You'd think this shit would be simple... I'm planning to pony up for a decent one with at least 4 burner + a side burner and a conversion kit for natural gas hookup. I'm leaning towards a Char-Broil one kinda like this right now for price + the features I want....


http://www.lowes.com/pd_314400-82210-463257010_4294857754+9_44?productId=3110359&pl=1¤tURL=/pl_$300%2Bor%2Bless_4294857754%209_44_


but for like a 100 more I can get a grill with this "infrared" technology that the manufacturers claim will sear food better and seal in juices and what not. (Shit also looks like it would be an epic pain in the ass to clean) I can't really find much about this stuff except marketing jizz and anecdotal type claims. Anybody have experience with one of these?

Also, if not infrared...is there anything people would recommend as far as burner setups and porcelain vs cast iron vs stainless steel grilling grates?

6/12/2010 10:38:38 PM

My Char-Broil likes to flame up alot. I like to cook my steaks as hot as I can. I cannot turn mine on high, throw steaks on it and walk away for 4 minutes. If I do, the steaks will be on literally be on fire when I get back. I will never buy another Char-Broil again.

6/12/2010 10:48:15 PM

I've always been recommended Webber... You pay more, but they're more durable and last longer than any other grill... At least, that's the testimony I've recieved from 3 friends who all have Webbers...

As for the material, Porcelain will crack and wear. Not a very durable material (cheap). Cast Iron will have issues with rust... I can't comment on SS, but I imagine its the best of the options avail. I mean, I'd personally get a titanium grate, but I don't think that's offered and even so, that's some $Texas.

[Edited on June 12, 2010 at 10:54 PM. Reason : .]

6/12/2010 10:51:09 PM

^^ hmm thanks for that comment, I googled up char-broil issues and apparently they don't have the best reputation. I'm gonna re-think the char-broil option

^ Yeah, I REALLY want a weber, but I think a 4 burner+side burner Weber will cost like 1000 bucks.

6/12/2010 10:58:05 PM

I bought this grill at lowes:

http://www.chargriller.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=21&products_id=29&osCsid=54f1517e016e73a75576a0ac5dfc8771

I think its one of the best grills ive ever owned.

6/12/2010 11:01:55 PM

infrared is pretty cool and can def help sear a steak.. but i'd really say it depends on how much you'll actually use it. if you're going to be grilling once or twice a week at least during the summer then you might as well get the better one. if you use it twice a year then just buy a cheap one

6/13/2010 10:07:53 AM

I'm gonna second the Webber recomendation. I have had a couple of the charbroil or lowes/home depot house special and they work great the first season, then they inevitably rust out and turn to shit.

I ended up upgrading to a webber, and although it only has 2 burners and no side burner (compared to my last charbroil grill that had 3 burners and a side burner), it cooks better and you can tell the parts and construction are just better quality.

6/13/2010 10:54:04 AM

my dad has an infrared grill and he hates it. says it's way too hot and ends up burning more than searing.

6/13/2010 12:33:11 PM

Both my dad and my aunt have Charmglow stainless grills, and both have been quite happy with them. Can't offer any input on infrared though.

6/13/2010 3:02:22 PM

infrared is gimmicky as hell to me.

the weber genesis is like my dream grill, but i can't justify the cash right now.

My 5 year old charbroil 3 burner does fine for now. the main thing that really sucks about them is the unevenness of heat, but once you know where your hot and cool spots are, there's no big problem.

6/13/2010 5:11:42 PM

Quote :

"my dad has an infrared grill and he hates it. says it's way too hot and ends up burning more than searing."

yeah they're hard as hell to use.. i got my dad one for christmas one year. you pretty much have to use a timer religiously with it and i just sear steaks with it then put them on a regular grill to finish them

6/13/2010 5:22:56 PM

Quote :

"i just sear steaks with it then put them on a regular grill to finish them"

That's exactly how infrared is supposed to used. Most restaurants, steakhouses/etc have been using infrared for years . . . . it sears and puts grill marks on steaks, then they toss them in the oven for X minutes until your desired doneness. Infrared isn't used to actually cook things, just to get an instant sear the outside of the meat. Then you can finish the cooking over slower heat where you'll get more control and a better internal doneness profile (especially if you like rare/medium rare), and your steak keeps all the juices instead of having them drip out everywhere.

6/15/2010 12:00:08 AM

i don't need a special grill to get any of those characteristics in my steak

6/15/2010 11:14:26 AM

I have a genesis by weber and like it a lot.

6/15/2010 11:22:49 AM

You can always sear it in a pan as part of your pre-grill prep work if that's what you're after. I don't think I'd spend money on a separate grill just for that.

6/15/2010 11:28:51 AM

I think I've nearly talked myself into the Weber, probably a black Genesis E-320.

6/15/2010 6:30:36 PM

between my best friends infrared grill and my brother in laws infrared grill i have cooked steaks, chicken, kabobs, burgers and dogs. I have never noticed any of the things yall are talking about infrared. Just keep the heat low.

[Edited on June 15, 2010 at 6:57 PM. Reason : n]

6/15/2010 6:55:00 PM

Quote :

"^ Yeah, I REALLY want a weber, but I think a 4 burner+side burner Weber will cost like 1000 bucks."

I have a Weber Genesis Silver B 3-burner natural gas model sitting in my garage waiting for me to post it on C/L. The grill is in great shape. Although they don't have to be replaced right now, if you were to replace the flavorizer bars and cooking grids it would be perfect (~$100). I was planning on putting it on C/L for $200 but I'll let it go for $150 just for the time savings. I'm at work right now but I can post pictures of it tomorrow if you're interested.

