Gas Grilling 101: How not to burn your house down

[MrSquished]

The problem with cold weather and propane is that propane is a liquid and must evaporate into a gas before it can be used. The surface area of the top of the tank and the temperature control how fast evaporation occurs. At low temps if you don't have "enough tank" you run out of fuel, (even though you have fuel, you can't access it).

When outdoor temps get so cold there's always a number of people with useless propane equipment that can't get heat because they either undersized the tank, or cooled it too fast with the cooking demand and lost vapor pressure when they needed it most.

You had bigger than normal tanks than what people typically use so they could flow propane in cold weather. I have a 225K BTU propane burner and even in the hot summer temps, I can not run the burner at full blast off of a 20 lb tank. Too much propane is drained, the tank frosts over and then stops flowing. I'm looking for a 40 pound or bigger tank.

interesting. so maybe it is tank size. that makes more sense.

yes we rolled with 40lb tanks. never had a problem once starting and we were out in weather in the single digits.

 

[Kaido]

If you're a Sam's Club member, they had a massive open grill called an "event grill" for $399 the last time I was there:

http://www.samsclub.com/sams/event-grill/prod10840020.ip

* 8 burners
* 116,000 BTU's (20k BTU's per burner)
* Coleman-style windscreens on all 3 sides
* Cooks up to 65 burgers (or 126 hotdogs) at once
* Folds up & fits into a standard 6' truck bed
* Includes grill cover
* Takes two 20-pound tanks (left & right side)

This is pretty awesome because most event grills I've seen are like $3k - $4k for similar designs. Home Depot has a smaller 6-burner model for $299:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/RiverGri...vent-Propane-Gas-Grill-GR2045401-RG/206291267

 

[Kaido]

6-year update!

First, I got rid of the original grill from the OP several years ago. It did not last very long; the performance was weak & it got weaker as time went on, but it did what I wanted it to do at the time! When I moved, I donated it to a friend who beefed it up a bit & is still using it to this day, so at least it's still put to good use! Also, the difference from going from a $130 grill to my current $200 grill is enormous. My advice is to spend the extra bucks & get a better grill, lol. But, you also don't need to spend $700+ on a grill (unless you want to), because my new one is the bomb dot com for less than half that price!

Second, my current living location recently banned charcoal due to fire issues, which stinks because I love charcoal & still have 8 months left on my contract. I did a bunch of research & ended up picking up this bad boy:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Nexgril...-Burner-and-Black-Cabinet-720-0888N/300025261

Summary:

* $199
* Well-reviewed
* Hits 700F (first thing I tested!)
* 5 propane burners inside, plus a side burner
* Pushbutton electric ignition (via AA battery, included)
* Super easy to build (although they'll build it for you for free, if you want them to)

Notes:

* I was planning on saving up for a Weber, but they felt unbelievable cheap at the store, especially for the asking price. Not at all like the heavy-duty stuff they used to make!
* The Nexgrill didn't have as good build quality, but I actually liked the hood better than the Weber. One online test I saw also had it beat out a lot of other grills for even heating (almost no hotspots, based on FLIR pictures) & getting hot fast.
* I cook year-round (even in the snow) & picked up a heavy-duty weather cover for it (also available at Home Depot)
* It has a nice little hole for the propane tank to sit in, along with a screw to keep it steady, and a screwed-in loop for the propane hose to hang from, so you can move it around easily & keep the tank & hose steady underneath the grill
* I plan on primarily using this to finish sous-vide dishes & for basic stuff like honey mustard chicken tenderloins that are quick to cook by themselves
* I also plan on using this for pizza with my Baking Steel (I make a lot of pizza)
* I'll probably pick up some Grill Grates & a Fireboard down the road to pimp it out a bit

I'm still not a big fan of propane grills (because I love how charcoal cooks & the flavor you get from it), but Convenience is King! I can walk out, turn it on, and start cooking extremely quickly. It preheats way faster than my traditional indoor electric oven does as well, and keeps the heat out of the kitchen. So far, I am very happy with this purchase, especially because the 4-burner Weber Genesis II is literally a thousand dollars at Home Depot & had a surprisingly cheap-feeling hood. Not to mention I like the stock grill grates on the Nexgrill a lot better! Anyway, for $200 (with free assembly, if desired), I give this grill a 10/10.

