First of all, mine will be propane. Yes, there are purist out there, but I don't need to use dry aged 12 year old Scotch barrel oak charred to perfection to cook a good steak.

I BBQ a lot. Probably 3 nights a week year round, easily. During the summer, almost every evening we are home. I have a big covered deck, and I had my plumber plum the deck for gas lines. BBQ is happy and dry, and if I want to cook in my underwear, I do. I am right now.

I had to rebuild my charbroil every year. Got it for free from Mom & Dad, added new burners and heat shield things every year and grates every two years. Finally burned the bottom out.

Have a nice mid grade BBQ I bought for about 400, stainless grates, etc. I have burned through the stainless grates, and the body of the grill is having issues.

Steer me towards the right BBQ.

Needs:
Propane
Bullet proof body
Easy to add rotisserie
Stainless "bar" grill
Be able to hit high temps, 800F.

$1,000 budget.

ETA: I need to be able to cook enough food on the thing from time to time so I can feed 40+ people every once in a while.

Holland Grill, i buy my Peterson Pucks from these guys that own a shop down the road, and they are some of the baddest ass grills ive ever seen... not huge crazy ones, but decent sized Ferrari's...


http://www.hollandgrill.com/

Webber, there is no other. You can pay more but why? The main bodies are lifetime warranty and every part is available at Home Depot, Lowes and the internet. They use tube style burners and they last 10 years. The flavor bars will last 3-5 and the grates, depending on standard, coated cast iron, or stainless 2-4 years. I have the silver series and I just rebuilt the insides after 10 years of 3-5 times a week BBQ. As far as I am concerned every other gas grill is junk because the burners just don't last and getting the replacement parts that fit is impossible. I've had Sunbeams, Charbroils, and a couple other no name brands and none of them would go more than 18 months without having to be rebuilt. Consumer Reports (I think) just named Webber the best grill for even heat distribution too.

Holland isn't rotisserie ready.

...off to Google Weber.

Our first BBQ was a Weber charcoal. Wedding gift. Lasted 6 or 7 years, which I consider good.

Hollands dont need them... they are in a way indirect heat via a pan below the grill surface, you get litterally zero flare ups... Webers are good too, had a 700 dollar one stolen outta the back yard... but the way that the Hollands are constructed will blow your mind...


this aint high end, but my buddys fiance bought it for him, and hes pretty exstatic about it... for the price, i might just buy one myself...


http://www.samsclub.com/sams/smoke-hollow-4-in-1-combo-grill/prod3920115.ip

Char Broil's are crap, hard to get parts that fit. Just went with a smaller Weber for close to $400 and really like it.

I heard a consumer reports thing on bbq's yesterday on the news radio...they said a 600 dollar weber came out on top I belive... I need one also... just not ready to fork out that much cash but I will eventually do it when the cheap one I have breaks down...was kinda hoping my mom would buy me one for a house warming present but I think she has her eyes set on a pot and pan set from Emeril Lagasse for me...im not going to complain at all if she wants to buy me something

Two Webers earned top marks for the mid sized grill category:
Consumer Reports Grills

What to look for:
Consumer Report Grill Guide

We just got a new Weber a few months ago - the S-330, IIRC.

So far, no complaints. I think it was just under a grand with the grill cover.

Andy, you need to talk to Rico...not just for the scoop on high end BBQ's, but for a good deal on one, too

Fish on...

Todd

Andy we both BBQ about the same amount per week.That being said I have had the $100.00 model all the way up to the $1,000.00 model.Where I live my BBQ takes a lickin.......I forget to cover it alot of times and it bites me.No matter what kind of coin I drop on a Q I only get two three years out of it in the price range mentioned above.I seem to get the best value from a $250.00-$300.00 stainless steel model with the four heat sheilds below the cooking rack.Good luck,
SZ


PS, The peterson pucks work awesome in my gas grill.

Lotta' non purists around here I see. What's the attraction to propane BBQs? Is the food really BBQ without the charcoal flavor? Am I missing something besides the status associated with a high end high falutin' bells and whistles BBQ?

I get about 10 years out of a Weber Smokey Joe and buy 2 double sack packs of briquets at Costco every year. Obviously I don't cook for 40 people like Andy does, and although I could BBQ in my underwear on my covered deck on the back of my house, the thought has never occurred to me until Andy mentioned it.

