something new at Home Depot, their RED 3 or 4 Zone
>> Infrared grill. The flame never touches the cooking surface or food.
>
>

I bought a three burner Red. It gets hot alright, but so do surfaces that
you don't want getting hot! The cheap plastic knobs actually melted around
the area where they connect with the metal rods that turn for burner control
(so the knobs just spun and spun when I tried turning them off). In very
windy weather, flames shoot out of gaps between the U-bowls as well as the
side of the cabinet/firebox. After seeing that, I took the grill back to
Home Depot.

Charbroil had a TON of issues with last year's attempt at IR (the Tec Grill)
and their second attempt seems to be getting rave reviews over at the BBQ
forum. But Charbroil never answered my emails, and their customer service
is not known to be very good --especially in comparison with Webers.

I decided to pony up alot more $$$ and get a Weber Summit s-470. It's the
first Weber with a sear burner (not an infra-red one). I plan on having it
for a long while.

Howard

"Ray S. & Nayda Katzaman" > wrote in message
...
> Many thanks to all that posted a response. I will take all advice and
> later make a decision.
>
> Again, thanks.
>
> Ray
> ===
>

Ray, before you make a complete decision, have a look at the Weber Q range.
They are simple to operate, gives fantastic flavour to your cooking and it
doesn't rust. Best to go for the biggie the Q300 family size.
They don't have all the do-dads on them but can cook indirect using a trivit
(looks like a cake rack) and some quality foil underneath and
presto...indirect cooking and are big enough for a turkey.
You can leave them out in all sorts of weather and they don't rust.(damn..I
think i already said that!!) The Q300 & the Q220 have a temp guage in the
lid and most of the Q's have little table flaps that fold out on the side.

They were basically designed for patio, apartment balconies and for those
who love portabilitiy.You should be able to put the biggest Q in the trunk
of your car and take it on holidays.(or later buy a smaller one for that
purpose).
You'll also find that compared to the multi burner type gassers,they are
very economical on gas.

Just a bit more to chew over...good luck on your choice.

Cheers

DJ