 

[lxskllr]

I have a hibachi I found in the trash.

Pros - It was free!
Cons - It's kinda small

I like it

 

[ponyo]

Last couple of years, I switched back to charcoal grills from gas. I still have my Weber Genesis S-330 propane grill but I think I used it like twice in the past 3 years or so. I'm heavy into BBQ now so flavor trumps convenience for me. Sure, charcoal smells and takes longer than gas but I enjoy the flavor more and enjoy the whole grilling and smoking aspect. It's a hobby for me now. My Weber 22" charcoal kettle is still going strong. I think my kettle is like 21 years old now. It's indestructible and not even the sun and the elements can damage it.

I picked up Pit Boss 5 series vertical pellet smoker from Walmart couple days ago for clearance price of $109. It normally goes for $446. I have more than dozen grills and smokers so I didn't need it but I wanted to try pellet smoker. This is cheap way for me to see if I like pellet cooking and if I do, I might buy Mak 2 Star pellet grill later on.

 

[Mayne]

my uncle actually burnt his house down..it was on the news lol. Don't bbq ribs next to your house.

 

[Kaido]

Last couple of years, I switched back to charcoal grills from gas. I still have my Weber Genesis S-330 propane grill but I think I used it like twice in the past 3 years or so. I'm heavy into BBQ now so flavor trumps convenience for me. Sure, charcoal smells and takes longer than gas but I enjoy the flavor more and enjoy the whole grilling and smoking aspect. It's a hobby for me now. My Weber 22" charcoal kettle is still going strong. I think my kettle is like 21 years old now. It's indestructible and not even the sun and the elements can damage it.

I picked up Pit Boss 5 series vertical pellet smoker from Walmart couple days ago for clearance price of $109. It normally goes for $446. I have more than dozen grills and smokers so I didn't need it but I wanted to try pellet smoker. This is cheap way for me to see if I like pellet cooking and if I do, I might buy Mak 2 Star pellet grill later on.

I'm a huge fan of pellet smoking. I bought a baby Traeger a year after I originally made this post. It's basically like sous vide, but for smoke...amazing, consistent results every time!

Also I don't know if you like desserts, but maple-bacon chocolate-chips cookies & apple pie are both excellent choices for smoking! (my Traeger has a digital controller, which lets me set the temperature like an oven, so baking is actually pretty easy)

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

6-year update!

First, I got rid of the original grill from the OP several years ago. It did not last very long; the performance was weak & it got weaker as time went on, but it did what I wanted it to do at the time! When I moved, I donated it to a friend who beefed it up a bit & is still using it to this day, so at least it's still put to good use! Also, the difference from going from a $130 grill to my current $200 grill is enormous. My advice is to spend the extra bucks & get a better grill, lol. But, you also don't need to spend $700+ on a grill (unless you want to), because my new one is the bomb dot com for less than half that price!

Second, my current living location recently banned charcoal due to fire issues, which stinks because I love charcoal & still have 8 months left on my contract. I did a bunch of research & ended up picking up this bad boy:

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Nexgril...-Burner-and-Black-Cabinet-720-0888N/300025261

Summary:

* $199
* Well-reviewed
* Hits 700F (first thing I tested!)
* 5 propane burners inside, plus a side burner
* Pushbutton electric ignition (via AA battery, included)
* Super easy to build (although they'll build it for you for free, if you want them to)

Notes:

