Barbecue/Smoker Recommendations

[helenas]

Weber Genesis Silver

We're going to buy this model.

The price is right, a lot of BTUs and positive reviews on epinions as well as amazon.

Since we never had a grill before, i'm looking for your advice.

Are there better models within the same price range?

There were couple of Jenn-Air and Char-Broil models in our local Lowes, that looked good, especially Char-Broil but i couldn't find any reviews on internet.

Thank you, helena

[tommy]

in my experience, you're either a "weber person", or a "ducane person".  and that line is drawn thickly in the sand.  people will defend their preferred brand with as much fever as they do their home town football team.  

as for me, i'm a weber person.  i recently purchased the model of which you speak.  i'm very happy with it.  you may want to consider cast iron grates instead of the other options.  in my mind at least, they get good and hot, and do a nice job.  touch to keep from rusting though.

oh, and, side burners get in the way and take up space.  i rarely find a need for one.

edit:  it must have been late as i speeled "weber" wrong twice.  ugh.

[Jason Perlow]

We have the Genesis Silver C, which is the model up from the Silver B. The difference is it has a side burner and fold out prep trays, which is very convenient to have.

We like ours a lot and are very happy with it.

[helenas]

Sorry for revisit, but here is the spec of the Big Easy CharBroil, that you can get at Costco for only $370 (against the comparable Weber's $700?):

- 40,000 BTUs;

- 11,000 BTU Heatwave™ rotisserie burner and one-piece spit rod;

- Smoker tents included on every burner to hold wood chips;

- Porcelain cooking grates;

I mean, buying Weber, are we paying for the name. What's the big deal to make a good grill?

[tommy]

i was about to say that you should be paying no more than 450 for the weber.  where are you looking?  home despot has them for 450.

i would do some research at epinions (which are just like e-a-holes).  char-broil is considered by some to be a disposable product.  a weber should last practically forever.  

also, don't get too caught up on BTUs, as this number can actually have very little to do with cooking capacity or ability.

porcelian grates are standard on any decent grill, and webers are probably better than most.  again, i have cast iron, which i'm very happy with, save the required special care).

the genenis b has a foldout prep tray as well.  the new ones are not made out of wood, and are supposed to last practically forever.

last thought:  you get what you pay for.  

[helenas]

tommy,

what about this flavor tents for wood chips, is it a complete BS? I guess so, since i have a cedar plank, that to my mind doesn't add too much (if at all) flavor to things roasted on it.

And i did checked the epinion.com, no CharBroil aficionados and/or haters.

As for cast-iron, the Weber model i checked seems to come with porcelain-covered stainless steel. Is cast-iron an option?

[tommy]

flavor tents?  you're joking, right?  does Folgers make this grill?  of *course* it's a load of crap.

home despot, or specifically their offshoot, home expot, has the cast iron as standard.  i believe it's probably an option of some sort, depending on where you go (small hardware stores might not carry both).

for a grill you need:

grates, heat, flare-up control, and durability.  little more, nothing less...and all of which the weber provides, imho.

oh, and whatever it is, pay to have it delivered and put together.

[col klink]

If you're worried about wood chips, I would suggest you go with the standard, tried and true, charcoal kettle. I'm not trying to start a debate here, there are plusses with gas, charcoal and smokers.

I used to grill with gas. The convenience is unmatched. I really liked being able to grill up a single chicken piece or two for myself in a couple of minutes! I never liked having to bother with waiting for a charcoal fire, let alone all of the lighter fluid. However, the flavor wasn't there. I tried using wood chips, but they never smoked up enough to count. Also I had problems with flare-ups with fatty pieces of chicken. This is the inherent nature with gas as you need a steady supple of fresh air to keep grilling.

What sold me on the Weber kettle was the ability to control those flare-ups. I would only have problems when the lid was off, as soon as you put it back on, presto! fire's out and you can go back to cooking instead of charring. What put the nail in the coffin for gas grills was the chimney starter:

I now get paper bags at the grocery store and use them to start the fires in the chimney. In 15 minutes I have coals that are ready for immediate use. Very clean and very easy.

Another plus about the kettles is that you get much better results from using the wood chips for added smoke flavor. You can even do long smokings in a kettle that come pretty close to using an actual smoker. Yet another plus is that these kettles last for decades.

I haven't used the porcelain-covered grates, but if they're anything like my Le Cruset, they're going to be terrific. I have cast-iron grates on my smoker and I love them. I don't have anyproblems with oxidation because they're almost always covered it pork fat.  

Regardless of whether you gas, charcoal or smoke, I would suggest you have a spray bottle with vegetable oil. After your gril is hot, spray on the oil and you won't have any problems with meat sticking to the grill surface.

Enjoy your new grill!

[Rail Paul]

Jason -

you mentioned you have the side burner on your C. May I ask if you use it for regular cooking during the summer, etc? Can it bring 4 quarts of water to a boil, or saute fish?

