We've been using Weber grills for 31 years. When they came out with the gas models, we bought one and have been using them ever since. We are now on our 3rd (one was stolen) and many friends and family have made the switch from other brands to this after having a meals cooked on ours. There is a thermostat, so you know what temp. you're cooking at.
Depending on your needs, you can get one for under $400. Many stores (Tru-Value hardware stores in this area) often do cooking demonstratons.

I'm really looking hard at the Weber Genesis 1000. Just trying to get my price, now. It seems to be alot of money for an outdoor appliance that's exposed to the weather. Can I do any better with something else? Thanks.

Check into a Ducane. We bought one last year and we LOVE it! Built to last and a lifetime warranty. Price is a bit higher than others, but definitely worth it since you will probably never replace it. You'll need to check at an outdoor living store, since you won't find them in discount stores.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ducane gas grills

thanks everyone.

Go with the Weber Genesis Gas Grill. If you look for
it on sale it will be under $500 and it works very
well.

Bruce

I'm still leaning towards the Weber Genesis, but I'd like to know more about the new Coleman Powerhouse55. I've been hearing some good things about this grill, but I don't know if it's built as well as Weber. It's a lot cheaper than Weber, and offers a few other goodiess (sideburner,etc.) but I'd like to hear what your references/thoughts may be on this subject. Thanks.

I just found this forum, and nobody's posted on this thread for a LONG time so I hope someone reads this.

Like many others here, I had been looking at a Weber Genesis grill, but lately have been doing more research to validate (or sway) my opinion. Recently I have the opportunity to get a Broilmaster "P" series for between $500 and $600, but reading here I see some talking about a grill that Sams' club carries for $500 (Bakers & Chefs, or some sch name).

I need to get a grill within the next few months, so I'd like to know: given the options of Weber, Ducane, Broilmaster or B & C (the Sams option), which would you go for?

Monty

I just bought the Sam's Club B & C grill. I had a little trouble securing one though, because they can't seem to keep them in stock. I have read quite a few Posts saying how delighted people are with the unit, and have used that information to push me over the edge away from the significantly higher priced Weber and Ducane with similar features. From my perspective it is a terrific deal at $500 which includes the rotisserie, cover, larger cooking grid, and stainless steel too boot. I will put it together this weekend and see how it flys.

Tom

Try a Holland Grill. It is so easy to use and made with quality, built to last. Ours is 4 years old and we haven't had one days problem. And I don't burn food like I use to. In my opinion it is the BEST.

Spent some more time doing research yesterday. Here are the details (the prices I can get) on my four picks. One problem is that none have a side burner - something I would really like as we ALWAYS make beans when we BBQ and it'd be nice not to have to keep running into the house. Anyway:

Broilmaster P3CP: Delivered price $658.77 + tax
This seems like a good grill, although I haven't seen much about it in discussions. The best reports I've seen on it are several posts by grill retailers who mention that they use a broilmaster as their personal grill. The biggest problem is that this is the most expensive in my list - well over my $500 budget. As compared to the rest, is this grill worth the money?

Weber Genesis Silver "B": Delivered Price $389 + tax
It's awfully hard to find bad reports on the Weber. Owners seem very happy with them and they have a good record for reliability. However, I'm not sure if this model can have a side burner added on later - something available on all of the others. Would I need to look at a different model - one that already includes the burner?

Ducane (don't remember the model): $426.90 + tax delivered
Like Weber, Ducane owners seen very pleased with their grills and they have a proven track record for reliability (and a warranty to back it up). Any comments?

Bakers & Chefs (model ??): $499 + tax
My wife and I looked at this unit in Sams last night. It's pretty impressive w/plenty of worry-free stainless steel and no shortage of raw heating power. The included rotissere is a plus, but not really something I was looking for. Feature against feature & price against price, is this the champion in this price range?

Finally, I'll comment on the Holland. This appears to be a great, durable grill and I don't doubt that food comes out perfect every time - because it seems that Holland tightly controls the cooking process with zero temperature control and pre-dictated cooking times. Personally, part of the fun of grilling is being involved in the process - controlling the temperature and cooking time to suit my personal tastes. Mine may not come out as "perfect" every time as on a Holland, but I enjoy being involved in the cooking process. This is not intended as a slam against Holland owners, I just don't think that it is the grill for me.

