OT: Best grill under $500
I am in the market for a new gas grill and was hoping the board could provide some recs.
Only criteria: I will likely use it once a week or so in the summer, so would like to keep the price below $500. I don't really need bells and whistles, but I do want something sturdy that won't rust out within a couple seasons.
Will ask Tom Herman for advice on any subsequent grill purchases.
February 29th, 2016 at 7:12 PM ^
February 29th, 2016 at 7:17 PM ^
31 comments so far and no GEORGE FOREMAN GRILL???
February 29th, 2016 at 7:40 PM ^
Worst thing you can do to a piece of meat is put it on a George Foreman.
February 29th, 2016 at 8:02 PM ^
It's one of the few things my picky 8-year-old will eat.
February 29th, 2016 at 8:04 PM ^
When I was a freshman living in West Quad, we didn't have many options if we wanted to cook our own food so I used the George Foreman frequently. I remember cooking up some grilled chicken breasts, then making chicken quesadillas w/guacamole and the whole Wenley House seemed to come over. That was game over for the MGoWife; we moved in four months later and got married a couple years thereafter.
February 29th, 2016 at 9:57 PM ^
February 29th, 2016 at 10:21 PM ^
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February 29th, 2016 at 11:58 PM ^
I only use mine for certain things. I like the smell of bacon when I wake up, so I lay some strips of bacon out on my grill next to my bed before I go to sleep. When I do wake up, I turn the grill on and go back to sleep, then when I wake up again I have bacon ready for me. On a sidenote, one time I accidentally grilled my foot.
You have to do it yourself because you don't have a butler.
February 29th, 2016 at 7:18 PM ^
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February 29th, 2016 at 7:23 PM ^
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February 29th, 2016 at 7:24 PM ^
Get a Weber grill. It will take some time to find one, but you can probably find one on sale under 500 bucks. They're made in America and built from much sturdier materials than the others you find at Lowes, Home Depot, etc.
February 29th, 2016 at 7:38 PM ^
February 29th, 2016 at 10:20 PM ^
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February 29th, 2016 at 7:30 PM ^
When I was shopping for a new grill I really found this site helpful. Common sense reviews and practical advice.
http://amazingribs.com/BBQ_buyers_guide/top_10/index.html
I second amazingribs.com they have a ridiculous amount of useful information for grilling and smoking just about anything you can imagine. One product that they recommended that is relevant to the discussion here are grill grates: grillgrate.com I had an old Kenmore grill that was almost useless because it had horrible hot spots and cold spots. I replaced the grates with grill grates and the problem is gone. These things are awesome! Everything cooks so evenly now! If I were in the market for a new grill, I'd just buy something cheap and buy a set of grill grates for it.
February 29th, 2016 at 8:10 PM ^
As far as a grill, I got a Napolean T465 for under $500 but that was when floor models were going at end of year. Usually around $700.
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February 29th, 2016 at 7:34 PM ^
February 29th, 2016 at 7:35 PM ^
I would post over on reddit, in the Buy It for Life, subreddit.
https://www.reddit.com/r/buyitforlife
You could probably just copy and past this post.
February 29th, 2016 at 7:51 PM ^
You can get a Webber Spirit E310 for $500. The 210 is $400 but only has two burners. I have a Genesis but I use it a lot so like the extra heft
February 29th, 2016 at 7:39 PM ^
I grill extensively and use almost exclusively charcoal for direct grilling and wood for smoking.
I have a large Brinkmann direct griller that is probably too large for what I need. I also have a Chargriller with a smoker side box. (A few years ago, I took the CharGriller to Ann Arbor and smoked a 15lb prime rib at the golf course.)
I also have several portables for nomral tailgaiting purposes.
Just getting my credentials out of the way.
If you are an occassional, once per week, griller, no need to spend $500. A small $100 grill from anywhere is fine.
I'd like a gas grill as it is very convenient to do a quick round of burgers, but charcoal is king if I want to do it right.
I'd like to downsize* and when I do, this is what I will get:
http://www.samsclub.com/sams/4in1-combo-grill-gas-charcoal-grill/prod16660329.ip?navAction=
The Best of Both Worlds!!!
