Jer Posted March 19, 2009 Report Posted March 19, 2009 Well my old Broil-Mate BBQ is finally on its last legs and I'm in the market for a new grill. I wanna go with a bit better quality this time and was wondering if anybody had any recommendations. I'm leaning toward a 3-burner, 450 square inch Napoleon grill I've seen at several dealers: Prestige 450. The going price seems to be about $800 (with most throwing in assembly, cover, cook-book, etc,). Extras such as side burners, rear rotiserie burners and such aren't such a big deal to me. I'd rather quality and longevity over all the bells & whistles. Canadian Tire has a "Ted Reader" Signature Series grill by Napoleon that is a similiar size but includes the rear burner for about the same price. According to other Napoleon dealers, this unit is a Chinese-made model rather than made in Barrie as most other models are. Looking at it, it's hard to tell any difference in quality. All the Napoleon grills I've looked at (chinese or not) are of far superior construction (material & assembly) than most other grills on the market, save Weber. To be honest, $800 is more than I would like to spend, and there is a better chance the CT unit will go on sale at some point in the next few weeks (the dealer prices are pretty well set for the year). I guess it comes down to the classic: buy Canadian (as I would really like to) or: how much can I save on that off-shore stuff? Maybe the question should be: Why can't Ted Reader put his damn name on a Canadian made grill?
John Posted March 19, 2009 Report Posted March 19, 2009 My father in law was in the BBQ (Gas Grill) business for over 25 years and the only thing that I can tell you Jer is that most of the imports that CT, HD etc sell are practically impossible to get parts for. They would send their customers to him for parts that didn't exist just to get the monkey off their backs. If you are going to buy an import (meaning China) buy something relatively simple, without all of the back burners and broilers and side burners and infra-red, where all that you will need to replace is burner and grills. In most cases burners can be modified to fit safely and generic grills that can be cut to size can be purchased at most hardware stores. If you want a higher end unit go to a dealer and ask about parts for that particular unit.
alexmedic Posted March 19, 2009 Report Posted March 19, 2009 I have owned a Weber Genesis Gold for the last 3 years and love it. It was just shy of a $1000.00 dollars, but it is kinda like owning a high end appliance - you get what you pay for. The beauty of Weber/Napoleon is that the BTU's are much less, because it cooks much more even. Lower end BBQ's have much higher BTU's to compensate for the corners that need more to heat up. As far as Canadian/China, that's a tough one. I'd personally go with my gut. I remember when I first considered buying an expensive BBQ, it was a hard pill to swallow. Now that I own one, I could not think of anything else...
Woodsman Posted March 19, 2009 Report Posted March 19, 2009 After using natural gas & propane BQ's for years 3 years ago I went back to charcoal. Yes they are a more work but the flavor does not compare. Rick
blaque Posted March 19, 2009 Report Posted March 19, 2009 After using natural gas & propane BQ's for years 3 years ago I went back to charcoal. Yes they are a more work but the flavor does not compare. Rick AGREED! I got sick of throwing out gas grills. walking out to empty tanks, brittle flaked out burners.........half flames, hot spots and cold spots............I had a big falling out with these things and REFUSE TO BUY ANOTHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No i did not have a $1000 dollar grill, but i refuse to spend that kinda money to cook steak or burgers 3 months outta the year lol. I think charcoal is alot easier. Dump, light, cook, dump
Radnine Posted March 19, 2009 Report Posted March 19, 2009 After using natural gas & propane BQ's for years 3 years ago I went back to charcoal. Yes they are a more work but the flavor does not compare.Rick You have a point there Woodsy. I do all sorts of "indirect cooking" on my Weber which essentially means using your BBQ as an outdoor oven. When I smell the lighter fluid and the charcoal my senses send me back to childhood, and I love it. That being said, I am not well organized enough to use an old-fashioned type of que. More power to you though We own a Weber that we paid about $800 for about 8 years ago and have not put a nickle into it since. It cooks like a dream (well, I cook like a dream, it just sits there) and is showing no signs of slowing down. Bar-B-Ques are one of the few remaining things that are made in Canada (I think my Weber was made in the States) and you raise a valid concern about patriotic buying vs. taking money off the family table. I am sort of playing the same thing out with the rod that I want to buy. Do I save about $25 on the St. Croix Triumph (made in China) or buy the Premier (more or less same rod different country of manufacture). It might be time for those that can, to man up and buy local where possible. In the end really, patriotic buying may be the only control we have over our situation. Thus endith the sermon. Jim
youngvedder Posted March 19, 2009 Report Posted March 19, 2009 I have owned a Weber Genesis Gold for the last 3 years and love it. It was just shy of a $1000.00 dollars, but it is kinda like owning a high end appliance - you get what you pay for. The beauty of Weber/Napoleon is that the BTU's are much less, because it cooks much more even. Lower end BBQ's have much higher BTU's to compensate for the corners that need more to heat up. As far as Canadian/China, that's a tough one. I'd personally go with my gut. I remember when I first considered buying an expensive BBQ, it was a hard pill to swallow. Now that I own one, I could not think of anything else... Ill second the Weber, I have one and absolutely love it. great distribution of heat and the meat always turns out excellent..The Weber Big Book of Grilling is a excellent book to back up the BBQ as well! cheers, Yv
Fisherman Posted March 19, 2009 Report Posted March 19, 2009 Two things I got on my present one, natural gas, no more humpin tanks around and, heavy cast iron grills, no going back to the porcelain, they crack and rust after a year or two
BillM Posted March 19, 2009 Report Posted March 19, 2009 Just a heads up, even the 'good' name brand companies have lower end BBQ's coming out of China... Napoleon and Weber are some examples.. I have a NG Vermont Castings.. bought it off season 2 years ago for just under $1000.. Absolutely love it.
