lookinforwalleye Posted March 19, 2009 Report Share Posted March 19, 2009 I have thrown my share of 200 dollar BBQ`s away so last summer I bought a Vermont Castings Q with no regrets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dutch Posted March 19, 2009 Report Share Posted March 19, 2009 I took the plunge and spent good dough on a Broil King last year - XLS90, it's real big, bigger than I need actually, but it had all the features I wanted at the right price point. A must for me was 100% Stainless Grills and this beast has 3/8" beauties. There aren't many brands that actually have SS grills - I looked at porcelain coated cast iron and regular cast iron as well, they are somewhat prone to cracking and rusting if the coating cracks, so that's why I wanted SS. In my reaserch I found that Napoleon, Weber and BK were consistantly rated very well. Stay away from no-name brands, you'll replace every 2 years and won't ever get even heat. HD and CTC sell brands of Napoleon and Weber, but they are NOT the same as you buy at speciality BBQ stores. They are made for Big Box and some of the parts are inferior. As for Vermont Castings - their parent company is in Bankruptcy as have the last 3-4 companies that have owned that NAME. There is a lot of Value in the NAME, but stay away from the BBQ's, they are now made in China and are no-where near what they were 10-15 years and 4-5 owners ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillM Posted March 19, 2009 Report Share Posted March 19, 2009 There is a lot of Value in the NAME, but stay away from the BBQ's, they are now made in China and are no-where near what they were 10-15 years and 4-5 owners ago. Chinese assembly and manufacturing started in '08.. If you are lucky you can still get your hands on something pre '08.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greencoachdog Posted March 19, 2009 Report Share Posted March 19, 2009 Buy what you can afford and will make you happy! I personally think any meat grilled on a cheap charcoal grill tastes a little better than on a gas grill! ... but I haven't used a charcoal grill in years, except for last september at Lakair with Paul and Joey... it reminded me how good charcoal cooked food tastes!!! ... but gas grills are so darned convenient!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bow slayer Posted March 20, 2009 Report Share Posted March 20, 2009 Well I am on my second Ducane. The first lasted 10 years and all it needs is a new burner.Since I won it I decided it owed me nothing so I bought a new stainless steel Ducane from Home Depot 2 years ago,the cost was 800 bucks includes side burner and rotisserie. These are the only grill on the market that is truly all stainless steel including the screws. I would not even consider any other BBQ.Can't go wrong. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DRIFTER_016 Posted March 20, 2009 Report Share Posted March 20, 2009 You want the Binford 3000 turbo grill with afterburner!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burtess Posted March 20, 2009 Report Share Posted March 20, 2009 (edited) Some research on grill makers, where they are made (assembled - who knows where the components come from): Broil King - Canada Broil Mate (made by Broil King) - Canada Sterling (made by Broil King) - Canada Fiesta - China Blue Ember (made by Fiesta) - China DCS (bought by Ficsher-Paytel) - China Charbroil - China Charmglo - China Thermos - China Coleman - China Centro - China Napoleon (depending on model) - Canada or China (WolfSteel Guangzhou) Vermont Castings - 2007 and older Canada, 2008+ China Ducane (bought by Weber) - China Weber Spirit - China Weber (others) - USA Brander - China Viking - Greenwood, MS, USA Crown Verity - Brantford, Ontario If you find any other info add to the list. Everyone should at least try to purchase NA!!! Burt Edited March 23, 2009 by Burtess Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gerritt Posted March 20, 2009 Report Share Posted March 20, 2009 if I had the bucks... I would have a big green egg on my deck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tschirk Posted March 21, 2009 Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 from consumer reports: Gas grill You'll pay $200 to $500 for a grill that can handle most of your cooking needs. Spending more will get you more stainless-steel styling and additional convenience features, but not necessarily better performance. Several midsized models that cos... ExpandMore Best for most; all are midsized and CR Best Buys: The high-performing Blue Ember's generous shelf space, side burner, built-in smoker box, and