Help! I am itrying to decide which Weber to buy. I cannot decide between this years model genesis silver b or last years skyline model which is comprable, but seems a little nicer. It appears to have an extra set of Flavorizer bars, thus bars going vertical and horizontal. However, this last year's model is $50 higher. Should I get the new model or the older model which appears nicer? Please, let me know ASAP, for I am buying this for my mother ny this weekend. ANy and all comments welcome, send to my email address so I get them fast! Thanks everyone and happy grilling,
Scott

You might consider looking into the Holland grill, no flare up, excellant warranties, the best food and the easiest to use.http://hollandgrill.com

I would have to go with the comments on the B&C from Sams... converted mine to NG and it has been a great grill... from steaks to burgers... plenty of room to cook and great flame control.

As the title says, consumer reports magazine has just done a report on gas grills. To summarize, the Weber Genesis came out near the top, but as usual with consumer reports, it depends on what you are looking for.

Here is a link that might be useful: Consumer Reports Magazine online

Of course they did not test the B & C! Feature for feature... you cannot beat the Bakers and Chefs from Sams.

Hi everybody,

I just went thru the BBQ purchase experience. I bought a Ducane 1204. I love it. I got it at Northside Hardware in Appleton, WI thru ebay. If I had to pay retail, I would have bought a Coleman or Weber (Frankly, the Weber is great but ugly). My Ducane was $328.00 + $48.00 shipping to Washington. This allowed me to get the cover, extra side tray and Ducane Steel Grill Spatula and still save close to $200.00!

I'm on the verge of buying the Bakers and Chefs gas grill from Sams. I believe the cast iron pan with cover that Sears sells for thier Kenmore Elite grills will fit perfectly in the B & C, so with this you really don't need a side burner, as you can cook in that pan covered or uncovered in the grill itself. This pan is also used to put underneath whatever is on the rotissere. If an additional burner is needed, you could probably add one (like the type used for frying Turkeys). I really like the idea of the rotissere burner, I've only seen that on *really* expensive high-end units.

With the B & C unit, you do seem to get quite a lot for $499.00, but longetivity is the question. I assume if a person takes care of the unit, it will last a long time.

And, Hi Dcrisler! I think I know you from the Honda Odyssey forum!

This is just a suggestion for you to consider in BBQ grills. www.campchef.com or www.outdoorcooking.com Camp chef has a proven track record amongst campers and outdoor enthusiasts. They curently make a sports grill which has a side burner variable tempeture controls, and can be folded for easy transport. Runs on LP or NG. If you are looking for a grill which can be used at home as well as camping this may be your ticket.

Well, I have to "go back" on what I posted above, my SO nixed the idea of the B & C grill from Sams, but only because she wants to do a Backyard Kitchen, with a built in grill. So this is going to put us in a different range of gas grills, probably "DCS".

But, if I had my way, I'd be cooking on the B & C grill right now! :-)

Anyone had any experience with some of the slightly higher end models like the Napolean or the Aussie-built Captain Cook (at Barbeques Galore)? These are somewhere in price between the higher end Webers and the very high end DCS models.

Also, any opinions on cooking surface area size, ie: is three burners enough, or is it better to go ahead and get 4 (especially if you're going to do indirect heat cooking).

Thanks for your help!

Just bought a Weber silver A (only two burners one row of flavorizer bars no side burner stainlees steel grill etc the smallest Weber has to offer) Still cold up here in Toronto. But on Sunday I tried to cook some fish in aluminium paper. Veggies on the grill and apples for dessert. I have followed the instructions on the included cookbook.

AHHHH it was good, the best I ever cooked on any BBQ. The Weber looks good the cover is expensive but fits and seems to be well made.

My Weber Genesis 5000 is 9 years old and cooks and looks brand new. Why? I cover with a Weber cover when I'm done (the cover's tight but it works). Also, virtually every component on the Weber is replaceable. I've bought new flavorizer bars and burner tubes. They were readily available. With many grills made today, you can't get replacement parts after a year or two. Especially those private brands that the membership clubs carry. Here today, gone tomorrow. I expect to have my Weber for another nine years, long after those people who bought at membership clubs have thrown their grills away.

