Cooks' Illustrated did a gas grill comparison and included a TEC which had infrared burners. It was a few years ago so maybe things have changed but they did not like the infrareds. Very hot, good for searing and flame ups since anything that drips from the food hits the burners. I saw some models just the other day that had a small searing infrared burner and regular burners for the main cooking box. That sounds like a good idea. Now if you were talking infrared rotisserie burner which is to the side and not below the food, well then I can attest that mine works well. I have done rotisserie chickens on my Weber Summit with it (it is the only burner on) or without (using main burners) and only slightly prefer the rotisserie method. It is a desired feature in my book but not a must. As for grates, both iron and SS will sear your food given your grill is nice and hot. Here is what Weber's FAQs have to say about it. From Weber.com: "Q. Which are better, stainless steel, porcelain-coated cast iron or porcelain enamel cooking grates? All have their merits, so it is mostly a matter of personal preference. All require little maintenance and give great sear marks. Porcelain-coated cast iron grates will hold the heat longer so you donÂt have to cook with higher temperatures. Stainless steel grates have a longer warranty, followed by porcelain-coated cast iron, then porcelain enameled. Replacements are readily available for all styles."

Glad to hear you are happy. The Webers get good ratings from Consumer Reports, as well. However, it's not quite the same type of grille as the Members Mark or the Virco, which have a more "professional" or restaurant quality appearance. I admit that looks were a large part of my decision to purchase the Virco. That it works well is of course very nice. I see no problems with the rotisserie other than the left hand warming shelf support interfering with the thumbscrew. Apparently this is a problem on one run of the Vircos. I fixed in in about 10 minutes with a dremel tool. For me, no biggie. The spit on the Virco is very strong and thick and looks like it could easily hold a 20 lb turkey. However, the Virco is not easily transported. It has high quality wheels, but the whole thing weighs about 200 lbs so I'm not planning on loading it into the truck and taking it to picnics. That's just not what it's designed for. Another good grill in the sub-$500 price range is the Great Outdoors grill series. These have 25 year burner warranties, and sound like they are excellent as well. Again, not a restaurant quality look, but like your Weber a well built functioning unit. In terms of temperatures... I frankly don't understand the preoccupation with temps over 500F. I don't think these extremely high temps are necessary or desirable for good cooking results. Searing can be done at 450F, indirect, or on the grill for direct heat. Roasting or smoke-roasting (which is what happens when you lower the lid) is best done at temps at or below 325. The rotisserie gives great results - the chamber only heats to about 150F - but who cares about that as long as the food is cooked properly?

I agree with GrillMeister. I bought my first Genesis 3000 when Weber first started making them in the 80s. I had a traditional Charbroil, and the aluminum castings corroded to where the whole thing turned white. Also, the "H" shaped pressed-steel burner corroded to where I had very little heat control. And the chrome wire grills lasted maybe a year. The engineer in me really liked the Genesis design with the pipes for burners, the flavorizer bars and the porcelain coated parts. I did the math, and if the Genesis only lasted up to its warranty, it was cheaper to own the Genesis than to buy Charbroils like the one I had. That Genesis lasted over 10 years. I'm now on my second Genesis; a 1000, which is about 8 years old or so. (I found I didn't use the external burner) I've replaced the bars and grates with stainless parts. And this past weekend, I replaced the rails that the bottom tray slides on. Weber sent those to me at no charge. If I were buying a new grill now, it would be a Silver C. I wouldn't spring for the Gold, cause the SS lid is not that big of a deal to me. I can replace the bars and grates in stainless if I need to down the line. I wouldn't spring for the Summit series, 'cause it's a lot more money for something that is not much more functional. It does look cool, though... The Silver Weber is a great cooking machine.

andrelaplume, Yes that tray slides out. You can usually soak that tray in warm water and it will help loosen that grease. Might want to spary some "Dawn Powerdissolver" on it and let it set for a spell then let it sit in the water. I'm not sure if you could/should use oven cleaner on it. Stuff is pretty caustic. I scrape it with a plastic putty knife or snow scraper. If you don't keep this area clean you should experience more flare ups than usual. I've had a Weber Genesis 3000 now for almost 14 years and very rarely do I have a flare mostly with chicken when I have experienced them. Got to keep that bottom tray clean, should be a part of regular maintenance. I clean everytime I chuck out the disposable drip pan. Do not spray the tray with PAM or line it with aluminum foil. Flavorizer bars give them a scrap every now and then. Then clean the slide out tray, then dump the disposable drip pan. Your Weber is a good little grill and should give you years of cooking. Jeff