BBQ and Grilling megathread

[DownInFlames]

I'll second the Broil King Keg. It's worth the money because it's very versatile. My brother used to cook steaks on charcoil at Hy's and he says this thing is just as good.

[Hockey]

Recently moved to a new house that has a natural gas hook-up. We are now looking at finally upgrading our bbq. Obviously Weber is the way to go, but was just wondering how a broil-mate compares to a Weber.

The weber might be a bit to pricey for us, but we want a good quality bbq.

[Hockeyguy15]

Originally Posted by Hockey

Recently moved to a new house that has a natural gas hook-up. We are now looking at finally upgrading our bbq. Obviously Weber is the way to go, but was just wondering how a broil-mate compares to a Weber.

The weber might be a bit to pricey for us, but we want a good quality bbq.

Why is Weber obviously the way to go?

And do you mean Broil King? Broil King is a quality brand that you can't go wrong with.

[93Hound]

Originally Posted by Lchoy

My tip
Your meats are much tastier if you allow your meats to reach room temperature before grilling

I agree, especially tenderloin.
I have an infared burner on mine and i sear both sides of any meat I cook to seal in the juices....MMMMMM MMMMMM Good

[cDnStealth]

Originally Posted by Hockeyguy15

Why is Weber obviously the way to go?

And do you mean Broil King? Broil King is a quality brand that you can't go wrong with.

As someone who use to sell BBQs I can tell you that Broil Mate, Broil King and Sterling are pretty much exactly the same. They are made by the same company and stamped with a different logo for different retailers. They are a good quality BBQ and they just happen to be Weber's lower end line. The big difference comes down to the parts. On a Weber almost everything is made out of stainless steel. Broil Mate has some stainless steel parts (burners) but the rest of the body is not. There is a lot more plastic on the Broil Mate but they're still great BBQs. I'd say it comes down to how much you are going to use it. My mom's 15 year old Weber is still going strong even after being used pretty much every day including during the winter.

[bossy22]

I had a broil king gas BBQ and replaced it with a weber. The broil king had huge hot spots that made my grill 2/3 the size which sucked when grilling for a large group and I needed the whole grill. The weber grills pretty evenly.

[Lt.Spears]

Originally Posted by cDnStealth

As someone who use to sell BBQs I can tell you that Broil Mate, Broil King and Sterling are pretty much exactly the same. They are made by the same company and stamped with a different logo for different retailers. They are a good quality BBQ and they just happen to be Weber's lower end line. The big difference comes down to the parts. On a Weber almost everything is made out of stainless steel. Broil Mate has some stainless steel parts (burners) but the rest of the body is not. There is a lot more plastic on the Broil Mate but they're still great BBQs. I'd say it comes down to how much you are going to use it. My mom's 15 year old Weber is still going strong even after being used pretty much every day including during the winter.

What are you opinions on Napoleon grills?

[me_dennis]

I've got a weber, and I've been wanting to attempt smoking ribs, chicken, pork shoulder, etc in it, but I don't want to ruin the grill.

What's the best way to smoke using a gas grill? use wood chips, with half of it soaked, and half dry, in a foil pouch?

Or am I better off buying a cheap smoker or charcoal grill?

[Komskies]

Originally Posted by me_dennis

I've got a weber, and I've been wanting to attempt smoking ribs, chicken, pork shoulder, etc in it, but I don't want to ruin the grill.

What's the best way to smoke using a gas grill? use wood chips, with half of it soaked, and half dry, in a foil pouch?

Or am I better off buying a cheap smoker or charcoal grill?

The foil pouch would be your best bet, Rob Rainford style! Don't forget a drip pan underneath the meat.

[TheGrimm]

My recommendation goes to:

http://www.traegergrills.com/shop/grills/BBQ075

Not great for the burn and turn steaks but if you like to slooow cook to perfection... this is your ticket!

[Baxter Renegade]

Do yourselves a favor:

Buy a couple nice big pork chops and marinade them (in fridge) at least 8 hours in the following:

1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup soy sauce (China Lily!)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 teaspoon pepper

Grill these puppies depending on thickness... You'll be impressed, and so will whoever you're feeding.

[me_dennis]

Or if you want something simple, but the juicest pork chop you've ever tasted, try this.

Brine:
1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup sugar
8 cups cold water

Whisk salt and sugar into water until dissolved. Put pork chops in brine overnight. Rinse off pork chops before grilling, pat dry, brush with olive oil, season liberally with pepper, and a touch of kosher salt (not too much since the brine should have flavored the pork chops already)

Grill until internal temperature reaches 165C. Set aside for 5 minutes after grilling to let the juices settle. Enjoy.

Originally Posted by Baxter Renegade

Do yourselves a favor:

Buy a couple nice big pork chops and marinade them (in fridge) at least 8 hours in the following:

1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup soy sauce (China Lily!)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 teaspoon pepper

Grill these puppies depending on thickness... You'll be impressed, and so will whoever you're feeding.