I have been running a Weber Genesis LP for 8 years now. Right now I am waiting for a new manifold to arrive, since they don't sell the valves separate for my year anymore. This is my first major repair.

I have never had to replace any parts except flavorizer bars (burner covers) twice over that span and the grill grates twice. I grill 3 nights per week min. 650 is about as high as it will go.

I would not consider it an upper end grill however, I would consider it a good consumer grade model. Performance and availability of parts are much better than other consumer models. With other consumer grade grills you are dealing with hot-spots and that kind of thing, my Weber still cooks very well and I get what I am expecting out of it each time.

If you are looking upper end, you are going to have to stop in to see some experts at propane/fireplace shops. There are some really well made products out there, but cost may be higher.

Also, for cooking for big crowds I expect a man of your skill-set to weld up a sweet charcoal grill out of a 50 gallon drum.

SG,

Glad I could enlighten you on the sport of grilling in your underwear. I like propane because it is quick, no fuss, no mess. I can add flavor with a smoke bomb (foil pouch with wood of my choice) if I want. Most times it is turn on the grill, cook and eat.

Got 4 years out of my current grill, which I consider pretty good. Looks like Weber will be the deal, unless Rico has a better suggestion. I know Ryley got a sweet machine from him.

My welding skills totally suck, but I can wield a mean cutting torch. You want something ruined? I'm your man. I've got 10 years of restaurant experience, so I have no issue cooking for that many on a regular grill. It is all about timing, and managing your grill space.

If Rico can hook you up with a Weber Summit in your price range, get it. I got one as my 40th birthday present from the parents + in-laws and we use it LOTS... I can't defend the price -- I doubt I'd have paid retail -- but it's been bombproof.

SG -- grilling is not BBQ, but it's also quick/fire & forget. If you get home at 6:30pm and want to be eating at 7, it works, where charcoal doesn't. And as you say, cooking for a big group is another winner (though a 3x a year thing, not multiple times a week). The flavor is lesser than charcoal grill, but the intrinsic advantages of cooking outside (less cleanup, pyro factor and less stanky house) are still there.

Andy I just went through analysis of all the grills on the market after my 5 year old 700+ dollar grill fell apart in front of me. I was so pissed because the exterior looked like new, but the interior metal used b y Vermont Casting fell apart and I could not replace it. Of course I found this out after buying new drip bars and venturi tubes, I went to unscrew the old tubes from the pan, and the pan literally fell apart in 1000 pieces.... repair would have been a futile effort.

We grill several nights a week year round too, so I went on a deep dive analysis into the best grill I could get that would last and had all the features I wanted.

After reading a ton of info, consumer reports, and customer reviews, I settled on a Weber Summit and couldnt be happier...I think you saw me posting pictures hugging the damn thing on Facebook...I love it. Weber makes the only grill that rally last because they dont skimp ANYWHERE on cheap materials. This is the one main thing that set them apart and adds longevity to their products over others.


I would suggest not looking around, and simply call Rischarded and ask him to get you the best Weber you can get for the maximum amount you wanna spend, and leave it to him.

My new Weber Summit 4 main burner grill w/ infra rotisserie, center searing station, 30k btu side burner, LED lighted burner knobs and cook station light, and built in smoker:


Many a Flank and Halibut steaks have been cooked to perfection here.

Aint She purdy? ..and the lighted knobs..totally pimp! Though I never use them other than to briefly impress people who come over...

As others have said - Weber is the way to go. Ducane is also good for the price and owned by Weber, but they are made in China - whereas Weber's are made stateside.

Regardless of the brand you end up with....the simple most important thing is BTU output. If you are going to grill premium steaks, you want that sucker as hot as you can get it (and not have to wait forever to get there). 700 degrees plus as a starting point for a 3 burner grill.

Good luck!

I have a 10 year old Vermont Castings with the rotisserie and it has been flawless.

Next up is a large Big Green Egg.

Another black-handed, wind-cursing charcoal enthusiast here, but I do believe gas has its merits. As others have noted, the speed and ease of a gas grill are unmatched. I also like to cook most fish over gas vs. charcoal, as it protects the delicate flavors of mild fish. There are exceptions to the rule; sockeye is delicious over charcoal, as is most any salmon/steelhead.

