The last time I bought a gas grill was about 5 years ago, and it was a little over $100 for a basic grill. Nothing fancy, no side burner. I once had a grill with a side burner and never used it -- not once.

Well, last week I had flames shooting out the front of old trusty grill and aluminum dripping onto the patio. Now, we're having company tomorrow night and I need a grill quick. So, we've been shopping for one.

The only basic grill I can find is too small. Everything else has way too many features and is $400 or more. I can't believe people are buying the $900 models. Come on -- these things sit outside!

What do you guys have?
What do you think about the side burners?
What's a good, basic model that is built to last?
Can I get a decent grill with a price limit a little north of $200?

Steve.

Webber, big one, expensive
Louisiana pellet stove= expensive

Sorry that doesn't help I get what I want, pay what they want.

Different story when I had kids at home or in College.

Charcoal grills are less expensive to buy

I have had the best luck with Weber gas grills. I must admit though, the last Weber I got was from Lowe's when they offered 0% financing.

Brinkman charcoal is in your price range. Buy a bag of real chunk charcoal at the same time and you will forever more throw rocks at a gas grill.

I used gas for years and I know all the conveniences of just lighting it and it is ready to go in a minute but I grill because I like the taste and the best taste comes from charcoal.

I know this is not what you asked but it is the best answer I can give you.

My opinion is that there's a step function when it comes to gas grill pricing: until you spend about $500, you're realistically going to be buying a disposable unit. You could think of gas grills kind of like rifle scopes: You have really cheap throwaway units, then you spend a little money and get something serviceable. A little more money will buy lots more scope (or grill), but then you spend a whole lot of money to get smaller improvements.

Sunbeam = BSA / NC Star
Char Grill = Tasco
Weber = Leupold/Conquest
Viking (and others) = Swaro, S&B, Diavari

I had a Sunbeam that had awful hot spots mingled with areas that were barely lukewarm. The igniters that I kept installing were good for 3 to 5 starts each. The grilling grates would rust through annually, and it went through burner elements about like Rosie O'donnell goes through Twinkies. 'Twas a complete, total, unmitigated, abject POS! Sorry to sugarcoat it: If you're interested in how I really feel, send me a PM...

I then acquired a Weber Gas Grill, & it's been spectacular for 8+ years now. Quick starts with the original igniter, a nifty system to catch grease drippings, flare-ups are well controlled by the "flavorizer bars", and the grates last much, much longer, despite seeing far more use than the Sunbeam ever did. The exterior is still in excellent shape, too. The design, materials, and build quality are orders of magnitude better than the $199 grills.

Just like scopes, you'll spend a lot more money to get smaller incremental gains in a grill once you get beyond the Weber level. And you'd really have to wonder if having a stainless steel exterior really helps the food taste any better...

Hope that helps,

FC

Why can't I find a decent grill that's big enough without a stupid side burner? Are those useless, or what?

Steve.

Stainless Brinkman gas model with side burner at Wally yesterday $135.00 and change.

I used the side burner on the Sunbeam for boiling water, back when my I had an electric stove. I also used it to boil wort when I brewed beer - better to keep those smells outside.

Other than that, though, I personally found little use for it.

If you don't have big box stores near you, see if there's an Ace Hardware nearby. Or check with your local propane seller: they'll probably have Ducane grills.

FC

Only time I ever used my side burner was to make coffee and cook on after Katrina....too damn hot to cook in the house, not that it was much better outside.

I had grills(2) above the Weber level(in price only) in the past and honestly, I'd much rather have the Weber. I don't even use a gas grill now. I do most "home" cooking on a Traeger or Weber charcoal grill now. I do have a Green Egg on the way and I'll probably really have all my bases covered.

Weber makes all the gas grill anybody ever needs. They're nice, dependable and easy to service. If I ever buy another gas grill it will be a Weber. You can't buy one for $100, but they are worth the extra coin.

Sorry I can't help you, like Scott F I am a charcoal guy myself.

+1 on the Weber. We've had the Silver B model for probably 10 years now. I've replaced the burners once, and the grates and flavor bars maybe 3 times. The Exterior still looks great. The nice thing about them, is I don't think there are any parts that I need that I can't get at our local Big R store that's just a few miles away.

In Texas we run a stainless Weber Genesis 310 with no side burner. In Idaho it's the Weber charcoal grill. Dad is still running his 25 year old Weber Genesis. Built to last and inexpensive doesn't exist with grills IME.

My Genesis is going strong at about 12 years old, but, I kick myself all the time for not spending the $80 or whatever it was extra for the side burner model. We would have used that a LOT, if nothing else, for canning in the fall when we don't want to heat the house up with the stovetop. Next grill I buy, will have a side burner.

Nice thing with Weber is you can get parts. I have replaced some stuff on mine, but we do use it a LOT.