[Edited on June 15, 2010 at 8:55 PM. Reason : -]

6/15/2010 8:54:47 PM

My poor grill is beginning to look pretty bad but its getting really well seasoned for a propane unit.

6/15/2010 9:00:22 PM

I've got the Char Broil infrared and it does get hot as shit, but you just have to keep on eye on it.

6/15/2010 9:39:52 PM

^^^ hmm, I might be interested, but I'm in Charlotte...so transporting it might be an issue.

6/15/2010 10:15:47 PM

I am actually heading to Lake Powell this weekend. I can post some pics of it and if you decide you want it I'll throw it in the back of the truck and bring it with me.

6/16/2010 9:19:03 AM

^*edit* don't know why i said lake powell. i was at lake wylie all weekend. don't know where i got powell from.

6/20/2010 5:51:38 PM

Quote :

"My Char-Broil likes to flame up alot. I like to cook my steaks as hot as I can. I cannot turn mine on high, throw steaks on it and walk away for 4 minutes. If I do, the steaks will be on literally be on fire when I get back. I will never buy another Char-Broil again."

clean that shit.

6/20/2010 7:03:19 PM

^^ I decided I'm gonna go ahead and buy a new one. And keep it for life (hopefully).

6/20/2010 9:24:35 PM

http://www.tecinfrared.com/sterling_g_fr.php

i have this and i challenge bobby flay any day. this grill has elevated my game. i can make turkey burgers juicy, i can make steaks melt in your mouth, and chicken that is never dry. before i could not do anything but fuck up meat on the grill. infrared is all i will ever have again. i will post a pic of my set up tomorrow.

6/20/2010 10:38:27 PM

It's not the grill, it's how you use it

6/21/2010 3:26:42 AM

^i'll be damned. i won a brinkmann 5-burner in a raffle and that pos sets everything on fire even on low if food is placed directly over a lit burner. i have to turn a burner completely off to not burn the food. i should sell that thing and keep the weber.

6/21/2010 9:28:53 PM

no no no no sell me the weber

6/21/2010 10:33:49 PM

my neighbor has a webber and i am in love with his grill. the best thing about the webber, other then the build quality, is how even the cooking area it. its perfect corner to corner. if you can't grill perfect steaks on a webber then you should just quit.

6/22/2010 11:48:13 AM

I too have been looking for a new grill and I think the Big green Egg is going to be my next grill. Not the biggest but the best temp control out there in a charcoal grill.



[Edited on June 23, 2010 at 7:32 PM. Reason : n]

6/23/2010 7:31:39 PM

^Look at Primo. BGE has the name but Primo is a better value. Price is slightly better, made in the US, better layout/sizes, & slightly better construction.

6/23/2010 8:25:26 PM

Ill check that out! There is a place here that has one that has a nicks and what not they said they would let it got for 600 they retail for 750 plus.. Ill look into that tho! Thanks

6/23/2010 8:30:20 PM

I could never spend that much on a charcoal grill. I'm too good with a $30 one from Wal-Mart. You just have to make sure you get one with front and rear vents in addition to the top and bottom vents. A lot of them are lacking in the front and rear vents which can really mess up your ability to regulate the temperature. After that it's just a matter of making sure you don't overload it with too much charcoal.

6/24/2010 11:16:54 AM

BGE, Primo, & other Kamados are not just charcoal grills. You can grill, smoke, bake, etc. with them. Primos will let you split the grill up so that you're searing steaks on one side & roasting pork on the other. Charcoal will typically last a lot longer. The grills themselves will last many many times longer than cheap grills.

Plus pretty much anybody that's serious about grilling does it on something a bit nicer than a $30 grill from Wal-Mart. No offense but you really can't begin to compare the two. It's kinda like saying who needs a fridge when I have this awesome roll-around cooler.

6/24/2010 8:26:43 PM

thanks for the laugh grill nerd

[Edited on June 24, 2010 at 9:45 PM. Reason : youll fucking starve when the apocalypse comes!]

6/24/2010 9:45:09 PM

Quote :

"Plus pretty much anybody that's serious about grilling does it on something a bit nicer than a $30 grill from Wal-Mart. No offense but you really can't begin to compare the two. It's kinda like saying who needs a fridge when I have this awesome roll-around cooler."

I don't know. I have a decently expensive gas grill from Home Depot that I use as my daily driver, but when I want good food I break out the $30 charcoal grill with Kingsford Mesquite charcoals. She does a pretty good job and kills my gas grill in terms of flavor. You just gotta have the top, bottom, front & rear vents + a little skill IMO.

6/24/2010 10:37:04 PM

^^ Wow, that's incredibly retarded. My company carries them fucktard, you tend to learn a lot that way. I use a gas Weber. And wow, I'll starve when the apocalypse rolls around because you think I have a nice grill? Awesome logic there rainman.

^ No, I'm not talking about normal people like us. I'm talking about the crazy fuckers that have 2 Webers, 2 BGEs, and a few other things as well whose life revolves around grilling. Some of our customers scare me. As far as the comparison, I too can make some great food on a cheap charcoal grill. You still can't compare it to a top of the line Kamado though. They're just different in capabilities. It's like a 458 Italia compared to a used 996 Porsche or something. The driver makes a huge difference but the more expensive machine is definitely more capable (even though it's way too much money).

6/25/2010 8:21:15 AM

The gas man came and finished hooking up my grill yesterday (the new line set me back $412 including the inspection ). But I cooked my first t-bone last night and it was fucking delicious and worth every penny. I'm slow cooking some baby back ribs on there right now. I'm gonna get every cent worth outa this grill .

7/10/2010 5:02:03 PM