Charcoal or Gas Grill? (1 Viewer)

[Sam Posten]

Rise from the grave, thread!
After absolutely hating my parents grills I was on the fence buying a big Char Broil grill so I gave the Webers a look and went with the 330. It's a bit smaller than the $499 sized Char Broil and a bit more expensive but I felt like it will last much longer assuming I treat it well, keep it covered during the season and in the garage in the winter. Will post when it arrives!

 

[DaveF]

Great thread to resurrect!
I'm Installing a natural gas line to the patio at our new place for a grill. No more running out of propane at 7pm on a Sunday. I've got a grill in mind; a small patio grill I saw at Sears.
What learned from my last grill was:
I like the ease of gas.
Don't need a huge grill.
Don't need side burners or other accessories.

 

[Jim_F]

I'm beginning my 3rd season with my Vidalia 440 . The quality and versatility are impressive. The airflow created by the design and the use of humidity make it unique. I coveted a Kalamazoo and very nearly bought their former entry-level model, but I can always find other things to do with that kind of money, like pay off my car, for instance.
A gas line to the patio was one of the first additions to the new domicile.

 

[Adam Gregorich]

Originally Posted by DaveF /t/146991/charcoal-or-gas-grill/120#post_3932414
Great thread to resurrect!
I'm Installing a natural gas line to the patio at our new place for a grill. No more running out of propane at 7pm on a Sunday. I've got a grill in mind; a small patio grill I saw at Sears.
What learned from my last grill was:
I like the ease of gas.
Don't need a huge grill.
Don't need side burners or other accessories.

We have a same set up. Just an FYI that you need to make sure you get a NG grill, not a LP one (assuming you aren't running the house off a propane tank), there are some differences so they are not compatible with the different fuel types. Come up with a system for cleaning the grill so you remember to turn off the gas. Early on my wife turned everything on high to cook it off prior to cleaning it and got distracted, forgetting about it. The next afternoon I was outside and noticed some "heat waves" coming off the grill. Needless to say when I opened the lid the burner guards were glowing orange. There is something to be said for never needing to check the fuel level though. We bought a Weber and I am glad we did. If I ever need parts I can get them and don't need to try to adapt "generic" parts like I did with our old grill.

 

[DaveF]

Thanks. I did a quick check at sears and theyve got a number of grills that take natural gas adapters. A minor $50 accessory.

 

[Johnny Angell]

Rise from the grave, thread!
After absolutely hating my parents grills I was on the fence buying a big Char Broil grill so I gave the Webers a look and went with the 330. It's a bit smaller than the $499 sized Char Broil and a bit more expensive but I felt like it will last much longer assuming I treat it well, keep it covered during the season and in the garage in the winter. Will post when it arrives!

So what's the scoop?

 

[DaveF]

Thinking about a grill this season. No patio yet, but I don't know I can go another year without grilled burgers and corn I've got these requirements:* Natural gas hookup capable *

 

[schan1269]

I bought, last year, at Walmart no less...a combination charcoal and gas grill.

Fit and finish aren't the greatest, but it wasn't overly expensive either.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Backyard-Grill-750-Square-Inch-Dual-Gas-Charcoal-Grill/19597692

 

[Paul D G]

Great thread to resurrect! I'm Installing a natural gas line to the patio at our new place for a grill. No more running out of propane at 7pm on a Sunday. I've got a grill in mind; a small patio grill I saw at Sears. What learned from my last grill was: I like the ease of gas. Don't need a huge grill. Don't need side burners or other accessories.

Yes, I know I'm responding to a year old comment, but I wanted to note that we've done this as well. We bought a new build house and when I asked the builders to install a natural gas line going out the back they couldn't understand why I would want such a thing until I explained it was for a grill.

We need to get a new grill this year. We had a tornado come through a couple years back. No damage but it blew the grill over and now it's all smashed up. Still works fine, but it looks like a piece of junk. We put a couple 50lb sand bags in the storage compartment and that thing hasn't moved since.

 

[Sam Posten]

THow is it? I like the feel of durability of the Webers but they're about 50% more than Char Broil.

Couldn't be happier. It's worth it at twice the price. It's 4x the durability of any less expensive brand. Buy with confidence and keep it out of the elements and it will last 15 years.

 

[Nathan_F]

Pony up for a Weber. They are well worth it. I've had mine going on 13 years and no end in sight. I give it a good cleaning every year, and replace grids every 5 years (~$50), and I'm also on my 3rd igniter

 

[schan1269]

Like everything else...

You can buy it right the first time or cheapen out and learn the hard way.

Last summer when this grill was bought(several of us "went in"...I ended up paying 2/3...counting the tank...) I tried to buy a Weber or Char-Broil.

Nobody else would pony up more money and I wasn't going to pay more for one that wasn't going to reside at my house(I don't have a "really cool exterior area" like my cousin does...10 minutes away, he and his wife live on the Kankakee river).

I used the grill yesterday. He never took it in for the winter. New grills for it...yay us. And I think the ignitors are already fried(of course, sitting next to a river and loosely covered all winter...). Have no idea if a Weber or Char-Broil would have faired any better...but spending $100 on a $200 grill doesn't sit as well as spending $100 on a $500 grill...

 

[Aaron Silverman]

I would not mention Weber and Char-Broil in the same sentence. Char-Broil is one of the better cheapo brands, but it's still not in Weber's class.

I hear good things about Ducane, which is owned by Weber and is much less expensive, but it appears that Home Depot and Lowes have stopped carrying them. I'm not sure what the story is.

 

[schan1269]

I know, Char Broil...

It is like mentioning Samsung and Vizio together with Pioneer/Elite Kuro and Panasonic...

People still do it...

Or John Deere and Kioti...

 

[Sam Posten]

Despite what folks think about my enthusiasm for Apple products I am not and never will be a brand snob. I buy what works and take care of it but use things hard and expect them to perform. My Weber stacks up really well in this respect. But leaving any grill out in the elements is going to take its toll. Be smart, a cover is a $50 investment that is well worth it if it's actually used all the time!

 

[DaveF]

Infrared: should I consider it? It's available on the Char-Broil, affordably. Not sure Weber has it (or outisde my price range). There's a TECH retailer nearby, I need to check up.Well look more at Weber. The model Sam got my suit me. I need to see if it will work with NG.

 

[DaveF]

I was wrong. The Weber grills I was looking at at Home Depot are the Spirit line, but it's the more expensive Genesis line that gets the rave reviews. They exceed my budget (and cost more than my kitchen stove). The Spirit line feels more solid, but has a big premium for similar quality as Char Broil. Still confused about infrared. Don't know if I want re-learn how to grill.

 

[Sam Posten]

I recommend this one:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0045UBBJK/ref=wms_ohs_product?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Took me 2 hours to assemble it myself, but I saved big over buying it at Lowes/HD.

 

[DaveF]

I need a 50% coupon I'm sure it's a great grill. I just don't want to spend over $500, unless it cooks for me. If I had the patio done, I could talk myself into it. But not yet.

 

[DaveF]

I can save $100 skipping the side-burner (which I never used)
http://www.amazon.com/Weber-Genesis-6611001-637-Square-Inch-Natural-Gas/dp/B0045UBB0Y/ref=sr_1_1?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1365555109&sr=1-1