Buying a GRILL

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nickCR

Assistant Cook
Joined
Jun 15, 2011
Messages
2
Hi Guys/Gals,

I'm buying a grill for my backyard. I have narrowed it down to 4 CharBroil models available locally here in Costa Rica.

Infrared
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Flame
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Not sure which to get. I like the idea of Infrared.

I will mainly be using it to cook meat, hot dogs, burgers, ribs, beef and from time to time maybe a few veggies.

I understand that veggies don't really do well on the infrared, however there are some suggestions that using a cast iron skillet on top of the grates to cook them there.

I am leaning more towards the Infrared but a lot of people say that food doesn't have the 'BBQ' taste so that has me a little concerned.

Any advice is greatly appreciate, thank you in advance.

Nick
 
I don't really mind the wait for pre-heat (10 min is what they guys claim on the char broil forum). It takes at least 20 min for charcol to get to the point that they are ready to cock with so i'm ahead of where I am now.

I did hear about the corroding. They are suggesting to season the grates and something else with high temp oil such as canola oil. This is supposed to really help the life span of the grill.

Everyone I know has a problem with the rust though as it's so humid here so I guess cleaning and maintaining the grill will be required no matter what.
 
Everyone I know has a problem with the rust though as it's so humid here so I guess cleaning and maintaining the grill will be required no matter what.

My wife and I are just about to move to our beach house in the Bahamas, and I have the same concerns, so I went all the way and bought the stainless steel Napoleon Prestige. It's a pretty basic gas grill, pricey, but with SS and aluminum and brass, it should last better than anything else in the salt air. I'm not getting the small propane bottles for it though - I'm going to have it piped to my LP tank for the house. That takes care of the bottles rusting, which they do rather quickly here. My neighbor has already had to replace one in just 2½ years.
 
Right now it's still in a box in the garage... probably be 2 months before it's set up and ready to grill. And that's the easy one. We also bought a new LED HD 3D TV with surround and won't get it out of the box until it's down on the island either. :(
 
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I have read that, athough they cook well, infrared bbq's take a long time to heat up, and the plates weaken and corrode pre-maturely....

I agree.

While nice to have, and certainly pretty, man has come a pretty long way with even the most primitive of grills.

Being in CR, I would say something gas, H burner, with lava rocks, heats fast, nice even temps, easily controllable, save some cash, and parts are so easy to come by.

Also, the locals make some REALLY nice/impressive grills, both gas, and charcoal/wood fired. . .ranging in size from dinner for 2, to 200.

my favorite grilling done on Playa Hermosa was on a lil Webber. . .used every night and never had a bad meal, lol. The setting helped.
 
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Well, got the Napoleon assembled and bought 2 gas bottles for it. Fired it up for the first time last night and I think I'm going to like it a lot, but like most new grills and even kitchen ranges, it's going to be a learning experience. This one fires up hotter than my Weber did at a similar setting, so I just have to work at learning it. I cooked a marinated pork tenderloin and it came out fine (thank you Thermapen), but took more watching and adjusting than I'm used to.

I think I prefer the burner arrangement better than I did on my Weber, with the burners running front to back rather than the long way side to side. I think that it will give better indirect control than I had with the old grill. Now I have to find out where I can get some kind of hardwood chips for smoking. Haven't found any of the usual suspects for sale anywhere, so I have to make some inquiries.
 
My neighbor has a Char-Broil infra-red and complains about how often it has to be cleaned to keep it working right. I know nothing about them so can't elaborate.
 
Well, got the Napoleon assembled and bought 2 gas bottles for it. Fired it up for the first time last night and I think I'm going to like it a lot, but like most new grills and even kitchen ranges, it's going to be a learning experience. This one fires up hotter than my Weber did at a similar setting, so I just have to work at learning it. I cooked a marinated pork tenderloin and it came out fine (thank you Thermapen), but took more watching and adjusting than I'm used to.

I think I prefer the burner arrangement better than I did on my Weber, with the burners running front to back rather than the long way side to side. I think that it will give better indirect control than I had with the old grill. Now I have to find out where I can get some kind of hardwood chips for smoking. Haven't found any of the usual suspects for sale anywhere, so I have to make some inquiries.
This is kind of a timely thread for me, as I just ordered a new Weber Genesis today. Maybe it was the "shiny shiny" factor, but the showroom model I looked at seemed really well built and sturdy, and had some nice features. So now I'm curious after seeing your post. Which model Weber did you used to have and what did you or didn't you like about it?

My new grill should be here next week. I'm really fired up (pun intended) to fire it up. Anyone else have a Genesis and, if so, what are your thoughts on it?