rotisserie burner are noteworthy features. Consider the stainless-steel Char-Broil for its ... ExpandMore BEST BUY * Blue Ember by Fiesta FG50069-U409 (Home Depot) * Type: Gas grills * Medium-size models * Price as tested: * $450 Overall score 100 0 84 Overall, this is an excellent, three-burner, medium-size grill that provides excellent heating evenness of the main cooking area and very good low-temperature grilling. See our ratings for this Gas grill BEST BUY * Brinkmann 810-8410S (Home Depot) * Type: Gas grills * Medium-size models * Price as tested: * $200 Overall score 100 0 76 Overall, this is a very good grill that provides excellent heating evenness of the main cooking area and very good low-temperature grilling. It's a CR Best Buy. See our ratings for this Gas grill BEST BUY * Char-Broil Commercial Series 463268008 [item #242266] (Lowe's) * Type: Gas grills * Medium-size models * Price as tested: * $300 Overall score 100 0 75 Overall, this is a very good grill that provides very good heating evenness of the main cooking area and excellent low-temperature grilling. It's a CR Best Buy. See our ratings for this Gas grill If you often cook for a crowd, consider these large grills; all are CR Best Buys: These stainless-steel grills offer very good performance. The Kenmore has five main burners with a 10-year warranty. Add in a rotisserie, side burners, ... ExpandMore BEST BUY * Kenmore (Sears) 16315 * Type: Gas grills * Large models * Price as tested: * $570 Overall score 100 0 76 Overall, this is a very good grill that provides very good heating evenness of the main cooking area and very good low-temperature grilling. It's a CR Best Buy. See our ratings for this Gas grill BEST BUY * Char-Broil Quantum 463248208 [item #271572] (Lowe's) * Type: Gas grills * Large models * Price as tested: * $500 Overall score 100 0 72 Overall, this is a very good grill that provides very good heating evenness of the main cooking area and excellent low-temperature grilling. It's a CR Best Buy. See our ratings for this Gas grill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garry2Rs Posted March 21, 2009 Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 About three years ago a buddy of mine, who is a amateur gourmet chef, bought a ceramic charcoal grill called "The Big Green Egg" It is an odd looking thing, that uses very little charcoal to quickly reach high temperatures. There are ducts and flues to control the air flow, thus the heat. When he closes all these vents, the fire is choked out. The unburnt fuel can be used next time. This is a high end product lined with fire brick and he swears by it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edmichit Posted March 21, 2009 Report Share Posted March 21, 2009 i got the ted reader q last yearon sale at ctc, love it. i did my research as well, all major components are in inventory and under warranty. I used it all winter as well, starts every time. It was easy to assemble. last summer they had a tent sale at kempenfest, picked up a cover, and a bunch of other stufgenerously proportionedor it real cheap. I like the fact that i can be at the factory parts desk in 15minutes. I know parts are made in China, or even assembled in CHina, however I also know that the China plant is owned by them, not true for most other mfgrs Proof is in the pictures Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jer Posted March 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 ...looky what I found on my deck when I got home... I feel better keeping the people of Barrie employed rather than Guangzhou. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColdH20guy Posted March 23, 2009 Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 bought a Blue Ember last week and love it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Headhunter Posted March 24, 2009 Report Share Posted March 24, 2009 Here's my 2 cents! I BBQ probably 100 to 150 days a year, you name it, I do it one the BBQ. About 9 years ago, I got tired of replacing burners in my cheap Broil Mate. I did some research and found that one of the keys to a good BBQ is it's abilty to provide steady, consistant and even heat across the grill. I bought a Vermont Castings and am still running it today. The BBQ is virtually all porceline enamelled, the grills, cover and body. The grills themselves are cast iron coated with porcelin... I have never had and cracking, flaking etc... and I cook all year round. Like anything you buy, by in large, you get what you pay for. Quality parts cost more, it's pretty simple. The Big Green Egg is an awesome cooking machine, but it requires a lot of