It just hit me that with Father’s day around the corner, this might be the best time to get a good deal on a new grill. Or should I wait until the end of the season? Middle of winter? Spring? If the price swing isn’t obnoxious, then there’s no real need to wait or impulse-buy, but clearly I’ve never priced them out.
Oh, and I’ll really welcome any advice as to what to get. We grill all year long (we’re in NY, but keep it close enough to the house to cook in winter), want propane (we have a charcoal pit for when we have time), cook mainly for two but often enough for six that an eight-person capacity is probably best, and are looking to stay in the $4–600 range. If you’ve ever seen me chime in in a cooking thread, you know I’ve a penchant for it. Our old girl had no bells and whistles[sup]*[/sup], so I have no idea if things like infrared sear plates or side burners are useful or not.
Thoughts?
Thanks!
Rhythm
[sup]*I’ve kept an old, Charlie Brown Christmas tree-like grill alive for years. It was already about ten years old when I adopted it six or seven years ago. I cleaned her up (and cleaned and cleaned) and replaced most parts — she’s done us well but is finally ready to retire. I know this isn’t really germane, but I’m just realizing how attached I am to it.[/sup]
We started looking at grills last year and kept waiting for them to have a big seasonal sale. Never happened. They do go on sale quite frequently, just not the giant season-closeout way-cheap type. We finally bought one last month because we found the Grill O’ Dreams and it was on sale.
That’s in Oklahoma, it may be a regional thing so YMMV.
Buy now or the selection will be limited. The stores get them in spring and by mid summer don’t order them. By early fall they need the room for Christmas stock.
They seem to be a seasonal item and models don’t change that often so prices stay fairly steady on them. The only time I could see prices falling is at the end of the summer if places like Lowe’s doesn’t sell off all of the units they pre-assembled they may want to get them to move. But then you’re limited in selection to what they have left.
I’m partial to Weber. I just bought a Q320 this spring and love it. It’s smaller than a normal grill but I’m usually just cooking for 3. The other night I fit 3 cobs of corn, 4 burgers, and a ton of asparagus on it at once.
If you’re looking for something bigger a lot of people swear by the Weber Genesis. My dad has had his for over 10 years.
Wow, camelcamelcamel seems like a great link – thanks! (Though for some reason I now have Badgers Badgers Badgers in my head.)
So if we see something we like, great, but no rush or big deal.
Webber sure seems like the first name in grilling – I’ll definitely take a close look at them.
Any thoughts on sear plates or other bells n whistles? Gimmick or good? I like what the idea suggests – when I cook a steak inside, I’ll let a cast iron heat on high for ten to fifteen minutes before I put it on, so a ultra-high temp sear would be great… if it works as it sounds.
Oh, and what about BTUs? The caveman side of me thinks that of course more BTUs are better, but are they like Watts – you need a huge variation to make a difference?
I bought my Weber Genesis grill as a demo at the end of summer. It turned out to be only about $10 off the regular price. I don’t think the timing matters, except that you’ll want to fire up the grill once before cooking on it, to burn off “protective coatings.”
The brand does matter. Weber. Nearly all gas grills have faux rocks above the fire, to even out the heat. Weber has enameled steel “flavor bars”, which work and last better than the rocks. If you need a really big one, get two Webers, which will cost less than a gleaming stainless Viking.
The most important is a timer/thermometer with a probe on the end of a wire. Yes, you can get those thermometer forks, but you’ll cook your fingers before you get a good reading. Your family and guests will call you a grilling genius, but the genius is your thermometer. Radio Snack even sells one with a remote unit, so you can be mixing margaritas while monitoring the meat.
A cover for the grill is a good idea. Wait til it’s cool to cover it, so you don’t melt the vinyl. If you’re going to use the grill in the winter, use a spacer of some kind, so the cover won’t freeze to the top of the grill.