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This is kind of a timely thread for me, as I just ordered a new Weber Genesis today. Maybe it was the "shiny shiny" factor, but the showroom model I looked at seemed really well built and sturdy, and had some nice features. So now I'm curious after seeing your post. Which model Weber did you used to have and what didn't you or didn't you like about it?

My new grill should be here next week. I'm really fired up (pun intended) to fire it up. Anyone else have a Genesis and, if so, what are your thoughts on it?


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I had at least a 10-12 year old Weber Genesis "B". They've made some significant changes in it since I bought mine. I loved it, used it a lot for the entire time I had it, and it was still going strong. I left it behind when we moved down here because I needed a new one that would last. The Weber was old enough and a few small issues were cropping up that indicated that it was going to need some work and some heavier maintenance than just cleaning. Replacement parts have to be shipped in and the freight and customs duty is a killer. It just made more sense to go with a new one, and the Napoleon Prestige was the highest rated grill for build and longevity in my price range. It lacks any bells and whistles (although you can add on just about anything you want to pay for), but it's built like a tank (weighs 180 pounds without the gas bottle). I didn't want any side burners or the infrared attachment - just a basic grill that will do what a grill is supposed to do. This one has up to 42,000 btu's, so it's really hot, hotter on high than my Weber was.

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My wife and I are just about to move to our beach house in the Bahamas, and I have the same concerns, so I went all the way and bought the stainless steel Napoleon Prestige. It's a pretty basic gas grill, pricey, but with SS and aluminum and brass, it should last better than anything else in the salt air. I'm not getting the small propane bottles for it though - I'm going to have it piped to my LP tank for the house. That takes care of the bottles rusting, which they do rather quickly here. My neighbor has already had to replace one in just 2½ years.

Are all the internal parts SS or aluminum or brass? I have a cheap 3 burner Brinkmann, and the SS parts on the outside look great. The internals are what have corroded on me. But of course, I've left it uncovered for the last 6 years. And I use it A LOT! Even in the winter. But I won't be replacing any parts on it anymore. It will be time to get another grill, and I might even get another Brinkmann.
 
When I replaced my old Weber, I didn't buy another. Price was one factor but the other was the burner configuration. My old Weber had long burners that ran from side to side. I wanted a grill with burners that ran from front to back.

The Weber option gives you a less useful long narrow indirect heat area while the front to back burners provide a more practical area for indirect heat cooking.

When I was shopping for a replacement, there were no Webers configured with front to back burners. I bought a Ducane (also made by Weber).

There is no issue with the durability of Weber internal parts. They last practically forever.
 
Glad you mentioned the burner configuration. That was why I went to look at one in the store before ordering it: I didn't want another grill with side-to-side burners. The new Weber Genesis models have front to back burners.

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Glad you mentioned the burner configuration. That was why I went to look at one in the store before ordering it: I didn't want another grill with side-to-side burners. The new Weber Genesis models have front to back burners.

51%2Bj5xikWcL.jpg

That configuration on the Genesis looks great for indirect grilling! And I bet the Webers are much better than the Brinkmann or CharBroil grills I see so often at the big box stores.
 
Are all the internal parts SS or aluminum or brass? I have a cheap 3 burner Brinkmann, and the SS parts on the outside look great. The internals are what have corroded on me. But of course, I've left it uncovered for the last 6 years. And I use it A LOT! Even in the winter. But I won't be replacing any parts on it anymore. It will be time to get another grill, and I might even get another Brinkmann.

The valves are all brass and the burners are stainless. It looks like it should last a long time, and I need it. My house is on the beach where the trade winds blow most of the year. Salt air is a real consideration, and one of the factors that went into my decision to buy the Napoleon.

Glad you mentioned the burner configuration. That was why I went to look at one in the store before ordering it: I didn't want another grill with side-to-side burners. The new Weber Genesis models have front to back burners.

51%2Bj5xikWcL.jpg

Mine has the same alignment but with 3 burners.
 
The valves are all brass and the burners are stainless. It looks like it should last a long time, and I need it. My house is on the beach where the trade winds blow most of the year. Salt air is a real consideration, and one of the factors that went into my decision to buy the Napoleon.

Yeah, that looks like a very nice grill!
 
I have had my Vermont Castings grill for 11 years and keep it uncovered outside.
I was shopping for a new one but I can replace a few parts for under 150 bucks and probably get another 10 years out of it. I would buy this brand again.
 
I have had my Vermont Castings grill for 11 years and keep it uncovered outside.
I was shopping for a new one but I can replace a few parts for under 150 bucks and probably get another 10 years out of it. I would buy this brand again.


The VC grills have been highly rated. I used to own one of their wood stoves and heated my home with it for years.
 
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