I've held out for 58 years but I'm ready to buy my first gas grill. Unfortunately, I have a limited grill budget. Any suggestions for a grill in the $300 range +/-? I've read the review sites but the reviews are always mixed. Thought I'd go to the people that would be in the know.
My first gas grill... seeking advice
- Thread starter rmattox
- Start date
I've had cheap. I've had mid-range. My opinion is that it's more about the cook and how he maintains his grill rather than the brand/price. These days I go with a smaller (they use less gas and I don't entertain more than 8-10 people ever), cheaper grill. I think the one I have now was about $150. I have bought the side burner type before, but never used them. If I want to cook vegetables and such, I either grill directly on the grate.
I do prefer a thick grate though with small spacing. The grills with the thin wires with wide spaces tend to cause trouble. Bits of your burger may fall off.......or the fatty pieces of your steak/chicken may fall between.....you may loose a vegetable, etc.
I do prefer a thick grate though with small spacing. The grills with the thin wires with wide spaces tend to cause trouble. Bits of your burger may fall off.......or the fatty pieces of your steak/chicken may fall between.....you may loose a vegetable, etc.
Not what you want to hear but I would wait until you can afford a high quality one. My first cheap grills ($100-150) lasted 4 years or so even though I gutted and replaced burners, burner covers, grill, etc....roll them to the street every four years. My former brother in law got a Weber and I would laugh about the silly expensive grill he bought for $600-700. I eventually decided to get off the replacement merry go round and researched....The steel that they use in better grills is much more durable and won't rust...at all.
I have had my Weber Genesis for 10 years now and haven't replaced ANYTHING. Burners, covers, everything works perfectly. It's not even about the money at this point but just the effort that cheap gas grills require to keep them functioning well. Also, the Weber let's me set and hold high temp with reliability and precision....Cast iron cook surface maintains and radiates heat. Just save up and get a nice one if you can.
Do yourself a favor....spring for a Weber. Got mine in June of 2000 and I'm still using it. Yes...I've replaced the burners once and the porcelain cooking grates twice, but it's still got a lot of life in her. Previous gas grills lasted 2 years max before rusting out, etc. Weber is where it's at!
I got my Weber around 2000/2001. Replaced the burners and flavorizer bars once. Never had an issue with it lighting or holding temps.
Got a weber with stainless grates and flavorizer bars. Clean it a couple of times a year and it will literally last as long as you want it to last. great grill.
I just have a simple 2 burner weber and we love it. My favorite part as stupid as this sounds is the grill cover. I went through two cheap grills with "universal" grill covers that would tear in the wind. The weber cover is a perfect fit and very high quality.
Yep, 100% certainty that charcoal grill guy would show up. Charcoal only produces better tasting food after slow smokes, usually with wood chips...the rest is complete nonsense.
Can confirm Weber is a great gas grill. Preheat and maintain properly and it's the best way to cook fast and easy for a small group.
Can confirm Weber is a great gas grill. Preheat and maintain properly and it's the best way to cook fast and easy for a small group.
100% ********.
I used to make the same argument. I was wrong.
Cook a burger, steak or chicken on a gas grill and cook the same cuts on a good ol' Weber kettle. The food from the kettle tastes much better.
You can believe me because I'm fat.
Weber is good stuff. Really liked my Char-Broil Commercial infra-red, too. Lasted 8 or 9 years and was great.
Try hardwood lump charcoal instead of briquettes and the flavor difference is very noticeable even for short cook-time items.
I completely agree. Charcoal imparts such a better flavor. You can not only tell a big difference in taste from charcoal to gas, but you can tell a difference from pre-soaked coals like Match-light to un-soaked coals like Kingsford.
The main reason we use gas is for convenience. From early Spring till deep Fall we grill 1-4x/wk. Instead of messing up a pan on the stove that will need washing, we just fire up the grill. It fires with a push of a button and heats way faster than our oven. And since our grill is smaller we go through one tank every 1 to 1.5 grilling seasons. That's $20 down the road at the local gas station for the entire grilling season. It would probably cost $10-20 in charcoal to grill out for a single wk.
I agree with this. I've had several cheaper grills over the years and the burners rust out in short order. I got my first Weber about a month ago, a Spirit for $450 with a coupon, and the quality difference in materials and workmanship is obvious. Most amazing to me is how fast it heats up and how nice and even the flames are. I can turn all three burners on high and it reaches 500 deg in 4 minutes.
I'm not a fan of charcoal as it's carcinogenic. I think it's ok to use every once in a while especially if you have company and you have time to let it heat up etc. but for grilling a few burgers or steaks and getting a nice result in a short amount of time you can't beat gas IMO.
