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Grill recommendations

dmention7

dmention7

Hater
Old cheap grill went kaput last fall and I'm starting to shop around for something a little less cheap. Anybody have particular experience with some of the mid-range propane brands like Char Broil, Weber, etc? I'm not looking to spend (much) more than $300, so I'd rather get something smaller that's light on features but high quality, as opposed to something with 50 side burners and LEDs and crap, but that can't even cook a cheap burger.

This is on the higher end of what I'd be looking at, but fits the bill as far as being simple, compact, and well-liked for general purpose grilling:
http://www.amazon.com/Weber-426001-...R&s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1332269066&sr=1-7
 
Big Nate

Big Nate

Chaos Engineer
Funny you bring this up. My parents just got me a new grill this past weekend. The old one went the same way yours did.

They got me a Charbroil LINK HERE
Seems to have worked great the first time. Very good construction with a nice place to store things under it.

Now this is my personal feeling. Get a bigger grill then you "need" there are always times when you wish you would have gotten a larger one. Also it will open up some new option like doing corn on the cob along with your burgers/or meat choice. When you have people over you could use the extra space. All gas grills will have more then just one burner so you don't need to use all of them.

Good shopping.
 
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DrWebster

Guest
I'm actually in the exact same position; our 5-year-old Char Broil is all rusted out to hell, and while it still technically works, it's time to replace it.
 
dmention7

dmention7

Hater
I've looked at some of the Char Broils they have at Target and Home Depot. They seem pretty decently built. Good point about going larger than you need; I just don't want some giant monstrosity taking up what little patio space I have, but a 2 burner grill is just adequate to do burgers and corn for two people as it is. So folding side tables would probably be a must-have especially on anything with 3 or 4 burners. The kitchen stove is literally steps from the grill, so I'm not too concerned about side burners.

Did you have one of the cheap-o grills Colin, or was it a slightly nicer one?
 
YSOSLO

YSOSLO

is the word, beotch
I've been looking into the Kamado grills a bit, like this one HERE. They use lump charcoal, so you only have to wait about 10 minutes for the grill to heat up, as opposed to 15-30 minutes for regular charcoal to get all gray (depending on how you're lighting it and what kind of charcoal you're using). It's faster to use and you simply snuff out the fire by closing up all of the vents and reuse the same lump the next time you use the grill. They're also quite versatile, because they can do the high temp grilling and they can be dampered down for slowly smoking ribs or brisket etc. HD has one they're selling for around $800 with lots of excellent reviews, and these heavy ceramic-coated cast grills are pretty much bulletproof and will easily last 10 years. Perhaps the longevity and flexibility are worth the extra cost for some.
 
AJ

AJ

110 HP of FURY!
Hands down, we love our grill. It's a Vermont Casting Grill, purchased locally at Warner Stellians (http://vermontcastings.com/category/Grills/). It does great for keeping the heat in so you can grill a thickly cut steak, without charring the outside & the inside not being done. (BTW, this is Jana...AJ made the mistake of staying logged in).

These grills are pricey, but very well worth the money spent.
 
Mnspeed3

Mnspeed3

New Member
Ive always gone cheap. Doesn't matter if its a 500 dollar grill or a 100 dollar grill, the stuff rusts out just the same on either after 5-6 years. I bought an Aussi grill at menards 7 years ago for 89 bucks. They had em on sale last month for 69 after rebate. Couldnt be happier with it. They carry all the spare parts on their website too. A replacement burner is 29 bucks, I just replaced the burner on mine this week after 7 years and its working like new again. Its not the biggest grill, does maybe 10 burgers or 4 steaks at once. I have a 500 dollar Weber sitting next to it that never gets used cause half the time it wont light or goes out while cooking. Im going to pick up another Aussi for the cabin next time there on sale. Cheap, simple and does the job and has actually outlasted the expensive ones. :)
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DrWebster

Guest
dmention7 said:
Did you have one of the cheap-o grills Colin, or was it a slightly nicer one?
Click to expand...
It was a pretty nice one...got it when we bought the house, since it was towards the end of summer Home Depot had it marked down to $150 from $300. Has four burners plus a side burner, but I've only ever used two of the burners, and never even tried the side burner once. All I really need for amenities is a side shelf.

I like the looks of that Weber you posted from Amazon, but $350 is too much money for a simple unit like that, unless they guaranteed the thing would never rust out or something.
 
S

spek1098

Guest
I would avoid Charbroil, we had them growing up and they would completely fall apart both internally and externally every few years. True, the burners and the grates will break down every few years if its used often but if the exterior holds up than the internals can be replaced. We currently have some generic Charmglow brand we picked up at HD for about $350 5 or 6 years ago. Its made of stainless steel so its held up great. Just replaced the internals for $100 so it should be good for another 5 years. Look for one that is made of stainless steel, has no wood on it at all and has available replacement parts.
 
Picklz

Picklz

SUDO Make me a SAMCH
I bought a POS Charbroil for like $99 4 years ago now, I was just planning on using it for a year or two then replacing it with something good - I've left it uncovered through 3 winters now and the damn thing wont die lol. I'm sure that's just because I want it to but still lol It doesnt heat very even and is missing a lot of the 'nice' features of some of the more expensive grills, but it still cooks the food.

That said when I go to replace it I'll probably be looking at a Vermont Castings or Weber Genesis, depending on what new stuff is available at the time. The one you posted @ Amazon (Same one Josh has) is pretty slick for being somewhat portable if you want to take it camping or to events, certainly a big +, but you pay more and get a smaller grill for the money so it's a trade-off.
 
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