pigeonfisher Posted March 19, 2009 Report Posted March 19, 2009 I sell to Napoleon. My suggestion is to go their store which is at the "corner" of Hwy 11/400 this side of Orrillia. They have two lines of BBQ's. To keep up with competition Napleon started manufacturing in China a number of years ago. The ones at Canadian Tire are actually imported BBQ's made to the same specs as the canadian models, if I remember right. You can get some good deals at th Napoleon store!
John Posted March 19, 2009 Report Posted March 19, 2009 After using natural gas & propane BQ's for years 3 years ago I went back to charcoal. Yes they are a more work but the flavor does not compare. Rick I know that there is many schools of thought on this but IMHO charcoal adds no flavour to the food that is being grilled. It is basically carbon. Some professionals use hardwood..........fruitwoods, mesquite, maple, hickory, which does. Most of the flavour that we all love comes from the caramelization of the sugars in the food and the smoke that is generated from fat and juices being vapourized.
fishingisliving Posted March 19, 2009 Report Posted March 19, 2009 I am in the same place right now. My grill is only 5 years old and paid 600$ for it. But I think I grill a lot, I use 5-6 BBQ tanks a summer and another 1-2 in the winter. (I think the winter use has put my BBQ in early retirement, something to do with drastic temperature variations, from really hot to really cold and vice versa) One thing I do not want to pick up is porcelain grill with low quality burners. The second you get a crack in the burner your flames get messy and your heat becomes uneven. And my porcelain grill cracked after the third winter season. Anyway, maybe it's just not ment to be used that way. But I was talking to a chef in an upscale steak house and he was suggesting I pick up stainless grill, or cast iron. I would say, regardless if you spend 400 or 2000$, I would put the money in quality, not quantity. Get a good quality grill, quality burners that are distributed evenly to ensure proper heat distribution accross your cooking platform and allows you to control and have mild-low heat on one side and searing heat on the other, and nevermind the side burners and other accessories. just my opinion.
Governator Posted March 19, 2009 Report Posted March 19, 2009 Take a look at Vermont Castings as well, they are right up there with Napoloen in quality. Pricey though as well, not sure if you'd save a buck with it.
bigugli Posted March 19, 2009 Report Posted March 19, 2009 I like my old Weber charcoal BallBQ. 10 years old, and I love being able to add hardwood chunks to the coals for some smoke. Spend more time BBQing on the waterfront than at home to justify a fancy grill.
tipupesox Posted March 19, 2009 Report Posted March 19, 2009 I picked up a Vermont Castings 5 years ago at our local Home Depot. Thing cooks like a dream and is used throughout all four seasons. During the summer months it is covered on our patio, in the winter it is stored in our garage until I wish to use it.
rob v Posted March 19, 2009 Report Posted March 19, 2009 I just bought a vermont casting grill from Home depot. What you have to be aware of though is that the parent corp of Vermont Casting declared bankruptcy last year - if you get a fancy one you may have some difficulty getting parts. The one I bought was the plane jane 3 burner unit (made in Canada) - but for $275 I think I got a great unit - and the only parts of significance I,m worried about can be replaced with generic stuff easiy enough. When I compared what $275 got me in other units this one was head an shoulders above the rest. I think HD is trying to get rid of them also.
