Gas BBQ's/Grills what brands are good? (1 Viewer)

[jeff lam]

Christmas is comming up in a couple months and at the top of the list for my wife and I is a gas grill/BBQ. I never had a gas grill nor did my dad, he always used charcoal so I have no clue as to what I want and what's good out there. It will probably have to stay around $300 or so. I won't need anything spectacular, just something good and reliable. Actually, I don't really know what features to look for so any help would be great from you guys that grill a lot.

Thanks!

 

[Ryan Wright]

I bought an Aussie Bonza 4. It was closer to $500, but I absolutely love it. My regulator gave me a small problem and Aussie mailed me a brand spankin' new one, no questions asked (well, they did ask me for my address).
Info @ http://www.aussiegrill.com/
Here's a picture:

Note that some clowns are selling these grills on eBay for over $800. Mine was much less, bought it at Lowes (formerly Eagle Home & Garden). The wood on mine is also much darker than in this picture. Check the web site, they have better pictures there (but it's all flash so I can't insert a picture here).
They also have smaller models for less money. Mine is huge; I can cook 15 1/4lb burgers on it at once and warm the buns up top.
I'm told that Webers are the best, but I think they're ugly as sin.

 

[Michael*K]

I could care less what my Weber looks like as long as it does the job advertised. It passes that test with flying colors. And I've never had a problem with my Weber Genesis. I haven't seen any less than $350, but in this instance, you definitely will get what you pay for.

 

[Trey Fletcher]

Jeff,
I'd recommend looking for a Bareques Galore in your area (I know they're in California) and spending some time there talking to a salesperson about what you are looking for in a grill, and what you want to spend. They've always been extremely helpful with my grilling/smoking needs.
As for Weber, their looks don't bother me, but their poor performace does. If you decide to spend that much money, you can do much better with a Turbo, IMHO. TF

 

[Michael*K]

In terms of performance, the Weber models consistently rank at and near the top of the annual Consumer Reports testing, outranking grills that often cost hundreds of dollars more.
And here's a previous thread on the subject.

 

[MikeH1]

How about Broil King? I found a flyer once in my mailbox from them and I never seen such crazy prices. A BBQ, like the one pictured above but with 3 or 4 burners, a heavier frame and consistent temperature throughout. The price?
$4999.00
Take note though this is in Canadian Dollars.

 

[joe rizzuto]

http://www.broilkingbbq.com/broilking/intro.htm
i have a broil king and i like it very much.

 

[Dan Joy]

I have a Ducane. Very low maitenance and almost all stainless steel

 

[Dave Morton]

Another vote for the Weber Genesis line. I love mine. It cooks consistent all the time. My old grill, a charbroil, would cook unevenly all the time and it started rusting out after 2 years.

my $0.02

 

[ChadM]

Another vote for Weber, solid grill for a great price.

 

[Marc S Kessler]

Weber,s are really good and are sold at Home Depot. They start having good sales about now.

 

[Todd Hochard]

I see Jenn Air sells grills at our Lowe's, now, but I wonder who outsources them. They are pretty, though.
Aussie sells at our Target.
Hard to beat a Weber, though. Once mine current grill is done, that's probably what I'll get (unless I can find out more info on the pretty Jenn-Air. ) Then again, I'd REALLY like a grill I can cook breakfast on- who out there has griddle add-ons?
Todd

 

[Dennis Reno]

Another vote for Weber. I've had mine for over 6 years and it still looks like new. The only investment I've made in it is a cover, new grill racks (after 5 years) and an occasional cleaning with 409.

Todd - you weren't watching the Cartoon Network this past weekend were you??? "I love to singa, about the moon-uh..." What a great classic!

 

[James Edward]

As I stated in the previous thread cited- go for the Weber. I have been grilling for over 20 years, and always with the vicious cycle of buy a new grill every 2-3 years. I always balked at paying the extra money, but I have had the Weber for 4 years now, and it works as well as when I bought it.
I have had 2 issues with the grill, and each time I called Weber customer service, the part I needed was on my doorstep in 3 days- no charge, no hassle. They are as good as it gets for service.
Excuse me now, I have an Allen Brothers london broil to grill.

 

[Michael*K]

who out there has griddle add-ons?

I don't own one myself, but I know Weber sells cast iron griddles for the Genesis series.

 

[MikeAlletto]

I can't wait till I own a house so I can have a grill! My apartment doesn't let us have one, fire hazard although I see people wheeling them out of their garages all the time.

 

[Dennis Nicholls]

I've got another vote for going to Barbeques Galore since you live around here in the valley of Fluffy Pumpkin.

I got a 3 burner Turbo from them in 1989. That's not a typo. It's still going strong. Just had to replace the tanks since the new overflow valve law went into effect. Heck even the Jarra wood cart is still in wonderful shape.

You get what you pay for. You can buy a $500 model once or a $200 one ever two years.

EDIT: Ouch. The 3 burner Turbo on a cart is now $800. I paid around $400 back in 1989.

 

[Philip_G]

get a natural gas grill and have it piped into your home NG (if so equipped) no more running out of propane mid-steak
I'm partial to weber too, I have a cheapie sunbeam and you get what you pay for, I got about 4 years of use out of it but it's due for replacement now :frowning:

 

[Bob McElfresh]

I've loved my Webber kettle cooker for 15 years. A few years ago my wife bought me a gas grill. It was a hate/hate relationship for a while until I learned to adjust to it's moods. (It was a Craftsman grill ~$150).
I have to admit, the problems were with me and not the grill.
With some time recently, I've gotten good at cooking brisket/ribs for 4-6 hours in an indirect fashion. I have used it so much, I recently had to replace the burner unit ($25).
While I'd recommend the Webber brand in a minute, I have now gotten used to my el-cheep-o grill and can say it give great value for the $$$.
But do go to Barbeques Galore. They usually have a rack of spices and rubs which will make a BIG difference in the taste of your meat. (Get one of their frequent-buyers cards)
I recommend: John Henry's rubs
Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauces
I just bought the "Cajun Injector System" to inject the meat with marinade with less-than-great results. It may be that I have not found the right combination of meat & marinade.
Good Luck.

 

[Bill_D]

Weber for traditional Q-ing (charcoal)
BBQ Galore 4 burner Stainless Steel Monster for Gas

I use both methods depending on the menu. I personally cannot cook ribs properly on a GAS grill. Some things just need to be slowly smoked and my "slowly smokin'" skills on a gas grill are non-existent.

My dad BBQs in a reconfigured 55 gallon oil drum. OLD SCHOOL!