planning as like any charcoal burner, it takes time. One should also consider the warranty available on your next BBQ. My brother bought a Napoleon grill 12 years ago. About two years ago, he had a leaky burner. He called the shop he bought it at and they said they would send someone over to take a look... now remember, this was 9 or 10 years AFTER HE BOUGHT IT. He came home from work a few days later and noticed his BBQ wasn't where he left it... took a look and what did he find... the repair guy have replaced the burner, cleaned up the whole BBQ and no bill! That's service folks and you can be sure that the next BBQ he buys will be a Naploeon. Ducane makes a fabulous grill, they are just hard to find. I see there are many Weber fans here, personally, I won't have one! For the price, I can do much better with a Napoleon. Webers feel cheap to me, flimsy, thin metal and just plain cheap. Remember the key to a great grill is heat retention and I just can't see that happening with their thin cheap metal. IMHO! I wouldn't buy a BBQ without a side burner and I won't buy a BBQ that isn't natural gas. Many above have already mentioned the pain of propane tanks. My V.C has a side burner (corn in the summer!!!!), an infrared rotiseriery (sp) back burner and an "overn" burner. All have their applications, all get their use... don't discount anything, until you have tried it! Good luck... but think NAPOLEON! HH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lunker777 Posted March 24, 2009 Report Share Posted March 24, 2009 Well I am on my second Ducane. The first lasted 10 years and all it needs is a new burner.Since I won it I decided it owed me nothing so I bought a new stainless steel Ducane from Home Depot 2 years ago,the cost was 800 bucks includes side burner and rotisserie. These are the only grill on the market that is truly all stainless steel including the screws. I would not even consider any other BBQ.Can't go wrong. Good call !! I used to work at the Depot selling BBQ's and the Ducane was the only one I felt comfortable selling to someone LOOKING for a stainless steel grill. Easy way to test is take a magnet and place it on the metal... If it sticks to the so called "stainless" then obviously, its NOT true stianless. I stold a Ducane to a friend of mines family about 4 yrs ago, and they love it . Being 23 yrs old, I dont have the $$$ to go out and buy a $1000 grill hahah so I just opted for my trusty John Deere BBQ I bought at the shop here ( where I work ). I bought the cheapo one as it was all I could afford. I bbq all year and next time around, I will be going for something with a little more heavy duty parts.... IE... Cast grills or stainless... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Burtess Posted March 29, 2009 Report Share Posted March 29, 2009 I don't know if you have picked up your new grill yet but in case you haven't..... I picked up a Broil King Signet 90 (http://www.barbecuesgalore.ca/cooking.bpsx?CookingID=6) up at Rona (Waterdown location) as a "manager's special" for $400! This is a wicked deal for this grill. Burt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnF Posted March 29, 2009 Report Share Posted March 29, 2009 You want the Binford 3000 turbo grill with afterburner!!!!!! So you can cook steaks faster than Bob Villa???? JF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irishfield Posted March 29, 2009 Report Share Posted March 29, 2009 (edited) I don't know... I put grill marks and cook steaks just fine on my dilapitated.. run over by my youngest daughter (with the Sierra) $99 CTC special propane BBQ. I think the fancy mega BBQ's do nothing but impress the neighbours (and drain your bank account)... but since my closest is 1800 feet away.. I'll stick with old faithfull ! Edited March 29, 2009 by irishfield Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnF Posted March 29, 2009 Report Share Posted March 29, 2009 So, at the risk of sounding like the compleat consumer and forgeting about price, what's the very best BBQ to buy in Ontario these days, bar none? I do all the family cooking. My kitchen stove cost over $3,000 but I still do most of my cooking outdoors. It's only logical that the BBQ should be my bigger investment. My current unit is a Beefeater made in Australia but I'm not knocked out by it. It's ok but I think it could be a lot better for $700+. I'd be happy to lay out more if the durned thing would give me what I want (even heat distribution, rust resistance, etc) I really like the charcoal idea for flavour, but I use the BBQ way too much to wait for coals to prep for cooking every day. What I want in a unit