Actually we were looking at the Vermont Castings grill at Home Depot, then I saw that CR rated it #1 in midsize grills. So we ended up purchasing it. My husband is to pick it up today... I'll let you know how it cooks.

I absolutely love my CF9080. I recently purchased it to replace my Weber Gold. The VC has all the features and durability of the much higher costing name brands...Vermont Castings makes an excellent BBQ...my parents have had theirs for going on 15 years... I would recommend this one highly over the Weber simply because I have had both now and really enjoy the VC. I find it maintains a more consistent and even heat...wait until you try the rotisserie on the CF9080...WOW... Email me and let me know what you think - jajohnson@sympatico.ca Best of luck!

I owned one for three months and just sold it. I am going to buy the large Y0660 from Sams. The grill performed well, could peg the hood thermometer of 600F. The grates are very heavy stainless. But....the flame tamers are regular steel as is the rear IR panel. The rear panel didn't bother me but the flame tamer plates probably won't last long. The weakest part of the grill was the design of the drip pan. It is very difficult to use and often falls out of its track when sliding it in or our. It is a very poor design. If I kept the grill I was going to have it replaced with stainless steel from a local metal fabricator. The cost would have been about $100.00. Also, the hood was a folded design with spot welds but I will say that it never discolored on the outside for the 3 months that I owned it. To me, the Virco is far superior. I planned on buying that until I looked at the Y0660 at Sams. I am going to buy that one instead, even if it isn't ALL stainless. The grill and cart is so solid I will upgrade the few non-stainless parts when the time comes. It's basically a $5K grill for $1500.

I believe either Charbroil or Charmglow make grills for Sears, not sure which. Neither of these brands have performed very well nor have their durability records been anything to brag about. I looked at the Sears models in the spring and decided against them when I found out the manufacturer. A good grill, like Weber or Napoleon or Vermont Castings, can cost you from $600.00 to at least $1,200.00. It will depend on how much you want to spend and how big a grill you want or need. Stainless steel grills are much easier to clean. We put ours in the oven on the self-clean setting. They come out spotless every time. I have a Stainless Steel Napoleon PT450RB-I. The "I" stands for Infared. Mine has an infared burner that is great for steaks and burgers. It also came with a electric spit for cooking chickens, roast and etc. I believe the price was $1,200.00 delivered and set up/ with weather cover. The grill was a Father's Day gift. Napoleon is made in Canada and it is sometimes referred to as the Weber of Canada. I have been exceptional pleased with this grill. It is well built and very sturdy. It has the high quality stainless steel, not the cheap stuff. It replaced a 15 year old Ducane which gave us fantastic service. One of our sons now has the Ducane and it continues to perform very well. Other brands to look at are Ducane, now owned by Weber, and Vermont Castings. Enjoy the journey. eal51 in western CT