No the side burner is not useless! When the power went out here for an extended time I perked a pot of coffee on it, then made up ham and eggs for our breakfast in a large cast iron skillet. It tasted better too!

Gave up gas over a decade ago for Webber, charcoal only, never looked back. Now on third Webber, couldn't be happier. Get a chimney charcoal starter from Wally World, and you're all set. Don't forget the mesquite chunks either.

The fundamental difference that makes such a big difference in the food is the indirect cooking in the Webber combined with the fact that there are no flare ups (lid down). I even cook 18 lb. turkeys on it and they are great. Meat is more tender and moist cooked this way, no matter what type.

The last gas grill I owned had a side burner and I considered it worthless until Katrina. It was a life saver for 2 weeks following. In fact it never was used until then. It was a Brinkman with a stainless cabinet and top. I could not get get replacement parts for it and it rusted thru real quick on all the non stainless parts.

What he said.

I will say it again, charcoal is the way to go. If you want a gass burner to go with it get this one. We love t for cooking on hot days when we do not start the wood cook stove and it is the best out there for canning.

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I like the Lazzari me...Zcharcoal&Category_Code=BBQsup]HERE.

i bought one of the brinkman models from wally's,lasted 3 yrs.been looking at webers myself,i use the side burner when we do clams,1-2x per summer

Are the new infareds any good? I also have to replace my three burner gasser because one burner is out and the screws are too rusted to get out without a cutting torch.

i just bought a brinkman stainless at home depot for $199. it has 4 burners and a side burner. i am a weber kettle guy but occasionally use gas so thats why it got this one to replace my charbroil cheapo that i got 10 years out of. the last 2 or 3 years was basically like cooking over a propane torch. this brink is nice so far.

I have cooked on nothing but a Weber Charcoal grill since 93 and never looked back. If I were going to buy a gas grill it would be a Weber. I have several friends with them and they have lasted the test of time.

I bought a side-box grill like this one at Lowe's tonight for about 200 bucks. http://www.chargriller.com/index.ph...&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1I have to install the side-box tomorrow morning and season it. I was going to try it out with a boston butt Fareway had for $1.88/lb., but the store was out until Monday. I picked up some ribs instead.

My wife is a professional cooking writer so we have about half-a-dozen grills of various types, both gas and charcoal. Eileen eventually grew really weary of replacing $150 gas grills every couple years, along with experiencing hot-spots and erratic covered temperatures long before the grill totally gave out. (She does use a grill a LOT more than most people, however, especially when working on a cookbook.)

Finally we bought a Vermont Castings (as I recall the 322 stainless series) for a lot of money and haven't had any problems since. She does have to clean the jets now and then but not often, since we mostly cook wild game without much fat. It still works perfectly after 7-8 years, with no hot or cold spots. We haven't had to go grill-shopping again, can cook about anything up to big roasts or a dozen steaks, and the heat is much more controllable than in smaller units, even if we only turn on two burners for smaller tasks. It was worth it for us, but might not be for everybody.

Back to Brinkman. This time a three burner. Last one did good for 15 years, but two burner with with side burner. Think I used it (side burner) 5-6 times and that was to do shrimp in butter/garlic to keep people happy while I was grilling steak.
Little bro just picked up a mini Traeger at Costco and is doing baby back ribs for the whole fam tomorrow. Swears he is going to haul it in our kitchen trailer for the advance party to set up camp this year.

Many amateurs fool themselves into thinking that they are "grilling" and that the pathetic results of their efforts, while admittedly edible, are in some way worthy of the title "grilled". Saddest of these are those who believe that they have accomplished something special because they employ charcoal instead of gas. While their sincerity is not to be doubted, unless they have used charcoal made from the trees knocked down in the Tunguska Event, they have merely transformed raw meat into a less rare state. Then there is the matter of polluting the charcoal with accelerants, thereby negating the magical qualities that it potentially possesses. There are those who claim to be above this faux pas, utilizing all sorts of tinder and kindling to avoid such contamination. Careful inspection would no doubt reveal that they ignited their combustibles with a match, thereby introducing the sulfurous residue into the mix. Even worse are those who used a butane lighter - they may as well have used a gas grill. For those unfamiliar with the proper procedure, the charcoal should be lit with a burning [bleep] from a tree struck by lightning. Once a proper fire is started in this manner, it should never be allowed to extinguish; being properly banked and kept going with the addition of new bits of charcoal as needed.

Charbroil Infrared is pretty bad ass.

Weber. Costs a bit more initially, but it was worth the investment. I guess it depends on how much you grill to justify the cost. We use it all year round. It takes a little longer in the winter, but I don't care.

Didn't get the side burner. Didn't use the side burner on the old grill.

That is exactly the way I do it.

I sold my Weber Platinum after I bought a Big Green Egg. I'll never own another gasser.

Mike

Great post, and totally agree. You get what you pay for. Quality products come with a price, but most times, IME, are cheaper in the long run.