[cDnStealth]

Originally Posted by Lt.Spears

What are you opinions on Napoleon grills?

I honestly have little experience with the brand as it wasn't a line my company carried. However, it looks like Napoleon is manufactured in North America which is a huge plus. My initial impression from their website and a quick search leads me to think Napoleon is probably comparable to Weber in terms of quality. Napoleon seems to have some service complaints in the US but it sounds as though that isn't a problem here in Canada. It looks like a good product but without actually seeing/building one I really couldn't give you a great answer.

[trew]

Originally Posted by Hockeyguy15

Why is Weber obviously the way to go?

And do you mean Broil King? Broil King is a quality brand that you can't go wrong with.

Weber is not the only way to go, but it certainly a very safe choice.

If you go through a bbq looking for the following features, generally you will be able to see and buy quality:

- Durability of burners and even distribution of heat. Look for sturdy thick, and heavy stainless steel burners, with a good distrubution of elements over the surface of the Q. (No obvious dead spots or areas that are > 5" away from a flame source).

- Thickness of oven materials. heavier usually = better heat retention and higher possible cooking temperature.

- Size of indirect heating. This is important for thicker cuts of meat that need longer periods of indirect heat to cook properly. A bbq that has burners on the outside edge with interior burners that can be switched off is probably the best option.

- Don't over think the BTU. If a BBQ has a thick oven and lid, and good element coverage the BTU will be fine.

- A good anti-flare mechanism. Meat juices on flame = fire. There should be a good system that minimizes the amount of dripping juices from falling directly on to flame.

- Quality of actual grilling surface. Look for a thick grill that will hold heat for searing.

- Good drip tray system. A good BBQ should have a steep bottom and a large hole to allow ash and burn't food chunks to drop through into some type of a removeable bin. It should not be possible for it to easily drip and drop grease onto your deck.

- Ease of maintenance. Do the grill, burners, ignition system look easy to replace? Are they in stock at the store you are buying from? Is it easy to take apart to clean?

- Grill cover. Does it come with a thick cover, or can a cover be purchased that will protect the grill from the elements?

- Thermometer. Does it have one?

Focusing on these items should lead you a better BBQ's and away from the big shiny box store stainless steel monstrocities (with higher BTU's than your house furnace because they have to heat the whole neighbourhood to seer a steak).

[Lt.Spears]

Originally Posted by cDnStealth

I honestly have little experience with the brand as it wasn't a line my company carried. However, it looks like Napoleon is manufactured in North America which is a huge plus. My initial impression from their website and a quick search leads me to think Napoleon is probably comparable to Weber in terms of quality. Napoleon seems to have some service complaints in the US but it sounds as though that isn't a problem here in Canada. It looks like a good product but without actually seeing/building one I really couldn't give you a great answer.

Are all Webers insulated? Ie, is the lid actually double walled to prevent better heat distribution/cooking?

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Lt.Spears

Are all Webers insulated? Ie, is the lid actually double walled to prevent better heat distribution/cooking?

I don't think so.

[linecook]

Originally Posted by Lt.Spears

What are you opinions on Napoleon grills?

I have a Napoleon and it's a good BBQ, very comparable to the Weber. It's actually blown off my deck twice from 2 and a half feet and there was no damage (I have since put up a railing).

The reason I chose the Naploeon over the Weber was because Rob Rainford from Licence to Grill used a Napoleon (loved that show) and I liked the burner set up better.

Just don't buy the Napoleon BBQ from Canadian Tire, I believe it's made in China. Look for the Napoleon BBQ's built in Canada. That was the demise of Vermont Casting. Although after checking their website, they are making them back in the U.S. again.

[Hockey]

Originally Posted by Hockeyguy15

Why is Weber obviously the way to go?

And do you mean Broil King? Broil King is a quality brand that you can't go wrong with.

Just from what ive heard. I don't know much about BBQ's, thats why I asked.

[cDnStealth]

Originally Posted by Lt.Spears

Are all Webers insulated? Ie, is the lid actually double walled to prevent better heat distribution/cooking?

No, Weber's entry level Spirit BBQs are not double walled but both the Genesis and Summit lines are. trew brings up some great points especially in regards to BTUs. So many people would walk in thinking high BTUs = Quality. A quality BBQ doesn't need 65,000 BTU because they are designed and constructed to prevent heat from escaping. I don't think covers are necessary though.

[Lt.Spears]

Originally Posted by cDnStealth

No, Weber's entry level Spirit BBQs are not double walled but both the Genesis and Summit lines are. trew brings up some great points especially in regards to BTUs. So many people would walk in thinking high BTUs = Quality. A quality BBQ doesn't need 65,000 BTU because they are designed and constructed to prevent heat from escaping. I don't think covers are necessary though.

Damn, was looking at the Spirit series, i suppose its still a good BBQ though, i cant justify spending 1000 bucks on a BBQ right now.