is even heat distribution, corrosion resistance in the burners, grilles and drip tray, natural gas burners, a good igniter (or no igniter at all), some kind of insulation and a deflector for slow cooking, a decent rotisserie, perhaps even a smoker option if that's not asking too much. Mebbe we need to put our heads (and money) together and develop a really good BBQ for these northern climes. Surely we have the skills, equipment, and expertise to match with our BBQing experience and expectations to build the better (best?) BBQ. I can see a dual fuel unit that will work on gas or charcoal depending on how much time you have to play. A smoker option isn't out of the question either. Any inventive (and inclined to metal fabrication) souls out there ready for the challenge? I have a neighbour who'd probably do the welding. I'm sure he could weld marshmallows to Walleyes if need be (he does tricksy welding for aerospace engineering) and he loves to cook in the back yard (as long as beer is involved). Send me your thoughts. I'd be willing to spend a little money to have him weld up some of them to see if they work. Of course buying the best BBQ would be much simpler but so far I haven't found the perfect one. JF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnF Posted March 29, 2009 Report Share Posted March 29, 2009 I don't know... I put grill marks and cook steaks just fine on my dilapitated.. run over by my youngest daughter (with the Sierra) $99 CTC special propane BBQ. I think the fancy mega BBQ's do nothing but impress the neighbours (and drain your bank account)... but since my closest is 1800 feet away.. I'll stick with old faithfull ! Having burned out quite a bunch I'm inclined to agree with you. I used to just drill out the holes in the burners on my cheapos (to even up the heat) until they would drill no more. Or until the bottom of the unit collapsed. Mayhap we should just buy cheapies and replace 'em every few years. JF Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irishfield Posted March 29, 2009 Report Share Posted March 29, 2009 For sure John... I think the one at the back door is 10 years old or more..has some cement blocks holding it upright.. burner has flames coming from places it shouldn't.. but cooks fine if you know where to place the meat! lol I'd rather spend the money on fishing gear and boat accessories... but to each their own! lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigeonfisher Posted March 30, 2009 Report Share Posted March 30, 2009 John, Head over to the Napoleon store in Orillia. You won't be dissapointed. If nothing else, forget about buying a grill. Just go for the education. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Headhunter Posted March 30, 2009 Report Share Posted March 30, 2009 John, As I mentioned in my earlier post, consider the Napoeon and a huge plus 1 to what Pidgeonfisher said... My Vermont castings , approaching 10 years old still functions as it did day one. The ignitor still works, BBQ fires up first click. None of my burners leak, period. I can use the whole grill, I don't have to seek out hot or cold spots. It's big enough that I can feed 20 to 30 people at a time, but has consistant and even heat throughout the grill. It's expensive, but as Wayne mentioned, it's not the sort of thign everybody needs... if you only BBQ a few times a month, buy a cheapie, but you already mentioned that you BBQ alot, so the investment is worth it. Once you have ruined a few me3als, you'll see the advantage of a premium grill. Again, Napoleon, Ducane are two I highly recommend. I wandered through a Napoleon dealer on the weekend... some really nice grills in the $1500.00 to $2000.00 range... and be sure to check out the warranty they provide on the burners etc... HH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jer Posted March 30, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2009 ...looky what I found on my deck when I got home... I feel better keeping the people of Barrie employed rather than Guangzhou. Having had it for a week now...I'm more than impressed with the Napoleon. I looked at a lot of grills...I coulda got a lot more features in another brand for my $800, but nowhere near the quality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishingisliving Posted March 31, 2009 Report Share Posted March 31, 2009 I just purchased a Broil King SOVEREIGN XLS 90 it has stainless cooking grids, anyone have recommendations or tips to preserve and clean before I start beating this puppy with Beef fat? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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