* I was planning on saving up for a Weber, but they felt unbelievable cheap at the store, especially for the asking price. Not at all like the heavy-duty stuff they used to make!
* The Nexgrill didn't have as good build quality, but I actually liked the hood better than the Weber. One online test I saw also had it beat out a lot of other grills for even heating (almost no hotspots, based on FLIR pictures) & getting hot fast.
* I cook year-round (even in the snow) & picked up a heavy-duty weather cover for it (also available at Home Depot)
* It has a nice little hole for the propane tank to sit in, along with a screw to keep it steady, and a screwed-in loop for the propane hose to hang from, so you can move it around easily & keep the tank & hose steady underneath the grill
* I plan on primarily using this to finish sous-vide dishes & for basic stuff like honey mustard chicken tenderloins that are quick to cook by themselves
* I also plan on using this for pizza with my Baking Steel (I make a lot of pizza)
* I'll probably pick up some Grill Grates & a Fireboard down the road to pimp it out a bit

I'm still not a big fan of propane grills (because I love how charcoal cooks & the flavor you get from it), but Convenience is King! I can walk out, turn it on, and start cooking extremely quickly. It preheats way faster than my traditional indoor electric oven does as well, and keeps the heat out of the kitchen. So far, I am very happy with this purchase, especially because the 4-burner Weber Genesis II is literally a thousand dollars at Home Depot & had a surprisingly cheap-feeling hood. Not to mention I like the stock grill grates on the Nexgrill a lot better! Anyway, for $200 (with free assembly, if desired), I give this grill a 10/10.

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I learned this from my first grill - Either put down some decent cash for a grill - or prepare to replace it every 2-3 years. Doesn't matter how nice you think it is when you buy it - the question is simply if it will rust and how long.

I plan to stick with Weber since they have warranties -and if any parts actually do rust then I can just buy replacements.

 

[BoomerD]

We’re retiring our 15+ year old Weber Genesis. It still works hella fucking well...”rebuilt” the firebox 6years ago, mostly with free parts from Weber under warranty, but leaving it uncovered during the winter here has taken a toll on the cart portion. It’s rusting away...and starting to fall apart.

I picked up a small-ish Broil King gas grill at Lowes in the after-Xmas sales. Rated VERY highly, made in the USA, and warrantied fairly well. Since it’s just the two of us 90%of the time, we don’t need a grill that’s large enough to cook for the entire Steelers team at once...(Home Depot had such a Weber grill on sale at an attractive price, but I passed)

 

[Kaido]

We’re retiring our 15+ year old Weber Genesis. It still works hella fucking well...”rebuilt” the firebox 6years ago, mostly with free parts from Weber under warranty, but leaving it uncovered during the winter here has taken a toll on the cart portion. It’s rusting away...and starting to fall apart.

I picked up a small-ish Broil King gas grill at Lowes in the after-Xmas sales. Rated VERY highly, made in the USA, and warrantied fairly well. Since it’s just the two of us 90%of the time, we don’t need a grill that’s large enough to cook for the entire Steelers team at once...(Home Depot had such a Weber grill on sale at an attractive price, but I passed)

Congrats on the new toy!! iirc, both Broil King & Nexgrill were both surprisingly highly-rated.

I kind of went the same route...I felt like the 5-burner size was the perfect size for me. Big enough that things wouldn't dry out & so that I could do large-ish cooks for big pieces of meat & pizza & whatnot, but small enough to heat up quickly. They have grills the size of my car these days, so unless you're constantly cooking for a crowd or doing meal prep, a more normal size is a pretty good choice, haha!

 

[spacejamz]

My "around" 10 year old POS Uniflame charcoal grill from walmart is still going strong (she has seen much better days though)...I just grilled 10 ribeyes on her for the KC/Pats game last weekend... I use an electric starter for my charcoals so it takes 20 minutes (10 minutes plugged in and 10 more for the charcoals to be nice and gray) to cook...It gets used about 8-10 times a year.

