I need me a new BBQ

[bubbsy]

i was in the same predicament last year.

Couldn't afford the weber with other summer home expenses. Went with a mid level Broil King. So far so good, have thoroughly enjoyed it so far.

[GoinAllTheWay]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

As a cheap #######, I'd say you picked the wrong time to be BBQ shoping. If you are cheap like me, I'd hold out for when they are 40% off in the first week of August.

Ya, I know. I HATE buying things like this in season. Kept meaning to buy one all winter and as usual, got lazy and now I'll be paying premium. Beats going the summer without a BBQ though. Our current one is in such bad shape I'm a little worried about even using it. Even if it's safe, the grill is breaking up badly as are the burner deflectors so wildly uneven heat and possible grill bits in our food.

[Robbob]

Originally Posted by Fighting Banana Slug

+1 for the Napoleon and BBQs Galore. They have a wide range of prices/quality (although likely more than the real flimsy $100 Canadian tire specials).

I got a Napoleon a couple years ago and love it. One thing to know about Napoleon grill in that some of the lower end ones are made in China as FBS mentioned. I also love BBQs Galore.

[GoinAllTheWay]

Charcoal isn't something I had considered. I like the sounds of it and my brother swears by his but how much more work are they?

[malcolmk14]

I have this beast, it's amazing.

http://www.napoleongrills.com/grills...d-side-burners

[GoinAllTheWay]

That's another one I've been meaning to look into. WTH is an infrared burner??

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

If you spend a couple of weeks checking kijiji you can usually get a Weber Genesis (from the last 5 years) for under $500. That's what I did - a couple came up over the span of about 2 weeks, eventually was quick enough on the draw, spent $350 and never looked back.

[cDnStealth]

The old adage of you get what you pay for rings true. Back when I was a student I use to assemble BBQs in my part time job and you can tell right away why the cheap ones are cheap. They're full of terrible quality parts and made of flimsy materials. You don't have to spend a $1000 to get a decent BBQ but if you're planning on using it often then you should probably invest in a nice one. I BBQ all year round, almost every day of the week. I have a Weber Genesis E-310 and love it.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by cDnStealth

The old adage of you get what you pay for rings true. Back when I was a student I use to assemble BBQs in my part time job and you can tell right away why the cheap ones are cheap. They're full of terrible quality parts and made of flimsy materials. You don't have to spend a $1000 to get a decent BBQ but if you're planning on using it often then you should probably invest in a nice one. I BBQ all year round, almost every day of the week. I have a Weber Genesis E-310 and love it.

Ya, I had done the same. There was one oddly fantastic one at Walmart that I knew I wanted, but I was poor. I watched it drop price a few times, and when there was one left in mid August I got it for half price. It was about the only good BBQ I had assembled at Walmart and Zellers. Some unknown brand(probably re-badged). Still have it, 13 years later!

[mrkajz44]

Originally Posted by GoinAllTheWay

Charcoal isn't something I had considered. I like the sounds of it and my brother swears by his but how much more work are they?

I'd like to say "not too much", but in reality they are quite a bit more effort. And this is coming from someone who grills with charcoal exclusively.

For starters, you need to make sure you budget enough time to get the coals hot, which is usually 20-30 minutes or so, depending on how much you are cooking. Also, getting the charcoal ready takes a few extra steps then gas as you can't just push a button or two to get the thing going. That's probably around 5 minutes or so too.

Afterwards, you'll have to wait for the charcoal to die, and then do a quick cleanup on the grill. Not a hard step, but you usually have to wait around an hour or so for the coals to die and the grill to be cold before you do the final clean and cover.

Charcoal is also pretty messy so you'll need gloves and wear something you don't mind getting smoky.

All that being said...

I think charcoal is the only way to go. I would not consider myself an expert griller by any means, but anything I put on there comes off great. Meat, veggies, pizza, garlic breads, you name it. It just seems to cook everything so evenly, without drying anything out. It's also quite flexible in the sense you can sear some steaks at a high heat, can more slowly cook a pork tenderloin with a balance of direct and in-direct heat, or you can go for long cooks like ribs with indirect heat only and some smoke. You avoid the "gas" flavour that some gas grills come with.