Tom, The Bakers & Chefs sold by Sam's club is a store brand, but it is made by Grand Hall - a company which has been around for some time (I understand the old Warm Morning heating stoves were made by the same outfit). Same story with the Kenmore Elite grills sold at Sams; also Grand Hall. The grill comes with a list of add-on or replacement parts, an order form and a 1-800 number to contact the company - which I've heard provides great service. Their web site also provides info on local Grand Hall dealers. I looked at Webers before I bought B&C, but features for price the Webers couldn't touch the B&C.

This is not intended as a slam against Weber. I fully believe they are great grills and didn't avoid them for any negative reason - just that the B&C is a better value. Don't slam them just because they are a membership club store brand, when you obviously haven't done research on the manufacturer.

Here is a link that might be useful: More info about Grand Hall here.

Monty, This is not a slam against the membership club store brand but it appears Tom might have a point. I purchased my Bakers & Chefs grill from Sams Club 5 years ago. As you stated it was made by Grand Hall for Sams Club. It has been a GREAT grill for the last 5 seasons HOWEVER... I was cleaning it the other day getting it ready for a new season of BBQ'ing and noticed the lower half of the grill (the "Grill Bowl") has finally burnt out and needs to be replaced. I called Grand Hall today to purchace a replacement. Guess What? The part is out of stock and no longer available.

Tomorrow I'll head to the Sams Club and see if they will offer a satisfactory resolution. Until them I have a 5 year old $479.00 grill that is no longer usable. I'll post the results of my visit to Sams...hopefully it will be good news. For more info on my problem see my post:

http://forums.thathomesite.com/forums/load/bbq/msg111721106463.html

Here is a link that might be useful: Bakers & Chefs gas grill sold at Sam's Club

To all considering the "usual suspects" of gas grills...

Consider this: when you go into Sears or Lowes or Home Depot, and you see shelf after shelf of gas grill replacement parts, they're not stocking those items because they're not selling. They stock them because people buy replacement parts in droves for the cheaply made mass-market grills. Look closely at the thin gauge steel burners, legs, covers, "flavorizer bars" and stamped-steel cooking grids that come on grills that charge a pretty penny ($200 and up is pretty to me).

In my humble opinion, those companies can make grills in the $200-$400 price range (cheap to some, pricey to others) because of the chintzy parts they use. Then, when those parts wear out, the customer has to come to guess who? to patch up their grill. So the company wins both ways.

Now, you could go the route of the really, really cheap grill ($89-$140), knowing your going to replace the whole shebang in a year or two anyway. Like Timex watches, when they stop working, it's cheaper to replace rather than repair. And the companies know this. So again, the company wins, you lose.

So, what's my point? Spend the extra coin to get a better grill. But keep in mind a high price, like on some of the Webers and Colemans and Kenmores I've seen, doesn't necessarily translate into a better product. I know I'll offend those who swear by those brands, but that's like sticking to Chevrolet or RCA TVs in the 80s, simply because at one time, they were the best. Remaining blind in brand loyalty helps the company, not the consumer.

Let me start off by saying that IÂve been doing my Âgrill research for almost 2 years. IÂve done a lot of talking with sales people and dealers, but have found these forums especially helpful.

Let me break it down like this: Money is always tight but quality is very important to me.
I pretty much made up my mind that I could spend about $250-300. on a grill. I finally decided IÂd wait a little longer because I decided that I needed to have the best deal I that I could have imagined. It is of course the Members Mark (Bakers & Chefs) stainless steel unit at SamÂs for $499. It took a half dozen trips to the store before they actually had a couple in, and by the time I primed the wife and got everything together to buy it last fall, they were gone. IÂd have to wait another seasonÂ

So this Spring IÂve been checking again and, alasÂthereÂs the grill! Only now the darn thing has a side burner and a couple of other minor changes, and the price is now $599!!! OhhhhÂ... that broke my heart.

But I bit the bullet (nevermind that I canÂt afford the meat to grill on itÂ) and itÂs mine!!!

