I’ve got a budget of $500, though I need a good reason to spend that much.
Tell me about your grill, and why it’s good/bad, things you’d like to have, things that are unnecessary (like, does the side-burner get any use, if you have one?)
etc.
Much appreciated.
Consumers Reports, in the issue that hit my mailbox this week, reported on grills. Try your local library. Or the newstand.
You’re welcome.
thanks sam, will check it out.
What, no one else has a grill that they’re proud of here (or, alternatively, hate)?
I’m a novice griller - tell me what I should be looking for. Otherwise, someday one of you may end up at my house and bite into an extremely burnt yet remarkably raw in the center burger 
OK I’ll jump in here.
There are some questions that you have to answer before I can give a recomondation.
[list=1]
[li]Are you a serious cook, or is this just for hot dogs and burgers?[/li][li]What is more important to you, convience or taste?[/li][li]Just what do you intend to cook on this unit?[/li][/list=1]
Over the years I have gone from a gas unit, to a Weber, to a better weber, and now I cook on a big green egg.
At this point in my life I would not go back to a gas unit as I feel they produce inferior results. But as always YMMV.
Another vote for a Weber. I bought one from sliceguy last year for his birthday on the recommendation of one his male friends. I think I paid about $250 for it at Home Depot. They assembled it for me for free. Friends and family who were apprised of the gift ahead of time gave him the necessary accesories–a spatula, tongs, a brush, a cover. The best thing he got for it was a kebob rack (you can get one from Target for about $10).
We grill everything–kabobs, steak, chicken, fish, corn on the cob, baked potatoes, veggies, burgers and dogs. I don’t have any complaints about it in terms of cooking. I wish I had gotten one with a little more “counter space,” though.
Happy grilling!
Here’s a third for a Weber. It’s a classic. If I could have a grill, it’d be a Weber.
We bought a Charbroil about 6 years ago for $150. There’s a friggin timebomb in cheap grills. It spontaneously turned to iron oxide (rust) and fell apart this year.
We’ve got a ‘thermos’ charcoal grill that was originally $150. We got it at the end of last season at a Kmart that was closing for $50. I’m still figuring out charcoal, (I always seem to run out of heat) but feel the results are awesome.
We just spent $250 for a Uniflame grill we got at Walmart. The jury’s still out on if it’s gonna stand the test of time, but for now, it does a pretty good job.
Keep in mind, the more you spend on a grill, to a certain extent, the better. This grill has a medium and low, the cheap one had off and nuclear. That’s good for steak and burgers, but impossible for chicken and large chunks of slow cooked meat.
If you’re like me and really really enjoy grilling, smoking and BBQ buy a Big Green Egg. It will be the last grill/smoker you ever buy unless you want two Big Green Eggs. :>
I’ve got a Napolean natural gas grill. They also come in propane models. These things are big, and pretty expensive. If you’re looking for gas cooking though, I’d say they’re among the best that I’ve seen. I could fit a good size turkey on there easily. As well, I’ve had great results with the rotisserie, both with ribs as well as roasting chickens (nice crispy skins, no maintenance while it cooks).
Only complaints I have with it is that smoking food in it doesn’t work as well as on a charcoal grill (ie: you can put in a smoking box with chips in it, but you just don’t get enough flavour in your food); only other complaint is that this past winter I had some problems getting the first burners knob (to adjust gas flow) to turn. I was still able to turn the second and third burner’s knobs and light with a match, but that’s just a little ghetto.
Overall, if you were really looking to spend some cash and get a nice natural gas grill (very convenient, never refill propane, no ash, etc.), I’d recommend it. As is, with your budget I’d say avoid it, but look at other gas grill’s if you’re looking for convenience.
My girlfriend was just telling me she saw a combination gas/charcoal grill at one of the department stores last week. I don’t know much but apparently one side is equipped to handle charcoal with a lift out ash basket for easy cleaning, and the other side is set up like a gas grill. Sounds like a good thing for those of us that want the taste of charcoal (when we have the time) and the convenience of gas (when we don’t).
We have this one, got it on sale (assembled) at the end of the season last year.
I had previously used a normal Weber. Some of the things I like better about this one are: The vents have handles, so they are cool when I want to open/close them. The coal catcher slides out easily, the Weber has a shallow coal catcher and you have to wrangle it in/out. The Coleman has an adjustable coal level - I can have the coals close the the grilling surface or move it down. The grill itself is split (hinges) and that means I don’t have to take it off totally to start the coals. I like the tables on the sides, the Weber didn’t have those.
The cons are: The Coleman doesn’t seem to be airtight after I’m done cooking and close all the vents - that means I can’t reuse charcoal that didn’t completely burn up.
But I did really like my Weber, my BF bought this new grill as a surprise, so I gave the Weber away.
I tried a gas grill a few years ago, I really did not like it at all. I didn’t think the food tasted as good, and gas scared the snot out of me after I read stories about how a type of spider likes to build nests in the tubes and plug them up - and the tank could explode. My mom did have a gas grill explode on her (she was alright, just shook up) although they weren’t sure if it was a spider nest or what.
I’ve watched two CharBroils turn to rust in four years. Just as well… I like to barbeque over charcoal at the least, or real wood if I can.
If you want to go with gas, I can’t recommend Charbroil.
For charcoal, Webers are great and if you care for it you may still be using it in 15 years.
For wood (my favourite), dig a shallow pit (6 to 9 inches) and ring it with rocks or brick of an even height. Build a fire of the wood of choice. When the wood is ready, throw on the grill and the meat. It’s inexpensive and I think it yields the best flavor.