I don't currently own a Weber, but when I need a new grill, I will probably go for a low-end Weber, for the quality of the essential components. Most of what you pay for a grill over about $300 is for "features," some of which are nice, but none of which you need. As regards heat, I have yet to find a gas grill that won't get hot enough to get the job done, but then, I rarely cook steaks (or anything that requires high, searing heat) over gas. If you plan to do that, a few more BTUs may be required, and that will bring up the price. Bigger burners would also be nice when cooking for crowds, as they bring the heat back up quicker after repeated uncovering to turn/remove items.

What I really want is one of those Green Egg jobs. Now that's a BBQ! But I'm not likely to be able to justify the cost anytime soon.

Whatever you get, happy grilling!

If it doesn't have LED lit knobs I won't buy it....

Briquette Q's taste better but are not any fun to light in then middle of winter with a foot of snow on the ground and on a work night. Best saved for weekend grilling.Good luck,

SZ

I have both gas and charcoal. The gas is for grilling only and the barrel smoker is for BBQ only with the occasional special steak that I want flavored with hardwood.

In the barrel smoker, I ONLY use Cowboy Brand Lump Hardwood Charcoal (found at Home Depot, Lowe's etc) which is started in a tower charcoal starter w/ newspaper (never, ever use starting fluid unless you like the taste of gasoline). It takes 15 minutes to get the charcoal rolling in the tower and I can be laying down a thick smoke with fruit wood in 20 mins. Lump hardwood charcoal tastes much better and burns way hotter than briquettes (and it burns much faster too). This gives you a better sear on your steak.

What I'm saying is one of the main reasons folks stay away from charcoal is that they think it takes too long - when actually, with the right charcoal and a starting tower.....its takes roughly the same time as it does to heat up a gas grill....and the flavor is WAY better than with gas.

You can also cook Papa Murphys pizza on a Weber. I doubt charcoal will do that. Just remember to remove the paper tray. I have also done a cake in the Weber, just to see if it would work. It does quite well actually. I've done hams, roasts, just about anything that would use an oven can also be done in a Weber gas grill. We had a 30 day kitchen remodel a few years ago and the Weber did just about anything we needed while the kitchen was apart.

lol

Really?

You can have the coals ready in 3 minutes?

I can have the gas grill ready before you even have the coals in your tower to light.

old skool here--year round very often

If you want to smoke low/slow/accurately on a weber kettle, then ask for one of these for your next birthday:

http://store.thebbqguru.com/weborderentry/Party%20Q

They sell adapters (about $10) for many common setups including the basic weber kettles... You can put in a pile of charcoal + smoking wood, dial in a temperature, and you're solid for HOURS

I have the same Weber Summit Sky-Guy has. I bought it as a house warming gift to myself four years ago. It's sits year round on a covered porch and gets used as much if not more than you'll use yours. I haven't had to do anything but clean it. I also have a Weber Kettle for those times I want to charcoal grill a steak.

donno,

Thanks for your post. I never read what you say in entirety, I just look at the avatar.

U Know you want one beeyotch!

I hear ya Andy,mmmmdeerrr Bar-be-Huh-What?

One word.... WEBER!

Wow Dan - that's awesome! You have a super special grill that heats up from a cold zero to steak ready (+600 degrees) in 3 minutes? That's simply amazing! I just wish that my brand new 2 burner Weber had that same performance. Alas, I do have to wait about twenty minutes to get mine above 600. Maybe I should have bought the 3 burner. Yeah - that must be it.

Would you be so kind as to share the exact make and model of this nuclear weapon of grilling that you have?

LOL is right. Really.

Maybe you just shouldn't claim coals are as fast as gas when everyone knows they aren't.

i have a 4 burner cheapy Char Broil i could melt in 3 minutes if i kicked it on high from a cold start... i have had it pegged at 700 before, not such a good decision i would think tho... i dont do it often either..

I said "roughly the same time", which to me is about +/- 5 minutes. Sorry I was not more clear. Again, this estimate is for lump hardwood in a starting tower. I do concede that Kingsford style briquettes without a starting tower do take forever.

My bad - I was being an asshole.

I do that sometimes.

Me too and I would like to apologize to you for that.

"Like."

Now stop screwing up my BBQ thread.

this thread needs pictures

I prefer my girls dirty and my BBQ clean

salmo?

Is that you??

I can and do go old school at times.


Dessert too.

Note the premelt on the chocolate.

I have smokers, and will be building one this summer.

