BBQ Grills

AsSiMiLaTeD

I'm looking at buying a propane grill, $400 I'd say is my max.

Are the Weber grills really that good? A couple people now have told me that I'm really just paying for the name, and that they're not really any better than the other stuff out there.

I'd be sacrificing some grilling space and other features to go with a Weber. I'm looking ath the Spirit Series (their entry level), specifically the E-310. That model is $400. Or for $400 I can get something along the lines of a Charbroils Commercial that's all steel, has four main burners, and a side burner.

I don't need the extras, and don't mind sacrificing those if I know I'm getting a better grill, but that's a key 'if'.

Any thoughts? Is Weber the Monster Cable of the grill industry, or is it really that much better than other stuff in the same price range?

I know I'm not going to get a top end grill for $400. I just wanna make sure that if I'm gonna spend that much money I'm getting the best I can get for it.

AndyGwis

I got a Weber Genesis Silver for Christmas a few years back. You're right, feature for feature, you're paying more for the Weber than many other grills.

But, I have had ZERO issues and use it all the time. Has a tank gauge, which is handy, easy as hell to use, starts fast, burns even, gets hot, looks nice, cleans easy.

bobman1235

All the Weber's I've come in contact with have been far better built than their competitors. Just more solid, more reliable. The price seems to be worth it. I'm no expert by any stretch of the imagination, just a casual observation.

Ricardo

Don't make the mistake of buying one of those shiny, fancy all SS grills that you see at HD and Lowes for $600 or less (several unknown brands); though they are stainless steel and look well built, their burners are far from being good; I got one (can check the brand when I get home) and I hate how uneven heating is. If you are not careful you'll have a hamburger raw and the next burned. At least Weber has great, uniform burners.

jamesguthrie

I've got a Weber Genesis Silver B and love it. It's a huge improvement over my last bbq, which was a Kenmore, I think (Sears, about $180).

The Weber was slightly more than I wanted to pay at the time, but it has been more than worth it. As the previous poster said, it's easy to clean, has an accurate tank gauge, and burns evenly.

One of the main features I was looking for in a bbq was stainless steel grate and heating elements. I had a porcelain grate in my last bbq and needed to replace it after a few years because the porcelain wore off and the metal underneath rusted.

Check out bbq.about.com. They have comprehensive reviews of grills under $500. Consumer reports is also very good for this sort of product.

SLOCOOKN

The quality of parts being used is a concern on lesser models. Especially the quality of the SS. Weber grills use better SS and/or protective coatings on their metal!

MikeC78

Got my SS grill at Sam's club, I'm actually pretty happy with it for the sub $500 I paid.

heiney9

I've bought lesser brands over the years and they never hold up. My Dad has a 2nd Weber (Genesis) and these are the only 2 grills he's purchased in the past 15-18 years. He has a gas feed from the main line in the house and uses the grill year around. Not too sure about entry level Weber's but the Genesis series is excellent.

H9

treitz3

I have no recommendations as to brands because outside I still cook like a caveman. Over an open flame.

I have, however cooked on many a grill and I thought that I should throw it out there that even though the SS grills look great, they blind your **** when the sun is beaming on them. Whenever you go to open the grill, you can't see what you are cooking because you've already been blinded by the light. At least that's what I've observed.

I-SIG

Three words:

BIG GREEN EGG

(Yes it costs more up front, but you will never have to buy a grill OR smoker again in your or your grand children's lifetime and you get real smoke from real lump charcoal.)

Wes

AsSiMiLaTeD

The BGE is nice, but isn't the answer for my needs. I'm in an apartment for the next year, so am in need for a gas grill, something easier and more convenient, and something that I'm actually allowed to use here. I do have a nice charcoal grill, but just can't use it here - that's why I'm not looking to spend a ton on a gas grill.

sucks2beme

Go over to BBQ galore. You cn see a bunch of good brands including theirs.
It' s most likely sale time, too.

AsSiMiLaTeD

I'm going to head out to BBQ Galore today. That's the only place I haven't looked. I doubt they'll have anything in my price range, but I want to exhaust all my options before I buy something. Right now the Weber Spirit 310 is at the top of my price range and is on the top of my list, and it seems to get favorable reviews on amazon and other places on the interweb.

Two things I like about Weber from what I've read so far.

1 - You can upgrade parts of your grill, even their cheaper ones. So I could add on better cooking grates and what-not later on.
2 - Everything I've read seems to indicate that they have good customer service, which in today's horrid service industry is becomming a bigger deal for me.