 

[BUTCH1]

We’re retiring our 15+ year old Weber Genesis. It still works hella fucking well...”rebuilt” the firebox 6years ago, mostly with free parts from Weber under warranty, but leaving it uncovered during the winter here has taken a toll on the cart portion. It’s rusting away...and starting to fall apart.

I picked up a small-ish Broil King gas grill at Lowes in the after-Xmas sales. Rated VERY highly, made in the USA, and warrantied fairly well. Since it’s just the two of us 90%of the time, we don’t need a grill that’s large enough to cook for the entire Steelers team at once...(Home Depot had such a Weber grill on sale at an attractive price, but I passed)

I'm still using a Genesis, I have to replace the flavorizer bars and cooking grates on occasion, but that's it. The big thing, (IMO) is the burners, Weber's just last and last. Prior I had a Vermont casting's grill and under warranty I replaced the burner 3 times, first S. steel, then cast iron, and finally bronze. All of them failed.

 

[Kaido]

I learned this from my first grill - Either put down some decent cash for a grill - or prepare to replace it every 2-3 years. Doesn't matter how nice you think it is when you buy it - the question is simply if it will rust and how long.

I plan to stick with Weber since they have warranties -and if any parts actually do rust then I can just buy replacements.

Yeah...everything wears down eventually! I figure at this rate though, even if I only get a mere two years out of this grill, the 4-burner Weber (base model) was $999 and this was $199, so I can stretch that out over 10 years for the same cost. I do have a weather-proof cover, but it is also semi-humid where I live & I'll be keeping the grill outdoors 24/7, so I'd imagine that rust will start hitting it hard within a few years. Time will tell! I typically grill outdoors at least twice a week, probably more now that I have a decent gas grill that I can get started quickly, so it will definitely be put to good use!

 

[Kaido]

Haha, oh man, I forgot that the Internet archives everything. Here's my original thread from 2007 - the very first time I ever grilled a burger: (using a charcoal grill!)

https://forums.anandtech.com/threads/whoohoo-grilled-my-first-burgers.55115/

I had only done George Foreman burgers before (which was better than nothing!). My family wasn't into grilling growing up & we never had an outdoor grill, charcoal, propane, or otherwise, so I had to learn everything from scratch. Ah man, now I miss iamwiz82 & LolaWiz! Wonder what they're up to these days...

Man, that was 12 years ago! I've gotten pretty decent at cooking & grilling since then...smoking, grilling, electric pressure-cooking, sous-viding (special thanks to Hayabusa Rider for posting the thread that got me into that magical wonderland! dang...6 years ago for that thread!), amazing homemade pizza, fantastic homemade bread (while we made homemade bread growing up, I really didn't get much into it until RideFree posted his 11-cent bread recipe, and then later a friend introduced me to the no-knead technique), etc.

 

[ponyo]

Yeah...everything wears down eventually! I figure at this rate though, even if I only get a mere two years out of this grill, the 4-burner Weber (base model) was $999 and this was $199, so I can stretch that out over 10 years for the same cost. I do have a weather-proof cover, but it is also semi-humid where I live & I'll be keeping the grill outdoors 24/7, so I'd imagine that rust will start hitting it hard within a few years. Time will tell! I typically grill outdoors at least twice a week, probably more now that I have a decent gas grill that I can get started quickly, so it will definitely be put to good use!

Pretty much anything with electronics will fail. The igniter on my Weber Genesis S-330 recently failed so I ordered replacement part for $30. I haven't gotten around to installing it yet but it's simple swap. FYI, new Weber gas grills now come with 10 year warranty on all parts. That's pretty impressive. My Weber Genesis is older one with different and shorter warranty.

Most of the time I would say you get what you pay for. But you can get a steal of deal on grills if you wait for clearance deals. I own more than dozen grills and smokers and every single one was bought on huge discount up to 80% off. There are clearance deals right now on all kinds of grills and smokers at select Walmart locations. Just use Brickseek to see if your Walmart is clearing out grilling items. That's how I scored the $109 Pit Boss Copperhead 5 pellet smoker this week.