Propane grill recommendations ($200-$500 range)

[MartyMcFly3]

Any other thoughts/recommendations?

 

[Vdubchaos]

In your price range, you won't get anything that's not temporary and won't disintegrate in few years.

Unless you want a small/tiny Weber....

I only use Weber Charcoal kettles now.......dirt cheap ($50 to 80 bucks) and I already had it almost 10 years.....

But I don't mind putting little extra effort and do not need "fast/quick" connivance of instant heat.

I also like to smoke my meats and kettle does a perfect job. Little bit of effort saves a lot of money and goes a long way.

 

[Uppsala9496]

As others have mentioned, the warranty, build quality, and availability of spare parts are what separates a Weber from others. I used to go through a grill about once every 3 years. Crap would rust out or burners would fail. Bought a Weber Spirit 3 years ago an it looks brand new today.
I keep it outside (Chicago weather) and there is not a spec of rust or deterioration on it. The electric lighter still works perfectly (swapped out the battery once since i didn't want it to start corroding). The grates are rust free and look like they have only been used a few times.
Well worth the money I spent.

 

[Vdubchaos]

As others have mentioned, the warranty, build quality, and availability of spare parts are what separates a Weber from others. I used to go through a grill about once every 3 years. Crap would rust out or burners would fail. Bought a Weber Spirit 3 years ago an it looks brand new today.
I keep it outside (Chicago weather) and there is not a spec of rust or deterioration on it. The electric lighter still works perfectly (swapped out the battery once since i didn't want it to start corroding). The grates are rust free and look like they have only been used a few times.
Well worth the money I spent.

That's correct and I recommend above as well if you have a need for gas grill.

OP, spend more money and get a weber cause your range will only get you a tiny one.

Or go charcoal!

 

[WaTaGuMp]

Just say no to propane, grill for flavor baby, flavor.

 

[Uppsala9496]

Get the weber then get the char king kamado kooker. Menards should have it.
This way you can smoke or grill at high heat if you want a break from the propane.

That's my setup. Kamado as the smoker and occasionally use it for grilling meats when time permits.

 

[Sho'Nuff]

Weber spirit if it falls in that range.

QFT - great grill.

 

[NetWareHead]

For that kind of use, you may also want to consider the Weber Q series. If your local stores don't have one, you could order from Amazon.

I've used mine for the last five or ten years... Its not as big, or as shiny, as some grills that my friends have. But it does everything that I need.

I guess, I could call it the Occam's Razor of grills.

Best of luck,
Uno

I had a weber q series and I returned it. I foudn the grill did not get hot enough. The q series are fed with one of those 5 pound mini propane cylinders and the pressure is just not high enough to push out some good BTUs. Im a fan of sear and high temp grilling, not stewing the meat while waiting for it to get done. The only saving grace is that it has cast iron grills so if you let it pre-heat for long enough, you will get nice grill marks on your food. But understand that is the contact with cast iron doing that, not the contact with the flame or heat from combustion. I also didnt like that I had to change to a new cylinder seemingly every 2 weeks, there is just not much fuel in there. The grill I had only had 1 zone of cooking, I like grills where you can set different temps on each side. There is no side burner in the Q series unlike most full sized grills; perfect for frying/cooking messy/stinky foods.

All of this being said, I cant knock the Q series construction or its performance. Its still a weber and built nicely. As long as you understand how it differs from a full sized grill and dont expect to get the same performance out of a q series than a full sized grill. I am a weber fan and these grills are nicely built but not for me. If you do serious grilling and like high temp performance get a full sized grill. If you dont need that and want somethign that is also nicely portable, get the q-series grill.

 

[dullard]

Whatever grill you go with, consider the cast iron pan mentality: Never clean it.

Let layer after layer of meat juices and flavor build up on the grill rack. That will make it non-stick. And it will make a propane grill taste almost exactly like a charcoal grill. Sure, you have to overcome the "gross" factor. Just heat up your grill to a high temperature to make sure that everything is killed before and after the food touches it. You don't have to grill at a high temperature, just pre-warm it first.