All I know is that I can **** up mad meat on any gas grill of any quality level 70-90% of the time and have the exact opposite results with damned near any burned out 3-legged Weber. I do prefer the taste of charcoal, but if I could make a gas grill work for the convenience, I probably would. It's just that I can think of 100 things I'd rather invest $1000+ in when my own sloth is the defining factor over charcoal and I know that money will not make the meat taste better.
My first advice is not to buy anything until the fall. They will have some sales going on right now as it is the start of grilling season, but I have found that they often do some pretty heavy discounts in the fall. Especially helpful is to check walmart in the fall because they clearance a lot of their grills simply to get rid of them. I think that the Weber Spirit that Lowes is selling for $400 was somewhere around $300.00 last fall at my local Wal-Mart. This wasn't a sale or advertised online or in magazines, but it was just on clearance. This past fall I got the smallest Weber Smokey Mountain for just $100.00, and it is usually $199.00. So, if you can wait then you might get a better deal.
In terms of the grill to get... I really feel as though the grill market has taken a huge dive lately. I feel as though quality has gone down while price has increased and I feel like the number of brands available have also decreased. Weber is one that has maintained quality and it is well and above everything else. I don't think there is anything that even compares, and there certainly anything that compares for less money. So, best advice is to spring for a Weber. The best bet might be to grab a Weber Spirit for around 400 bucks. That can be a good grill to do weeknight grilling for a smaller family. Then get a charcoal grill, either the Weber Jumbo Joe (70 dollars at Wal-Mart) or a Weber Kettle (100 pretty much anywhere) and you can use those for outdoor gatherings where you will have more people. If you want just one big cheap gas grill then the selection, IMO, is pretty limited and it seems to me that most of the times it is the same grill with different logos slapped on it.
In terms of the grill to get... I really feel as though the grill market has taken a huge dive lately. I feel as though quality has gone down while price has increased and I feel like the number of brands available have also decreased. Weber is one that has maintained quality and it is well and above everything else. I don't think there is anything that even compares, and there certainly anything that compares for less money. So, best advice is to spring for a Weber. The best bet might be to grab a Weber Spirit for around 400 bucks. That can be a good grill to do weeknight grilling for a smaller family. Then get a charcoal grill, either the Weber Jumbo Joe (70 dollars at Wal-Mart) or a Weber Kettle (100 pretty much anywhere) and you can use those for outdoor gatherings where you will have more people. If you want just one big cheap gas grill then the selection, IMO, is pretty limited and it seems to me that most of the times it is the same grill with different logos slapped on it.
I bought a Char-Broil Infrared. It was around $200 at Meijer. Great grill but a little tough to keep clean. The grates are not open so there are no flare ups at all. This is also however what makes it tough to clean as a lot of grease has nowhere to go. I just burn it off for about 20 minutes before cooking each time.
How have you gone this long without a grill? It's one of my favorite things to do.. stand around a fire, grilling animals, drinking a beer and not being bothered.
You get what you pay for with grills, like many other things. I got a Nexgrill, Homedepots brand or product offering. It works fine, but I know it's only going to last 3-5 years. At year 2, it's already going. Spend a little more upfront for a Weber, and maintain it fairly well, and it will pay for itself by the 5th year..
You get what you pay for with grills, like many other things. I got a Nexgrill, Homedepots brand or product offering. It works fine, but I know it's only going to last 3-5 years. At year 2, it's already going. Spend a little more upfront for a Weber, and maintain it fairly well, and it will pay for itself by the 5th year..
I believe the part about you being fat, because fat recognizes fat.
I also understand clearly that by the time you've got ash forming on the edges of those charcoal briquettes, I've already fed 4-8 people delicious chicken breasts, hamburgers, hot dogs and seared a couple of prime ribs that will taste just as good as anything you pull off your kettle, champ.
(This is why 90% of the best steak houses in America cook with gas)
Also, please don't confuse different with better. 90% will not be able to distinguish whether my chicken breast came of a gas grill or was cooked over charcoal. (because I know how to cook) Those that can distinguish will be split down the middle over which one actually tastes better. 100% fact.
Anyone who says otherwise is FOS.
Don't get me wrong. I prefer charcoal, but if you hand me a piece of grilled meat I'm gonna enjoy it whether its gas or charcoal.
False, it also takes a gas grill 20ish minutes to evenly heat. So I assume you're just throwing raw meat on cool grates before they warm up? Sweet, bet it tastes great.
