My mom’s new house has a partially covered deck that provides a protected area for a grill. I’ve always wanted a grill that is convenient and ready to use anytime. Dragging one out from the garage is too much hassle for regular use. I’m tired of messing with charcoal. I want convenient grilling.
I’m think about the two burner Weber II Spirit.
I’d typically be cooking for three or less people. My mom prefers grilled chicken. Steak for me and my wife.
I would like to slow grill a beef brisket too.
Is a two burner big enough?
The price jumps up a a $100 for a three burner.
Is it necessary?
Neither model supports conversion to Natural Gas. That’s very disappointing. Initially propane is fine, but maybe someday I’ll get a gas line run to the deck. Should I look at different brands that supports conversion kits?
Should I call a plumber and get the line run first? That’ll be at least $250 up front plus the grill.
Neither model has a raised shelf for lower temp cooking. How important is that feature?
I personally like this feature a lot but would certainly not call it essential. You can accomplish much the same effect by simply turning one of the burners all the way down or even off.
If you’re just cooking for three people then two burners is probably adequate but if the extra $100 isn’t too much of a hardship, I’d upgrade. The few times you need it, you’ll be glad you did.
You talked about slow grilling a brisket. Are you just trying to cook it or are you trying to smoke it? Smoking can be accomplished on a propane grill with some effort but this model may not be your best choice. If you’re just grill roasting without smoke, this is fine.
I’m going to call my plumber. Get a better estimate of the cost for a gas line.
House is on a slab. It does have good attic access with 5 ft headroom. I think he can come straight off the meter, up the wall, through the attic, and down the wall (to the deck) through the soffit. The plumber can confirm code allows this type installation.
That would eliminate a bulky propane bottle on the deck. No bottle returns and refills. That’s certainly an attractive option.
It’s the up front installation cost that concerns me. But, these grills don’t support conversion kits. So, maybe going natural gas makes sense.
Can I turn on burner 1 and set it low for chicken and set burner 2 high for steak?
I have a hunch from using charcoal that the entire grill would get too hot?
I’ll have to cook her chicken first and then raise the heat for the ribeyes?
Right?
With charcoal, I cook steaks first and chicken afterwards, after the coals cool down. But, usually the chicken still over cooks.
I haven’t done much charcoal grilling. Memorial Day and the 4th July is it. I HATE dragging that grill out of the garage and messing with nasty charcoal.
Either will work; it’s all trial and error. I much prefer a high shelf for chicken, especially bone-in chicken which can take up to 45 minutes on low, on the upper shelf. On the lower shelf the grease drips down and flares up big time.
Ouch! I don’t know about your jurisdiction, but around here that would cost a lot more than the grill itself. It would have to be permitted and inspected. I normally see this only for built-ins.
Remember that gas cooks differently than charcoal. I prefer the taste of food cooked over coals, but the convenience of gas more than makes up the difference.
If you get a smaller grill, make sure that the BTU per burner is sufficient. One problem I had with smaller/cheaper grills is that they didn’t get really hot for good searing. Thinner and cheaper materials won’t hold the heat as well and will wear out sooner. Two burners would probably be sufficient for 2 people.
If you have a tank, get an extra one. That way you can swap in a new tank when the old one dies in the middle of cooking something.
I would go with a bigger grill if you can afford it. It will make it easier for cooking side dishes such as grilled veggies alongside of your meats. And since the entire point of getting this gas grill is to be able to cook more often than you did with charcoal, it probably follows that you will end up cooking more side dishes as you go along. So spend the money up front for a grill that lets you cook more.
But be wary of those little side burners that are off to the side of the grill. I have never found them to be that useful, and the one on my particular grill seems to be best at sooting up the bottom of whatever pan I place on it. And that soot is nasty to clean up, it gets everywhere.
IME “maybe someday” isn’t worth paying for today. Get the best propane-bottle-using grill you can afford, buy an extra bottle of propane so you always have a full one on hand, and let “maybe someday” happen when and if it happens.
A few years down the road, if you’re liking the convenience of outdoor grilling and doing it several times a week, then you can upgrade. Spending a lot of money up front for this seems to be putting the cart before the horse.
I’ll get a rough estimate from the plumber. If it’s too high then I’ll stick with propane.
I’ve cut and threaded a lot of black gas pipe. Takes a little muscle turning the ratchet & threading the pipe. Unless you have a fancy motorized tap & die set. I have my grandad’s set. Still works great seventy years later.
I could have run this a few years ago. My surgically repaired knee wouldn’t appreciate kneeling in that attic for a hour. So, I’ll let a younger guy do it.
Good choice with the Weber. They are far and away the best quality. People say they are too expensive, but I made the mistake once and bought a CharBroil… it was great at first, but over time I spent more on replacement parts to keep it running for about 3 years than I would have if I bought the Weber in the first place. My current grill is a Genesis II that I got last summer.
I think if you want natural gas on a Weber you have to go to the Genesis series. I’m also not sure if it is just a matter of changing the connection. I believe there are some other differences in the burner mechanism.