 

[iRONic]

My weber is on year 7 or so. And looks new. It is stored outside in the winter.

There's a ~5 year-old Weber Genesis (propane) under that cover. No replacement parts yet.

 

[torpid]

Whatever grill you go with, consider the cast iron pan mentality: Never clean it.

Let layer after layer of meat juices and flavor build up on the grill rack. That will make it non-stick. And it will make a propane grill taste almost exactly like a charcoal grill. Sure, you have to overcome the "gross" factor. Just heat up your grill to a high temperature to make sure that everything is killed before and after the food touches it. You don't have to grill at a high temperature, just pre-warm it first.

Huh? Why would you not clean your cast iron pan? You should clean it after each use. Whether or not to use soap is controversial, but cleaning and scrubbing isn't.

 

[unokitty]

I had a weber q series and I returned it. I foudn the grill did not get hot enough. The q series are fed with one of those 5 pound mini propane cylinders and the pressure is just not high enough to push out some good BTUs. Im a fan of sear and high temp grilling, not stewing the meat while waiting for it to get done. The only saving grace is that it has cast iron grills so if you let it pre-heat for long enough, you will get nice grill marks on your food. But understand that is the contact with cast iron doing that, not the contact with the flame or heat from combustion. I also didnt like that I had to change to a new cylinder seemingly every 2 weeks, there is just not much fuel in there. The grill I had only had 1 zone of cooking, I like grills where you can set different temps on each side. There is no side burner in the Q series unlike most full sized grills; perfect for frying/cooking messy/stinky foods.

All of this being said, I cant knock the Q series construction or its performance. Its still a weber and built nicely. As long as you understand how it differs from a full sized grill and dont expect to get the same performance out of a q series than a full sized grill. I am a weber fan and these grills are nicely built but not for me. If you do serious grilling and like high temp performance get a full sized grill. If you dont need that and want somethign that is also nicely portable, get the q-series grill.

I hear you about the small cylinders. That's why I got the adaptor for the normal size bottles....

Q-series doesn't do everything that the larger, more expensive, grills do .... But it does everything that I want. When I want to grill a whole turkey, I use my 700 series charcoal grill anyway.

Uno

 

[Vdubchaos]

Huh? Why would you not clean your cast iron pan? You should clean it after each use. Whether or not to use soap is controversial, but cleaning and scrubbing isn't.

You have a LOT to learn my friend

 

[WilliamM2]

I recommend Broil-Mate. Made in Canada. My previous one lasted 19 years, only replacing the cooking grid once. Probably would have gone 20 more with a new grid and burner. Current one is 4 years old and looks brand new. I prefer the cast aluminum ones, they don't rust.

http://www.broilmatebbq.com/series.php

 

[Ban Bot]

I have owned 2 Q grills. First one last 9 years. The new one has porcelain impregnated cast iron and food rarely sticks. Love the grill and mobility.

Some caveats. The "loop" in the cast iron grate makes it difficult to clean thoroughly after burgers. I end up using old socks with holes (just wet it down well) on the preheated grill to soak up any nasty grease.

The other is burgers are better on gas grills with flavor bars. The Q lacks these and you don't really get to appreciate as strong of a smoky open flame burger taste. The burgers are passable--but have fantastic grill marks. Grill chicken breast and steaks on the other hand are fantastic as it is designed perfectly as it grills/bakes at the same time due to design. Just make sure to get a hose adapter and 20# tank.

 

[BoomerD]

My weber is on year 7 or so. And looks new. It is stored outside in the winter.

We have a Weber Genesis Silver that we got as a "scratch and dent" at Home Depot in 2004 or 2005. GREAT grille. Had some issues with it, (bottom box got too hot and warped...(left it on high TOO long...my fault) Contacted Weber, they replaced almost every component in the grille at no cost to me.

 

[Uppsala9496]

OP - too bad weber doesn't do any of their factory sales. They are in Palatine right next to the Meijer in Rolling Meadows (and across the side street from the unemployment office).

