As a result of signing a new lease, we get a discount on August’s rent. My portion of the discount comes to about $300 or so. With my portion, I want to get a grill. I’ve never owned any kind of barbecue, grill, or outdoor cooker. I’m single, with no kids, and I have one roommate; I hardly ever entertain. (Because I’ve never owned a grill I don’t have grill accessories. I have a spare set of metal tongs, and a two-tined fork… that’s about it.)
My apartment does not permit me to get a charcoal-fired grill; it must be gas-powered. I realize that technically it isn’t a “barbecue” unless there’s a component of smoke, but that’s a semantic argument.
What should I be looking for in a grill? Features, accessories, extra shelves, size?
There’s not a huge amount of difference in terms of quality and durability between a $100 grill and a $300 grill (or even a $500 grill) so you may as well go for the low end. As a side bonus, cheaper grills tend to be smaller grills - always a consideration on apartment balconies.
If I had that budget, I’d grab one of the $100 grills, then spend another $60 or so on the propane tank and a fill-up, then spend the rest on meat.
I’ve never had much use for side burners - at this price range, they only seem to excel at coating pots with soot, so when I bought my current grill, I was actively looking for grills that didn’t have side burners - why spend money on a feature you’ll never use?
For accessories, a burger flipper, a set of long tongs and a wire brush to clean the grates is really about all you need. Leave the fork in the kitchen - your steaks don’t deserve to be stabbed while you cook them. I think I paid a whole five bucks each for long stainless steel serving tongs and a flipper at the restaurant supply shop, and not much more for the brush. You really don’t need all the fancy stuff like teak wood handles and someone’s name emblazoned on them.
Other accessories to consider are baskets for cooking veggies and fish - either of these will tend to either slip through the grates and be burnt up, or stick to the grates and fall apart (and through the grates!) when you try to flip or remove them.
I just bought a Weber Genesis, what sold me on it was having two lower end (cheap) grills that did not last long and one that did not have even heat and the fact that the Webers are well constructed and sturdy.
So I second buying a Weber Genesis, but I do prefer the stainless steal grills to the cast iron. The one I bought is large but the heat is amazingly even and it is a great grill.
Here is the thread. It had a lot of useful information and suggestion which detailed comparison and it help me much.
I would suggest buying a propane tank, and having it filled yourself(nearly every U-hall has a fill up). Those trade-em in cages often have bad valves and your gas leaks off during the week.
I completely disagree with this statement. I’ve found a HUGE difference between a cheapo ($100) grill and the aforementioned Weber (~$350ish I think).
The Weber cooks much more consistently, have a wider range of temperature settings and does not have hot or cool spots on the grill surface. They also last a lot longer - I got maybe a year or two out of the cheapo grills I bought before they self-destructed, whereas I’m going on 3 or 4 with the Weber and it’s just like new.
Grill life is the big diffference I’ve seen between bottom end and better grills. The cheap grills we’ve owned would need the burners replaced every couple of years, and lasted maybe 5 years. Our current grill, all stainless steel, sits outside in Minnesota, all year round. It’s 7 years old now, and no rust at all on the body yet.
I’d also second the “skip the sideburns” recommendation. In general, not worth the money or the space.
Fill your own vs. tank exchange? It depends on your schedule. We’ve usually found propane filling available at equipment rental places, which are open weekdays until 5 and Saturdays until about 2. Those hours are a total pain for me. Propane exchange, while it costs a few dollars more, I can do 24/7 at about 15 places within 5 miles of my house. For me, the convenience is well worth the money.
Another Weber Genesis lover here. Ours is going strong in its seventh season, and we’ve never so much as put a cover on it in the winter.* It could use new burners, because it’s really developing hot and cold spots, but I’ve just learned to use those to my advantage.
Aside from being built like tanks, the fact that they’re hugely popular and available at all the big box stores means you’ll be able to get parts for one into the foreseeable future.
Not that I would recommend this level of benign neglect.
If the Genesis is too pricey, try the Weber Q series. I bought the Q-300 last summer and like it very much. I got it for just $400. If that’s still too expensive, see if you can find the Q-220.
This little baby handles all of our grilling needs quite handily. Very stable, plenty of room and BTUs, and it folds up and moves when we need to take it camping. Very easy to clean, too. Perfect for two, although I’ve grilled for 6 with it more than a few times as well.
Really? I can’t find prices online, but I know that I spent about $350 for my Silver B, and my parents bought an A for even less than that. That was a few years ago, though. We got them at an Ace Hardware store.