In a word- WOW. ItÂs incredible, but it should be for $599. Big ouch on that one, but IÂd do it again in a second. IÂm still waiting to get out of the doghouse (angry wife), but if thereÂs any way to make this work for you, youÂll never regret it. The quality is apparent even as you start pulling stuff out of boxes for assembly. Top notch, all the way.

IÂve been in specialty cooking shops with high-end grills and this unit is every bit as good (or better) than many $3000. units IÂve seen. And it looks really nice! Keep in mind this is one heavy sucker. Plan on assembling it close to where it will live, otherwise it will take three full-grown men to move the beast.
The side burner really cranks  you can plan on boiling a 12 qt. pot of water w/ no problems.

IÂll be taking care of this one, folks. IÂve only owned it a week and have cooked on it almost every dayÂ
I canÂt say enough good things about it. The rotisserie feature is great tooÂ

I highly recommend that at the very least give it a look if you plan to buy anything other than a bottom end unit. It really canÂt be beat for even twice the money. Email w/ any questions.

Happy grilling,

Brian

I'm looking for a Natural Gas Grill. Does Bakers & Chefs come in NG?

I purchased a Sunbeam Grillmaster - (model GG546217) in 1997 and we are very pleased with it. It has a double burner and a large cooking surface with side burner. Flame control is excellent and it has and continues to serve us well. I was trying to decide between this grill and the Webers that were similar to it. I'm pleased with the choice we made despite Weber's supurb reputation. We've made fabulous meals on our grill which cost about $450.00 compared to the much more expensive Webers.

I just purchased a B&C grill from Sams and before I actually start to use it I was wondering if anyone out there was aware of procedures to prepare the grill that would allow for maximum life (to prevent rust, etc) I know that in preparing cast iron for instance it is best to season the surface first to prevent rust and make cooked on food easily removable. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Bought the grill last night at 9pm and had it assembled in less than 2 hours. (This monster was more easily put together than my Thermos brand of several years ago---all parts labeled and excellent diagrams to aid in assembly.) I hope to have this grill for many years and would like to ensure I am caring for it properly right from the start.

If you ask me, Webers are way overrated. I went to Home Depot and checked out the Silver A from Weber and a the Coleman 3000. For the price, the Coleman was way better. It had procelain grills, weber did not, it had a higher top, so you can cook bigger meats with the rotissairy(SP?). It had a side Burner, It was built better. My uncles had a WEBER and the paint peeled off, the handle warped. The weber had a cheap set of wheels, the legs werent sturdy. Over the all, the Coleman was way better.

Why pay for sheet metal and cheap burners when you can learn, compare, and get a quality grill in the same price range?

For Gas Grills 101 check out "How to Choose", "Major Differences", and "What to Look for" at www.picksinc.com/GasGrills/home.htm

For Gas Grills 201 check out the "GrillTalk Message Board" at www.picksinc.com/Grilltalk.htm

Don't spend $500 or $1000 for a grill that is poorly constructed, made of sheet metal, and has cheap burners!

Check out the Great Outdoors Grill Company.

www.gogrills.com

75 year 25 year 5 year warranty. THIS CAN'T BE BEAT

Coleman 3000 Gas Grill
I love the fact that I can just go out and turn the knob and flip the switch to start the bar-b-que, but it seems to me with the one I purchased (Just last year) that it takes alot longer to cook a steak-porterhouse, for instance or to just cook hamburgers than it did on my weber charcoal bbq. I leave the top up, because that is what it says to do. Does anyone have any idea why it would take so much longer. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

go with a Holland, so easy

Virco

Second the Virco

Third the Virco. :)

Member's Mark MY0660. The Big Mother!

Fourth the Virco, unless you have the cash for the big Member's Mark (and need the additional 4" and built in smoker). Apples to apples, there is nothing comparable in price at that slightly larger size (talking the 0660 here)\.... For the additional $700, I'd opt for getting a second Virco!

Agreed for another $100 you could get a second Virco and, properly arranged around a chair and a cooler, you could be in bbq nirvana!

bsbbq

Here is a link that might be useful: My Virco Stuff