legacey Posted March 19, 2009 Report Posted March 19, 2009 Don't buy a Thermos brand from CTC....I did and within a week it caught on fire. They (CTC) told me it was due to grease...it was the 2nd time I used it and I keep mine spotless and clean like mad after every use. (got food poisoning one time from a buddies dirty grill so worry about that)They wouldn't do anything for me. So I went to Thermos...nothing there either; said the same. When I took it apart, it was a cracked valve/hose/regulator at the temperature control...took pictures and still Thermos wouldn't do anything but take my money for a replacement part....$65 US. By this time, it was getting into winter so waited to put it in...finally did, lit it up and same problem...leaking VHR port on the brand new part...called and since I waited to put it in, they wouldn't replace it under warranty. Even though I could show it wasn't used (no burn marks, or discolouration), they denied me. As soon as I turned the gas on, it would leak out the temp. knob. Also, the pictures I took showed that the flames went over and surrounded the lid so again, they said "Grease Fire" cause apparenlty, only grease will cause it to go on fire like that...yeah, right! It was a good thing my wife went outside to get something at the time...she saw the fire before it lit up the deck, fence and tree that seperates the neighbours house. Man did that sucker go! I talked to the fire dept....they saw the part and agreed it was defective but I live in a township where it's volunteer so neither they nor the City's dept. could do anything for me. ...finally gave up and am about to buy a new one myself. I'm glad this came up so I will have hopefully helped someone NOT buy Thermos (or Char Broil.) I'm looking at the Napolean too..... Good luck. Paul
DRIFTER_016 Posted March 19, 2009 Report Posted March 19, 2009 AGREED! I got sick of throwing out gas grills. walking out to empty tanks, brittle flaked out burners.........half flames, hot spots and cold spots............I had a big falling out with these things and REFUSE TO BUY ANOTHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! No i did not have a $1000 dollar grill, but i refuse to spend that kinda money to cook steak or burgers 3 months outta the year lol. I think charcoal is alot easier. Dump, light, cook, dump I don't know where you live Blaque, but I live in the Arctic and BBQ 12 months of the year!!!! You'll find me out in my covered porch in a tee shirt at -50 with my buddy sunflower heater going barbecuing up a storm.
Burtess Posted March 19, 2009 Report Posted March 19, 2009 Check out the Broil King grills. For your price range you may be interested in the Sovereign 70, includes rear rotissery burner also. http://www.barbecuesgalore.ca/cooking.bpsx?CookingID=8 Made in Waterloo. I have always had good performance and longevity from the Broil King grills. Burt
alexmedic Posted March 19, 2009 Report Posted March 19, 2009 After using natural gas & propane BQ's for years 3 years ago I went back to charcoal. Yes they are a more work but the flavor does not compare. Rick That is true as well. My wife bought me a weber kettle grill last year and I love that as well!
Burtess Posted March 19, 2009 Report Posted March 19, 2009 That is true as well. My wife bought me a weber kettle grill last year and I love that as well! Ditto here... I prefer cooking over lump. It gets addictive really..... now I have two Weber Smokey Mountain Cookers, an 18.5" Weber Kettle, and a Weber Performer... Burt
legacey Posted March 19, 2009 Report Posted March 19, 2009 I still use a cheap charcoal grill for the flavour. I did get a bit aprehensive, after I read this.... One pound of charcoal barbecue steak contains as much carcinogens (cancer forming agent) as the smoke in 15 cigarettes. The dripping fat on the charcoal causes a chemical substance called a benzopyrene to be released and is found in the black coating on the meat. Wrap the meat in foil for protection. http://www.bellybytes.com/foodfacts/meat_food_facts.html But then I figured I do too many bad things for my body already so one more thing won't be all that bad. Cheers
BillM Posted March 19, 2009 Report Posted March 19, 2009 I picked up a Vermont Castings 5 years ago at our local Home Depot. Thing cooks like a dream and is used throughout all four seasons. During the summer months it is covered on our patio, in the winter it is stored in our garage until I wish to use it. I have a 15ft ng line attached to mine. In the summer it's on the deck in a cutout I made for it, in the winter it's pulled up right outside the patio doors
blaque Posted March 19, 2009 Report Posted March 19, 2009 I don't know where you live Blaque, but I live in the Arctic and BBQ 12 months of the year!!!!You'll find me out in my covered porch in a tee shirt at -50 with my buddy sunflower heater going barbecuing up a storm. Im in the Buffalo area drifter.........and i spend enough time freezing my cahonaze off standing waste deep in trouty waters..........I order out most days lol
Guest skeeter99 Posted March 19, 2009 Report Posted March 19, 2009 Well my old Broil-Mate BBQ is finally on its last legs and I'm in the market for a new grill. I wanna go with a bit better quality this time and was wondering if anybody had any recommendations. I'm leaning toward a 3-burner, 450 square inch Napoleon grill I've seen at several dealers: Prestige 450. The going price seems to be about $800 (with most throwing in assembly, cover, cook-book, etc,). Extras such as side burners, rear rotiserie burners and such aren't such a big deal to me. I'd rather quality and longevity over all the bells & whistles. Canadian Tire has a "Ted Reader" Signature Series grill by Napoleon that is a similiar size but includes the rear burner for about the same price. According to other Napoleon dealers, this unit is a Chinese-made model rather than made in Barrie as most other models are. Looking at it, it's hard to tell any difference in quality. All the Napoleon grills I've looked at (chinese or not) are of far superior construction (material & assembly) than most other grills on the market, save Weber. To be honest, $800 is more than I would like to spend, and there is a better chance the CT unit will go on sale at some point in the next few weeks (the dealer prices are pretty well set for the year). I guess it comes down to the classic: buy Canadian (as I would really like to) or: how much can I save on that off-shore stuff? Maybe the question should be: Why can't Ted Reader put his damn name on a Canadian made grill? when u get rid of it give me a call the bbq's are going for $40 at the metal recycling depots I go for a short drive in summer looking for them to cash in LOL!!!!
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