 

[Number1]

Just got this 2 weeks ago and I am extremely happy with it. Best BBQ I have ever owned.

http://www.homehardware.ca/en/rec/i...Propane-Barbeque/_/N-ntldk/Ne-m3r5/R-I6421149

 

[NetWareHead]

Huh? Why would you not clean your cast iron pan? You should clean it after each use. Whether or not to use soap is controversial, but cleaning and scrubbing isn't.

I scrub my cast iron pans with a dish brush to knock off the food. Same with a grill brush on my grill. Both of them never see any soap. A quick sterilization cycle with high heat to kill the bacteria and ready to use. Letting the oils from each cooking get baked on and form part of the seasoning is the goal.

 

[NetWareHead]

I hear you about the small cylinders. That's why I got the adaptor for the normal size bottles....

Q-series doesn't do everything that the larger, more expensive, grills do .... But it does everything that I want. When I want to grill a whole turkey, I use my 700 series charcoal grill anyway.

Uno

I thought about putting one of those on as well but decided against it and just returned the grill. At first I reasoned that the greater volume of propane in a 20 pound cylinder would lead to more flame and greater temps. Then I remembered there is a propane gas pressure regulator on the grill and performance would be the same.

 

[Vdubchaos]

Just got this 2 weeks ago and I am extremely happy with it. Best BBQ I have ever owned.

:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:

 

[torpid]

I scrub my cast iron pans with a dish brush to knock off the food. Same with a grill brush on my grill. Both of them never see any soap. A quick sterilization cycle with high heat to kill the bacteria and ready to use. Letting the oils from each cooking get baked on and form part of the seasoning is the goal.

Right. This is what I do as well. In other words, I clean it. Who would leave crusty food bits in their cast iron pan? Makes no sense.

Furthermore, I do not blame people who use dish soap once in a while because if it is properly seasoned it is most likely perfectly fine because of polymerization and what not.

 

[drebo]

Actually, what do you want to cook on it? If you want a traditional grill, then I would definitely consider a pellet grill. Same concept as a convection oven, but with smoke. I have the older version of this model:

http://www.amazon.com/Traeger-Pellet-Grills-BBQ155-01-19-5K/dp/B00M0Z04C2

You have to buy food-grade pellets (the one for home heating has chemicals in it). Food tastes AMAZING off it, and because it's electric, it's as easy to operate as an oven...except that you can use it as a smoker, too. My go-to recipe is pork top loin (the short fat cut for cheap)...smoke for 3.5 hours at 180F, then cook for 30 minutes at 350F or until it reaches at least 145F internally. Comes out like bacon steak, it's amazing :wub:

This, except don't waste money on a Traeger. Buy a Green Mountain Grill instead.

And QPellets are the best pellets for pellet smokers. They burn hotter and longer than the Traeger brand pellets...which is good for two reasons: 1) you can use your smoker more like a traditional BBQ (my GMG will hit 500 degrees without issue,) and 2) longer smokes (12 hour turkey, 8 hour brisket, etc) takes significantly less pellets, which means less refills which means much easier. Plus, they taste better, imo.

So yeah. Pellet grills ftw.

 

[klod]

Any other thoughts/recommendations?

My wife bought me a Ducane Affinity for Father's Day two years ago. It's been a great grill.

 

[Don Vito Corleone]

This, except don't waste money on a Traeger. Buy a Green Mountain Grill instead.

And QPellets are the best pellets for pellet smokers. They burn hotter and longer than the Traeger brand pellets...which is good for two reasons: 1) you can use your smoker more like a traditional BBQ (my GMG will hit 500 degrees without issue,) and 2) longer smokes (12 hour turkey, 8 hour brisket, etc) takes significantly less pellets, which means less refills which means much easier. Plus, they taste better, imo.

So yeah. Pellet grills ftw.

I have been shopping for a pellet grill for my new house and I'm pretty much sold on a Yoder YS640. I close on the house on June 15 and hope to be grilling on June 20!