Actually I picked one of these up too this year. No side burner and works great for the days I am too busy to bother with a real fire...

I like my BGE too Mike but a gasser for me is convenient at times. I need to replace the POS I currently have

For years, when the kids were growing up, we had a gasser. Always had extra kids over and it done the job, but it eventually fell apart. Now that it is just the wife and I, we got a small charcoal unit.
Works just fine for us.

200.00 not bad these days for a 5 year investment. I do all my meat cooking on the Gas Grill nothing on the Range except for heating Veg's

I put mine together from the basic Char-Griller Dual 2050 I bought from Lowes for $299. The optional side box smoker cost another $79.

Took about 2-1/2 hours to put it together, then I used 4 - 2" U-Bolts to attach the 8' long 2" x 2" square box tubbing with 1/8" wall thickness, and also tack-welded them in place when done.

I then welded a cross strap of 1/4" x 1-1/4" flat stock to support the legs of the side box.

Handles were made from a 4' long piece of 2" x 2" Oak also bought from Lowe's. Sanding down the 4 corners on the half of each that make the handles makes them easier on the hands. Also used 1/4" x 2" flat Oak on two sides of the handles that fit inside of the steel to make them fit snug.

Photo 1

Side burner comes in real handy to light the coal in a coal chiminey without using lighter fluid... and you can use the gas side BBQ'ing while smoking on the other side...

I got a stainless grate to lay across the burners and added lave rock to the gas side.

Phil

I have a cheapo Sears grill. I replace the burner twice a year (we use it A LOT, and year-'round).

I'd like a bigger cooking surface, but with a $25 burner and some new lava rocks, I have a new grill.

That thing is friggen hardcore. Nice!

Grill on gas is an abomination! I use charcoal or wood ONLY.

We use the cheap grills. Fire is hard on sheet metal. If you find a grill that will last a long time, it will be very heavy and will cost a lot of money. I'd rather spend money on good steaks.

Wifey got us a new one for my birthday. Its a Char-Broil and cost $100. Nicest looking grill I ever had. Haven't assembled it yet though. Can buy an accessory side mount fire box if I want. It would be nice for "low and slow" BBQ cooking.

Sometimes ya gotta use both.

One for meat:



One for the veggies:




I call it Grill Center:

Mmmm...is it ready yet? That grill with the steaks on it is exactly the kind we've been using for 20 years. They work pretty good.

I just spent the last two hours assembling my new grill. It seems pretty nice to me for a $100 grill. It has a temp gauge, hinged lid, chimney with adjustable vent, adjustable inlets on both ends, a warming tray, and a folding tabletop. The fire rests on its own height-adjustable steel grate with a pan under it to catch the ashes. Looks alright to me. Can't wait to try it.

Here's a couple cellphone pics. Sorry they're dark:

I had a gas grill until a tornado picked it up & body slammed it out in the backyard. No intention of getting another gas grill.

I now use a charcoal grill but I fire it with wood , not charcoal.


Mike

You wanna impress the neighbors? Get one a "discada". You can do lots of things with it.

Then again... I bought this, NIB, at a garage sale a while back. Still had the price tag...$5.49.

If you are a savvy shopper, you can catch some great deals on Weber gas grills. I bought a Genesis Silver C about 2004 or 2005 as a model year close out for a little more than $300 otd. This was about a $600 grill before the close out. It is wonderful gas grill and leagues ahead of other $300 grills that I have used.

It is so consistant, I've baked on it...

I have a Char-Broil two-burner unit I bought on clearance from Home Depot in fall, 2010 for $67.88. No side burner. I prefer charcoal but the gas is easier for my life right now.

My porch is on a main street in a not-so-great area and it has survived almost two years. I'd rather not chain it to my railing as if they want to steal my grill, I would like the railings to remain intact, LOL.

It's a good little unit, perfectly sized for some ribs or burgers.

Don't be afraid of a used weber. The one I use on a regular basis is an original Genesis with wood trim 25 years old. It's had new grates and new bars and been re-plumbed for natural gas but it works as good as it did brand new.

I bought a used weber for the hunting camp for $60 including the tank. It heats like a mother!

Look in craigslist. You should be able to find an almost new used weber genesis for $200. You'll never regret it.

Pat, you've got close to $5 worth of foil packed into that thing.

I recently (2 yrs ago) installed my first built in grill on my patio. We grill alot. Probably 3-4 nights a week. Anyway, started shopping for grills and wow amazed at the variety and prices. I decided to go with a decent model because it does get used and it just cooks better. I went with the 36" Jenn Air stainless model at Lowes and it works FANTASTIC. Cost a thousand bucks, but some of the stuff I looked at was around 4-6 K..............I believe you get what you pay for but that was just too steep for me.
Hopefully this link will let you see it.
http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay...elshp=req&rel=nofollow&cId=PDIO1