A big tray is nice, so you can carry everything you need out to the grill in one trip. That is, oil in a spray or on a cloth for the grill, a plate with the meat, a clean plate for the cooked meat, a turner, a pot-holder to pull out the probe when the meat is done, the timer/thermometer, and your beverage.
Your wire brush should be brass, so as not to scratch the coating on the cooking surface.
An apron that says, “Kiss the Chef” is probably over the top. It’s your call.
This is simply not true anymore. While I agree that Weber is superior equipment, the super-cheap grills with the lava rocks are almost difficult to find anymore. The $250 Kennmore grill I have has the enameled bars, and so do many char-Broil, Ducane, Perfect-Flame, etc.
The only acessory that I think can really make a difference is a rotisserie. If you are not picky about a particular brand, waiting until Thanksgiving can often net you a great deal on anything other than a Weber grill at places like Lowe’s, Home Depot, and sometimes even Costco.
We grill a lot, easily 5 times a week and sometimes more. Steak, burgers, chicken, fish, vegetables, pineapple, ribs, you name it. My first two grills were a Char-Broil and I think a Sunbeam, the third and fourth Webers. While the non-Webers didn’t make the food taste any better, I did have to replace them after several seasons because of holes, not working properly, etc. My first Weber, a Genesis, I used for 6 or 7 years, then gave to my nephew because there was nothing wrong with it, I just wanted a shiny, new, stainless steel model.
It’s real easy to replace the flavor bars if you need to. Every couple of years I’ll put new ones on and it takes all of 30 seconds. Even the plumbing is quick work if, over time, some of the ports are clogged and you want to get the gas distribution back to even. Forget about wearing out the deck though. Ain’t gonna happen. Buying a Weber is a lot like buying a John Deere. They’re a little more expensive than some other brands but they’re very well made, will last as long as you let them and are as reliable as anything on the market.
ETA: Get an extra propane tank. Nothing worse than running out half way through your ribeyes.
Hey, I can actually say that we just bought a propane grill last week! Parts of our old one were rusting through, and since even some of those were replacements of the original parts, it was time.
As luck would have it, our most recent issue of Consumer Reports had an article about grills. Based on that list we settled on a Kenmore, and when we went to Sears it was on sale ($280, marked down from $350). I think in this economy, now is a good time to buy just about anything.
My opinions are not very expert, but I can tell you that it “feels” solid (good heavy lid) and when I used it last night it cooked MUCH more evenly than the old one.
FWIW, I have a Coleman grill that is about 7 years old and works great. It has two sides with two burners on each side, a rotisserie on one, and a fryer/steamer/boiler. It also has the heavy enameled grills and heat dispersion plates that I clean with a (admittedly over the top in grill accessories) battery-powered, rotating brass brush. It is all stainless construction and I got it at Lowes for about $400. I also use a charcoal grill/smoker for better meats or if I want the flavor of the smoke. I did have to replace the regulator a couple of years ago, but that was only about $30. I’ve had other gas grills, but this one is the best I’ve had.
ETA: And yes, I’m in upstate NY and grill all year with it.
For the next couple days (Father’s day weekend) Lowes is offering 20% off Char-Broil grills. Pretty good deal – a bit more than a come-into-our-store bone. I was actually in the store yesterday, and the prices really were as the sale reflects.
I grabbed a 4 burner unit for $400. Reviews are a bit sketchy, but it’ll be on on enclosed porch so the elements won’t be as rough, and I’ll take care of her burners/plates.
I’m also a bit leery of the infrared system. I hate our electric stove, and here I am cooking over a heat source I can’t see?! But I have a spot thermometer (i.e., tells the temperature of a surface) to keep track of the grates, so we’ll see. My main interest in it was its claims that it could reach searing temperatures. As I mentioned upthread, I’ve got a specific outcome in mind. If it doesn’t work – or the claims of higher temperatures than our old grill was capable of don’t pan out – I made sure I can take it back within 30 days, even if it’s been in use for 29.
even sells one with a remote unit, so you can be mixing margaritas while monitoring the meat.