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OT? BBQ grill questions

bluekitobsessed

15 years ago

I'm going grill crazy, partly because with the remodel it's the only thing besides the microwave I can actually use. The iron grates on my old grill are rusting and flaking off onto food, yuck. Questions:

1. Porcelain coated iron grate replacements, steel replacements, or new grill altogether? (keeping in mind that I'm broke from the kitchen remodel)

2. If new grill, I'm looking at Blue Ember (Home Depot), $450, and Weber Genesis (in blue color, of course), $650-700, both with propane. CR rated Blue Ember highly but the HD reviews indicated a design defect. Other ideas in that price range? I'm also considering putting off the grill until the year I do a whole backyard renovation and can do a built in island with a gas line.

3. Can a propane bbq be changed to gas line with a converter kit next year or are they completely different creatures with incompatible innards?

4. Is there a better forum for posting this question? The outdoor cooking forum doesn't seem to have much activity, and I've concluded that the kitchen people know everything anyway. :)

Thanks in advance.

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Comments (6)

jscout
15 years ago
I have a Weber LP grill and it originally came with cast iron grates (it was an HD "exclusive" at the time). Unfortunately, cast iron grates require periodic re-seasoning. Otherwise they rust, as you experienced. I let mine go and they rusted. I replaced my grates with stainless steel grates. I'm very happy with the way they cook. They say cast iron sears better because it holds heat better, but I haven't noticed any difference. I still get great grill marks.
jscout
15 years ago
Oh, I forgot to say that I also replaced my porcelain coated flavorizer bars with stainless steel ones. The original porcelain coated ones started flaking and the metal inside started rusting. So if you decide to replace parts, I say stay away from porcelain coated anything. I bought my grates and bars off Ebay in separate auctions. It cost me about $50 total and saved me from having to buy a new grill. The rest of my Weber is in great shape because I keep it covered when not in use.
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That was a very helpful video. Thank you, CO! Enduring, I don't know if my husband will clean the grill or not. He really hates doing any sort of chores. But now that he is retired, he is doing a few new things around the house, and doing most of the grocery shopping which is really helpful. I have sent him the video and told him to decide. If he wants to break it down and clean it, I will help him, but I can't do it by myself. I have always washed the exterior and scrubbed the bars and grates myself. Plus I do all the grilling. But honestly, I don't care that much about grilled meat. I could care less if we have a grill or not. So I'm going to leave it up to him. But I'm not going to sit and look at a dysfunctional, half-disassembled grill in the backyard for months on end. Right now I have the grates out. So it's gotta get clean, or she's outa here. We shall see.
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mlraff53
15 years ago
My grill from HD also rusted (in fact my DH just showed it to me a couple of days ago). I still have to buy the parts. Yes you can change a propane to gas as long as it's a dual grill. Some of them are only one or the other.
berryberry
15 years ago
Go with Stainless steel grates . If you are going with a new grill, the Weber is the best choice of those listed. Ours is still going strong after a dozen years - all I have done is like jscout - replace the porcelain cast iron grates with stainless ones
amysrq
15 years ago
Is charcoal out of the question?

I have a cobalt blue Weber Performer. It is charcoal with a propane start. The best of both worlds, IMO. Steve Raichlen, the BBQ guru, uses a Performer. It's relatively inexpensive, too.

I know this is kind of like talking about politics or religion...there are two camps on the BBQ thing. I've just never been into the gas grills. Guess I'm old-fashioned!
seedsilly
15 years ago
I just bought a Weber Spirit, the one with stainless steal flavor bars, stainless steel grates, etc. (This model was for some reason hard to find. Maybe most people just pay the extra $200 for the Genesis. The Genesis was too big for me and my little patio). Weber has a longer warranty for the stainless steel parts vs the ceramic/cast iron parts, so I assume that means the stainless lasts longer. This model also has a side burner for beans, corn etc. ItÂs a little cheaper than the Genesis, and you donÂt lose much in surface area. So far I really like it. It gets really hot, maybe too hot! I canÂt shut the lid and come back 10 minutes later like I used to. PS if you buy the Weber grill cover, IÂve read some negative reviews about the vents letting in water when it rains.

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