Yes it is true. I have contacted several Costco units and it is clear that the Virco was a flash in the pan. I pity those that bought them because they will not have product support and warranty service. Costco will no doubt take them back when the burners fail(which is in about an 18 month period for those flimsy "tube" burners) but that still leaves those poor slobs that bought them without a grill.

Oh well, we tried to tell them the Member's Mark was the better buy.

Failure to listen to the sage words of a Certified Grill Expert(CGE) usually results in pissing away cash.

I read where two(2) jokers drove 600 miles to get their Vricons!
Oh well!!!! Service and parts should give them something to do with there time off.

Oh! Look who's back? It's Dipsage!!! Should have known that your temporary alter ego was a flash in the pan. :)

Maybe the reason Costco won't be getting any more Virco's "this year" is because they only get grills in at the beginning of BBQ season. In just over a month they will have to make room for their Christmas stuff, which should arrive by the end of August. Hopefully next year they will order a few more container loads of Vircos for the rest of us CGE's who will have to make do until then with rubbing sticks together and squatting beside the coals until the iguana is done to perfection

I just talked to my local Costco and they are expecting to get more in around June 24. Of course they were supposed to be here last week. Grills are a seasonal item so they don't like to carry inventory that won't sell. The guy told me that after July 4 it's touch and go. I am holding off buying a Members Mark until I can look at the Virco in person. Can someone who has one measure the primary cooking surface size. The Members Mark is 31.5 by 19". The big Memebers mark is 33 by 19" and the extra two inches of width aren't worth close to $900 to me.

because I called the Tustin, CA Costco yesterday and it is expecting 6 of them to arrive at their loading dock today (one has my name on it!). The manager there also looked in his computer and found a number of them coming in to various Costco's around Southern California over the next couple of weeks. It is listed as an "active item" on their computer. It's possible, of course, that other regions have ended their orders due to the shorter season in other climates. But we need 'em year round here!

Perhaps lpsage needs his medication adjusted again.

Forgot to add: Does anyone have the measurements, particularly the width of the Virco? I'd like to make sure it fits in a certain space on my patio before lugging it home. Thanks!

Hey Clover,
I got your email, and I can't find the info on the guy that I talked too, sorry. But I see that with the research you have done, that my information is accurate and that is what I had suspected. The width of the grill is about 42 inches without the side shelf and I would estimate that at about 12 or 14 more. I am going by memory so forgive me if these seem kind of vaque, but I am sure these are close. You can see pictures of my Virco on my patio at http://www.equinoxcs.com/Grillingweb/index.htm good luck.

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.equinoxcs.com/Grillingweb/index.htm

I just purchased a unit in King of Prussia,PA CostCo yesterday (June 19th). Both the local stores expect more units in this week. I looked at both the MM and the Virco. The Virco was a much better unit.

You just can't help yourself, can you lpsagggggge.

like many items at Costco, there one week, gone the next!

It is a seasonal item so I expect that some stores may not be getting any more in if they got their share. They had a lot of those Members Mark grills at Sams last time I checked. I suspect those Chinese in the prison camps work faster than the Taiwanese who are taking time to detail the edges and actually put the grill together ;-)

Amen, Delray.

My efforts paid off. Found 5 of them at a SoCal Costco yesterday and zipped over there. They were still on the loading dock! One has my name on it waiting for me to pick it up tonight! They are beautiful, for sure. (I'd never even seen one in person before yesterday.)

One last question: There have been a number of posts about how hot the grill can get. Mostly, I've seen 550-600 deg. here (I assume measured at the hood level by the Virco temp gauge). We love grilled steaks seared hot and cooked fast. Can anyone confirm that the grill gets hot enough to sear and cook a great steak? Any "hands-on" experience so far? Thanks in advance.

I "seared" flank steak and New York (then turned it down a bit to cook the inside of the thick NY cut without turning the exterior into charcoal).

IMO the difference between 400-600 degrees with the lid down is not relevant for searing. It is the temp close to the grill, and when you have it turned up full blast on any of these grills for a few minutes, you are at searing temperature. If you are baking, then I guess you can start looking at the temperature with the hood down.

"I "seared" flank steak and New York (then turned it down a bit to cook the inside of the thick NY cut without turning the exterior into charcoal)."

How long did it take to sear New York? Did you sear the entire State or just several counties? I'm sure you steered clear of searing Chinatown. No need to inflict any more hardship on those people given the fact many are engaged in slave labor to build grills for the Wal-Mart Corp.

Thank God there are morally conscentious people like you to police the rest of us relative to our consumer spending decisions.

Should I not buy products made in Indonesia either? What about Mexican made products? Dolphin free tuna???

I for one refuse to buy a Volvo because they are made in Sweden and they do not use any Third World labor in the manufacturing/assembly process.
In fact, we should all get rid of our cars and ride bicycles or scooters....it is the morally correct thing to do. Delray, we collectively thank you for your one man crusade to stop tyranny and poverty in the world via an outdoor cooking forum. So many leaders of men among us! Who would have known?

Hey LP,
There is a guy who needs help assembling their grill (see amin forum page)(If you know how). I am sure that your help might be appreciated there.

"Hey LP,
There is a guy who needs help assembling their grill (see amin forum page)(If you know how). I am sure that your help might be appreciated there."