Stam--stay outa this!

Forget the BBQ just start fire's and burn shiit!!!

DanS???

I bought a Char-Broil stainless steel a few years back. What a mistake.
Why put non-stainless screws and nuts of a stainless BBQ?
The thing looked like a derelict rust bucket crab boat after a short time.

After using a few friends Weber BBQ's, that will be my next grill.

How to set stuff on fire is a valuable skill that every young lad should be taught.

I see Timber has the training in progress. He'll be setting things on fire all over the place soon.

A little diesel/stove oil in a garden sprayer really helps to get brush fires going. Don't use the fire for cooking though.

So you have your eye on a particular model Andy?

The 330 is looking like what I need.

For Grilling, BBQing or Rotisserie My favorite would have to be....................................wait for it........................................................wait for it........
My ex hot water tank and an old bed frame 10 years old and going strong . Just like an old whisky gets better with age.

Thank you,
I love my hillbilly redneck grill.
The bad thing is it is glass lined and a real bear to grind down on the inside to get a good weld.
The good thing is that is glass lined so holds the heat in and refuses to rust.
And yes it still heats any water in a pot you care to put on there.

My Dad also bought on of those cookers in Japan in 61 and shipped it back to his b-in-law. It still sits in the basement in Spokane at my cousins house in the original packing. My cousin would love to have me come get it. Way too heavy to get out of the basement, would have to hire someone to do it, and those older ones don't hold up well outside, from what I hear.

Yes it do!

Dan- He gets all the brush piles burnin' now... He is a great Pyromaniac!

For up-scale propane grills, compare a Lynx or FireMagic to most anything else.

For buy instead of build-your-own BBQ/smokers, take a gander at CookShack.

That is the dorkiest thing I've ever seen.

looks like a guy could wear it like a kilt.

Not real sure about the kilt idea might leave a little bit of your junk showing. Probably not a good way to impress guests.

I guess that would depend upon the guests...

Depends on your junk, too.

Fish on...

Todd

Seared junk.....

Consumer Reports just gave their highest marks to the Weber spirit sb 320 and the Vermont Castings Signature Series. But the Weber cost roughly half as much.

Thanks Dave

Stay the F**K away from the Vermont anything. Pure JUNK has been my experience.

Junk, Jewells? I say it depends on the man.

+1800 dollars I paid to replace my less than 5 year old Vermont Casting...
Didya Buy a new grill yet Andy?

Not yet, Ryley. Waiting until my current one craps out. Just wanted to get a sense of what was out there.

Better hurry, pretty soon BBQ season will be over for the pretenders and grills will go on sale.

Well, if your intention is to acquire a reduced cost BBQ, then wait.

resurrection of an old thread and a big thanks to SalmoG and the other purist out there that got me thinking...

Long story short, up until christmas this year I was a die hard gas grill guy... But I've converted to the darkside. the girlfriend bought me a nice weber smokey mountain smoker for christmas this year... (not sure if it was a present for me or for her, but I'm not complaining)



since christmas I've smoked porkbutt, ribs and this weekend I smoked a whole chicken!! Holy $hit best chicken I've ever had... moist, juicy, smokey and Delicious




I will still use the gas grill for the convenience of it when time is short, but the art of smoking low and slow is where its at!

That's not BBQ...that's direct grilling.
Fast, easy and flat learning curve....fits the American life style





They take stock pots (for center section) and convert those SJ's into mini WSM's.
Pretty cool conversion.
You'll find info in my link.



Those WSM's are great cookers !
So good they are used on the BBQ competition circuit.
I just bought an 18.5 today for a wedding gift, as a matter of fact.

The portal for WSM owners...
http://www.virtualweberbullet.com/

Convert your Weber kettle...
http://cajunbandit.com/

For Weber Kettle owners...
http://weberkettleclub.com/forums/

I dont think Andy would wear the vest...no holster.
Andy I just picked up a portable migwelder.( aint packin my shop one)
So I can come to you. I'm sure we can finda water heater something close. You will be grillin in no time
....Os

Make it look like this...
http://www.yodersmokers.com/wichita-loaded.html
...and then you'll have somethin'.


If you insist on grilling....
Why not Santa Maria style ?
http://www.santamariagrills.com/backyard.htm
I have a cord of ash that would be awesome on one of those.
The Santa Marians use red oak.