And the fact that it takes a while to get ready is a plus for me. Almost everything in life is done as quick as possible, it's nice to fire up the charcoal, and sit out on the deck with a beer, enjoying the day, while the coals slowly heat up. Call me cheesy, but its almost like forced meditation.

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally Posted by PepsiFree

I've never noticed better cooking comparing a $100 BBQ to a $1000 one. You might have it last 3-4X longer, but is it worth spending the extra $900? I don't know. Not to me. Better places to put that than a metal box that can cook your food IMO of course.

The cooking is in the cook (and maybe the ingredients), 9 times out of 10. If you you go cheap, just remember to keep it covered and clean it properly. It'll still last you years and years.

I'm no connoisseur, but I know that a cheap barbecue sucks. Period. I have one, and it sucks. I'm no cook either, but I can cook better on a grill that doesn't only heat up in one corner.

The Weber at the cabin (that I didn't pay for) is a completely different ballgame. Don't know how much it cost, but it's way better. And if it's the difference between several hundred or even a thousand bucks on a thing that will ideally last years (which a cheap one might not) it's worth it.

If you've got the skills to make good grub on a crappy barbecue, go cheap though!

[Sliver]

Yeah, it's weird advice to tell somebody to get a cheap barbecue. It's like anything else - pay more (if you can afford it) and you'll have something objectively better in every single way and will last longer than the cheap ones.

The other big thing is put a cover on the barbecue. We do it every single time with our Weber Genesis. I hate seeing barbecues prematurely age just because somebody is too lazy to put their cover back on. It takes about 10 seconds and will add a decade of life to the barbecue.

[Northendzone]

first off, on the previous page there was some advice to go down to the BBQ district, go back to that post and take note of the addresses as it will save you a ton of time running all over town to comparasion shop.

I purchased a similar model to Malcolm and have no regrets.

I guess my bottom line thinking is you could buy a $300 unit every three years, or purchase a $1,200 unit and keep it for a dozen years.

[polak]

Okay but if we're talking small two/three burner BBQ's for a balcony that won't be overly exposed to the elements, is it worth the difference? I can't imagine it will leave cool spots with so little cooking area?

[CubicleGeek]

Originally Posted by GoinAllTheWay

Charcoal isn't something I had considered. I like the sounds of it and my brother swears by his but how much more work are they?

I bought a Kettle Premium last summer and it has relegated my S600 mostly to overflow cooking and extra work space.

I would budget about an extra 30 minutes to your prep time to get the grill to the right temperature. You need to monitor it a bit more during cooking as there is nothing to prevent flare up. But the end result is better IMO - it gets that campfire wood smoke into your food that you just don't get on a gas/propane grill.

Not to mention, you can get a good charcoal grill like the Weber Kettle for $150 vs. $1000+ for a good gas/propane grill.

[PepsiFree]

+1 for saving the money and putting in a bit of extra care for coal.

I guess based on what people are saying, your dollar per year value is the same whether you go cheap or expensive (you aren't likely going to get a $200 BBQ that outlasts a $1000 one), but you pay for ease.

I'll drop $150 on a propane grill and put my steak up against anyone who spent 5-10x more on the same. I may have to be a bit more careful, but I'm confident. Charcoal though, I wouldn't put up any steak cooked on gas regardless of grill price against someone who knows how to use a $150 charcoal grill. That's talent.

[bigbadboss101]

We sold our 5 year old Napoleon for $300. Had a dozen replies and someone offering above asking price. We sold as we didn't use it much. Cost just under $1000.

[Shazam]

Originally Posted by mrkajz44

The heat is pretty easy to control, though I'm finding it hard to get the temp up past 450 sometimes (I'm basing this on the thermometer in the hood of the grill, so that might not be accurate.

Use a chimney to start coals. Use a lot of coals. I've gotten up to 900 in mine.

[Canehdianman]

My Broil King Sovereign 90 XL looks as good as the day I bought it. It's lived 6 years on my back deck, facing west, getting rained/snowed on.

Weber is just as good, but they are an order of magnitude more expensive.

[mrkajz44]

Yeah, I do use a chimney and they seem to get going fine. Maybe I'm just skimping a bit too much on the coals? I am only cooking for two, so I usually only use half the grill, especially when cooking with direct heat. When going for high temps I have both the top and bottom vents wide open, so I'm at a bit of a loss on why I can't push up into the hotter realms of 500-600.