Like I've said for years -> light charcoal grill -> go in season and prep rest of your food -> grill is to temp and ready to roll. No extra inconvenience.
The myth that a gas grill is quicker and easier is so f*cking false. It's a coping method for those that waste several hundreds of dollars on a gas grill or don't have an issue throwing food on cold grates.
Go buy a Weber Kettle for $150 and a $25 thermopen. Spend the other $125 on your first 5 meals.
Like I've said for years -> light charcoal grill -> go in season and prep rest of your food -> grill is to temp and ready to roll. No extra inconvenience.
The myth that a gas grill is quicker and easier is so f*cking false. It's a coping method for those that waste several hundreds of dollars on a gas grill or don't have an issue throwing food on cold grates.
Go buy a Weber Kettle for $150 and a $25 thermopen. Spend the other $125 on your first 5 meals.
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I had a gas fireplace in our house that I would sometimes use to grill steaks on. Taste was just kind of off so we went to a straight wood-burning fireplace last winter and the difference in the taste in the meat is very noticeable. Would always suggest switching from gas to wood-burning for warmth and grilling meat indoors.
If you're going gas, then yes, Weber is the only way to go, IMO.
Think I've mentioned this before, but @ 22-23 years ago I took a stainless steel beer keg and made myself one hell of a good charcoal grill.
Split it in half, welded hinges on, found some stainless grates that fit perfectly, made a rolling base for it, set it about waist high with a shelf under it, and I've used it ever since.
I've had great food cooked from gas grills of course, but I myself much prefer charcoal.
Think I've mentioned this before, but @ 22-23 years ago I took a stainless steel beer keg and made myself one hell of a good charcoal grill.
Split it in half, welded hinges on, found some stainless grates that fit perfectly, made a rolling base for it, set it about waist high with a shelf under it, and I've used it ever since.
I've had great food cooked from gas grills of course, but I myself much prefer charcoal.
The wife and I have two BBQ grills. One large and one small. We seldom use the large one. (Just us most of the time.) The small one is charcoal but we do have another small outdoor cook stove that is gas. (We eat a lot of homemade soups.) It should depend on the amount of people you grill for. A small grill will do a lot. I am frugal to a fault sometime but the large grill is only for 4 or 5 people or more. A huge waste using a large grill for two people. The small grill is good for two or three and if just cooking meat four can eat well using a small grill. If you want your grill to last (No matter what type you have, clean it and keep it out of the elements or at least keep it covered when not in use. A grill cover is a tremendously good investment if you buy a grill of any type that will stay outside. The only reason we have ever got rid of a grill is due to several moves and them being too bulky. I have never replaced a grill we've bought due to going bad but we take care of it by cleaning and assuring it stays out of the elements. Be Good
As for most things in life, you get what you pay for. $300 ain't gonna buy much. Go to a couple of big box stores and check it out. Quality of materials and fit and finish should be obvious. At your price point, you are buying a semi disposable product (4-5 years) depending on how you take care and store it. Don't sweat it if you can't afford high end. If you have waited 58 years, gas grilling might not be what you want anyway. Plus you could die before you realize the benefits of a grill that lasts 10+ years.
Not really. The permits, insurance, etc for anything non-gas is pretty complicated...and obviously not as efficient/easy to work with.
[laughing] at insinuating a backyard Gas Grill is even in the same universe as the "gas" powered 1000 Degree+ specialty broilers used at "the best steakhouses"
[eyeroll]
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It's worn out but I feel like it needs to be said every year.
Your backyard grilled steaks are NOT as good or better than a steakhouse. Ever.
Your backyard grilled steaks are NOT as good or better than a steakhouse. Ever.
Yep, made this mistake a few times learning how to grill.
...also made this mistake with a Cast Iron pan.
If there's a mistake to be made with food, I've made it.
You could have had 4 of your $150 grills with the satisfaction 4 times of having a new grill. Your Weber still has to last another 6 years to make the price/longevity of the 4 you could have for $150.
People telling me how to grill my meat in this thread, go f yourself. I'll grill my dead things how I like
I know. The thing is, my Weber still looks NEW. I empty the drip pan, scrape the cast iron grate frequently and the entire lower catch pan is removable stainless steel that you can wash and make sparkle every season. So the ONLY thing that needs cleaning annually are the burner covers. I have no reason to think it won't last another 10 years.
And, the $150 grills required replacement of burners/burner covers, cook surface, and usually an ignition switch every two years (call it $50 of parts and my effort) Then I have to drag the sad thing to the street after 4 years and haul a new one home for the "satisfaction" of having a new grill. Like I said, I did it that way for a while and like this better.