Does anyone have any personal reccos for a standalone (not built in) grill, either propane or natural gas? Looking to use it pretty regularly and willing to invest in a good model that will last, though I don't want to overspend for features that aren't practical. For the most part, it will be used for steak, chicken, fish, and veggies not so much ribs. Most of the cooking will be for just the immediate family (4 people), from time to time we may have up to 12 people (but not usually more than that), so don't need anything with a massive surface area.
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you can thank me later
Yuuup.
Weber is the best.
As an aside, installing the burners and ignition module was simple thanks to Weber's outstanding engineering. Grill parts came from a website that had everything in a kit.
But that's like picking the most attractive super model.
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Also agree. They're definitely expensive but worth it. Mine is going on 5 years and runs like a charm.
Advice, Lowes does free shipping and install. The kicker is they usually have a 20% coupon out there and while it excludes Weber, just take the coupon to a younger cashier who looks like they won't care. I tried it and it worked, got it for $419 and also got the $50 cover for $40, all with free shipping and install.
I have a 6 year old Weber Spirit and it has never missed a beat.. I also entertain frequently of over 10 people and it is big enough being the smallest of the Weber line.
The quality of materials and workmanship is a good deal better than the vast majority of the market. You take a big box stainless steel grill and compare to a Weber; the steel will be an inferior grade to the Weber (check with a magnet, usually a good way beyond plain thickness). Cuts won't be rounded, you'll find jagged edges or poorly milled material.
Alarmingly, a lot of the other grills have fire boxes that are porcelain coated that you can assure yourself will rust out within 2-3 years.
They usually put a bit more thought into the design as well, but that's a bonus. They've already made the sale at that point.
I have a 14 year old Genesis that I was going to dump, that I decided to refurb and take to my seasonal home. It's good as new after a pressure washing and new burners and grates. Beats spending another $900 for the same model now (I paid $600 for it back then).
I was in the same boat. I'd get a new char-broil or sunbeam or kenmore grill every 2 - 3 years. My theory was food wouldn't taste better on an Weber grill, and it's true. They were in the $199 or so range. Year 1 usually fine and I felt vindicated. After the first winter on most the push start stopped working and i'd get my eyebrows singed or nearly die starting it with a long lighter.
then i'd get hot spots on the grill and I'd need to constantly move food around on the grill and watch it constantly to make sure it didn't burn and then move food into the hot spot that needed heating and it was almost like the high, med, low dials were meaningless, once it was lit it was on high or not at all based on the area of the grill.
then the parts underneath like the flavor bars (if they had them or coils would corrode and gradually the grill would be useless or a major hassle. they all had a 2 - 3 year max lifetime.
with my weber (now 8 years old) the push start has never failed, every single part is replaceable (though I've only had to replace the cover) with official weber parts, no hot spots and it cooks very reliably and consistently.
All parts are simple to replace and clean- I spent an hour taking mine apart 2 weeks ago, scrubbed and scraped every surface, purchased new grates and flavorizer bars (once you have a Weber youll understand this) for $100 and it literally looks and feels band new...again 5 years later.
And then financially- ROI. I say, my Weber ($800 ticket price, and $100 of maintenance every 5 years) will last me 20 years, so I will spend $1200 on my amazing machine over 2 decades....If you throw away 3 Shitty ones in that time were even, except my steaks likely look and taste better :)
When you start talking about gadget add ons (I have the sick rotisserie attachment) customer service (they sent my mom a new cover and igniter 6 years after purchase with 0 questions asked) its hands down the best machine money can buy. I mean that seriously, Webers and Passport Escort Radars are the 2 products I swear by and retain their value better then some government bonds. Get one, today.
Using a gas grill in the garage is a hazard and a bad idea for many reasons. Unless you're saying you wheel it in and out of the garage to use it, that sounds like a lot of work.
Got it on the advice this board a few years ago.
My wife has even used it to cook in a couple competitions.
You can't go wrong.
natural gas is a no-brainer if you have it already coming in to your house and can connect it easily.
only drawback I had with it is I rented a house with a natural gas grill and i left the gas (and the grill) on after using it (for like a week), huge gas bill and probably a risk of some other danger. at least if you leave propane on the tank will just run out.
but given the choice of natural gas or propane, natural gas is an easy one for me.
For those of you with built-ins or outdoor kitchens, how does Lynx compare to Weber? A lot of the appliance stores I've been in seem to highlight the Lynx brand for those situations - curious what everyone's thoughts are on that
The store sells nothing but shiat
For those of you with built-ins or outdoor kitchens, how does Lynx compare to Weber? A lot of the appliance stores I've been in seem to highlight the Lynx brand for those situations - curious what everyone's thoughts are on that
I was looking for a used grill before I decided to refurb my old Genesis, and came across one on Craigslist for a good price. Original was $3750, asking was $1400 and negotiable. It seemed very sturdy - but I couldn't find much in the way of owner reviews online, and I couldn't figure out why it was so much more expensive than the comparable Weber. Ended up passing for those two reasons.