I've been considering the pro/com of a side burner with the intent of replacing the indoor range/stove for four or five months.

Thanks for any guidance

Paul

[Rachel Perlow]

Frankly, the main reason we got the side burner is our kitchen was to be out of order for a month or so shortly after we got the grill (construction still hasn't begun) and felt it would be handy for when cooking outside is mandatory.

We have also used it to make quesadillas (on a flat, round, cast iron skillet/griddle) after grilling the chorizo and veggies. During a family BBQ, we kept the corn boiling pot on a low flame to reheat corn as people came up for seconds (float some butter on top of the hot water and no need to manually butter the corn).

It has a stronger flame than our current stove, so I have also used it as a wok burner on occasion.

In summary, if you've never wished you had a side burner on the grills you've used in the past (and you don't have extra reasons to get one like we did), you probably don't need the side burner. If you've always yearned for one then it's worth it.

[helenas]

Are recipes for charcoal grill suitable for gas grill as well?

[tommy]

i'd say in general, yes.

[=Mark]

I gotta go with MHP brand gas grills.  Stainless steel burners and reversable rust-free, energy efficient anodized aluminum cooking grids -- like Calphalon cookware.  These aluminum grids heat up faster, eliminate hot and cold spots, and reduce flare-ups.  Use the flat side of the grids for searing steaks and chops, and also for grilling delicate foods like fish, vegetables, and bacon (for BLTs).  Turn the grids over and use the ribbed side to grill steaks, chicken, chops and burgers.

[mikey]

Not exactly on point, but here's a web site where I've spent an inordinate amount of time. (I have no experience with these grilles, but if I can ever talk myself into spending this kind of money, I'm going to drive down to the factory and look)

[mikey]

I almost forgot-the latest issue of Consumer Reports reviews gas grilles, including the Weber Genesis B.

[tommy]

although i'm happy with my weber, i will say that the "cross-fire ignition", whatever the eff that means, doesn't always work very well (it's the automatic lighter).  *but*, i have a feeling this may be due to the fact that i haven't cleaned the thing in a while, and weber suggests that some monthly maintenance is probably beneficial.  

other than that, again, those cast iron grates make me very happy.  

[=Mark]

although i'm happy with my weber, i will say that the "cross-fire ignition", whatever the eff that means, doesn't always work very well (it's the automatic lighter).  

I've owned 3 or 4 gas grills over the years, and without fail those automatic igniters fail within a few months of use.

As a result, I've been relying on my own portable battery powered "automatic igniter"

[Rachel Perlow]

We've owned our Weber for more than a year and the ignition still works fine.

[JSD]

We've had a Weber gas BBQ for at year or two, and had trouble with it not starting.  The problem turned out to be spiders had moved in over the winter.  The BBQ place where we bought it suggested that might be the problem, as it was quite common.  After that, no more problems.

[tommy]

We've had a Weber gas BBQ for at year or two, and had trouble with it not starting.  The problem turned out to be spiders had moved in over the winter.  The BBQ place where we bought it suggested that might be the problem, as it was quite common.  After that, no more problems.

so you followed the directions to clean out the stuff?  weber has this procedure on-line as well, if i'm not mistaken.

[helenas]

Do you grill tomatoes on cast-iron grates directly? Or you should have additional grates (like stainless steel) for grilling fruits or acidic veggies?

[tommy]

Do you grill tomatoes on cast-iron grates directly? Or you should have additional grates (like stainless steel) for grilling fruits or acidic veggies?

once cast iron is seasoned, the acidity of foods should not affect it.  however, keeping these grates clean is a bear, and you might just as soon avoid making it harder.  they are pretty far apart as well, at least on the weber, so i would say that you'd want something else to put them on anyway.

[JSD]

Yes, we got the spiders cleaned out (who would have thought that was the problem?) and since then the BBQ has worked fine.  I like how much faster it is to get going than charcoal, although we had one of those chimneys.  Charcoal is great for added flavor, but this one has a compartment for wood chips which is nice when you put a whole chicken on the rotisserie.  It's a little awkward at first, but there's no underside as in the oven. If you get the gas BBQ, I recommend getting the rotisserie also.

[helenas]

When we finally bought the grill, it was a charcoal.

The reason being "Let the flames begin" book by Schlesinger.

So far i produced two dishes: one is Matambre ( stuffed flank steak from the last Gourmet issues (the recipe is by Schlesinger too), and the other one is the whole roasted chicken, inspired by Jim Dixon, and prepared under Mark Stevens' direction through the messenger.

Two problems that i encountered so far is how to keep my husband away from the action, and where to get hardwood charcoal? Isn't it pathetic that i bought it in Williams-Sonoma? But then again, as i understood watching this BBQ competition ( thanks, cabarles), many of participants are using charcoal briquettes, and they are pros...

[tommy]

helena, which grill did you buy?