Let me understand your idiot grammar again you uneducated nitwit. "There is a guy who needs help assembling their grill."
The "a guy" part is singular and possesive. The "their" is plural and third person. Is your wife as stupid and uneducated as you fat boy? Your simple celled brain is dulled by fat, sausage,rib and pork consumption you moron.

Clean up your home and stop putting pictures of that filthy hovel on the internet for all to see. You are a fat consuming slob with no pride. You never spent any time defending this country in the military and you are not a law enforcement officer. You are indeed a buffoon. The fat, grinning,beer drinking idiot we all know.

Keep up the good work and clean up your shack scumbag.

Once again demonstrating his superb mental prowess.

My response on the Chinese vs. Taiwanese product was a tounge in cheek dig on quality issues, not a political statement (note the smiley face). Apparently those subtleties went unnoticed. Regardless, that was not more important that the larger effort by myself and others to confront the bizarre lies and inferiority motives by lpsage, ie. "I have contacted several Costco units and it is clear that the Virco was a flash in the pan".

The reason (many) people visit these forums is for real info that affects real purchase decisions. The people that really care do their best to dispell the bologne by trolls like lpsage (comparisons to products he had not even seen at the time, fabricated info, etc..). Seems his grill has become some kind of phallic extension and he is in a lot of pain right now desparately trying to save his uh, member (pun intended). We should let him recover by ignoring him for now I guess.

LOL Delray! :)

I'm just so glad I purchased mine when I did as my closest Costco never got anymore in. I do know that their computer lists them as "backordered". Still in the system.

Hip, hip, hoorayyyyyyyyyy. The wicked sage is DEAD!!

Yep. Thanks to Spike.

Wow - How can you tell? I still see his member page. Usually, when someone goes 'poof', you can't see that page?

Hmm. I don't know. But I surmise someone's going to be spending some quality time in Disneyland ;-)

This place is better than television :O) This place makes my marrage look great!

Doesn't look like the Costcos in the Northeast carry the Virco. I called one in my area and they didn't even know what I was talking about. They gave me the Costco 800 number to call and also suggested seeing if it was available via the Costco website.

Anyone in or near New York find one?

Sue

I'm not saying a thing........

Sorry for any confusion Cookingrvc - I wasn't referring to your question above, but I do know they are not available via the website.

That's interesting, CGE, because there was just a posting in the Members Mark discussion that one of those grills blew up and caused severe damage to a home. Perhaps you have confused report about an unsafe Members Mark with the Virco?

Here is a link that might be useful: Exploding Members Mark Grill

Does cgesage (aka lpsage) work for Members Mark?

Sue, Costco does carry them in the Northeast. When you call ask for the Classic Grill for $799.00. Not all Costco outlets know it as the Virco. I called three MA locations for a week straight and finally located 6 in Waltham and 2 in Avon. The manager in Avon held it for me until I could get there after work. Waltham said that they are a high volume store and could not hold items or allow purchases over the phone.

The Costco unit code is 450322

You can call a Costco in the NE again and give them this number. Even if they don't have any in stock, they can give you status.

Let us know what happens.

Deltay and Zbull,

Thanks for the info, now they know what I'm talking about.

I called the local Costco in Westbury, NY (Long Island) and they said it is an 'active' product but there is no date for 'arrival' of the item.

They said the fact that it is 'active' means they will get more in this season, but they don't know when. They suggested I call every few days to check the status and see if an 'arrival' date is set.

Thanks again.

Sue

Bought the Virco on Fathers Day--Our Costco got in 2 and they were both sold by noon. Costco got 4 more in today 6-28. I refer to the Cincinnati store located at Waterstone Place. We grill almost daily! Having comparison shopped against the DCS, Frontgate, and Viking, dollar per dollar this is a deal! Disregard those who are sour grapes on this message board! Maybe they are all "charred" because they don't have one!

Yup Sarah & congrats on your new purchase! Please post with any cooking tips, etc. :)

I bought my Virco Classic off of information on this forum. I called Costco, and this item is NOT DISCONTINUED. I checked 4 stores in the metro-Atlanta area, and found 5 units in South Atlanta (now there are 4). The Atlanta/Southeast are showing a delivery of 600 units of the 4503322 item code (VircoClassic). So Grill - on!!

They are also now selling it online.

Hi All, Just wanted to inform you all that the Virco grills are still showing-up in the Costco warehouse stores in the West. I purchased mine on 11/6/02 from the store near my home in San Jose, CA. Cheers, Jeff 18

Yep, there are 2 in santa Clarita store and i saw several in Van Nuys, CA last night.

Howdy, Meagain!

They're still here on LI. Saw one recently.

I noticed that Costco is selling a slightly different version of the Virco this year. The main changes are it now has two storage drawers that roll on ball bearings, two doors (the one on the left stores the tank and has a paper towel hanger on the door, and the door on the left is for storage. It also has a little tray you can pull out for wood chips for adding some smoke.

My 8 year old Weber Genisys ran out of gas last week and Home Depot does not carry the filled tanks with the QDC (Quick Disconnect) fittings any more. That did not help the chops that were sitting on a cold grate. I told my wife it was an omen and she agreed to let me buy the new Virco at Costco. An hour later, we were at Costco, but they were sold out. Such is life. In the mean time, I've changed the fitting on my trusty old Weber and I'm back grilling several times a week till Costco gets the new Virco back in stock.

Has anyone seen or purchased the new style Virco? The info here has very handy.