*(I'll likely keep the Chargriller for it's voluminous capabilities -the Brinkmann, while a better grill, is getting old and rusty...)
February 29th, 2016 at 9:35 PM ^
February 29th, 2016 at 7:39 PM ^
Weber E-310.
I got the natural gas version last year and love it.
February 29th, 2016 at 7:47 PM ^
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February 29th, 2016 at 7:50 PM ^
February 29th, 2016 at 7:52 PM ^
I'm in the market for a new grill. I bought one 6 or 7 years ago at one of the big box hardware stores. It was great for the first 4-5 years. Now the burners are rusting out and there are no replacement parts available. It still looks good on the outside with all that stainless steel, and I got it for a good price, but it is almost useless. My next grill will be a Webber or some other name brand that is tried and true with replacement parts available.
February 29th, 2016 at 8:45 PM ^
February 29th, 2016 at 7:56 PM ^
February 29th, 2016 at 9:39 PM ^
February 29th, 2016 at 7:58 PM ^
I grill at least once a week in the summer and often clear a path through the snow in the winter. Found this one assembled at lowes for $150 on Memorial day weekend last year. Pretty basic, but works great.
http://www.lowes.com/pd_606686-82210-463344015_1z0wekx__?productId=5032…
February 29th, 2016 at 8:02 PM ^
Finally made the leap to a Mak 2-star pellet grill last summer. It's amazing but way more than your $ limit.
February 29th, 2016 at 8:15 PM ^
February 29th, 2016 at 8:18 PM ^
Want some flavor in your food?
February 29th, 2016 at 8:33 PM ^
February 29th, 2016 at 8:42 PM ^
I bought the 3-burner Broil King at Lowe's last spring and it's great. I actually like it better than my old Weber. The burners have 2 rows of flames which makes for great heat distribution. There are really no hot or cold spots. It cost around $400 I think. It's great.
February 29th, 2016 at 8:51 PM ^
have owned & used them for over 35 yrs. Currently have 3.
I've got one 20+ yr old one that lives outside at the cottage and everything has been replaced a couple times.
The thicker metal can make a big difference in what & how well you can cook.
It also helps grill during winter or cold days if you're into that.
I'd make sure of the size you need first, then get the best you can afford (even if it isn't Weber) after that.
February 29th, 2016 at 9:14 PM ^
February 29th, 2016 at 9:50 PM ^
and are probably far too much bother for someone who stated they only plan to grill once a week and want something for under $500.
February 29th, 2016 at 9:22 PM ^
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February 29th, 2016 at 9:27 PM ^
News and analysis I can trust, was just starting my search for a grill.
February 29th, 2016 at 10:10 PM ^
February 29th, 2016 at 10:17 PM ^
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February 29th, 2016 at 11:04 PM ^
A Weber 'Original Kettle Premium' charcoal grill that I keep out on my deck except during the winter months, and a portable Weber Q1200 gas grill that stays in use year-round.
The kettle grill pretty much only gets used on weekends or for bigger cooking projects, as charcoal takes a lot more prep time than gas. I believe it has almost 400 square inches of cooking surface, about twice the size of the Q1200, which only has room for about a half-dozen burgers at a time. But I do greatly prefer charcoal over gas when I have the luxury of time to attend to it.
The Q1200 gets a ton of use year-round and is so very convenient for camping and tailgating (except for the cooking surface being <200 Sq "). I recommend purchasing an adaptor for it like I did so that I can use my 20lb refillable propane tank, otherwise you'll be spending a lot more for those disposable small tanks.
Between these two grills and the adaptor I mentioned, I think I spent around $250 when I bought the two of them at a Grand Opening sale at Meijer a couple years ago; otherwise at regular price you'd probably be in the $350 price range total with most retailers.
color and all. It's awesome, highly recommend if you want charcoal and the convenience of a gas starter. Coupled with a chimney the charcoal is ready in less than 10min.
color and all. It's awesome, highly recommend if you want charcoal and the convenience of a gas starter. Coupled with a chimney the charcoal is ready in less than 10min.