Thanks for all teh replies. I also found the thread that Sean started a while back, and alot of the comments in that were helpful as well.

Polkitup2

Pay the extra for the Weber, I cheaped out and bought a Charmglow which works fine but I am always wondering how much better my grilling experience could have been had I bought the Weber.

Mike682

Buy a Weber grill, they are solid grills. I have two Weber grills: a charcoal grill for 6 years and a gas for 2 years. The charcoal grill has been used many times, its even been to the beach numerous times and has no rust or anything. Just routine cleanings is all this thing needs.

The gas grill has also been flawless. I like the tank level feature.

Weber gas grills are easy to assemble. All the gas lines, burners, knobs, etc are put together already. I just has to put the grill casing, cabinet doors, and wheels together on mine:

http://www.weber.com/bbq/pub/grill/2005/gas/gg_gen_sa.aspx

BaggedLancer

My dad uses exclusively Ducane, only grill he will ever buy. Not sure how they rate on the scale but that's the only grill in our backyard.

DollarDave

The Ducane is the higher-end Weber brand. I have a Weber, really like it, but would buy the Duane in a heart-beat if I had no other budget considerations.

AsSiMiLaTeD

I took a trip up to BBQ Galore this morning. They have some really nice stuff in there, and surprisingly not all of it is super high end. They talked a good game, and I was really impressed with their house brand Captain Cook grills. By the way, for anyone looking for a nice grill they're putting their 4 burner series on sale tomorrow for $499 down from 650.

However, after it was all said and done I ended up going with a Weber grill. The Spirit 310 was at the top of my price range, so that's what I went with. The Captain Cook may be a better grill, but I was really already sold on Weber when I walked in there.

I just got done spending an hour putting it together, two first impressions right out of the box.

1 - Weber can't write an instruction manual for ****. The parts list was wrong, all the instructions were basically pictures only (I'm not a visual person), and some of the steps were out of order/contradicted each other. Were I not a somewhat mechanically inclined person who usually just ignores the manual anyway and figrues it out on my own, this would have been a very frustrating install. If someone were to take the parts list at face value and try to walk through the steps exactly as illustrated and in the order presented, they wouldn't be able to get this thing together correctly.

2 - I'm very impressed with the engineering on this grill, at least from a construction standpoint. There are certain things that I always look for in a well engineered product, and I found those in this grill. Nothing major, but things like a design that forces you to put the thing together correctly, little notches and guides that only line up and work correctly if the whole thing is square, stuff like that. Alot of people would rather work with something that has some play and a little wiggle room to bend and whatnot in order to fit everything together, I usually prefer a more tightly engineered product (probably why I drive a Toyota), and was please with this grill in that respect.

Weber can't write a manual for ****, but it looks like they can build a good grill.

I'm gonna give it an official test tomorrow when i cook out.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions and advice.

cmy330go

Weber all the way! I watched my parents go through a number of grills growing up, and then about 12 years ago Dad spent a little extra for a basic Weber (equivalent of the current genesis), and that grill still works perfectly. Lights on the first push. Heats evenly. Still looks new. Has NEVER replaced or repaired a single part.

I personally have had a pretty basic Weber, that seems to most closely resemble the current Spirit E-310, for over 4 years without a single problem.

IF I ever have to replace it, I highly doubt I will pick anything other than another Weber.

EDIT: BTW....Congrats! I can almost 100% guarantee that you are going to love that grill. Plus you will find it quite amusing when you go to friends house and watch them fight with their crappy, stylish, over-priced grills.

sucks2beme

BBQ Galore always has a good selection. I saw the Webers there,
but went with a Captain Cook that was on sale(about 5 years ago).
My only regret was buying 3 instead of 4 burners.
A better grill helps a lot. Cheap ones just make you nuts.
They heat poorly, and start falling apart within a year or two.
BBQ Galore has the best selection of parts, too.
Enjoy the bbq!!!!

BaggedLancer

DaveMuell wrote: »

The Ducane is the higher-end Weber brand. I have a Weber, really like it, but would buy the Duane in a heart-beat if I had no other budget considerations.

Pretty sure Ducane is it's own manfacturer....i just looked at it on their website.

DollarDave

BaggedLancer wrote: »

Pretty sure Ducane is it's own manfacturer....i just looked at it on their website.

This should clear up that mis-conception:

http://weber.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=fact_sheet

BaggedLancer

DaveMuell wrote: »

This should clear up that mis-conception:

http://weber.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=fact_sheet

haha thanks.