Grills

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MarkD
Posts: 3969
Joined: Mon Aug 18, 2008 5:59 pm

Grills

Post by MarkD »

This will be the last season for the Char-Broil Commercial Series grill I've had for a few years. A couple years ago I put new grates and flame-tents on it, but now parts that aren't readily replaceable are rusted out (like the parts that hold the flame-tents), so I'm going to see if I can pick up a new grill on year-end clearance.

I've really liked the Char Broil, it gets extremely hot and it's big enough that I can do indirect cooking on half of it (yesterday I cooked two racks of St Louis ribs that way). The thing is that I thought it would last longer, it's five or six years old.

So as I see it I have three options:

1) Buy a cheap (under $200) grill and replace every couple years.

2) Buy another in the same price range ($300-$400) and replace every five or six years.

3) Buy a Weber for $600-$700 and replace it ????.

Requirements:
1) Propane. Yeah, I know, charcoal. Lots of times I grill after I get home from work, I can turn on the grill, go inside and by the time I change my clothes and open a beer the grill is ready to cook without me doing anything else.

2) Must be able to stay outside with a cover over it, no structure over it, all summer. I can put it in the garage in winter.

3) At least three burners, four is preferable. At least 30K BTU, 40K+ preferable.

So what say you folks?

I almost pulled the trigger on a Kenmore yesterday at Sears, for $350 on sale, normally $500, but I went home and read the reviews. LOTS of people said the bottom of the fire box rusted out in less than two years.

Char broil has their new "Truinfrared" system which I've never used, but online reviews seem to say it's problematic (as in can't cook at a temp below 600 degrees).

I also want a smoker, but that's another toy for another day.
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Darrell
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Joined: Mon Aug 18, 2008 11:12 pm

Re: Grills

Post by Darrell »

I needed a new grill, looked all over town and saw nothing I liked, price or quality wise--and the quality has gone downhill a LOT since the last time I bought one. I wound up buying a Char Broil from Amazon, about twice as big as the small one I had before. Sheet metal instead of cast, tinny, looked okay once assembled, but I found that it doesn't heat evenly. Front is too cold, back is too hot. The porcelain coated everything sucks. I wound up giving it a poor review at Amazon, for all the good it did me. I noticed that the price had dropped a lot since I bought mine, though.

I'm single, charcoal would be nice but is too much trouble cooking for one, so it's gas for me.
Eppur si muove--Galileo
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First Shirt
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Joined: Mon Aug 18, 2008 11:32 pm

Re: Grills

Post by First Shirt »

On the frequent occasions when The Boss is out of town, and I have the urge to grill a steak, I use the little charcoal-starter chimney. Fill it about 3/4 full of charcoal, light it, and in 30 minutes or so, you have a great little one-steak char-broiler, using the grate from an old grill.

Although, I keep threatening to get a hibachi, just for the adjustability.
But there ain't many troubles that a man caint fix, with seven hundred dollars and a thirty ought six."
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Les Nessman
Posts: 401
Joined: Tue Sep 02, 2008 7:27 pm

Re: Grills

Post by Les Nessman »

If that's the life expectancy from 'commercial' grills, and you must have new, then get a cheap one with the features you want and see what happens. Might be hard to find sub-$200 grills with your features.
Moving sales especially; garage sales, Craigslist if you don't mind used. Most bang for your buck that way.
MarkD
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Joined: Mon Aug 18, 2008 5:59 pm

Re: Grills

Post by MarkD »

I should add to my o/p that we cook dinner on the grill at least 2-3 times a week all summer, and by "summer" I mean from probably mid-April til late October, weather permitting. I've also been known to roll the grill out of the garage in the middle of winter when there's no snow on the ground to grill something.

I grill everything that can possibly be grilled, steaks (of course!), chicken, shrimp (on skewers), fish (whole, filets usually on cedar planks, or wrapped in foil with veggies), pork chops, ribs. Also corn on the cob, asparagus, zucchini. If it's big enough not to fall thru the grates, or can be put on a skewer, and doesn't require wet cooking I'll grill it.
BDK
Posts: 1698
Joined: Fri Jun 20, 2014 11:14 pm

Re: Grills

Post by BDK »

Look around for garage/estate sales w Viking grills. My brother got one quite reasonably as no one wanted to move the thing.
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Weetabix
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Joined: Fri Aug 15, 2008 11:04 pm

Re: Grills

Post by Weetabix »

Post a wanted ad on Craigslist? I'd bet there are a lot of unused grills out there.
Note to self: start reading sig lines. They're actually quite amusing. :D
rightisright
Posts: 4286
Joined: Mon Aug 18, 2008 9:41 pm

Re: Grills

Post by rightisright »

I'll third the second-hand grill suggestion.

I have a $3000 DCS built-in sitting my backyard. I paid a few hundred bucks for it over 10 years ago. It's getting time for new grates, but other than that, it's been a beast. I grill year-round at least 2-3 times a week with it. With all the snow we had last winter, the only thing that was religiously shoveled was a path to the grill. :)

If you hit the lottery, I have a supplier in Central NJ for Twin Eagles stuff.
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Vonz90
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Joined: Fri Sep 19, 2008 4:05 pm

Re: Grills

Post by Vonz90 »

Charcoal
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blackeagle603
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Joined: Tue Aug 19, 2008 4:13 am

Re: Grills

Post by blackeagle603 »

I don't grill near as much as I used to. Steaks and hamburgers get the pan sear treatment on my outdoor camp griddle.

Yeah, chicken and brats get grilled. But I'm doing more big smoker batches of pork (usually shoulder). So, if I have the time I prefer to smoke brats now along with whatever cheapest pork I find on mid-week sale.

A first for me last week was some pork loin steaks last week I found an <ahem> smoking deal on. Salt and molasses brined along with some brats. Smoked them all low for an hour plus while covered in bacon then transfered that to foil covered 9x13 and finished in the oven. Skeptical family -- not (after first bite).

Wrapped a couple brats in bacon just to see. Oh yeah, I'll be doing that again.
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