It's time to replace the old propane grill and I'm thinking about getting a nice stainless steel one. I don't need a $1,000 commercial type but I do want something that will work well and last a long time. Something made in the good `ol USA would be a plus. Any suggestions?

 

One thing to check out is the material that the grill is made out of. When I bought mine, about three years ago, I belive the top of the line models all came with Cast Iron grills. Those should hold the heat better and last longer. Also, I went with the type that doesn't need the "lava rock" junk in the bottom. It's just got steel plates that the fat drips onto. Much cleaner.


There are some very good grills for reasonable prices, but get suckered into spending a lot if you don't need it. That being said, some of the really cheap grills are junk. Shop carefully and decide on the features you want first, Brand second.

 

Bruker, if you have a Target nearby check out the seasonal section. We are just starting our seasonal clearance and have some decent markdowns on the stainless steel grills. Some pretty good buys in there.

 

My experience is that cast iron grates rust like heck and wear out pretty quick. Even get bits of rust in the food, that hurts. Could just be my Chinese made GrillLovers brand grill I used to have, or Oregon constant moisture or me not cleaning and oiling the grates everytime. the porcelain coated grates all seem to crack after a short while and then they rust.

I do like the solid stainless rod type grates. So far that is the only thing on my Sears brand grill that I do like. I need to do some major inspection and repair on my 1 year old grill this week so hopefuly it is something like a clogged gas line or dead regulator. Mine no longer allows you to preheat the grill with all burners on high. If I do that it heats for a few minutes and then shuts off with gas smell or cuts the flames down to munchkin size and is worthless. Last night I had to fire up my charcoal grill because the gas one didn't preheat and wouldn't give me enough heat to roast my dogs. It started off fine, but died during preheat. This model was made in China, thus reaffirming my geneerally bad opinion of Chinese made goods more complex than mixed drink parasols.

Watch what kind of stainless is used. The better ones use I forget which type, but take a magnet with you. The cheap stuff is magnetic, the good stuff usually isn't. Double wall sheetmetal is usually good. Also check to make sure the whole grill is stainless. I made the mistake once of buying a grill thinking it was all heavy duty steel, when in fact only the sides were, the rest was cheap painted sheet metal.

Get one with the infrared ceramic burner if you want to sear meat like steaks etc. In my experience, no gas grill I have ever owned was able to properly sear meat like a charcoal fire will. I have read that the infrared burners do.

There is a good manufacturer here In Walnut California that I have heard about and seen one of their grills. If I had known about them I would not have bought the sears. If you want I can probably drive by and get their name, but I am sure there are other American made brands. Plus I don't think you would go wrong with a Weber although they can be a bit pricy.

Good Luck,

Jim Henderson

 

weber<fillller>

 

Weber genisis silver. best grill you can go with.

in my opinion.

 

Our old Charbroil propane grill went 'bye-bye' a couple of months ago.

Since then, I bought the Sears stainless grill, model #16233 (I believe).

The ONLY complaint that I have is the 'grease tray' is small. I bought another 'tray' and I'm adapting it to a large coffee can.
We use the grill A LOT.
The small 'tray' has to be emptied after every use, it seems.

We didn't necessarily need a side burner, but, it's nice for frying potatoes and such.

 

I am very happy with my Brinkman grill.

 

I'll second the Weber.

 

Spend the money........it'll be cheaper in the long run.

Have had a Lynx grill for over 10 years now.....the igniter handles have broke a couple of times, called Lynx direct and new ones are sent at no cost.

Burners are HEAVY red brass @ 25,000 BTU individually......never found anything over 15K BTU. If you grill steaks nothing beats the heat.

Stainless lid is not discolored even after full heat while closed.

Wolf makes good stuff also.

 

What every you do stay away from the Char-Broil commercial series grills.I have mod #463268606 4 burner dual fuel one that is one year old and is a peice of junk.The only way it burns hot is if you remove the steel covers over the burners,it is junk stainless that will rust,it has a very small gease trap ,the wheels won't lock good and a small breeze will blow it around,if it is hot you can burn yourself when you turn off the gas bottle.This model uses the cast iron grates instead of the stainless rods but thats the only thing I don't have a complaint about they work good and no rust problems so far.The igniter works when it wants to.Before this grill I had a char-broil $130 lava rock one that I used for 6 yrs and was still working when I junked it I doubt this one will last that long.After this I will get a weber or jenn air or a ducan.I hate my grill!!!

 

I bought a jennair stainless about 3 years ago, It was close to 700 clams. I bought it at Lowes. Lowes seems to have a good selection and fair price.
Absolutely works perfect, although I am not a hard core griller. With some elbow grease the grill cleans up real good, the SS wire grates are in perfect shape still. The grill sits outside 365 days a year, the Jennair cover that came with, is still in perfect shape. I vote Jennair for pure reliability and good looks.