BBQ Advice - Calgarypuck Forums - The Unofficial Calgary Flames Fan Community

jam26 · 05-26-2007, 11:46 AM

I've been shopping for a new natural gas BBQ and kind of like the look of the PC Life@Home NG BBQs sold at Superstore. Does anyone have any experiences with them? They seem sturdy but I can't find much about them online. I'm interested in the $550 model (not sure what the model # is).
Any advice on this or other brands would be appreciated. Canadian Tire has a brand called Certo but it doesn't seem as well-built to me. Thoughts?

Otto-matic · 05-26-2007, 01:14 PM

I dont know if they sell them anymore but Fiesta has some great BBQ's. Go to Walmart and look for some there aswell.

wpgflamesfan · 05-26-2007, 02:08 PM

Go with a webber. The price tag may be higher but it's well worth it.

Ford Prefect · 05-26-2007, 02:11 PM

The brand of BBQ is less important than having cold beer for the chef.

GreenTeaFrapp · 05-26-2007, 05:54 PM

Go with Weber. Failing that try Napoleon or Vermont Castings.

If you're spending $550 you can get a good entry level Weber on sale for that.

Ironhorse · 05-26-2007, 07:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreenTeaFrapp

Go with Weber. Failing that try Napoleon or Vermont Castings.

If you're spending $550 you can get a good entry level Weber on sale for that.

x2.

With BBQs (actually, with most things), you get what you pay for. If you're planning on using it a lot, then go with a Weber or Vermont Castings.

I love my Vermont. I did some research when I was in the market, and I found the Vermont seemed better than the Weber for my needs. The clamshell is heavy cast iron (?), which is perfect for keeping the heat in once she's warmed up. Same with the grating, which is reversible depending on what you're cooking. No hot or cold spots anywhere. The electronic igniter is a big improvement over the old "flint button" also.

The clamshell and burners is where the money is spent IMHO (or corners are cut, depending on your view).

I-Hate-Hulse · 05-27-2007, 12:42 AM

I find there's a happy medium of BBQ for a simple reason. No matter how "nice" a BBQ is, there comes a point when it gets so nasty and discolored I love nothing more than tossing it into the nearest dumpster. If I had dropped $2,000+ on a Weber I'd have real problems doing that. Buy a cheaper one and you can get a newer BBQ more often.

That said you don't want to go too cheap. The Superstore/Crappy tire ones are pretty cheap, but I wouldn't expect too long a life out of them. Personally, I've been real happy with my Broil King. A far better value than the Webers, but built well enough it should last longer than the cheapo specials.

Barbecures Galore has a great website to comparison shop.

GreenTeaFrapp · 05-27-2007, 07:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by I-Hate-Hulse

That said you don't want to go too cheap. The Superstore/Crappy tire ones are pretty cheap, but I wouldn't expect too long a life out of them. Personally, I've been real happy with my Broil King. A far better value than the Webers, but built well enough it should last longer than the cheapo specials.

Broil Kings, and their cheaper siblings Broilmate and Sterling, are really durable. They're easy to get parts for and they'll just keep on going. My parents have had their Broil King for close to 20 years. But they aren't as good as a Weber. My father used my Weber Silver B once and couldn't stop raving about it. When it came time to get a grill for the cottage he bought the Weber Silver B also.

wpgflamesfan · 05-27-2007, 09:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fotze

Buy this one

http://calgary.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-s...QAdIdZ11598918

That's the one I got right now. Nothing better than an ice cold keiths and a steak done on that grill to end your weekend.

guzzy · 05-27-2007, 09:52 AM

whatever you buy make sure it has a rotisserie and rotisserie burner. You will love having it. Most of the high end entry level models ($550 models etc) won't have this. Spend the extra money or buy a cheaper brand. Get the most options you can for the money. I paid around $500 for mine from Totem and love it. I think it is a grill chef. I have had it for two years and can't stop using it. It works great for smoking, grilling and rotisserie.

GreenTeaFrapp · 05-27-2007, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fotze

Buy this one

http://calgary.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-s...QAdIdZ11598918

Only problem with that one is that it's propane and the OP is looking for NG.

I just saw a commerical for Home Depot where they are having 10% off everything in the store this weekend. HD has the best Webers because they come with the porcelain coated cast iron grates.

Five-hole · 05-27-2007, 01:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wpgflamesfan

Go with a webber. The price tag may be higher but it's well worth it.

Seconded. Webers are the bomb.

OracleOfCalgary · 05-27-2007, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Five-hole

Seconded. Webers are the bomb.

I try to steer clear of any BBQ that might explode.

Jiggy_12 · 05-27-2007, 05:30 PM

Vermont Castings gives you the most bang for the buck. definitely take a look at them.

jam26 · 05-27-2007, 07:11 PM

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm going to take a closer look at the Webers and Vermont Castings.

Five-hole · 05-28-2007, 01:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OracleOfCalgary

I try to steer clear of any BBQ that might explode.

Heh. One of my favorite quotes is:

"Men love grilling because they don't feel like cooking unless danger is involved."

Just ratchet it up a notch with an exploding Q.

Frank the Tank · 05-28-2007, 07:27 AM

I actually used to work in a BBQ/Patio Furniture store for years. Put myself through University working at that place.

I've always felt that the best value for your buck is Briol King. High heat output, well made, Canadian BBQ's.

Napolean are much better than they used to be. Again, good quality Canadian made BBQ's.

Weber's are definitely very nice and extremely well made. Keep in mind though, that if you like to cook in cold weather, the low heat output of Weber's might be an issue.

Either way, you can't go wrong with any of those three brand names.

Slava · 05-28-2007, 07:36 AM

At the end of the day though, the best BBQ is over live fire...go with charcoal!

ken0042 · 05-28-2007, 07:39 AM

A couple of things I've found; I just bought a new NG BBQ and replaced my propane one.

The new BBQ has a huge cooking surface. That being said, I find I have to turn on two burners even though I may be only cooking one or two pieces of meat for myself; there is a large amount of empty space that needs to be heated.

The other factor is that NG burns cooler than propane. Not as noticable with steak or chicken, but I really notice it when I cook hamburgers.

Of course you have to make sure you are going with NG because you don't want the hassle of refilling the tank. If you are the type of person who typically forgets and leaves the BBQ on, at least with propane the most you could ever cost yourself is $12. I found that by buying a BBQ cover for the new grill I tend to remember to turn it off.

Reaper · 05-28-2007, 08:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by I-Hate-Hulse

I find there's a happy medium of BBQ for a simple reason. No matter how "nice" a BBQ is, there comes a point when it gets so nasty and discolored I love nothing more than tossing it into the nearest dumpster.

Or you can simply perform proper maintenance and cleaning on your barbeque by taking care of it. If you take care of your barbeque it can last a long, long time without looking like garbage. To boot, barbeque paint is available to spruce up a dusty looking one. So many people expect their barbeque to be a magic cooking device that never needs cleaning and then they wonder why they have hot spots or an extended cold zone.